September and October were busy months with trips to Mexico, New York City, Western NY, and the rebranding of the blog. Early November, I headed to Tampa, FL for my day job. As I do in most business trips, I took a few days for a mini holiday. I decided to take in the Florida sunshine as DC started to feel the chill. I'm a big fan of the Le Meridien Hotels and was thrilled to find out I was able to stay at Le Meridien Tampa on a Government rate. Tip: hotels will also accept Government rates (federal employees or military members) for leisure travel as well based on availability.
 |
Le Meridien Tampa Exterior
Photo Courtesy of Le Meridien Tampa
|
We arrived to Tampa late on Halloween night. When we arrived at Le Meridien, we were taken by the design of the hotel. I am a fan of modern design and this hotel does it perfectly. We had a quick check in and went to our room. We were appalled to see that the room was not cleaned thoroughly as there were remnants of someone who may have had a rough party night. We told the management who took care of the issue ASAP and placed us in a new room immediately.
Some hotel experiences are not perfect as we would like but I rather judge not the condition of the room but praise the speed in which the management responded.
 |
| Decor at Le Meridien Tampa |
My favorite feature of the hotel was the design. The building was a former courthouse and the designers were able to adapt it perfectly to a hotel. There's plenty of marble and dark wood intertwined with the modern furniture in shades of navy and neutral tones. Needless to say, I got plenty of inspiration to decorate our new home. Our room was spacious and the bed was so comfortable that I ended up sleeping in most of the days there. The rooms are decorated with modern furniture with amazing floor to ceiling windows with lovely light.
 |
| Dessert at Braserie Bizou, Le Meridien Tampa |
A close second to the decor at Le Meridien Tampa was the food. It all starts in the morning. The hotel treats you to complimentary eclairs made in house from the Brasserie Bizou and a Illy espresso machine in the room. I got to experience dinner, brunch, and room service at the hotel and I can say the food was delicious. Dinner was composed of the refined classics: duck and filet mignon. The server Kate, was an expert of the menu. We also appreciated her knowledge of the wine and cocktail program. I had great service at Bizou throughout my stay. A few times after work I would go to the bar area to work and also noticed it was a popular place among the locals.
 |
| Eclairs at Le Meridien Tampa |
Sometimes you arrive at a great destination but the hotel is so great you don't want to leave the room. That was the case at Le Meridien Tampa. The service, food, room was superb. After an intense period, it was nice to stay at a hotel where I can relax, have great food, and unwind after work. Verdict: Loved the stay.
CONVERSATION