Why Do Gen Z And Millennial Travelers Love Tampa?

Why are Gen Z and Millennial travelers putting Tampa on their list of hotspot destinations?

If you live in Tampa, you likely know and appreciate the appeal. Downtown isn’t too large to navigate but has the big city feel and appeal. It doesn’t take long to drive from Tampa to our beautiful beaches on the Pinellas side. The restaurant scene in Tampa is where you want to be. And, maybe I’m biased, but people are pretty friendly in Tampa.

On the topic of downtown Tampa, Water Street is a big draw. I’ve had a chance to check out the Tampa Edition hotel. It’s gorgeous and hip. And Water Street is home to some amazing restaurants. One of my favorites is The Pearl.

But it doesn’t have to be all about the downtown. Who doesn’t love to visit Hyde Park, Armature Works and the Westshore and International Mall area. You can see why Gen Z’ers and Millennials would come in droves to shop, dine and party.

The weather in Tampa is somewhat unbearably hot in the summer and even early fall, but you can call off indoors or in a pool or a body of water. You can definitely imagine why younger generations would want to travel here and view Tampa as a place to play and have fun year-round.

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The Tampa Edition has been open for months, and until this weekend, I had not yet visited.

I've been to the one in Miami, and it's definitely a hotspot. I heard great things about the Tampa Edition so my expectations were pretty high, but it definitely lived up to the hype.

It's Tampa's first five-star hotel. It's right on Channelside Drive across form Amalie Arena on one side and Water Street restaurants, including Boulon, on the other. Travelers to Tampa will love staying here and experiencing downtown. And even if you live in Tampa Bay, it would make for a nice staycation. This is the fifth of Marriot's EDITION properties. There are 172 rooms. It's a pet-frienly hotel, too.

There are seven restaurants and bars, including a gorgeous rooftop bar. The lobby is stunning. There is so much greenery and elegance everywhere. You'll see the design and be blown aways. It's a collaboration between famed architects from Morris Adjmi and Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates. The stunning interior design was by Roman & Williams.

We were invited to attend a wedding at the hotel, so we decided to book a room and check it all out.

I'd really wanted to dine at one of the restaurants, Lilac, but didn't get a chance. The wedding reception was in the ballroom on the 2nd floor. There was a side balcony near the ballroom that overlooks Amalie Arena. This would be a fun hotel to stay at if you were going to a Lightning game and didn't want to drive home and wanted to make it a weekend, rather than just a night at a hockey game.

I'm a real big fan of their lotions and bath products in the rooms. The suites are elegant with modern vibes. It's really cool that we have the Tampa EDITION now.