Tampa Hotel

Tampa Hotel is a location in Season Four of the Showtime series DEXTER.

It’s a hotel where Dexter Morgan was planning to kill Arthur Mitchell.

Summary[]

"Road Kill”

Dexter learns that Arthur is leaving without his family for a Four Walls One Heart build in Tampa. Suspecting that he intends to carry out another kill cycle, Dexter (as Kyle Butler) talks Arthur into taking him along on the road trip. Dexter packs a knife and hammer, while Arthur is accompanied by the remaining cremation ashes of his sister. Rita and Maria LaGuerta have been duped by Dexter into believing that he’s attending a Weather Convention in Tampa. During the trip, Dexter tells Arthur that he accidently killed an innocent man while "hunting."

Upon arrival in Tampa, Arthur and Dexter book separate rooms in a hotel within walking distance of the Four Walls One Heart site. Once in his room, Dexter closes his drapes and decides to use the small bathroom as a kill room. As he’s looking through a Tampa phone book for a hardware store, Debra calls him. During their discussion about evidential photos, Debra reveals that DNA sweeps are being set up to look for the Trinity Killer.

After they hang up, Dexter rips a page from the phone book, planning to head out to buy plastic sheeting. However, when he opens the door, he’s surprised to find Arthur standing there. Arthur asks Dexter if he’s going out, and Dexter replies that he’s just going for ice. In an unusually cheerful mood, Arthur states that there's been a change of plan. He says they aren’t going to the build the next day because he has a surprise that will make Dexter feel better. Dexter is wary of what Arthur has in mind, but decides to find out and kill him the next night.

The next morning, Dexter rises early with a plan to take a cab to the conference and obtain an alibi. This goes awry when he finds Arthur waiting in the parking lot for him, holding two coffees. Arthur is so excited that he even does a little dance.

Arthur drives Dexter to his childhood home to show him the bathroom where his sister accidentally died. When they’re forced to leave by the residents, Dexter suggests a diner near the Weatherman Conference. He leaves Arthur alone at the table to have his picture taken with meteorologist Sonny Skyes which reinforces his alibi. Upon his return to the diner, Dexter finds Arthur sitting with an annoyed family and causing a scene.

After this bizarre incident, Dexter suggests shopping for supplies to donate to Four Walls One Heart. Arthur approves and Dexter obtains the needed rolls of plastic sheeting; Arthur even carries them to Dexter’s room. He tells Dexter that they are kindred spirits.

Once Arthur leaves, Dexter sets up the kill room in the bathroom. He incorrectly hangs photos of Frank Lundy and Debra as Arthur's victims since he doesn't yet know the actual perp is someone else. He then grabs his keys and a hypodermic containing M99. He makes his way to Arthur’s room and carefully picks the lock….but he’s not there!

Dexter hurries to the parking lot and finds Arthur’s van, but his work tools are missing. Realizing that Arthur is on foot and likely heading to the construction site, he follows him. He's shocked to see Arthur standing on a roof about to commit suicide after he dumped his sister’s ashes over the edge. Torn between what to do, Dexter saves Arthur’s life, to his later regret.

On their way back to Miami, they run into a DNA checkpoint, but Arthur avoids it by U-turning and taking another route.

Trivia[]

Dexter’s room is 107 as noted on the door.
In real life, this hotel is named SeaPort Marina Hotel and it’s located in California, not in Florida. Nearly demolished at one point, the hotel was fully renovated in 2000.
This hotel was also used as the Miami Motor Court in Season One as the place where Paul Bennett was living after he was released from prison.