Westin Tampa Downtown Waterside

Cesar was incredible at check-in! I received a lovely upgraded room with a view of the Straz Center and water as part of Titanium loyalty. The room was spotless, linens smelled very fresh and bed was super comfy. I ordered a chicken and grill beets salad via room service- didn’t wow me for the $40 price, but it was worth the convenience of not having to leave the room. There is a Starbucks and several restaurant options in the base of the hotel for dining options as well. Valet was courteous and prompt. No complaints at all about my stay- I plan to return to this location in the future!

My stay at the Westin in Tampa was overall fine — clean room, decent location, and everything worked as expected. The staff was polite, and the basics were covered. That said, nothing really stood out. The service wasn’t particularly warm or personalized, and the overall atmosphere felt more functional than luxurious. For a Westin property, I was hoping for a bit more attention to detail or something that made the experience memorable. It’s a solid option if you just need a reliable stay, but don’t expect anything beyond the standard.

To anyone considering booking, this hotel is a disappointment to the “Westin” brand name. For a chain that prides itself on affordable luxury, I was horrified after my stay here. When I first arrived, the front desk staff was extremely kind during the check in process, and they even gave me a free upgrade and a drink at the bar for a minor inconvenience. Naively believing that this would be the service I received all weekend, I excitedly headed up to my room, which had an incredible view of the skyline. However, the excitement stopped there. The first thing I did was go to the hotel pool, which is a hop, skip and a joke to get to. You could smell the mold and see the brown stains on the third floor while you walked to the pool, which should be considered a health hazard by Hillsborough County. The pool deck itself was nice, however the pool bar was only open during certain hours during the weekend, which I found quite strange. During the entirety of my stay, the staff members ranged from unhelpful to just plain rude, with the exception being the woman who helped me during check-in and checkout. Most of the staff was unaware of the hotel’s own policies, and trying to get any help or information was a complex circle jerk. Trying to get anything other than alcohol after 10pm was an uphill battle, and the kitchen staff was extremely rude and refused to serve me food after I disclosed my severe peanut allergy to them, citing that “all their ingredients may contain peanuts” and there was nothing they could do to reasonably accommodate my allergy, a clear violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Furthermore, one elevator was working most of the stay, which was a gross inconvenience to wait for. All of the stairs were marked as “fire exits,” however none of the stairs were ACTUALLY alarmed. One of the “fire exits” was jammed open, and when asking the staff about this, they were careless and reiterated that all the doors were “fire exits.” There were many memorable incidents with the staff, but the most egregious was trying to receive proper custodial services. On the second day of my stay, the housekeeping staff did not show up until I specifically requested them to, as if housekeeping had skipped my room entirely. However, this ignorance pales in comparison to the abomination that was trying to get a toilet cleaned. It took 3 calls to the front desk to properly communicate to the staff that my toilet needed to be cleaned, and upon the third attempt, the staff member showed up with a yellow rag and spray instead of a toilet brush. The custodian claimed that there was no toilet brush in the hotel, which I later discovered was not true, and it appears she wasn't provided with one by custodial management. Once completed, the soiled rag was then thrown across my room and sat outside the door until the staff member was finished. This incident was not only a reflection on the carelessness of the custodial staff, but also a reflection on the poor management of the hotel, as they could not provide a toilet brush for their colleague. Having to sit with a soiled toilet for 7 hours in my room and then watching a custodial staff member clean the toilet with their hands is degrading to both guests and staff. As a loyal Marriott Bonvoy member, the treatment and service I received at this hotel is a shame to the Westin brand name, and to the Marriott family of brands. I strongly discourage booking at this location until issues of cleanliness, poor management and staff training are thoroughly addressed.