Florida’s status as the host state of the Republican National Convention won’t protect it from having a schlep to Tampa Bay Times Forum where the event is held in August.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Florida’s delegation will be housed at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, roughly a 30-mile commute from the Tampa Bay Times Forum, where the convention will be held. The hotel is one of 36 in the area that will house delegates. A total of 16,00 rooms were booked at 100 hotels that will house delegates, Republican National Committee officials, members of the media, and visitors.
While Florida has tangled with the RNC this year -- it is being penalized for holding its primary before the first Tuesday in March and will be stripped of half of its 99 delegates at the convention – their hotel assignment is not a punishment.
“We’re not penalizing anyone. This is a great location. We would send our friends and family there,” said convention spokesman James Davis. He said the assignments were made to keep the various state delegations together and accommodate their hotel needs, and that can be a challenge for the largest delegations – Florida, along with California, New York, and Texas.
Davis noted that this is the first convention where none of the delegations will be split up. California delegates will also have an approximately 30-mile commute, where Texas and New York delegates are looking at drives of roughly 35 miles.
The Times writes that the most plumb assignments went to Michigan (The Embassy Suites Tampa), Mississippi, and Wisconsin (the Hyatt Regency Tampa, downtown).
The full list of assignments, per the newspaper:
Alabama: Crowne Plaza Tampa Westshore
Alaska: Postcard Inn on the Beach
American Samoa: Hilton Clearwater Beach
Arizona: Embassy Suites Tampa, Airport Westshore
Arkansas: Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Ybor Historic District
California: Tradewinds Island Resorts on St. Pete Beach
Colorado: Holiday Inn Clearwater-St. Petersburg Airport
Connecticut: Bilmar Beach Resort
Delaware: Wyndham Tampa Westshore
District of Columbia: Wyndham Tampa Westshore
Florida: Innisbrook Resort
Georgia: Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay
Guam: Alden Beach Resort & Suites
Hawaii: Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore
Idaho: St. Petersburg Marriott Clearwater
Illinois: Sheraton Sand Key Resort
Indiana: Holiday Inn Harbourside
Iowa: Sunset Vistas Beachfront Suites
Kansas: Hilton Garden Inn Tampa Airport Westshore
Kentucky: Wyndham Garden Clearwater Beach
Louisiana: Saddlebrook Resort
Maine: Wyndham Tampa Westshore
Maryland: DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Tampa Bay
Massachusetts: Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina
Michigan: Embassy Suites Tampa, Downtown Convention Center
Minnesota: Sirata Beach Resort & Conference Center
Mississippi: Hyatt Regency Tampa
Missouri: Tampa Airport Marriott
Montana: Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Clearwater Beach
Nebraska: Alden Beach Resort & Suites
Nevada: DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Tampa Airport, Westshore
New Hampshire: Wyndham Tampa Westshore
New Jersey: Sirata Beach Resort & Conference Center
New Mexico: Holiday Inn Clearwater, St. Petersburg Airport
New York: Hilton Clearwater Beach
North Carolina: Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront
North Dakota: Bilmar Beach Resort
Northern Mariana Islands: Tradewinds Island Resorts on St. Pete Beach
Ohio: Mainsail Suites Hotel & Conference Center
Oklahoma: Best Western Bay Harbor Hotel
Oregon: Sheraton Sand Key Resort
Pennsylvania: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tampa Airport, Westshore
Puerto Rico: Hilton Clearwater Beach
Rhode Island: Clearwater Beach Marriott Suites on Sand Key
South Carolina: Innisbrook Resort
South Dakota: Shephard's Beach Resort
Tennessee: Safety Harbor Resort & Spa
Texas: Saddlebrook Resort
U.S. Virgin Islands: Crystal Palms Beach Resort
Utah: Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore
Vermont: Wyndham Tampa Westshore
Virginia: Clearwater Beach Marriott Suites on Sand Key
Washington: Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Clearwater Beach
West Virginia: Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore
Wisconsin: Hyatt Regency Tampa
Wyoming: Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore
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