8 Best Hotels Near Busch Gardens, Tampa

When planning a vacation that includes the thrills, live entertainment and one of North America’s largest zoos at Busch Gardens Tampa, visiting families will have a choice of accommodations. Stay in a full-service resort and pair your days at the park with pure relaxation, or find a property that offers the added amenities of a kitchen or kitchenette and even complimentary breakfast for extra convenience and savings. We’ve found some top picks within a 30-minute drive of Busch Gardens Tampa.

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Tampa – USF-Busch Gardens
Photo Courtesy of Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Tampa – USF-Busch Gardens
Just approximately a half-mile from Busch Gardens, this is the closest Holiday Inn brand to the park. Guestrooms give you family-friendly amenities like microwaves and refrigerators. A complimentary hot buffet breakfast gets you out the door fast and full of energy. The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Tampa – USF-Busch Gardens has a heated outdoor swimming pool and a fitness center. Ask about the property’s vacation packages as a preferred hotel partner with Bush Gardens so you can receive discounts and added value during your stay.

Wingate By Wyndham Tampa at USF
Expert photo by TripAdvisor
With free shuttle service to Busch Gardens, Adventure Island and anywhere you want to go within a 3-mile radius, Wingate by Wyndham Tampa at USF gives families one less thing to worry about during their stay. Microwaves and refrigerators in every room come in handy, along with the complimentary hot buffet breakfast. An outdoor pool, indoor hot tub and fitness center provide onsite relaxation. Wingate is one of Bush Garden’s hotel partners and offers special vacation packages featuring discounts and added value options.

Saddlebrook Resort, Wesley Chapel
Photo Courtesy of Saddlebrook Resort
Busch Gardens Tampa is an approximate 30-minute drive to Saddlebrook Resort, where families can enjoy resort amenities when they’re not exploring the park. The resort’s accommodations include deluxe hotel rooms or for more space, one- or two-bedroom suites with living/dining areas and kitchens. A Walking Village with no cars surrounds a 500,000 gallon Superpool. Saddlebrook has two 18-hole Arnold Palmer signature golf courses and 45 tennis courts with golf and tennis lessons for both adults and juniors, plus other onsite activities. Children can be part of the Saddlebrook S’Kids Club for ages 4 to 12. The resort also has an onsite European-style spa, fitness center and five restaurants.

Comfort Suites at Fairgrounds-Casino
Photo Courtesy of Comfort Suites at Fairgrounds-Casino
Minutes from Busch Gardens, Comfort Suites at Fairgrounds-Casino offers an affordable all-suite option for families. All suites come with refrigerators, but you can fill up with the free hot breakfast before you start your day exploring Bush Gardens and Tampa. Return at the end of the day or dedicate a full day to lounging at the hotel’s outdoor pool. Discounts and added value are available through hotel partner vacation packages with Busch Gardens.

The Westin Tampa Bay
Photo Courtesy of Westin Tampa Bay
Among the 244 guestrooms and suites at the Westin Tampa Bay, Club Level Rooms provide many extras that are well worth the additional dollars. Guests receive complimentary daily continental breakfast, bottled water and evening hors d’oeuvres. An indoor swimming pool and whirlpool provide water fun. There is also a fitness center, a private sunning beach and an onsite restaurant. A free shuttle service takes you within the surrounding area and there is also limited airport pick-up and drop-off. Busch Gardens is among a number of local attractions within 20 minutes of the property.

Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay
Expert photo by TripAdvisor
Continue the Busch Gardens animal theme with a stay at the 35-acre Grand Hyatt, set along a nature preserve on Tampa Bay. A nature trail treats guests to marine life and indigenous birds along 8 acres of salt marsh and mangroves. The hotel offers a number of types of accommodations including the chance to upgrade to Grand Club rooms for included breakfast and evening canap?s weekdays, as well as suites and villas for more space. Two swimming pools, a hot tub, tennis, three restaurants and a fitness center complete the Grand Hyatt resort stay.

Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa USF Near Busch Gardens
Photo Courtesy of Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa USF Near Busch Gardens
Take advantage of all that the Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa USF Near Busch Gardens offers families, starting with a two-room suite with a separate living area with sofa bed, wet bar, refrigerator, microwave, and coffeemaker. Free cooked-to-order breakfast and complimentary appetizers and beverages at the nightly evening reception add to the stress-free feel. Kids will like the swimming pool and video arcade and parents will appreciate the fitness room and children’s menus at the onsite restaurant. Only a few minutes to Busch Gardens via hotel shuttle, it is one of the park’s hotel partners offering special vacation packages with discounts and value added elements.

Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel
Photo Courtesy of Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel
A luxury boutique property close to Busch Gardens, Renaissance Tampa International Plaza Hotel pampers with high-end touches that include large marble bathrooms. Club Lounge rooms give you the additional benefits of complimentary breakfast, midday snack, evening hors d’oeuvres and desserts weekdays. When not at the park, relax with a walk to upscale shopping and dining at International Plaza and Bay Street or stay onsite to eat, swim in an outdoor pool or work out in the fitness center.