TL;DR

Style: Large, visually striking hotel with futuristic and lush lobby design.
Decor: White and green, otherworldly, Mon Mothma vibes.
Atmosphere: Relaxed luxury, detached from the everyday.
Location: Downtown Tampa.
Check prices here

Despite a propensity for trendy phrases and a general feeling of a non-place, the Tampa EDITION reigns as one of Downtown Tampa’s most breathtaking hotels.

The Marriott-backed chain clearly has a fantastic architectural design team; both the building and its decor are on point.

It’s definitely on the large side for us, and they’re probably gunning for buzzword-happy tech money over the pug-toting boutique crowd.

Yet, we still think it’s worth a glance; there’s probably a lot of overlap anyway.

It’s hard to overlook a place with a veritable jungle in the lobby, genuinely breathtaking views, and a staircase that makes you feel like you’ve just Alice-in-Wonderland-ed into the center of a whelk.

It’s very much Mon Mothma’s Florida, an otherworldly space that you could toss onto Coruscant without losing any sense of belonging.

If you’re on the hunt for an authentic Tampa vibe, you’re not going to find it here.

If you want to detach from reality among the bright whites and lush greens of a nonentity, EDITION has absolutely got you covered.

What are the rooms like?

Number of rooms: 172
Spacious & bright: Floor-to-ceiling windows with light-filled spaces, rooms start 400+ sq ft, suites 800+ sq ft.
Decor: White and pale wood, beachy-modern, bridging space and time.
Amenities: Marble bathrooms, robes, slippers, blackout drapes, Smart TVs, Bose speakers, mini bars, Nespresso machines.
See all the rooms in detail here

Rooms and suites here feature the best in floor-to-ceiling windows, which is obvious from the glass-coated exterior of the hotel.

What it doesn’t tell you is how nice they are from the inside. The oversized windows let in all of the light, opening up every space to the point where square footage seems irrelevant.

Not that it was going to be a problem anyway.

Guest Rooms, which come in King Singles and Queen Doubles with or without garden-adjacent terraces, start at 400+ square feet.

Suites are even larger, generally taking up the higher floors and featuring some truly spectacular views of downtown.

The corner-facing One- and Two-bedrooms are our personal favorites. They feature separate living areas and start at 800+ square feet.

We’d say the most plush is the Bay Suite, complete with 1.5 baths, a gorgeous soaking tub, working area and dining space.

The decor is white and pale wood, an almost beachy but not quite atmosphere that bridges the gap between space and time.

Is it made for Florida? For New York? For a Virgin Galactic ship?

As a set piece for Wall-E the musical?

All accommodation includes marble bathrooms, cozy robes and slippers, blackout drapes, Smart TVs, Bose speakers, mini bars and Nespresso machines.

What are prices like?

Check prices here

And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?

Dining: Multiple options including Market for breakfast/lunch, Azure rooftop, Lilac Michelin-starred Mediterranean, Pool Bar, Arts Club, Punch Room, Lobby Bar.
Facilities: Full-service spa and 24-hour fitness center.

This is a suck-you-in and make you forget what day it is kind of place, like a casino without the gambling or the free booze.

The day starts at Market, a kind of modern trattoria open for breakfast through lunch, with a cocktail situation extending into the late afternoon.

Your all-day option is Azure, which sits on the rooftop and plays with wooden architecture and serves up gorgeous Greek-inspired seafood dishes. They’re open for brunch, lunch and dinner.

The centerpiece of the dining options is called Lilac, a Michelin-starred Mediterranean joint with a Greek chef heavily inspired by French and Turkish traditions.

If your mouth isn’t watering yet, we don’t think we can help you.

What we can do is present the myriad of options for cocktails and snacks.

The Pool Bar is also on the rooftop, and it’s here you can sink fully into a Dionysian relaxation. Mimosas start at 11, and you can continue to drink, dip, and snack until the sun sets.

Arts Club offers the entertainment, a swanky little joint with Asian-inspired dishes. The Punch Room is all cocktails, and the Lobby Bar will be your social space.

Besides the food and drink funhouse, the hotel also includes a full-service spa and a 24-hour fitness center.

How is the neighborhood? Anything interesting nearby?

Waterfront: Walking distance to Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park and the Aquarium.
Accessibility: 5 minutes by car or 20 minutes walking to Downtown.
Culture: Tampa Theatre, Museum of Art, Henry B. Plant Museum nearby.
Authentic vibe: Ybor Square 10-minute drive east with food, drinks, and event spaces.

The neighborhood fits the hotel quite well. Water Street is a top-down development project designed to revitalize downtown Tampa.

It’s a safe haven for upscale apartments, shops, hotels, and restaurants, all of which will be within walking distance.

The biggest draw is the waterfront along the Channel, near Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park and the Aquarium. They’re both just 5-10 minutes walking.

You can get Downtown in 5 minutes by car, 20 minutes on foot.

Once there, you’ll find the stunning Tampa Theatre, the Museum of Art, and the Victorian gem that is the Henry B. Plant Museum.

Ybor Square is one of the more authentic gentrifying areas of the city, about a 10-minute drive to the east.

Here you can find hip event spaces, and lots of places to eat, drink, and hang.

And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?

Some things guests liked:

“The location was super convenient! Most importantly felt safe to walk around the area. The staff were friendly and helpful. Housekeeping were on top of it….”

“Very nice and modern hotel. Top location across the street of Amalie arena….”