CK's revolving restaurant atop the Marriott, connected to the TPA main terminal, is a fine place to kill an hour or so. The restaurant and bar make a 360-degree rotation every 90 minutes or so, providing ever-changing views of Old Tampa Bay (plus a sunset when I was there), the causeways, downtown Tampa, Raymond James Stadium and Legends Field, and the TPA runways. The food and service are decent, too. A prime rib, salad and a beer set me back $35, including tip. Cost aside, the experience was a lot more satisfying than wolfing down a hotdog in the terminal.

It is indeed a nice alternative, but a warning you would need to reclear security at airside, and TPA can be very unpredictable in this regard. For longer layovers, I believe the enormous international mall still offers a shuttle service from TPA to the mall (about a 5 minute drive).

It is indeed a nice alternative, but a warning you would need to reclear security at airside, and TPA can be very unpredictable in this regard. For longer layovers, I believe the enormous international mall still offers a shuttle service from TPA to the mall (about a 5 minute drive).

I left the restaurant 40 minutes before flight departure and lucked out at security at around 7:30 p.m. Only 3-4 passengers were in front of me when I emerged from the monorail.

It is indeed a nice alternative, but a warning you would need to reclear security at airside, and TPA can be very unpredictable in this regard. For longer layovers, I believe the enormous international mall still offers a shuttle service from TPA to the mall (about a 5 minute drive).


Just for future reference, this is no longer true. Signs at each exit of the mall warn that as of the end of last year, this shuttle service is no longer available. Sorry!