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Howard Johnson Express South Tampa

Published Monday, July 21, 2008 by bloggerblognet83460 | E-mail this post

When I first arrived at St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport in January, I already knew where I wanted to stay.

Before my trip, I had read the Tampa Tribune on line seeking a rental unit for under $500 a month (Good luck). What I found was worth the money, but more than I could afford.

The Howard Johnson Express on South Dale Mabry is everything I needed, and the weather was gorgeous that first night - 70 degrees and a clear, starlit sky compared to the frozen tundra of Cleveland, OH. Unfortunately, I misread the ad and it wasn't $500 a month.

This particular hotel is situated within a mile of a multi-screen movie theater, bicycle shop and several churches. It is also the closest to MacDill Air Force Base at two miles away. Also two miles away is a 9-mile walkway that runs parallel to Bayshore Boulevard. At the shopping plaza where the movie theater is located, you can catch a bus that will carry you across the Gandy Bridge to Pinellas County. (That is something else. Parallel to the Gandy Bridge is a pedestrian bridge that cyclists and walkers can use to cross the bay!).

Back to the hotel. This is a wonderful place with king size beds, microwave/refrigerator, hairdryer, coffeepot, iron/ironing board and safe in every room. There are family, jacuzzi and kitchenette suites, a large fitness room, outdoor pool (it's Florida) and complimentary breakfast with free newspaper. The service there is impeccable. I was able to keep my 18-speed road bicycle outside and it was never stolen. On my last day, the desk clerk called a cab at my request that arrived within five minutes!

North of the hotel are a library, fire station, Publix, Raymond James Station, Tampa International Airport. Busch Gardens is about 13 miles to the northeast, downtown Tampa is five miles away and Ybor City is six miles.

As you can tell, I want to go back and stay!

Personal Experience