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Tampa Visitors Do Hard Rock Shuttle To Get To Casino

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By TED JACKOVICS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 6, 2007

TAMPA - The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is reaching out to Tampa visitors with a free shuttle bus service that's got the approval of downtown's major hotels.

The Hard Rock group has inaugurated late afternoon and evening service on Mondays through Thursdays between four downtown hotel sites and the casino, which is 10 minutes east of downtown Tampa off Interstate 4.

The casino pays for the transportation, which is in a 47-passenger Escot bus. It serves the Hyatt Regency Tampa, Westin Tampa Harbour Island, Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk and a site serving the Tampa Marriott Waterside and Embassy Suites Tampa-Downtown Convention Center hotels.

"We basically partnered with the downtown hotels to provide people staying here for conventions another option for entertainment," said Gina Araya, a spokeswoman for the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Hard Rock officials developed the idea and approached the downtown hoteliers with the concept, she said.

The service, which has run for two weeks, is filling about half the 47-passenger bus on each of four round trips and is steadily gaining patronage, Araya said.

The exterior of the bus is adorned with a colorful "wrap" encouraging patrons to "Come Out and Play."

The casino has placed informational brochures at the downtown hotels, the Channelside Information Center, Tampa Bay & Co. and the Hard Rock concierge desk.

Departure times from downtown are at 4, 5:30, 7 and 8 p.m., and return trips are at 9, 10 and 11 p.m. and midnight.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817 or tjackovics@tampatrib.com.

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