With Sunset Music Festival 2016 less than 50 days away, if you have not already secured your lodging yet, right now would be the best time to do so. SMF is being held at Raymond James Stadium where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play so it’s really easy to find lodging in the immediate area.
Lodging
To help make things easier, Sunset Music Festival has partnered with nine local hotels to help accommodate festival goers. Listed below is each hotel by closeness to the venue location. Out of the nine hotels, the closest is
- Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore
- 1.11 miles away from the venue
- This option is also one of the two most expensive options at $219 per night
- La Quinta Inn Tampa Bay Airport
- 1.7 miles from the venue
- $139 per night
- Tampa Marriott Westshore
- 2.02 miles from the venue
- Approximately $139 per night
- InterContinental Tampa
- 2.6 miles from the venue
- Approximately $182 per night
- The Crowne Plaza Tampa-Westshore
- 2.77 miles away from the venue
- Approximately $152 per night
- Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay
- 2.87 miles from the venue
- Approximately $219 per night (second most expensive option)
- Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Downtown Convention Center
- 3.77 miles from the venue
- Around $159 per night
- Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Ybor Historic District
- 4 miles away from the venue
- at about $156 per night.
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa-Anderson Rd/Veterans Express
- 4.64 miles from the venue
- Cheapest at $131 per night
You can book your hotel through Sunset Music Festival by clicking here. If purchasing a package through SMF directly, when you book your hotel and purchase your tickets at the same time you will also get a 10% discount!
Keep in mind that these hotels have a partnership with Sunset Music Festival directly and have specifically set prices through the partnership. You are more than welcome to check other value travel websites such as Hotwire, Priceline, and other hotel websites. This is to just help you plan your trip so that you have no worries during this time. Also, it is a good idea to remember that it is Memorial Day Weekend, one of the busier times for Florida. It’s the beginning of summer, so if you get a hotel further out, expect delays. When considering lodging, always think about location. The closer the better, however you may also be paying a little more for the location.
Transportation
Parking will be available close to the Raymond James Stadium for a minimal fee. Usually, parking is about $20-25 per day. So if you plan on driving, please drive responsible! If you plan on drinking, please designate a driver. Be safe, and be responsible!
Taxis are always available but can be extremely expensive — especially if the taxi driver knows that there is demand, they may try to jack up the price. Be careful and don’t get scammed. That being said, always carry cash on you when taking a taxi, because not all taxis take card. I have been scammed in the past by taxi drivers and it’s not fun. hen you pay in cash, also make sure to have your cash in smaller bills. I have also been scammed on cash too because the taxi driver had no change.
Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) is another option as well. I always recommend this, however keep in mind possible price hikes due to demand going up. I used to drive for Lyft and it is definitely a more affordable option instead of a taxi sometimes. Also, just be aware of your surroundings when utilizing this and what your driver looks like by their photo on the application. Always respect your drivers — they are opening up their personal mode of transportation to you, so please show respect to these folks and their property.
Hopefully this comprehensive guide to lodging and transportation will be of some assistance in planning your trip to Sunset Music Festival this Memorial Day Weekend. Can’t wait to see you all there!
Check out the SMF 2016 trailer here. Who are you most excited to see that’s on the lineup this year? Let us know in the comments section!
