What is a Boutique Hotel? We Stayed at The West Wing in Tampa to Find Out!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

I have heard the term 'boutique hotel' before, but had no idea what that meant. Ever the curious traveler, we booked The West Wing Boutique Hotel in Tampa, FL. to see what exactly how the word 'boutique' would add to our experience. Spoiler Alert: Our stay was fabulous!

A boutique hotel, as far as I can tell from our stay at The West Wing in Tampa, has nice little touches all throughout, that really do distinguish it from a traditional hotel. Our first little treat had a name. Yes, a name. 😍 Please meet 'Wes.' This cute little relay robot was sitting in the hallway when we arrived. He is happy to bring you anything you want or need, directly to your room. 

Of course the novelty alone meant we had to try it. I ordered some extra shampoo and body wash (they had citrus scents for both that smelled so lovely), and a few towels. For some reason, I was under the impression that you only get towels every few days in a boutique hotel. In fact, I thought your room was only cleaned once every few days. Both were misconceptions, because I received clean towels daily, and the room was cleaned each day as well. Everything didn't fit the first time around, so Wes brought one delivery and then came back with the remaining towel and washcloths. :)  The phone rings when Wes arrives, to let you know he's at your door.  

There he goes, back to to his station in the front lobby. If you look very carefully you can see a person at the end of the hallway, that person had kids...and you talk about squealing and being happy??? They were delighted to have Wes coming their way. Have to say, I was pretty fond of the little fella too. We miss you already, Wes!

Bottles of water and an ice bucket greeted us as we walked in the room. So did these lovely countertops!! I really liked that extra touch...it was nice not to have a little luxury while away from home. In fact, the whole kitchen was just lovely!

The appliances were stainless steel and the bar sat four people. 

The Keurig had complimentary Starbucks pods accompanying it.

The kitchen had dishes in case you wanted to cook on the electric portable stove.

It also had silverware and a couple of pans. Everything you'd need for dining in. There was room service too, that delivered from the restaurant in the hotel directly next door. If you wanted to dine out, TGIFridays was attached to the building. If you wanted to venture away from the hotel, there were many selections for places to eat (any type of food you might want in fact) within short driving distance, and there was a grocery store close enough to walk to, if desired.

We had a full trip planned when we went, but the 'places to go' book on the counter was still appreciated. We got some great ideas for planning our next trip to the area.

The living room had a unique feel with the couch, and easily moveable low chairs with a table. The long work area you see in the background would have been awesome if I'd have brought any work along (which I intentionally didn't). You can see an air unit in the living room and a flat screen TV. They had both of those things in the bedroom too. I loved the dual cooling units. My daughter likes things c.o.l.d. and her mother (that would be me), does not. Nada. Uh-uh, nope, no way. :) 

Soft, plush robes and slippers were in the closet if you wanted to use them, as was an ironing board, iron and safe.

The bathroom was huge and had big frost-designed glass doors that opened up into the bedroom.

Those beds!! They were super sturdy and comfy and had THE best puffy soft covers on them. If you look carefully you can see there was also a mini couch in the room as well. 

The toiletries were citrus-scented which was awesome since oranges always smell so good to me.

The blowdryer was in a cloth bag. 😊

There was no bathtub, which was fine by me, I never use them in hotels anyway, but there was a large glass shower with a huge showerhead. The water pressure and water temps were perfect.  

The complimentary breakfast had hot and cold items. Each day they served up something new.

Sausages, scrambled eggs...

and potatoes comprised the heated menu items one of the days we were there. 

 If you wanted a lighter meal, there was fruit, yogurt, bagels, muffins, instant oatmeal, etc. My son who RARELY eats a big breakfast went all out, as you can see in the photo above. He ate almost all of it too. The difference between the West Wing Boutique hotel and a non-boutique is that there was a little dining room, with a hostess to help you if you needed anything. It had a feel far more like a restaurant than any other hotel breakfast I have had before.

The lobby was welcoming with a long couch for relaxing or waiting the rest of your party to show up. Behind a privacy wall there, was a small business center. My daughter printed her concert tickets (our primary reason for being in town) on the computer/printer. It was convenient. 

The on-site gym had all that you see in a traditional hotel with some great additions. There were mats, weighted basketballs, oversized balance balls, stretch bands and a vertical weight machine.

While it's not always a necessity to work out while you're in a hotel, if it's a part of your daily routine, you miss it if you don't keep that schedule. In that case, having a well-equipped gym is always a big plus while you are away from home. This one was sparkling clean and a pleasure to use.

The Zen Garden was thoughtfully made, with all elements you would expect in such a garden considered. 

I imagine having an inside room on the hotel, overlooking the garden would be a nice experience! Here you can see a fall of water gently cascading into a pool. It lit up at night, as did the rest of the Zen Garden, making for a lovely visual experience any time you wished to visit.

Note to those wishing to do business, the hotel does have ample conference space available for use!
Although we did not need such a benefit on this trip, it is good to know for future reference, in case business takes us to the area. The location of this hotel is ideal for both personal and business travel because you are literally close to everything! We visited an aquarium, a zoo, and an amusement park while there, and all were within just a few minutes of the hotel. It is also a short drive to the port where you can see the big cruise ships docked and waiting to travel (they are magnificent!).

So there you have it. Our experience at the West Wing Boutique Hotel in Tampa, Florida was a huge success. Meeting all of the expectations you look for in a traditional hotel, and adding to them with lovely touches, such as the relay robot, the upgrades in the room (frosted glass, gorgeous countertops, extra comfortable bedding, plus robes, etc.) and the beautiful Zen Garden made for a wonderful first time boutique hotel visit. In the future, I will include 'boutique hotels' in my future room search values (something I never did before), and when we return to Tampa (hopefully for a cruise!!) we will be happy to book the West Wing in an instant! You can learn more about this lovely boutique hotel by visiting the website. You can also follow them on Facebook and/or Instagram.