Busch Gardens Hotel

[reelmom]

We are thinking about visiting Busch Gardens. The website has some great deals but not sure if we should stay so close to the park. I have read that the area is not so great around BG. The hotel we are looking at is The Holiday Inn Express & Suites on E. Busch Blvd near USF. Tripadvisor's reviews are ok but there is a lot about the area being shady. Anybody stayed there before?