WXYZ

I’ve been wanting to try this place a a while. So when Ty and I went to fourth Friday downtown last week we decided to check it out. This was one of the places that was giving discounts, so what better reason to try it. I must say it was nice. They have the pool outside and nice places to sit and relax. It’s a bit of a different place. There was two thing I didn’t really care for. One was that there’s no wait staff to come around and check on the patrons. Every time you want a drink or something to eat you have to go to the bar. The second was the live music. It seemed like the music was more for a Tuesday or Wednesday type music. For a Friday I would expect more of an upbeat dance type. We will probably be back for a place to have a drink our two and relax.

Great waterfront gem! And when I say gem I mean waterfront pool and bar in downtown Tampa! This place is easy to forget about or miss because the hotel does not really advertise that they have a pool and bar on the river that anyone can go to. I have never seen it busy except when they have months pool parties. I hope to go to one some Sunday this summer.
Definitely recommend putting this place into your downtown Tampa rotation. Perfect for a group of friends looking for a place to hang out and enjoy a drink pool and waterside.

I stopped by for a friends bday crawl. It was pretty empty for a Sat. Afternoon. They are doing Sunday pool parties, but I have not been yet. I would suggest doing more daytime happy hours to attract more people.

This bar is freaking awesome. The beer selection is great, the drink menu is expertly crafted, and the overall vibe is great. However, the thing that sets this particular wxyz above the rest is the fact that it has an expert staff.
During my visit I was initially served by Dakota. He had a great disposition, amazing knowledge of the drink menu (I think he created it) and was able to hold down an unusually busy bar with ease.
I also had the pleasure to meet Alexa, the bar manager. She immediately stepped in and made sure that we had an amazing experience, gave us information about the area and then made our time at the bar enjoyable. However, my biggest compliment was seeing how she dealt with an extremely difficult, drunk, and possibly insane customer (crazy lady with the bangs and gray and white sweater, I’m looking at you). She was able to calm this customer down, deal with her disrespect, and still explain the bar’s policy with ease. She was amazing and deserves an award
All in all, this was a great start to my trip to Tampa. If you are staying at the aloft or even just hanging in the area, I suggest you stop here. It’s awesome!

I’m a fan of the Aloft bar WXYZ. Their happy hour has great deals and food is good.
I like the outdoor area a lot for having some drinks, they have a little fire area out there.
I will definitely return as the deals are good for happy hour and I like the atmosphere.

A friend recommended that this may be a cool place for drinks before dinner at Mise en Place so we decided to have a go. It was less than I would expect from a bar downtown. First off, the bartender really struggled with drink recommendations. She wasn’t helpful and in general it kind of seemed like maybe she wasn’t an actual bartender. I had a margarita and it wasn’t all that good. They don’t have any craft cocktails… which I would expect from a higher end bar, like this. It was very expensive for what it was and inside the bar the atmosphere was kind of off. It smelled like fried chicken and just in general I wasn’t impressed. I expected more. I will say that outside the patio was nice and the ambiance out there was much better.

Upscale hotel with a nice bar area. Happy Hour specials with a fantastic river side view on the poolside patio.
Live music some nights and a new bar food menu makes this a nice place to wind down after a tough day at the office.

The atmosphere at this place is nice it’s in the bottom of the Aloft hotel during happy hour prices are good for drinks and food
I had the flatbread pizza sliders which were really good
The bar also faces the hotel swimming pool which is a nice view and you can sit outside as well enjoy the view I would recommend going to this place only thing parking is expensive so park on the street valet is $ 12

Cool place. I went in knowing that a friend of mine actually worked on the design, and if you guys knew him like I did, you’d understand a lot of the visual oddities. I though it was funky fresh and swanky. Free pool is a plus, but there’s no «house rules» for the table, so if you wanna get on there, it could cause a problem when alcohol is involved.
The cocktails on the menu are creative and fun. I love that their names are a reflection of out city. Some large chains don’t incorporate local features into the menu. I’d love to see a Cuban sandwich on there, even if it’s a cold cut version.
I gulped down an old fashion with Woodford Reserve and then followed that up with a Buckhorn. Both were excellent. The bar staff was friendly and attentive despite being busy.
Lastly, I really liked the pool deck area, which is cigar friendly. Great views of the Kennedy Street bridge, the brand new River Walk and «The Beer Can.»

We stayed at the Aloft hotel for the Gasparilla festival. We specifically chose this hotel because it had a in house bar. I gave them 2 stars because the bar itself is lovely. Huge points for the free pool table and open layout. Bright new age décor and ample seating and pool area was a huge plus.
The service was another story. I was told that many employees were hired specifically for the event and as a result I believe service suffered. The bartenders were rude and forgetful. We actually received 3 separate orders for free simply because no one remembered serving us and therefore never billed us.
My mother asked for a patron shot and was told that they were out. There was a full bottle literally behind her on the shelf. They also advertised rum drink specials for th festival and they ran out of rum the first day. They also ran out of bud light. Many hotel guest purchased drink tickets a head of time and we’re unable to redeem them since the specials they purchased ran out. They had Captain Morgan girls planned for the whole weekend and canceled them the second day because they had no alcohol to promote. I blame this on poor management. If you plan to have an event focused on a specific brand then you need to stock appropriately.
My brother in law purchased a drink and gave the bartender a $ 20 bill. The bartender gave him change as if he gave her a $ 10. When he called her out she replied, «You’ve been drinking, I havent. I gave you your change.» For the record my brother in law and I don’t drink. We have 2 max. She was so rude he didn’t want to deal with her and unfortunately didn’t tell us what happened until the next day (we are very strong, opinionated women. He didn’t want to cause any problems lol)
Through all of this there were 2 highlights. The bartender Dakota and Lindsey. Love them! Lindsey closed the bar at 2 am and was back bright and early the next morning just as sweet and bubbly as ever! She was professional and made amazing drinks. Dakota was super apologetic for his peers and very attentive. Even through the drama of running out of alcohol, they handled it all with grace. I commend them for riding the waves of complaints for the mistakes of their superiors.
For them alone I will be back!

One of the Unilocalers seemed to have the same experience with the very unfriendly bartender Zoie. First and last time here. Worst service at a bar. I didn’t know ordering was such a bother for a bartender. God forbid I order a beer! I might get a snarl before I finish pronouncing the brew.
I figured she just wanted to tell everyone to leave the moment you walked in.
It may be redundant but Zoie was the most unprofessional, rude bartender I have ever been served with. It has to be noted
The vibe is very chic and ideal for downtown. Typical prices for a downtown bar. Overall has nice potential but service needs to be addressed.

Horrible service here. If you are unfortunate enough to get Zoey as your bartender, just leave. You’d be doing yourself a favor. Also, don’t bother trying to redeem your free appetizer with your Straz center ticket. Even if they tell you they’ll give them back, they won’t. Insanely rude service for sub par cocktails.

WXYZ is located inside the Aloft hotel, and upon check in I received a free drink voucher. I certainly wasn’t going to let a glass of wine go to waste, so we stopped at the bar for a drink before heading out to dinner. The view from the bar area is great. There is a patio with the hotel pool (it looked way classier than «hotel pool» sounds) and there was a river view beyond that.
They have a nice assortment of liquors, and a few decent beers on tap. I went with a glass of pinot grigio. The bartender was friendly and chatted with us a little, offering advice about the area, and she served my wine extra cold in a chilled glass… no complaints at all.
The prices here were fairly reasonable considering it is a hotel bar. Though you can definitely get a better deal walking to a happy hour down the road, it is a great option in the hotel to relax, have a drink, and enjoy the view.

I love the look of this modern contemporary bar. The bar is no-​frills and simple, offering a limited selection of liquor, wine, and beer. The view from the patio of the Hillsborough River and Tampa’s Riverwalk is stunning.
During the Aloft Hotel’s first month of opening, I met some friends here very late night. Or rather, it was very early morning. The bar was surprisingly busy with a mixed crowd. I just can’t seem to get away from the douchebaggery of South Howard, I guess… ha ha!
The bartenders were somewhat novice, very slow, and not too efficient. We sat at the bar for a good ten minutes before we were even acknowledged. The bartenders seemed like they did not want to interact with any of the patrons other than taking their orders and making their drinks.
W XYZ also offers a limited food menu.
Keep in mind that Valet Parking for non-​overnight guests is normally $ 10. However, if you spend $ 10 at the bar, parking is only $ 5.
I will definitely be back because I would like to try their food. Hopefully, the kinks have been ironed out and service has improved.

I went to WXYZ the other day for a happy hour. The best part of the bar is the view. Right outside is a patio with a beautiful pool and backdrop of the Hillsborough river. The downside, I thought, was the set up and the food. The only places to sit are either outside or on some kind of lounging chairs. It’s kind of hard to describe, but suffice it to say that the seating situation was uncomfortable. Also, I got the hummus plate, which was good but had terrible ratios. There were few pita chips but a crazy number of olives. And to make things a little stranger, the olives had pits, which weren’t easy to dispose of during a happy hour. I’ll be back to WXYZ, though. It recently opened, and I think they’re still working out the kinks.

Lively place that always seems to attract a crowd whether it’s a group gathered round the pool table, folks hanging out just outside the building, around and in the pool, couples and others keeping close to the bar or those seeking a slighter lower volume level by spilling out into the hotel lobby.
I like a light-​filled room with big windows like this is designed and particularly because the bar side of the Aloft Hotel overlooks the Hillsborough River. This hotel lobby level well above ground so it provides a widespread view of passing boats, people kayaking or paddle boarding and, if you time it right, local rowing teams or visiting college teams in training.
As much as I applaud the daytime views, I am really looking forward to fall nights when a cocktail by the inside fireplace or poolside fire pit can be enjoyed in the company of friends.
The décor, color scheme and funky furniture add to the fun. There is a contemporary look and feel at WXYZ but folks will be comfortable arriving here in any attire, whether they are coming straight from an outdoor concert at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park or a classical music performance at the Straz.

Let’s start by saying that this place may be ideal just for happy hour, there is not a restaurant and only «bar food» is offered. It’s a very colorful hotel with a lovely pool. I went with friends, it’s great for get together. They usually have a DJ but it’s not a dancing place.

Place looks Nice but the drinks are really below average. Too bad!
We had a margarita and I’m too sexy.

Went here last night for some drinks. The Riverwalk drink was amazing! The whole atmosphere was fun and very relaxed. It was neat to be sitting out by the pool right on the river and the modern design was just perfect. Will definitely go here more often!