Add your sail date and the links open on the night before.
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A Holiday Inn Express on Rocky Point, seventh overall and the best of the airport hotels. IHG publishes a $10-a-day rate to leave the car for a cruise, runs a free airport shuttle from 5 AM to 10 PM, and breakfast is free.
There's no port shuttle, and IHG gives no distance to the terminals — the arena downtown is 9 miles. So the morning is a taxi or a rideshare, which is where the savings on parking go.
Price the $10 a day plus a ride against the port's garage for your cruise length before you decide.
Book it if
- Fly-in cruisers landing at TPA the day before
- Drivers who want a set $10-a-day rate
- Dog owners
Look elsewhere if
- You want the ride to the ship handled.
- You want to be close enough to walk anywhere.
Your night before, from here
From check-in to the gangway, using only what Holiday Inn Express Airport publishes.
Rocky Point is a small island of hotels on the causeway, and this one has an outdoor pool open 6 AM to 10 PM, a fitness center and self-service laundry. No restaurant. The airport is 2 miles.
IHG describes only an airport shuttle. No port shuttle is mentioned. A taxi or rideshare covers the trip.
Free, 6:30 to 9:30 AM.
IHG says it's near Port Tampa Bay for cruises but gives no distance. It puts the arena downtown 9 miles away.
Guests can leave a car at the hotel to take a cruise or a flight for $10.00 a day, per IHG. Ordinary self-parking for your stay is free.
Night-Before Score: 48 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.
Free shuttle, 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM, from four pick-up spots outside baggage claim. IHG puts the airport 2 miles away.
Hotel shuttle
IHG describes only an airport shuttle. No port shuttle is mentioned.
IHG says it's near Port Tampa Bay for cruises but gives no distance. It puts the arena downtown 9 miles away.
IHG doesn't mention St. Pete-Clearwater.
IHG describes only an airport shuttle. No port shuttle is mentioned.
IHG says it's near Port Tampa Bay for cruises but gives no distance. It puts the arena downtown 9 miles away.
From PIE without a hotel shuttle
St. Pete-Clearwater is across the bay, about 17 miles from Tampa by Uber’s count. The airport guide has the rest.
Guests can leave a car at the hotel to take a cruise or a flight for $10.00 a day, per IHG. Ordinary self-parking for your stay is free.
Parking for your stay: Free for your stay; $10 a day to leave the car for a cruise or a flight.
IHG describes only an airport shuttle. No port shuttle is mentioned.
IHG says it's near Port Tampa Bay for cruises but gives no distance. It puts the arena downtown 9 miles away.
Landing on sail morning instead? Some cruise lines and shuttle companies run straight to the terminals; compare the airports and the landing guidelines.
Parking while you sail
Cruise parking
Cruise parking $10/dayGuests can leave a car at the hotel to take a cruise or a flight for $10.00 a day, per IHG. Ordinary self-parking for your stay is free.
Source: ihg.comThe port’s own garage
About $15/dayPort Tampa Bay prints no daily rate for its garage across from Terminal 3; Royal Caribbean and Celebrity put it at about $15 a day, Norwegian at $14. Compare every parking option.
Source: royalcaribbean.com| Holiday Inn Express Airport | — |
| Port Tampa Bay garage, no hotel | — |
This hotel’s published rates before tax, against driving straight to the port’s own garage on sail morning. Hotel parking counts your hotel night plus every cruise night. This hotel publishes no shuttle, so add whatever your ride to the terminal costs.
The evening and the morning
The evening
PoolRocky Point is a small island of hotels on the causeway, and this one has an outdoor pool open 6 AM to 10 PM, a fitness center and self-service laundry. No restaurant. The airport is 2 miles.
Breakfast
FreeFree, 6:30 to 9:30 AM.
Address
Rocky Point, by TPA3025 North Rocky Point Drive East, Tampa, FL 33607
Hotel website
The fine print, in one place
Times, fees, rooms and the small stuff, as Holiday Inn Express Airport 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 for your stay; $10 a day to leave the car for a cruise or a flight
Cruise parking is in the parking section above.
Breakfast
Free, 6:30–9:30 AM
Pool
Outdoor pool, 6 AM to 10 PM, wheelchair accessible
Pets
Dogs only, up to two, 75 lb, $75 plus tax per stay.
Sail morning, on the clock
From the hotel’s published hours.
Rooms
Standard rooms and suites; accessible rooms with a tub-shower.
Accessibility
Accessible rooms, four accessible parking spaces, ADA elevators and pool.
On site
- EV chargingNot stated
- Guest laundryYes
- Fitness centerYes
- Pets allowedYes
Nearby, by the hotel’s count
- Raymond James Stadium5 mi
- Amalie Arena9 mi
- Busch Gardens15 mi
Distances as the hotel or its brand lists them. Bars use a square-root scale so short walks stay visible.
Also worth knowing
- Guests can park to take a cruise or a flight for $10.00 a day
- Dogs only, two maximum, 75 lb
Before you book
Worth knowing
- Cruise parking is $10 a day; the hotel doesn't say whether it's a flat rate per calendar day or per 24 hours.
- The airport shuttle picks up at four spots outside baggage claim, 5 AM to 10 PM.
- Check-in 3 PM, check-out 11 AM. Minimum age 18.
What we couldn’t confirm
- Distance to the port
- A ride to the ship
- EV charging
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 by the airport, with the ship a 15-minute ride away.
Tell us your sail date and we’ll check Holiday Inn Express Airport for the night before. No payment on the form.
Holiday Inn Express Airport FAQ
Does Holiday Inn Express Airport in Tampa have a cruise shuttle?
Not that it publishes. IHG describes only an airport shuttle. No port shuttle is mentioned.
Does Holiday Inn Express Airport in Tampa have an airport shuttle?
Yes, from Tampa International. From Tampa International: Free shuttle, 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM, from four pick-up spots outside baggage claim. IHG puts the airport 2 miles away. From St. Pete-Clearwater: IHG doesn't mention St. Pete-Clearwater.
Can I park at Holiday Inn Express Airport in Tampa while I cruise?
Yes. Guests can leave a car at the hotel to take a cruise or a flight for $10.00 a day, per IHG. Ordinary self-parking for your stay is free.
How far is Holiday Inn Express Airport in Tampa from Port Tampa Bay?
IHG says it's near Port Tampa Bay for cruises but gives no distance. It puts the arena downtown 9 miles away. In our ranking it's in the “Westshore & the airport” band.
Can I check in early or check out late at Holiday Inn Express Airport in Tampa?
Holiday Inn Express Airport in Tampa checks in at 3:00 PM and out at 11:00 AM, per IHG, with no early, late or bag-storage terms published. Ask when you book.
What time is breakfast at Holiday Inn Express Airport in Tampa on sail morning?
Free, 6:30–9:30 AM.
Can I charge an EV or park an oversized vehicle at Holiday Inn Express Airport in Tampa?
IHG doesn't say whether Holiday Inn Express Airport has EV charging, and it publishes no height limit or oversized parking. The port's limits are on the parking page.
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