Who doesn't love that weirdly gorgeous Steel Magnolias-meets-Arabian Nights amalgam with its deep Southern verandah framed by gingerbread curlicues and exotic minarets? It's been the trademark symbol of Tampa for more than a century and is the first stop on our tour of the Bay area for out-of-town visitors. It would be even better if the city and the university would restore the lobby to its original splendor and redo of those gawdawful classrooms decorated by well-intentioned graduating seniors as a parting gift to the school. That shouldn't be too much to ask for the city's most important historic landmark. A deserving close second place goes to that marvelous building that looks like a giant pink wedding cake on St. Pete Beach, the Don Cesar Hotel.
The Henry B. Plant Hotel, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa.
This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2003.