Staycations are never a bad idea. They usually don’t require travel and the effort it takes to plan one is pretty minimal. Even while lacking those two things, a staycation still has the meaningful ability to make you forget that you’re still close to home. You see – the beauty of the staycay is that it gets you out of your everyday surroundings and constant responsibilities. If only for a weekend, or a one night getaway, you get all of the validation you need to chuck your to-do list out the window for some good ole R&R.
Personally, I love traveling, but I’ll never deny my love for a good staycation. That’s why I was so excited when Ben and I were invited out for a sleepover staycation at the Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas in Tampa. I’m a big fan of their onsite restaurant, WTR Pool & Grill. Pairing good eats with the guarantee of waterfront bay views had me convinced: it’d be a perfect one night summer getaway.
Ben and I checked into our room midday on Saturday. Eager to see the views, we ventured up to where we’d be staying for the night. The size of the room was shocking. We had a sitting area, a big comfy bed, and a double balcony. It came accompanied with a view of the bay and some swaying palm trees.
Our room had a very nautical theme to it. I’m more of a bohemian decor gal myself. I will say that the “find me by the sea” touches definitely worked for The Godrey. The knotted pouf that sat in our room was a nice touch. There were pops of yellow around the space that played well for a bright and happy feel. Why does this blog post suddenly feel like an audition for HGTV?
Dinnertime crept up on us before we knew it. The sunset beamed upon us as we strolled along the sidewalk to WTR’s entrance for our meal reservation. I soaked it in. Whether I watch the colors hit the sky from the beach, our backyard at home, or on a walk to dinner, one thing always rings true: the beauty of Florida’s sunsets is unmatched.
We started our dinner with a tuna poke to share. Served up in a wonton bowl, it’s one of my favorites from the menu at WTR. For my entree, I was in the mood for some comfort food. The BBQ pork sandwich was the perfect option for that. Ben sprung for the NY strip steak.
Despite our full bellies, WTR’s beignet donut bites were a MUST. These mini pillows of goodness come served covered in chocolate, raspberry, and caramel sauce. I always grab for the bites covered in the caramel drizzle. YUM.
It wasn’t long before Ben and I found ourselves cuddled up in bed back in our hotel room, watching Food Network. Turning in early was surprisingly ok by me. Sunday Funday at WTR’s pool the next day was calling my name. I knew we’d need our energy for that.
One thing I noticed about our bay front room was that we could hear music from a nearby outside bar. It wasn’t a major issue. I popped in some ear plugs and slept just fine. If this is something that would bother you, it’s worth noting that The Godfrey does offer rooms on the other side of the hotel that face their parking lot. Booking one of those would lose you the water view, but you may gain a restful night’s sleep without needing earplugs.
After checking out of our room at The Godfrey on Sunday morning, Ben and I made our way over to WTR’s pool to get our Sunday Funday started. We dropped our bags near a set of lounge chairs and grabbed drinks. The pool hadn’t filled up yet so we had ample opportunity to get the shots we wanted for this blog post. I obviously made sure to snag a photo on the giant pink flamingo floatie.
As our day went on at WTR, I could tell my health was on the decline. We cut our pool day short to head home. I ended up crawling into bed with a fever. Not an ideal way to end the weekend and definitely not how any Sunday Funday should go. Despite that though, we had a great time during our stay at The Godfrey. It was so nice to getaway from our every day to-dos, even if only for 24 hours.
A special thanks to the Godfrey Hotel & Cabanas in Tampa for hosting us! All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
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this looks like the best time! GIMME that poke bowl!
It was such a fun little getaway! I want a redo at Sunday Funday sans fever LOL.