Anabella Hotel - reviews?

[CanadianImagineer]

The Anabella Hotel has caught my eye for our mother/daughter trip in January. So DISers, what are your experiences with this hotel? The pictures make it look like a spa retreat, does it really have that atmosphere? How did you find the location? Basically, anything and everything you have to say about this hotel, please let it all out here

Also, if you have any other recommendations on hotels that would be suitable for a mother/daughter pair, I'd love to hear them. Thanks!

 

[daannzzz]

I stayed here a few years ago. It is three old motels that were extensively remodeled into one place. Most of the rooms have outside corridors with parking right there nearby. The place is nice looking, well landscaped and comfortable. The rooms are decorated nicely as well. I enjoyed my stay there but I didn't think it fell like a spa. The location is a bit farther than I usually like but it is fine and about a 10 minute walk if you hit the lights right and walk fast.

 

[wvnative]

I have a coworker who won't stay anywhere else. I've never been there though so I can't say for sure. I know that one of the other Disney forums gets a special rate but you have to call and ask for it.

 

[bumbershoot]

I liked our stay there. We were on the ground floor, and all/most of those rooms have hardwood floors...I haven't looked at hotels with carpets the same way since!

The reception area is lovely, and they were really welcoming of me and DS, along with all our luggage, as we waited for my brother to pick us up. Our room was in a building that caused me to go through reception every time we came or went, and there were always bellmen opening the doors for me, which was very nice. And the bellguy that helped me and DS to our room was lovely and gracious when I didn't have any cash to tip him with, and didn't react like he never thought I'd tip him, when I came back with cash to do so.

They do charge for parking if you have a car.

And it's a little bit of an extra walk, if you'd be walking. We just went over to the light to the left of the hotel (past Tiffys), crossed Katella, and entered GCH going into DTD or DCA that way.

 

[CanadianImagineer]

Glad to hear the good reviews! The property looks very nice from the pictures on it's website, so I wanted to doublecheck with the experts

 

[disney_dreaming_mom]

We actually took a mother/daughter trip to DL and stayed at the Anabella (with newborn baby and husband as well). We were so very impressed with this hotel. The landscaping is beautiful and the food is spa like. There is a salon onsite but we did not try it out. We had the largest suite and it was quite spacious and posh with marble throughout and a nice patio to sit on. Not only was it a beautiful hotel but the service it top notch and that seems to be a huge factor which sets hotels apart. We love that hotel! I hope this helps and hope you have a fantastic vacation.

 

[wmp.dll]

I thought it was only okay. Like, its a fairly nice hotel. I would pay extra and try to stay in a 'concierge' room.

 

[M&Mmum]

We have stayed there but it was 7 years ago. We loved the room and had nothing but great things to say about it. I did go and get a pedicure at the on site place but it was nothing special so I wouldn't equate it to a spa. The food and the service was outstanding and when we go back next year we'll probably book in there.

 

[bzkds]

I just stayed there 6 months ago and will unfortunately be forced to stay there again in another 6 months (school trip). It is not like a spa atmosphere at all. Just a bunch of old buildings facing the parking lots and painted to match each other. Weird lay out. We got stuck in the farthest back building on the 3rd floor with no elevator. The garbage trucks for the convention center arrived each morning at 6am, right outside our building, with their back-up beepers and trash dumpster noise.

It is a very long walk when you are hot and/or tired. They had overbooked and parking was chaotic with cars being towed away. The rooms were nice, but our room was very small, with the door nearly hitting the bed when you opened it. Some other members from our group were in a different building in larger rooms that they liked better.

I know the other moms in my group love staying there.. but they seem to spend the evenings more in the bar and not at the parks.

Beth

 

[PocahontasLookALike]

Just my experience, but we had a HORRIBLE experience there 2 years ago. We were told by some family friends who are 'hotel snobs' that they loved it. So for the price, we were thrilled!

Then we arrived. From the outside and the lobby, it is actually quite lovely. But then there's this whole other section that was not so nice at all. Can you guess where our block of rooms were?

The bathrooms were ridiculously tiny (and I'm a totally average/small sized girl!), we had terrible customer service, the air conditioner broke in my sisters room and didn't want to fix it or switch her rooms (her husband literally marched down to the front desk and had to demand a different room, but I won't get into how the front desk hung up on them while they were trying to nicely request a different room...hence the marching down to the lobby and demanding a room).

After that stay, my parents and the rest of our family only stay at the Grand Californian. We laugh about it now and my dad swears he'll never be cheap about Disney hotel rooms again.

Our friends who told us about the hotel were FLOORED when we told them our experience, our rooms, etc. Then we found out that it's pretty much like 3 separate hotels.

This was just our experience! I'm sure others have had great experiences, just not us. When I go down with my running group for the half marathon, we stay at the BW Stovalls Inn. Definitely not the Grand Californian, but definitely not the Annabella.