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A Quality Inn by the fairgrounds, fifth in Tampa. That's what happens when a hotel publishes the deal instead of hinting at it.
The Stay Park and Cruise package is 14 days of parking and a round-trip shuttle to Port Tampa Bay — $173 a night.
Everything else is thin. Choice lists no breakfast, no pool and no restaurant, pets aren't allowed — and it doesn't give a distance to the port or shuttle times.
Book it if the package price beats the port's garage plus a ride for your cruise length. Do that math first.
Book it if
- Drivers who want one price for the night, the parking and the ride
- Anyone on a long cruise: 14 days is covered
- Two-queen rooms for four
Look elsewhere if
- You want breakfast, a pool or a restaurant.
- You're bringing a pet.
- You want to know the shuttle times before you book.
Your night before, from here
From check-in to the gangway, using only what Quality Inn Fairgrounds publishes.
Not much, and the page doesn't pretend otherwise: a fitness center, laundry, two-queen rooms for up to four, and the fairgrounds and the Hard Rock casino nearby. No pool, no restaurant and no breakfast listed. This is a place to park the car and sleep.
The Stay Park and Cruise package includes a round-trip shuttle to and from Port Tampa Bay. Departure times aren't published, and the ride isn't sold on its own.
Not listed on Choice's page.
Choice doesn't give a distance to the port. It's off I-4 at 50th Street, the same exit as the Holiday Inn Express, which says 4 miles. Your cruise line’s documents name your terminal and check-in window.
The Stay Park and Cruise package is 14 days of parking plus the round-trip shuttle, $173 a night for the room. Choice lists free accessible parking; the ordinary rate isn't stated.
Night-Before Score: 60 of 100
Scored only from what the hotel publishes. Here’s how the Night-Before Score works.
Getting here, and on to the ship
Pick where you’re coming from. Solid lines are rides the hotel publishes; a question mark is a leg you’ll arrange yourself.
Choice doesn't mention the airport.
The Stay Park and Cruise package includes a round-trip shuttle to and from Port Tampa Bay. Departure times aren't published, and the ride isn't sold on its own. Departures: Round trip with the Stay Park and Cruise package; times not published.
Choice doesn't give a distance to the port. It's off I-4 at 50th Street, the same exit as the Holiday Inn Express, which says 4 miles.
From TPA without a hotel shuttle
The airport says a taxi is a flat $40 to downtown and the cruise terminal on one page and a $35 maximum on another; the port calls it a 15-minute drive. Uber’s own estimate is about $28 for UberX, plus the airport’s $5 rideshare fee. Rideshare picks up at the Red and Blue Express curbsides.
Choice doesn't mention St. Pete-Clearwater.
The Stay Park and Cruise package includes a round-trip shuttle to and from Port Tampa Bay. Departure times aren't published, and the ride isn't sold on its own. Departures: Round trip with the Stay Park and Cruise package; times not published.
Choice doesn't give a distance to the port. It's off I-4 at 50th Street, the same exit as the Holiday Inn Express, which says 4 miles.
From PIE without a hotel shuttle
St. Pete-Clearwater is across the bay, about 17 miles from Tampa by Uber’s count. No official source gives a distance to the port. Uber estimated $36 for UberX to Tampa; Tampa Cruise Ship Shuttle charges $85 for the vehicle from St. Pete or Clearwater.
The Stay Park and Cruise package is 14 days of parking plus the round-trip shuttle, $173 a night for the room. Choice lists free accessible parking; the ordinary rate isn't stated.
Parking for your stay: Free accessible parking listed; the standard rate isn’t.
The Stay Park and Cruise package includes a round-trip shuttle to and from Port Tampa Bay. Departure times aren't published, and the ride isn't sold on its own. Departures: Round trip with the Stay Park and Cruise package; times not published.
Choice doesn't give a distance to the port. It's off I-4 at 50th Street, the same exit as the Holiday Inn Express, which says 4 miles.
Landing on sail morning instead? Some cruise lines and shuttle companies run straight to the terminals; compare the airports and the landing guidelines.
Distance
No mileage statedChoice doesn't give a distance to the port. It's off I-4 at 50th Street, the same exit as the Holiday Inn Express, which says 4 miles.
Source: choicehotels.comShuttle departures
PublishedRound trip with the Stay Park and Cruise package; times not published. Your cruise documents give your terminal check-in window.
Source: choicehotels.comParking while you sail
Cruise parking
Stay Park and Cruise $173/nightThe Stay Park and Cruise package is 14 days of parking plus the round-trip shuttle, $173 a night for the room. Choice lists free accessible parking; the ordinary rate isn't stated.
Source: choicehotels.comThe port’s own garage
About $15/dayThe port’s garage is at 810 Channelside Drive, across the street from Terminal 3, with overflow lots at 810 Channelside and 1331 McKay when a ship is in. Port Tampa Bay doesn’t print a daily rate on its pages; Royal Caribbean and Celebrity put it at about $15 a day, subject to change, and Norwegian says $14. Pay on entry by cash or card, or pre-pay online with a full refund before your cruise date; valet is a $20 upgrade. There’s no shuttle leg. Compare every parking option.
Source: royalcaribbean.comThe evening and the morning
The evening
Not statedNot much, and the page doesn't pretend otherwise: a fitness center, laundry, two-queen rooms for up to four, and the fairgrounds and the Hard Rock casino nearby. No pool, no restaurant and no breakfast listed. This is a place to park the car and sleep.
Breakfast
Not freeNot listed on Choice's page.
Address
East 18th Avenue, off I-44955 East 18th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605
Hotel website
The fine print, in one place
Times, fees, rooms and the small stuff, as Quality Inn Fairgrounds publishes it. Where it says “not stated”, the hotel doesn’t say, and a quick call will settle it.
Check-in and check-out
Minimum age
To check in, per the hotel.
Resort fee
None stated
Wi-Fi
Free
Parking for your stay
Free accessible parking listed; the standard rate isn’t
Cruise parking is in the parking section above.
Breakfast
Not listed on Choice’s page
Pool
None listed on the pages we read
Pets
Not allowed; service animals only.
Rooms
Two-queen rooms for up to four.
Accessibility
Free accessible parking; room details aren’t published.
On site
- EV chargingNot stated
- Guest laundryYes
- Fitness centerYes
- Pets allowedNo
Nearby, by the hotel’s count
- Florida State Fairgroundsnearby
- Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casinonearby
- Ybor Citynearby
Distances as the hotel or its brand lists them. Bars use a square-root scale so short walks stay visible.
Also worth knowing
- The Stay Park and Cruise package: 14 days of parking plus a round-trip shuttle to Port Tampa Bay, $173 a night
- Photo ID and a minimum age of 21 at check-in
Before you book
Worth knowing
- The $173 is a room rate with the package, not a parking fee; the parking and shuttle come with it.
- The primary guest must be 21 with photo ID. Check-in 3 PM, check-out 11 AM.
- Choice shows the hotel under three slightly different names; the address is the same.
What we couldn’t confirm
- Distance to the port
- Shuttle departure times
- The ordinary parking rate
- Whether there's a pool
Rates and policies are as the hotel published them on September 25, 2026. Confirm anything you’re counting on when you book.
Worth a look alongside it
Wake up a short ride from the ship.
Tell us your sail date and we’ll check Quality Inn Fairgrounds for the night before. No payment on the form.
Quality Inn Fairgrounds FAQ
Does Quality Inn Fairgrounds have a cruise shuttle?
Only with a package or offer. The Stay Park and Cruise package includes a round-trip shuttle to and from Port Tampa Bay. Departure times aren't published, and the ride isn't sold on its own.
Does Quality Inn Fairgrounds have an airport shuttle?
Not that it publishes. From Tampa International: Choice doesn't mention the airport. From St. Pete-Clearwater: Choice doesn't mention St. Pete-Clearwater.
Can I park at Quality Inn Fairgrounds while I cruise?
Yes. The Stay Park and Cruise package is 14 days of parking plus the round-trip shuttle, $173 a night for the room. Choice lists free accessible parking; the ordinary rate isn't stated.
How far is Quality Inn Fairgrounds from Port Tampa Bay?
Choice doesn't give a distance to the port. It's off I-4 at 50th Street, the same exit as the Holiday Inn Express, which says 4 miles. It sits in our East Tampa, off I-4 band.
Can I check in early or check out late on cruise days?
Check-in is 3:00 PM and check-out 11:00 AM. The hotel doesn't publish early or late terms, so ask when you book, not on the day.
Will the hotel hold my bags?
The hotel doesn't say. Most hotels will hold bags between check-out and a late shuttle, but that's a call to make, not an assumption.
Does the port shuttle come back for me after the cruise?
The Stay Park and Cruise package includes a round-trip shuttle to and from Port Tampa Bay. Departure times aren't published, and the ride isn't sold on its own.
What's the breakfast timing on sail morning?
Not listed on Choice’s page. Plan coffee on the way if you're leaving early.
Can I park an oversized vehicle or charge an EV?
EV charging: not stated. Clearance and oversized parking aren't published. The port lists oversized parking as an option but publishes no clearance or rate; call parking at 813-905-7678 before you bring a trailer or an RV.
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