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What's Brewing

Where's the affordable lodging?

By SUSAN THURSTON
Published March 17, 2006

Over the years, my parents have stayed at some pretty great hotels in some equally great warm places: the Aruba Marriott, the Wyndham El San Juan Hotel and, most recently, the Atlantis in the Bahamas.

When visiting Tampa, they stay at the Courtyard by Marriott on Cypress Street, wedged between Dale Mabry Highway and Interstate 275. Just exit at the Hooters billboard.

The location does little to endear Tampa to them, but they like the reward points and can get to Kennedy Boulevard without a map. Besides, it seems to be one of the better deals in town, if you call $149 on a recent Saturday night and $199 on Sunday a deal.

I'm amazed at the high prices local hotels can get for a room this time of year. Fancy places like the Tampa Waterside Marriott don't flinch at charging $309 a night during the week. Even rates at Ybor City's Hilton Garden Inn can surpass $200.

Tourism officials say that's the reality of sunny Florida. Want cheap? Come in August. News flash: Northerners don't want to come here when it's 105 degrees. They're too busy enjoying their summers.

Hefty hotel rates may work for business people and conventioneers, but not for every relative and friend in town for a few days. Most prefer saving their vacation kitty for the beach or other top-notched destinations, and I don't blame them.

Consider the downtown hotel market. The area doesn't have a ton of attractions, but it has enough to keep your interest for a day or two, and future amenities like the Riverwalk will improve the experience. But would I recommend a friend stay at the Wyndham Harbour Island Hotel for $199 a night on a Saturday in high season?

Probably not.

Instead, I'll pick them up at a hotel on Dale Mabry or West Shore Boulevard and we can drive to Channelside. Or maybe I'll just meet them at the beach and save Channelside for another time. Sorry, tourism folks.

Downtown's recent Gasparilla Festival of the Arts drew about 300 artists, many of whom needed a room. Festival organizers encouraged them to stay downtown but realized the price of a room might dissuade many.

"There isn't a whole heck of a lot that's reasonable,'' said Juli Milas, who was in charge of festival sponsorships.

"They are artists. A lot of them probably stay down the road at the Motel 6. It's hard to tell them to stay at a $300-a-night hotel.''

Like a lot of big cities, downtown Tampa doesn't have cheap, small dives tucked amid the skyscrapers. A backpacker won't find a youth hostel or an AAA one star. Just major high-end chain hotels - nice but expensive.

Blame it on the high cost of land. Developers can't afford to build urban hotels unless they have a lot of rooms.

Studies show the average room ran $103 a night in Hillsborough County in January, up from $95 in January 2005, said Steve Hayes, executive vice president of the Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Bureau.

That mirrored Orlando ($106) and fell below Palm Beach ($183), Miami ($158) and Fort Myers ($118), noted beach communities.

About $103 a night sure sounds nice. But where and what kind of hotel? I doubt it's for a room near International Plaza or even the airport. More than likely, it's not someplace I'd want my parents staying.

In explaining the situation, industry leaders point to Economics 101. Demand for hotel rooms has outpaced the supply.

"Hoteliers can typically charge what they want to,'' said Brad Garner, vice president of Smith Research Travel, which tracks trends. "They have the leverage.''

Garner credits several factors, starting with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which pummeled tourism, putting many hotel projects on hold. Then rising steel prices bloated building costs. Now Hurricane Katrina rebuilding projects are devouring construction crews.

Combine that with all the hotels converting to condos and the price of rooms keeps going up, he said.

The situation isn't likely to improve. Demand will continue to grow faster than supply, despite the downtown additions of the Embassy Suites and the planned renovation of the former Floridan hotel.

If Tampa wants to become more than a stopover for other places, it needs to give tourists a little something extra. Affordable rooms that give guests the best possible impression of Tampa would be a good start.

THE LAST DROP: The campaign is on to raise $20-million to help build the tourist-boosting Riverwalk along the Hillsborough River from Tampa Heights to the Channel District. To donate, send a check to Friends of the Riverwalk, P.O. Box 173312, Tampa, FL, 33672-1312 or call 274-7439.

Susan Thurston can be reached at thurston@sptimes.com or 226-3394.

[Last modified March 16, 2006, 14:45:24]