My place is small and I will be having a baby so them staying with us
may be a bit too much. I'm thinking asking them to just use their stay down
here as a vacation also. What are some hotel around Tampa that are near a few
attractions. Also, what about Clearwater? Any nice economical place to stay on the beach? What places have your parents/grandparents enjoyed while in the Tampa/St. Pete area?

there are so many places to stay in the tampa bay area. how much-ish are you looking to spend?

I really wanted to keep it $90-$115. Even a decent motel with things few attractions surrounding it would be okay. They are older so I'm not too sure about Clearwater. St. Pete may have a place but they may not want to travel an hour to out place each time.

if you want a hotel in tampa, there are some really cheap ones that are fairly nice near busch gardens. you might want to check out The Red Roof Inn or Baymont Tampa. (These are also fairly close to Lowry Park Zoo.) I've stayed at the Tahitian Inn, which is off of South Dale Mabry. It's just your average hotel, but it's clean and stuff and near things like Old Hyde Park and the University of Tampa where they host an annual Victorian Christmas Stroll. The Courtyard Marriott and Hampton Inn Suites are both in Ybor City, but they have trolley stops that will take you right to the Florida Aquarium and downtown. All these hotels are around 80 - 120 dollars a night.
Hope it helps!

Another suggestion is to stay at one of the hotels in downtown Tampa. Although I have not ever stayed in any of the hotels downtown - looked at the price for the Sheraton Riverwalk for a week night in Dec amd it was priced at $99. Downtown has the Musuem of Art (currently with a Georgia O'Keffe exhibit) and across the river is the University of Tampa with the Henry B. Plant Museum showing what the funishings of the building were like when it was a grand hotel. There is also the In-town Trolley line the can be used within the down town area and also to go to Hyde Park, as well as the Streetcar that goes from Downtown to the Channelside shops and also to Ybor City where there are interesting shops at Ybor Square and also Ybor State Museum showing the typical life-style of the cigar workers.

Donna

Ive put them up at Marriott Spring Hill Suites in the Westshore District, and Shreaton Riverwalk downtown Tampa.