"Against my better judgement, I used one of those websites where you "bid," sight unseen, for a hotel room. I was really worried when I found out that the Tahitian Inn had won my bid. So worried, in fact, that I considered making another reservation at one of the "big name" hotels to hedge my bets. In retrospect, I'm very glad I didn't!The Tahitian Inn, Cafe and Spa is a small, old-fashioned style motel complex, somewhat reminiscent of the 1960's or 1970's. It's small, quaint and unpretentious to the extreme. From what I have read, this is one of the last of the family-owned and operated hotel/motels in Tampa. The atmosphere we encountered definately bore that out.The lobby is small but surprisingly beautiful, with a stunning beveled glass front door and transom, comfy furnishings and warm tropical tones. The staff were among the friendliest I've encountered anywhere and seemed mostly to be long-time employees of the establishment. Every inquiry was met with warmth and genuine interest.The cafe, where we ate both lunch the day we arrived and breakfast the following morning, was large, airy and clean. As we encountered at the front desk, the wait staff was very friendly and accommodating.Our room was on the first floor in the building perpendicular to the lobby building. I believe it to be some of the older rooms. The styling was totally 1960's motel. The room had obviously been recently renovated, however, and was squeaky clean and inviting. The bed was very comfortable and there was a nice assortment of pillows from which to choose.There was a lot of renovation visible in adjacent rooms and areas. Even the people working on the other rooms and the maintenance and groundskeepers at the hotel were friendly and courteous, though. There were no noise issues from the renovations that we could hear.Overall, our experience at the Tahitian Inn was a very good one. I would definitely recommend it to friends and thought it was an excellent value."

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