The Republican journal., 1903-02-26
TAMPA. FLORIDA.
Something about the Tampa Bay Hotel.

Something about the Tampa Bay Hotel.
Correspondence of The Journal.
TAMPA, Feb. 13, 1908. The past week
has been warm, with an average about
rs degrees during the day, but the heat
gives way at night to GOODNESS and quiet
ness. The hotel is situated on the banks
of the Hillsboro river which empties in
to Hillboro Bay on the Gulf of Mexico.
With the opening of the great Plant
system of railroads in the south by H.
B. Plant, he conceived the idea Of
building hotel in Tampa which would
have no equal as a winter resort.
Accordingly attractive grounds were
laid out ON the west side of Hillsboro
river, opposite the city of Tampa, and
here was erected magnificent struc-
ture of Moorish architecture. Mr.. Plant
spared no money, and with the grounds
the house was fitted and furnished at
cost of three to four million dollars. 1t is
nearly 1000 feet in length and is built of
brick, with wood finish. On the main
floor are the Office, newsstand, tele-
graph office, baggage room, private of
fees, coat room, ticket office, baggage
room, writing rooms, pool and billiard
rooms. ladies parlors, palm room, music
hall, dining hall, breakfast hall, and
many sleeping rooms. Beyond are the
kitchen, store room, and the large
apartments used for the help. The
basement contains closets, carpenter
shop, bar, barber shop, store rooms,
Turkish rooms and the lunch room
with pool and billiards. The furnishings
of the Turkish room were all imported
and it is most inviting place for after
noon teas. The remaining floors, four
in number, are devoted to guest rooms,
IN suite, and single, with bath. They
are large, airy and we'll furnished, gold,
red, white, blue and green prevailing.
The dining hall, a large room, is in one
Of the wings under beautiful white
dome. The prettiest room is the large
palm room, where there are hundreds
Of potted plants and divans and easy
with whist or other games or listen to
tie fine music furnished by an orches-
tra of ten pieces. From this room
opens the gold par!or, the furniture
and fittings of which are all in gold
finish.
The office is a very attractive place.
The walls are hung with oil paintings
steel engravings and work from Japan.
Potted plants, pieces of statuary III
bronze, stems and large vases comprise
the decorations. The pillars around
the rotunda are of polished red marble
The carpets are rich shade of red, and
the chairs, stands and furnishings are
Of the most expensive kind. All over
the house are found fine statuary, eX-
pensive earthern ware and pottery,
beautiful mirrors which reflect the my
riads of electric lights, and many fire
places. In the music hall, in addition
to the piano-and there are four else
where in the house-is a large orches-
tral organ about the size of a church
organ, and which is played by electric
lty. This with the ten piece orchestra
gives abundant music. In future let
ter | will tell you more about the hotel
grounds and some of the freaks in the
auditorium building in the rear of the
house
The fields are beginning to look green,
and We do not expect any more cold
weather. Each day will find the ther-
mometer over so and thin clothing will
be the thing. The birds are now very
plentiful and the sweet songsterS aWak-
eli one each morning 1t has been
very mild winter here, better than for
some years, and good crops will be the
result Strawberries are selling i'll the
markets at ten cents per box, the very
best bananas for ten cents per dozen,
and oranges three and four for five
cents, Apples sell at two for five cents,
and are poor at.that price.