The Barrymore Hotel Tampa Riverwalk: Location Over Luxury
Two nights in downtown Tampa, a comfortable room, an unexpectedly helpful shuttle driver, and a reminder that the right hotel doesn't have to be the fanciest one.
Why We Chose the Barrymore
When Gina and I started planning our Tampa weekend around the Rush concert, we knew one thing: we didn't want to spend the end of a great evening sitting in a parking lot.
I've been to enough concerts to know that getting out of the venue isn't always the difficult part. Getting your car out of the parking lot and onto the road can be another story entirely.
Between pedestrians leaving the arena, police directing traffic, and thousands of people trying to get home at once, I figured we could easily spend 30 to 45 minutes just getting out of the area.
And then there's parking. I expected to pay somewhere between $25 and $40 for event parking, assuming we found something convenient.
We decided to approach things differently.
Instead of choosing a hotel farther away and driving to the concert, we'd stay downtown, close enough to walk if the weather cooperated.
We weren't looking for a luxury hotel. We were spending two nights in Tampa, and our schedule was pretty full. Sunday evening was reserved for dinner at Bern's Steak House. Monday was for exploring Tampa and attending the concert.
We needed a clean room, a comfortable bed, a convenient location, and reasonable parking.
The Barrymore Hotel Tampa Riverwalk checked those boxes.
This is exactly the kind of decision we discuss in Choosing the Right Type of Lodging. The best hotel isn't necessarily the nicest hotel. It's the one that fits the trip you're actually taking.
What We Paid
I compared hotel rates, parking charges, and additional fees before making our reservation.
Some hotels looked reasonably priced until parking and other charges entered the picture.
The Barrymore offered a room for less than $200 per night, parking for $20 per night, and no resort fee.
Here's what our two-night stay actually cost:
First Impressions: A Little Dated, but Clean
We arrived Sunday afternoon, around 3:15, and checked in without any problems.
The Barrymore isn't going to fool anyone into thinking it's a brand-new luxury property. The building shows its age, although some areas have clearly been refreshed.
But the hotel was clean, the staff was pleasant, and check-in was straightforward.
That's a pretty good start in my book.
We also discovered just how close we were to the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. It was practically outside the front door.
In fact, Hamilton was playing its closing night when we arrived.
If we were visiting Tampa specifically to see a performance at the Straz Center, this location would be hard to beat.
And as we'd discover, it worked pretty well for a concert across downtown, too.
Room 1231: Better Than We Expected
Our room was on the 12th floor, Room 1231.
It wasn't particularly fancy, but it was clean, quiet, and comfortable.
The king bed was more comfortable than I expected, the air conditioning worked well, and we had no trouble sleeping either night.
The bathroom appeared to have been updated, with a glass-enclosed shower and a more modern appearance than some of the furnishings in the bedroom.
There were also a few practical touches I appreciated.
We both travel with CPAP machines, and we had plenty of electrical outlets for those, along with our phone chargers. That might sound like a small thing until you've stayed in a hotel where you have to move furniture or unplug a lamp just to find an available outlet.
There was also an iron and ironing board in the room, which we actually used.
The in-room Keurig coffee wasn't particularly impressive, but that's hardly a dealbreaker. It did give us a little extra motivation to find better coffee the following morning.
Overall, the room was exactly what we needed.
We weren't there to admire the furniture. We were there to enjoy Tampa.
A Hot-Water Problem, Quickly Resolved
Not everything was perfect.
Shortly after checking in, we discovered that we didn't have hot water.
That could have been a significant inconvenience, especially since we needed to shower before heading out for dinner.
We reported the problem around 3:35 PM.
By approximately 3:56 PM, it was fixed.
About 21 minutes from discovering the problem to having hot water again.
Things break. Even expensive hotels have maintenance problems.
What matters to me is how quickly and effectively a hotel responds.
In this case, the Barrymore handled it well.
We were able to get ready for dinner without disrupting our evening, and the hot water wasn't an issue for the remainder of our stay.
The Unexpected Bonus: A Complimentary Shuttle
Here's where the Barrymore started exceeding our expectations.
We discovered that the hotel offered a complimentary shuttle operating within an advertised two-mile radius.
The shuttle was first-come, first-served, so there was no guarantee it would be waiting whenever we wanted it.
But we had transportation alternatives available if necessary, and we figured it was worth trying.
For our Sunday dinner reservation, the hotel suggested coming downstairs around 6:45 PM.
We did.
And there was the shuttle, with the driver sitting inside and nobody else waiting.
We climbed aboard and headed out.
That was our introduction to John.
John Was More Than a Shuttle Driver
John turned out to be one of the highlights of our stay.
He was friendly, knowledgeable, and seemed genuinely proud of Tampa. More importantly, he seemed interested in helping his passengers enjoy their visit.
After dinner, we called the hotel for a ride back.
John arrived in less than 15 minutes.
We were his last passengers of the evening, and since he wasn't rushing to pick up anyone else, he treated us to what I'd call a nickel tour of Tampa.
As we drove, he pointed out different neighborhoods and places worth exploring.
He told us about Armature Works, the Hyde Park area, Bayshore Boulevard, and other parts of Tampa we might enjoy.
We hadn't planned a detailed sightseeing itinerary for Monday, so his suggestions were especially useful.
We ended up visiting several of those areas the following day. At Armature Works, we discovered M.Bird, the rooftop restaurant and bar where we later enjoyed dinner.
John hadn't recommended M.Bird specifically. He'd pointed us toward Armature Works, and we found M.Bird ourselves.
That's how some of the best travel discoveries happen.
We weren't following a carefully scheduled itinerary. We were taking a local's suggestions, exploring, and seeing where the day led us.
For a complimentary hotel shuttle, that's a pretty impressive bonus.
Concert Night: John Had a Plan
Monday evening was the real test of our transportation strategy.
The Rush concert was scheduled for that night, and we headed downstairs around 6 PM, roughly 90 minutes before showtime.
There were eight of us waiting to go to the concert.
Everyone climbed aboard, and John explained that he'd get us within about three blocks of Benchmark International Arena.
He also offered an interesting observation.
According to John, concerts tend to create more traffic confusion than Tampa Bay Lightning hockey games.
Many hockey fans are season-ticket holders who know the area, understand the parking arrangements, and have established routines.
Concerts bring more out-of-town visitors who may be unfamiliar with downtown Tampa. They don't necessarily know where to park or which streets to use, and that adds to the congestion.
It made sense.
John also knew he wouldn't be working when the concert ended, so he made sure we understood our options for getting back.
We could walk.
We could take an Uber, although he suggested walking a few blocks away from the arena first to potentially find a lower fare.
Or we could stop somewhere for a drink and let the post-concert rideshare surge pricing settle down.
Then he explained two different walking routes back to the hotel, both along well-lit streets he considered safe.
That last part meant a lot to me.
He wasn't simply dropping us off and wishing us luck.
He was making sure his guests knew how to get back comfortably after the show.
That's good service.
The Best Part of Concert Parking? Not Needing It
When the concert ended, we decided to walk.
The weather was perfect.
The distance back to the Barrymore was right around a mile, and it took us approximately 25 minutes once we were outside the arena.
Along the way, we passed cars still waiting to get out of various parking lots.
Meanwhile, Gina and I were walking hand in hand, talking about the concert we'd just seen.
No parking garage. No rideshare surge pricing. No waiting in traffic.
Just a beautiful evening in Tampa and a pleasant walk back to our hotel.
That was exactly what we'd hoped for when we chose to stay downtown.
And in some ways, it was even better.
A Location That Made the Weekend Easier
The Barrymore's location gave us flexibility.
We could leave the car parked while we went to dinner, explore downtown, take advantage of the shuttle, and walk back from the concert.
The Straz Center was right next door, and Tampa's Riverwalk and downtown attractions were conveniently accessible.
We also enjoyed views of downtown from our room.
At night, the illuminated buildings and streets gave us a reminder that we were right in the middle of the city.
It wasn't an oceanfront balcony or a mountain retreat.
It was exactly the view that fit this particular weekend.
Would We Stay at the Barrymore Again?
🟢 Go for it!
For the kind of trip we were taking, absolutely.
The Barrymore isn't a luxury hotel, and anyone expecting a brand-new property with upscale finishes throughout might be disappointed.
But we found a clean, comfortable room, friendly staff, reasonable parking, and a location that made our weekend much easier.
When we had a maintenance issue, it was handled quickly.
And the complimentary shuttle, especially John's outstanding service, added value we hadn't expected when making the reservation.
Would I book the Barrymore for a special occasion where the hotel itself was supposed to be the centerpiece of the trip? Probably not.
Would I gladly stay there again for a concert, a performance at the Straz Center, or another downtown Tampa weekend?
Without hesitation.
We spent $466.46 for two nights, including parking, and got what we needed without paying for amenities we weren't going to use.
It's a good example of something I believe strongly about travel: spending more doesn't automatically mean getting more of what matters.
Sometimes the smartest upgrade is simply making a better choice.
That's the idea behind Upgrade Your Decisions, Not Your Budget, and our Barrymore stay was a pretty good real-world example.