Am in the middle of a 4 night stay at this property now. My review is below, but in summary - I really like it.
I wasn't arriving until about 9-10pm, so I checked in online in the morning long before my flight to Tampa. I was already booked in their best category room (Vista A La Piscina 1 King Suite), so there aren't any higher upgrades. I didn't need to hope for an upgrade at the front desk. I just wanted to walk into the hotel and go straight to my room with my digital key, which I did.
The property has a main 11 story building with the varying room types (including a large suite on 11), as well as a 3 story building that runs along the pool. All the rooms in the 3 story building are classified as the Vista A La Piscina suites with a full living room, wet bar, large bathroom and separate bedroom with a King or 2 Queens. I'd estimate them to be around 600 sq ft. These are otherwise known as the former Cabana Suites, which is what they were called under the previous Crowne Plaza days. My corporate rate was exceptionally good for all room types in the entire property compared to the published rates, and I liked the idea of stepping out of my room to be within seconds of the pool deck, fire pit, pool bar, fitness center and Spaniard restaurant. So, against my normal preferences, I booked a room on the ground level for the ease of coming and going. I didn't regret it, but on my next stay I may try something on the 3rd floor for comparison. It's only a difference of a quick flight of stairs down to the ground level.
The suite is very comfortable, the bathroom is huge. My room had only a shower (no tub), but it was large enough for more than 2 people...if you're into that kind of thing.
The bedroom window is more like a half window towards the top of the wall, so the only real natural light in the entire suite is from the window in the living room facing the pool. So, if you like a lot of natural sunlight, this may not be for you. The rooms in the main building appear to have larger windows for more sunlight.
The breakfast in the Spaniard restaurant has the buffet option or ala carte off the menu. Gold/Diamond members get the buffet for no charge. They will give you a check for ~$18, but that will be taken off your bill at the end of your stay. The lunch/dinner menu is an assortment of tapas and other entree that should please most pallets.
The fitness center has a rack of dumbbells, some benches, medicine balls, ellipticals and treadmills as well as a station with towels and fresh water.
I like some of the common area features like the hanging egg chairs in the lobby, the shuffleboard and hockey table in the bar and the large L shaped sofa in the corner of the bar. It all makes for a casual atmosphere. It's a laid back place as opposed to a busy, overrun convention hotel. Right up my ally.
Every staff member I've encountered has been very friendly and professional - from the bartenders at the pool bar, to the wait staff in the restaurant, to the front desk staff when I needed a parking tag to put on my dashboard. I had a very small issue in my room (loose sink faucet) and it was promptly fixed.
I've never stayed at another Hilton/Tapestry brand, but I believe this one should be the model all others aspire to be.
The location is in the Westshore area (near the airport) and at the foot of the bridge that crosses over from Tampa to St Petersburg, so it's a prime location for venturing into downtown Tampa or over to the beach areas.