Meeting groups drawn to Tampa’s Westshore area
The Tampa Bay’s best-known commercial business space has grown to 11 million square feet of office space, a growth spurt that has led it to also become a haven for meeting-goers.
At last count, there were about 40 hotels in the immediate area with some reporting renovations.
The Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza, for example, just completed a half-million-dollar renovation throughout the property including a remodeled ballroom, updated guestrooms, expanded fitness center and other upgrades.
Smith reports that overall hotel occupancy is up 8.6 percent in the greater Tampa Bay area compared to a year ago at this time. Tampa Bay has the second largest population in Florida, trailing only greater Miami.
Hotels with strikingly modern touches in Tampa’s Westshore area such as the 323-room InterContinental Tampa are benefitting from new convention and meeting business. Almost one third of the clientele of the 323-room hotel involved groups, said Darlene Limon, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing. The hotel has 17,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Westshore area is convenient for meetings because of its various amenities that include close proximity to the Tampa International Airport. Hotels there are only steps away from Westshore Plaza, which gives guests quick-and-easy access to upscale shopping and dining, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Palm Restaurant, Maggiano’s Little Italy, and a 14-screen movie theater.
The area is also close to Tampa’s 600,000-square-foot convention center. The area also has a lot of sports activities and is more prone than ever to draw big-name entertainers.
Hotels in Westshore are increasingly also known for their service amenities.
The InterContinental Tampa was ranked 5th in a survey by its owner, InterContinental Hotels Group PLC of United Kingdom, which is the world’s largest hotel based on the number of rooms.
By David Wilkening
David
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