Before hotels, traveling tourists would often take shelter in the nearest abandoned amusement park and endure a night of solving predictable mysteries with the Harlem Globe-Trotters. Mix the best of both amusement parks and hotels with today's Groupon. For $59, you get a king room at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa (up to a $119 value).

Located about a mile from Busch Gardens, the tropically landscaped Holiday Inn Express & Suites is a relaxing and convenient getaway for both tourists and locals. The newly constructed property is also a bottle rocket's shot from many other local attractions, including Lowry Park Zoo, Port of Tampa, Florida Aquarium, and the Museum of Science and Industry. While sequestered in the hotel's modern confines, you and the other 11 fun-loving members of the jury can revel in a wide array of amenities, including a fountain-laden outdoor heated pool, 24-hour fitness center, and guest laundry facilities. Come the dawn, savor a complimentary breakfast with all the fixings (sausage gravy and biscuits, bacon and eggs, and coffee) before hopping on a free shuttle to Busch Gardens and Adventure Island.

If you refuse to emerge from your spacious and sleek double occupancy king room until you've finally finished the Great American Mad-Lib, you can still enjoy all the comforts of home, such as free high-speed internet, a 32-inch LCD premium cable television, and a mini-fridge for emergency caches of pudding. The room's pillow top mattress will have you sleeping so soundly that management recommends you bring a spinning top to test whether you're truly awake the next morning.

Reviews

Trip Advisors give the Holiday Inn Express USF-Busch Gardens a four-star average and Hotels.com reviewers give it a 4.5-star average:

• I was very impressed with this hotel, especially the value for the quality of the room, lobby, dining area, and especially the staff. – Jeanerella, TripAdvisor
• Loved the hotel. Very clean and the hot breakfast was a hit with my family. – Diane R, Hotels.com