With so many travel options in Florida, Tampa doesn’t always receive the proper recognition. But the arrival of the RNC a couple of years ago, coinciding with a strengthened Tourism office and a big push to promote the city has changed all that. 

Now is your chance to stay ahead of the curve and visit… before everyone else does. 

After a whirlwind weekend of activities I discovered that
Tampa is much more than world famous beaches, the home field of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a spring training facility for the New York Yankees or a year-long attraction for families eager to visit Busch Gardens or the multiple amusement parks nearby.There’s the Port of Tampa, an aquarium where you can swim with the sharks and the famous Latin Quarter known as Ybor City, former “Cigar Capital of the World.”

Tampa is a warm, exciting, diverse city offering all the
excitement you want or the the relaxation you need.

TAMPA
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Naturally when flying to this thriving city your visit
begins at the Tampa International Airport. Pleasantly, this is not a simple
pass through destination but can be a very entertaining stopover. Imagine
original works of art, top class restaurants and the busiest TGIFridays in the
country (per SF). Tampa International has undergone a multimillion dollar renovation
and expansion that make it one of the top airports in the country.

HOTEL

Raissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel
When looking for a place to stay, the Renaissance Tampa
International Plaza Hotel is an ideal choice. Situated in the dynamic Westshore
business district, the hotel is in the middle of the International Plaza and
Bay Street, an upscale shopping and dining district that is one of the largest
retail venues on Florida’s West Coast. The Renaissance is just minutes from the
airport and offers comfortable, large suites and studios with amenities including
a heated outdoor pool, 24-hour fitness center, 24-hour room service, Concierge,
activities/tour desk, business center, Notary Public and guest laundry.

If you’re looking for a business hub, here you will find 12,500
square feet of meeting space including a 7,800-square-foot grand ballroom divisible
to eight sections that accommodates up to 750 guests. There are five breakout
rooms and one boardroom. And the lush courtyard encompasses 4,300 square feet
that accommodates up to 215 people for reception-style events. 

The eight-story, 293-room luxury property has earned the
prestigious AAA Four-Diamond Hotel Award and is recognized as one of the 2012
Best Hotels in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

4200 Jim Walter Blvd. (or 2223 N. West Shore Blvd.), at
International Plaza, Tampa, FL, 33607 (813) 877-9200
www.renaissancetampa.com

RESTAURANTS

Pelagia Trattoria

If staying at the Renaissance you don’t need to travel far for superior dining
options.

Adjacent to the hotel is Pelagia
Trattoria, a 152-seat trattoria-style restaurant that features an open
kitchen.  Open for breakfast, lunch and
dinner; Pelagia features an updated menu specializing in traditional Italian
cuisine with a modern twist. Under the direction of Executive Chef Andrew Basch and Chef Brett Gardiner the restaurant emphasizes simple preparation
with a dramatic presentation while incorporating seasonal flavors and locally
sourced ingredients. The menu changes seasonally and highlights made-from-scratch
recipes, handmade pastas, vegetarian selections and seafood, beef, lamb and
veal dishes.

www.pelagiatrattoria.com

Bay Street

Within walking distance from the hotel you’ll find Bay Street
at the International Mall. This ‘Restaurant Row’ has multiple dining options
among them Blue Martini, The Capital Grille, Ocean Prime, The Pub and there’s even
a Cheesecake Factory.

Columbia Restaurant
If there’s a dining ‘must’ in Tampa, it has to be the
Columbia Restaurant. Standing in the same location since 1905 you know a
restaurant has to be truly special to last 107 years.

The Columbia is Florida’s oldest restaurant and the largest Spanish restaurant
in the world, covering an entire city block and serving over a thousand covers
at any one time – and the restaurant is ALWAYS 
at capacity with waiting lists anywhere from 15 minutes to hours. Trust
me, it’s worth the wait!

The restaurant is under the direction of the fourth and
fifth generation of the Hernandez Gonzmart family. The patriarch, Casimiro
Hernandez Sr., opened the Columbia in Tampa’s Historic Ybor City as a corner
café frequented by local cigar workers in 1905.

Today, over a hundred years later, guests enjoy many of the
same century-old family recipes that have made the Columbia famous like Paella
“a la Valenciana,” Snapper “Alicante” Pompano en Papillot,
Corvina “Russian Style” and the famous “1905” Salad. The
desserts are divine and wine aficionados  have more than 1,056 wines to choose from,
with an inventory exceeding 50,000 bottles.

In addition to the superior Spanish/Cuban cuisine, the
restaurant features flamenco dance performances nightly, Monday – Saturday. The
Café offers live jazz Tuesday through Saturday.

2117 East 7th Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33605 (813)
248-4961   
www.columbiarestaurant.com

Berns Steak House

Another Tampa dining institution is Bern’s Steak House,
founded in 1956. The restaurant is consistently ranked as the top when it comes
to the best steakhouses in the nation. Wine
Spectator and Rachael Ray
have rated Bern’s the best steak house in the United States.

The restaurant is famous for not only its food, much of
which is organic and
grown especially for Bern’s, but also for its massive wine list.
Bern’s has the largest wine list of any restaurant in the world and due to this
status has quite a following of wine aficionados. In its cellars can be found depression
era French red wines,
pre-war Sauternes,
and Madeira from the 17th century. The
establishment also boasts a private dessert room, the Harry Waugh Dessert Room.

NIGHTLIFE

Ciro’s Speakeasy
& Supper Club

Ciro’s is the place for an unforgettable experience rare to
find. Located in a nondescript building the club/lounge/restaurant captures the
excitement and mystique of a prohibition era speakeasy of the 1920’s. To gain
access you have to know the secret password which changes daily. A greeter
inside opens a small slot and it you’re in he know you’re allowed access. As
you enter you are given a set of rules you must adhere to, including no talking
loud, and no disrupting the vibe with noisy cell phone conversations.


Once inside prepare for a throwback experience. Private and intimate dining
suites enveloped in beaded curtains and candlelight, upscale gourmet cuisine,
and a selection of original Prohibition-era cocktails crafted by knowledgeable mixologists
 who can give you a history lesson about
the creation of the ‘sidecar,’ the original martini or a Manhattan. Using Prohibition
era’s most popular spirits: bourbon, gin, and rum, along with fresh, local
produce and skills honed over many hours of research, they match classic 1920s
cocktails to each patron’s favorite flavors, then handcraft the drinks using
one of four types of ice, often 15 or more ingredients, and the utmost
precision. Your take on a cocktail will never be the same!

The kitchen is open late and Chef de cuisine Mary Paff has created a menu serving
duck fries and black-truffle popcorn, sushi and sashimi, sears diver scallops and
rack of lamb.

2109 Bayshore Blvd, Tampa, Florida 33606 1 (813)
251-0022     

ww.cirosspeakeasy.com

SHOPPING

International Plaza
is the premier shopping area for Tampa Bay. Here you can find upscale choices including
Neiman Marcus, Tiffany and Louis Vuitton.

There’s also Hyde Park Village, a historic neighborhood
filled with dining and upscale shopping.

WHAT TO DO

Ybor City

Tampa’s Latin Quarter is the historic Ybor City. Founded by
Vicente Martinez-Ybor as a cigar-manufacturing center, Ybor City today is one
of only two National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida.  In its heyday it was known as the ‘Cigar
Capital of the World,’ employing thousands of workers, housing over 200 cigar
factories and producing over 700 million cigars annually.

Today the neighborhood retains its charm and old-world
warmth with red brick buildings, wrought iron balconies and narrow brick streets.
You can still find shops making fresh hand rolled cigars but now your options
have expanded. Whether it’s Spanish, Cuban, Italian, Greek or French dining,
you’re sure to find it strolling down La Septima, the main street of the Historic
District. This is, after all, the home of the original Cuban.

Ybor city is also a thriving center of nightlife. You can
find all kinds of dance clubs ranging from Latin, to rock, to techno, to hip-hop.
You can get lost in the melodic sounds of the intimate jazz clubs and pubs,
patio bars and nightclubs.  Ybor is alive
with a variety of entertainment for all tastes and ages, great for the family
by day and perfect for unrepentant debauchery by night.

Tampa RiverWalk

The Riverwalk is a pedestrian walkway which lines the
downtown waterfront and allows you to see some of the city’s highlights. Start
at the Convention Center and make your way to the Straz Center for the
Performing Arts, passing along the way other points of interest like the Tampa
Arts District and includes Curtis Hixon Park, the Tampa Museum of Art, Glazer
Children’s Museum, Rivergate Tower and adjacent atrium containing the Florida
Museum of Photographic Arts. The Riverwalk extends to the Channelside District with
shopping and restaurants and is slated to connect up with part of Tampa Heights
eventually. The long term goal is to complete a continuous path of 2.4 miles.

Tampa’s Riverwalk, with 1.6 miles now completed, links
downtown’s noted cultural venues, vibrant businesses and picturesque
parks.  Walkers, joggers, and bikers
connect onto the Tampa Riverwalk from Davis and Harbour Islands, the Bayshore
and surrounding downtown neighborhoods. 
Docks allow for water taxis service and provide boaters with a
connection to the city’s core.

www.thetampariverwalk.com

Straz Center for the Performing Arts

Tampa arts and entertainment play a major role in downtown, not
just because of its tourism, but because of the way the arts have been such a
catalyst in rejuvenating downtown. Downtown has been raising awareness about
its role as a center for the arts and entertainment and many cultural events
and organizations have taken note.  The Straz
Center encompasses five different theaters and hosts a Broadway series of theatrical
productions.

www.strazcenter.org

The Florida Aquarium

The Aquarium is located in the Channelside district, near the
Port of Tampa. This is one of the only structures built to be specifically an
aquarium. Here is a great gift for adventure seekers.

The aquarium has a diving
program that allows anybody that’s scuba certified to jump in the coral reef
tank and swim with sharks. If you’re not scuba certified you can still jump in and
swim with the fish.

www.flaquarium.org

Tampa & Company’s Travis Claytor says, “Tampa is one
those places where you’re not going to find a more authentic experience. No matter
what you do, whether you’re coming here for sports, attractions, dining and
nightlife, or arts and culture; you’re really going to be able to immerse
yourself in Tampa. Tampa is kind of a second home. The hospitality here is
tremendous. We like to say the only thing warmer than the weather is our
hospitality. People here are genuinely nice and we enjoy having guests and having
them experience all our destination has to offer. We have a lot to offer and a
unique story to tell. There are things you’ll find in Tampa that you won’t find
anywhere else. We are an all-around destination.”

Speaking about the impact of the Republican Convention will have on Tampa, Claytor
says, “We were excited to welcome over 50,00 guests to our city. This is our
chance to tell the world our story and why we are a great destination. For the
last week all eyes were on Tampa as we hosted over 15,000 members of the media.
We are excited for them to share why we have such a great destination.”


Having visited and experienced the city I have to agree. Add Tampa to your radar and discover the energy,
vibrancy and warmth that surrounds some of the best dining, attractions and
nightlife in America.