Hotel rates nearly double ahead of jam-packed Gasparilla weekend in Tampa

TAMPA, Fla. - A jam-packed weekend is ahead for Tampa Bay with Gasparilla, WWE’s Royal Rumble, a Tampa Bay Lightning game at Amalie Arena, then to conclude the festivities there’s WWE Monday Night RAW at Amalie Arena as well.

It’s all attracting hundreds of thousands of people to our region and many of them are paying top dollar to stay in nearby hotels.

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"We see the numbers both with heads in beds and bed tax collection economic impact continue to just increase with the popularity of all these events," said Brian Lowack, the president and CEO of Visit St. Pete Clearwater.

Nightly room rates for hotels in downtown Tampa for Gasparilla have nearly doubled.

Check out the rates this weekend, as of Wednesday, compared to rates in mid-February:

Hotel rooms in Tampa:

Friday, January 26th - Sunday, January 28th (per night):

• Courtyard Tampa Downtown -- $454 
• Le Meridien Tampa -- $584
• The Tampa Edition – $749
• Tampa Marriott Water Street – $690 
• The Westin Tampa Waterside -- $579
• Hotel Tampa Riverwalk -- $582
• Aloft Downtown – Sold Out
• JW Marriott – Sold Out

Hotel rooms in Tampa February 9th-February 11th (per night):

• Courtyard Tampa Downtown - $250
• Le Meridien Tampa - $303
• The Tampa Edition - $605.
• Tampa Marriott Water Street - $428
• The Westin Tampa Waterside - $333
• Hotel Tampa Riverwalk -- $310