A List, a Widget and No Code
DRCA D.R.I.V.E.N runs 10 to 12 February 2027 at the Tampa Convention Center. The organiser's travel page carries one accommodation tool, headed "Recommended Hotels Close to Tampa Convention Center". Its own line reads: "To help streamline your stay in Tampa we have collected a list of recommended hotels here for you to book directly."
No group code sits on the page. No room block sits on the page. No cut-off date sits on the page. Hotel selection is credited to Venue Connect.
The booking goes to the property. Compare the properties against one fixed point, Ballroom C-D at 333 South Franklin Street, and take the walk your team can hold for two days.
Wednesday at 10, Friday at 12:15
The organiser opens registration and setup at 10:00 on Wednesday 10 February, runs the membership meeting at 14:00 and opens the exhibit hall at 17:00. Friday 12 February runs awards at 08:50 and closes with a 12:15 farewell.
The City of Tampa calendar books the building from 6 p.m. on the Wednesday to noon on the Friday. Two records, one page, two shapes of the same three days.
Two nights cover it, Wednesday the 10th and Thursday the 11th, with a Friday checkout. The widget's default search answers exactly that window.
Three Properties at 0.1 Miles
The widget publishes fifteen cards across fourteen properties. Aloft by Marriott Tampa Downtown appears twice, both cards at 0.5 miles.
Three properties sit 0.1 miles out. Tampa Marriott Water Street runs $522 to $539 a night at 700 S. Florida Avenue. Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Downtown Convention Center runs $552 to $553 at 513 S. Florida Avenue and connects to the building by sky bridge. JW Marriott Tampa Water Street runs $693 to $705 at 505 Water Street.
The sky bridge keeps the walk from room to Ballroom C-D indoors for both days.
Then 0.2, 0.4 and 0.5
The Westin Tampa Downtown Waterside is $639 at 0.2 miles. The Tampa EDITION is $852 to $865 at 0.4 miles. Aloft by Marriott Tampa Downtown is $527 at 0.5 miles.
Hilton Tampa Downtown at 0.4 miles answers the February search with "No rooms available for these dates. See all options below."
The Far Ring
Hotel Flor Tampa Downtown is $361 to $413 at 0.8 miles. The Barrymore Hotel Tampa Riverwalk is $384 to $391 at 1.0 mile.
Westshore is the second cluster. The Westshore Grand is $174 to $189 at 4.2 miles, Renaissance Tampa International Plaza is $476 to $484 at 4.3 miles, Hotel Alba Tampa is $232 to $278 at 4.7 miles, and Hyatt House Tampa Airport / Westshore is $363 at 4.8 miles. Sheraton Tampa Brandon Hotel is $697 to $703 at 8.1 miles.
Two nights run from $348 at The Westshore Grand to $1,730 at The Tampa EDITION.
Two Distance Tables, Two Readings
The organiser's figures and the venue's own list answer the same question with different numbers. The venue puts Tampa Marriott Water Street and JW Marriott Tampa Water Street 0.2 miles out, and the widget puts both at 0.1. The venue lists Embassy Suites with a sky bridge and no distance, and the venue lists Le Meridien Tampa, The Courthouse at 0.7 miles.
Both figures are on the page you read. Ask the hotel to confirm the walking route to Ballroom C-D when the difference decides the booking.
The Header Still Reads 2026
The widget header reads DRCA DRIVEN 2026, and its opening line thanks attendees for registering for the 2026 event. The dates beneath it read 10 to 12 February 2027, and the city calendar carries the same 2027 dates.
Ask the organiser to correct the label, and confirm in writing that the 10 to 12 February search window is the conference window.
Parking and the Drop-Off
The Convention Center garage at 141 E. Brorein Street holds 454 spaces, 11 ADA spaces and 2 chargers. The event rate runs $5.00 to $50.00, and the non-event rate runs $3 an hour with an $18 daily maximum. Clearance is 6 feet 6 inches, and the garage carries no long-term parking.
Fort Brooke at 107 N. Franklin Street holds 556 hourly spaces with 6 feet 8 inches of clearance. Pam Iorio at 301 Channelside Drive holds 790 spaces. Both allow overnight parking until 6:00 a.m.
Front Drive at 333 S. Franklin Street holds 36 metered spaces at $4 an hour, open 8:00 a.m. to midnight, with no overnight parking. Two days of event-rate parking at $5 to $50 an entry runs $10 to $100.
What the Organiser Has Not Published
No cancellation terms sit on the travel page. The FAQ states that registration transfer policies will be provided closer to the event.
Ask each shortlisted property for its cancellation date, its deposit and its arrival cut-off in writing before you take a non-refundable rate. Tampa International sits 15 to 20 minutes from the venue by the organiser's figure and 16 minutes by the venue's, so a 12:15 Friday close leaves room for an afternoon flight.
Florida Sits Outside the Platform
hotelhuddle.com publishes a seller-of-travel notice dated 21 October 2026. The notice states that booking requests from residents of or for travel to Florida, Hawaii, Iowa and Washington cannot be processed, and names the restriction across grouprooms.org, hotelhaggle.org, hotelslots.org, bookmyteam.org and partners.hotelhuddle.com.
The widget's direct-booking route matches that notice. Take the property's own quote and keep the confirmation.
Five Steps Before You Book
Hold two nights, Wednesday the 10th and Thursday the 11th, with a Friday checkout. Take the 0.1-mile row when the sky bridge matters. Ask for the cancellation date in writing. Price the garage at $5 to $50 an entry before accepting a room further out. Confirm the walk from the property to Ballroom C-D.