The Barrymore Hotel Tampa Riverwalk
Riverwalk hotel with a downtown shuttle included
About this hotel
The Barrymore's Central Tampa location, next to the Straz Center for the Performing Arts on the Hillsborough River, gives it a genuinely different character from the suburban Busch Gardens cluster. The Continental, the on-site full-service restaurant, covers breakfast through dinner, and the complimentary downtown shuttle within a two-mile radius removes the parking hassle for a Tampa Convention Center or University of Tampa outing, both fifteen minutes' walk away. Adventure Island itself sits a real drive from downtown, so this suits a family building the water park into a broader Riverwalk-based Tampa stay. The 24-hour fitness centre and on-site mini market round out a genuinely well-equipped downtown base, and the hotel's central location makes it a genuinely walkable option for a non-park day exploring the rest of Tampa's downtown core.
- Downtown shuttle included
- On-site full-service restaurant
- Riverwalk location
Our take
The downtown shuttle and Riverwalk setting make this a strong pick for a family splitting time between Tampa's downtown attractions and Adventure Island, less so for one focused purely on back-to-back park days given the drive involved from Central Tampa each morning to the park gates and back each evening.
- ✓Use the complimentary downtown shuttle for a Tampa Convention Center or University of Tampa outing instead of driving and parking.
- ✓Eat at least one meal at The Continental, the on-site restaurant, to skip a dinner drive.
- ✓Plan a full day for Adventure Island specifically, since the drive from downtown takes real time.
Why we love it
- Complimentary downtown shuttle
- Full-service on-site restaurant
- Central Tampa Riverwalk setting
- Close to the Florida Aquarium
Why guests love itI would pick The Barrymore Hotel Tampa Riverwalk for a family that wants to split its time between downtown Tampa and Adventure Island. It sits next to the Straz Center and the Hillsborough River, with a full-service restaurant, an outdoor pool and a complimentary downtown shuttle within a two-mile radius. The Florida Aquarium is ten minutes by car. I would not choose it for back-to-back park days, since the park is a drive each morning.