Floridan Palace Hotel

When the Floridan Hotel opened in 1927 it came with a three-million-dollar price tag. At around 240 feet tall, it became the first skyscraper in Florida, and is currently the last remaining Tampa skyscraper from that time period. Surviving the ups and downs of tourism (and even having Elvis Presley as a guest in 1955), the Floridan functioned as a luxurious and elegant hotel until closing due to a change in the city fire codes in 1989. Seven years later, it was designated a landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. By the time a Greek hotelier scooped up the property in 2005, it was in shambles and marked for demolition; vultures were nesting in the top floors and the center of the hotel had collapsed down nearly all 19 floors. 

The new owners spent seven years restoring the hotel to its original grandeur. It opened in 2012 with custom vintage-style furniture from Europe, painstakingly restored details, and luxurious in-house sewn napkins, pillows, and tablecloths. Guests here can expect loads of marble and granite, ironwork railings, glittering gold and crystal chandeliers, and beautiful, ornate hand-painted ceilings moldings and murals. This is an ideal hotel pick for folks who want to experience living history or are interested in historic architecture. One of the drawbacks to doing such a good job at restoring the property is that it does feel dated, like old luxury. Additionally, many guests have reported poor or inconsistent service.

The Floridan Palace Hotel is located in downtown Tampa, though it's away from the hustle and bustle of the business district. The immediate area is slightly desolate and yet-to-be-developed few. It’s four minutes on foot to the Greyhound bus station, and close to all the popular spots downtown, but not as many restaurants or bars as other nearby downtown hotels. 

• Seven-minute walk to the Glazer Children’s Museum and Tampa Museum of Art
• Eight-minute walk to the Straz Center for Performing Arts
• Five-minute drive or 17-minute walk to the Tampa Convention Center
• Seven-minute drive to the Tampa Riverwalk
• Seven-minute drive to Amalie Arena
• Eight-minute drive to the Tampa cruise port
• Eight-minute drive to Tampa International Airport
• 10-minute drive to Channelside Walk Way
• 22-minute drive to downtown St. Petersburg 

When the Floridan Hotel opened it had around 400 small rooms. During renovations, walls were knocked down to make for larger rooms, leaving the hotel with 210 rooms and three top-floor Grand Luxe Penthouse Suites. All rooms have custom classic wood furniture, rust-colored marble vanities, and a rich color palette in dark blue, ochre yellow, and whites. Beds rest atop ornate wooden post frames and handmade drapes hang from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Contemporary conveniences include small mini-fridges, Keurig coffee machines with free daily K-cups, and ironing facilities. Guests also get free welcome bottles of water and free Wi-Fi and wired internet. Bathrooms come stocked with Bath and Body Works toiletries, wall-mounted hairdryers, shower/tub combos, and separate toilet areas. All rooms have clean though old-fashioned carpeting and AC units, and flat-screen TVs with basic satellite channels. 

Standard rooms come either with two doubles or a king bed and vary in layout, and therefore size, depending on where they are located. Some are surprisingly spacious with enough empty floor space for an extra bed or two, while others are noticeably smaller. The more spacious rooms have two sitting chairs, while the Penthouse Suites have couches, dining tables, and an area for sitting chairs. These rooms also come with bathrobes, and the Two Bedroom Two Bathroom Penthouse has two doors that open up to the tarred roof. Junior Suites are located in the corners, and have two TVs and two sitting areas. 

The hotel has a decent list of features, most offering dining or event space. The Crystal Dining Room is raised off the lobby and has an upscale, classic look that includes patterned carpets, tables covered with handmade white tablecloths and napkins, draped floor-to-ceiling windows with decorative half-circle window accents, and the same elegant crystal and gold chandeliers found in the lobby. There's a no-fee private dining room, and the menu serves Floridian-European dishes like escargot and grouper sandwiches. Part of the dining room wraps around the front of the lobby until it melds with the Lobby Bar. This open, raised space faces out toward the street and is open seven days a week in high season, but is closed on Sundays in low season. Friday and Saturday nights, the street-level Sapphire Room opens for guests to sit at the large marble bar or at the tables with leather chairs. 

New additions to the hotel include a street-level gym and a gorgeous 10,000-square-foot ballroom. The gym is carpeted and has just a few old machines, some free weights, and an all-in-one. There are no TVs, water, or music. The ballroom is a repurposed city post office that the hotel purchased and converted into a huge and classically beautiful event space with high ceilings, a lofted area, and built-in stage and dance floor. There's also a 2,000-square-foot meeting room with lots of windows and the ability to hold up to 80 people. 

Parking is available in a non-secure lot behind the hotel for a daily fee with no ins or outs, and free local newspapers are available in the lobby. Wi-Fi is free throughout.