My friend and I stayed at Wingate for 2 nights mainly because its proximity to Adventure Island and Busch Gardens, the shuttle service and the reviews of being a CLEAN hotel. Check-in was a breeze and the daytime staff were great and really helpful. Our room was CLEAN and basic. The best part is the shuttle service the hotel provides. We do not drive and needed a hotel that offered this service, If we needed to return to the hotel they were a phone call away. We would call in advance and by the time we arrived at the entrance of the park the shuttle would be there. The shuttle will drive you anywhere within a 10 mile radius from the hotel. The only problem it stops at 8pm. Every morning they would offer a continental breakfast which was more than adequate. Besides the amusement parks there really isn't much to do around the area. Everything closes at 10pm and you defintely need a car to get anywhere especially after the shuttle service ends. I would definitely stay here again on a short visit. This is not a 5 star hotel. So please do not go there with this expectation.

I went to the Wingate by Wyndham on Fowler Street on March 2008 and had a very pleasant stay. The staff is friendly and helpful, the room was clean and the bed very comfortable. The complimentary breakfast was perfect. The only little problem is the lack of restaurants nearby. Fortunately, the hotel offers a shuttle service which is very efficient. The driver will take you to a restaurant (or to Busch Gardens, for example) and bring you back to the hotel. Since I was traveling alone, I felt this was a very safe alternative.

Our room was very dirty. Bathroom shower was filthy. Mirrors looked like they used an oily rag to wipe them. Under cushions of couch there were candy wrappers and food.

We stayed at the Wingate by Wyndham in Tampa for 4 nights in March. We choose that hotel because of it's close proximity to Busch Gardens, and were not disappointed since it is only about a mile away. The hotel has a wonderful shuttle service that will take you anywhere within a 3 mile radius of the hotel and then pick you up when you are ready to come back. We did not have a rental car and were very pleased with the service. The drivers were very friendly and helpful, as well as being prompt. There are a lot of restaurants nearby, but not many were close enough to walk to, so the shuttle worked out great for us. The breakfast buffet was fantastic. There was a large variety of items that would satisfy any appetite, whether you wanted something light or a full breakfast. The food was delicious and very convienient not to have to go out and find some place to eat. Connie, the hostess, could not have been nicer. They have a business center there with free computer access, so we were able to print out our boarding passes, the night before we checked out. Our room was very clean, comfortable and quiet. There is a coffee maker, microwave and small refridgerator in the room also. We would highly reccommend the Wingate to anyone going to Tampa, especially if you are going to Busch Gardens. You can't beat the price for what you get. Some of the cheaper hotels, closer to Busch Gardens are a must to avoid. They look run down and scary. You won't be disappointed with the Wingate!!

Five minutes from Busch Gardens - and the hotel provides a free shuttle bus to get you there. In terms of family friendly budget hotels, this is a really good deal. We arrived before noon, and the friendly man at reception found us a clean room ready to go, and booked a shuttle to get us to Busch Gardens ten minutes later. Standard room with two queen beds, but extra touches, like very nice coffee, and a microwave (get your pack of microwaveable popcorn from the vending machine downstairs for a dollar) and fridge. Free paper outside the door in the morning. And the breakfast was great - cereal, bagels, waffles, yoghurt, fresh fruit.; also hot food like omelette and sausage. It rained while we were here so couldn't check out the pool, but I noticed it being cleaned twice in the space of 24 hours.