Opening in 1961, this hotel was known as Travelodge Tampa West. It was the second from the nationwide chain to be built in Tampa. Travelodge Tampa East was located downtown at Lafayette and Brush Streets, where the Leroy Selmon Expressway now towers. Each building had similar L-shaped designs. This 52-unit, 3-story structure cost approximately $400,000 to build. It was a convenient location for downtown out-of-towners and families visiting the University of Tampa one block away.

Perhaps it’s the nature of the business, but in the mid-1980s the property was allegedly and sadly the scene of several horrific crimes including murder, sexual assault, and arson. The business name then changed several times. In 1985, it became the Travel Inn; in the 1990s, it became the Economy Inn; and around the turn of the 21st century, it became the University Inn. According to realtor.com, the building sold in 2004 for $ 1.5 million but continued as a budget hotel. In January 2021, Frontier Capital Group purchased it for $3.5 million and plans to renovate it and turn the rooms into studio apartments for the burgeoning University of Tampa Campus.

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