Best Western PPI or Howard Johnson Water park

[william11]

If you had to choose what would be your choice and why?

Background - travelling with 2 kids aged 11 and 9

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I've only been to the HoJo but we really liked it. We had a 6, an almost 4 and a 1.5 year old and they all found things they liked. It's not huge but had lots of different elements and the slightly older kids like the big dump bucket. Slides were a bit on the smaller side

 

[Butterfly123]

BWPPI because of proximity. So nice to be so close, and we go back to the room mid day to rest.

Would your kids love the water park? To be honest when my kids were younger and swam, I didn't like to spend too much time at the hotel pool. Those DL tickets are expensive, they can swim at home, and I want to spend my time in the parks!

 

[RobertaMomof2]

We have stayed at both. Love them both. It is more of a walk (which seems much further at night) to HOJO, but the water park is a blast. My kids loved it (they were 10 and 7 at the time). Honestly it is aimed at smaller kids, in my opinion, but my kids still loved it. Check out the youtube video so you can see exactly what the waterpark area looks like so you are prepared.

Saying all that, we LOVE BWPPI. It is super close. They have a pool too, nothing fancy, but it is still a pool and I enjoy relaxing in the hot tub during our afternoon breaks while the kids swim. Another plus is the free breakfast, it is basic, but we love it and it saves us money and time each morning.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[07pilot4me]

whats the difference in walking between the two hotels? closest we have stayed at is the PVI/

 

[Misskitty3]

We have stayed at both. PPI has the BESt location! However, they charge for parking and parking can be tight. Didn't fine the pool appealing at all so didn't even try it out. Could hear kids running outside of our room door at night.

We are staying at Hojo's next month! The rooms are quiet and the beds are so comfy and everything is very clean. Your kids are probably too old to enjoy the "water park" but Hojo's has a very nice pool too. We love the pool and always go swimming.


If we were not planning on swimming at all and didn't need to pay to park a rental car, we would go with PPI.

 

[bcwife76]

We stayed at the BWPPI in 2013 and the location was excellent! We are staying at HOJO this August primarily because we are here for longer and planning some down days so we thought a hotel with a waterpark would be a good idea (our kids are younger and will be 8 & 5 at the time of the trip). Otherwise we would probably choose BWPPI!

 

[kirstie101]

Hojo wins for the water park, 2nd pool, free parking, amazing beds and interior corridors and keurigs in the room.
BWPPI wins for location and free breakfast.

So for me its the Hojo. If an extra 3 minutes of walking or a free breakfast make the difference for you then go with BWPPI.

 

[GatorChris]

I've not done BWPPI, but we nearly did on our 2014 trip. Had it booked. Then I realized I could go over to HoJo with a superior room for the same price (no parking fees). While the walk is a bit further, the water park is a pretty big deal for our kids. We like the retro style of HoJo and it' clean, too. As for noisy rooms, it always depends on who's next to you. We've been there when it was super quiet and also when there was a crying baby next door. That's all in the luck of the draw.

 

[mamapenguin]

For me its all about location BWPPI. My daughter is 12, so the water park wouldn't work at HOJO we'd have to do Courtyard. I asked her, and she loves water but said the shorter walk is more important. We did 15 miles one of the days we were there in February, so the last thing she wanted was a long walk back to the motel/hotel. Even PPH is a trek if you go back and fourth multiple times a day.

 

[07pilot4me]

so were talkin about an extra 3-4 minutes? good to know. booked at hojo for this summer

 

[crystal1313]

Hojo! Quiet, super comfortable beds, free parking , wonderful customer service and Castaway Cove! My kids LOVE it there!!

 

[goofy78]

I originally booked Hojo but ended up switching to BWPPI. I know the extra 5 minutes or so doesn't seem like a lot but after walking the parks all day it probably will. And to go back in the middle of the day the walk back to and from could really add up. I love the idea of being right across the street.

 

[Misskitty3]

I originally booked Hojo but ended up switching to BWPPI. I know the extra 5 minutes or so doesn't seem like a lot but after walking the parks all day it probably will. And to go back in the middle of the day the walk back to and from could really add up. I love the idea of being right across the street.

You will not regret being so close! It is REALLY nice!

 

[avalon451]

I've stayed at HoJo and loved it. It was clean and very comfortable, and I requested the top floor of building 1 and got a great room with a view of the Matterhorn. Even my older kid liked the water park, and also the hot tub.

If you cross Harbor there at the light at Manchester, and walk down the other side, going in at the taxi entrance, it's shorter than going to the main crosswalk entrance, and saves you maybe a couple of minutes.

That said, the walk at the end of the day seemed soooooo far!

It depends on how much your kids are set on swimming. If that's really important to your family, I'd probably choose HoJo. Otherwise, I'd stay closer every time. I haven't stayed at BWPPI, but Desert Inn, right next door. I love the proximity!

 

[Disney Dider]

We liked the pirate slide thing at Hojos, but honestly that's it. Our room was run down and the water in the pipes creaked loud all night long. BWPPI has been our favorite for years. Very, very comfy beds, short walk, very clean, clean pool but rarely have time to use it. Super nice hot and cold breakfast.

 

[jcarwash]

I'd choose BW Park Place Inn - been there twice. The location is fantastic, the rooms are good, the included breakfast does the job. Even with the parking charge I've found the rates to be very good.

That said, for my next trip I'm choosing Candy Cane Inn.

 

[NJlauren]

Can some one give me a distance of he walk from Howard Johnson? Maybe compare it to a walk at WDW?

Contemporary to Magic Kingdom?Epcot to DHS?

We are currently booked then and an idea would really help decide if I should keep this hotel or move.

Thanks!

 

[cp11]

I'm shocked by how many think that the HoJo is a long walk. Lately our walk is from Dolphin's Cove.

 

[tdhickey]

Just finished a stay at the HOJO, I've stayed at both and I would choose the Hojo over BWPPI anytime the prices were similar.

Here's my HOJO feelings.

Pros:

• HOJO is an 8 minute walk to the front gate, a few convenient restaurants/stores on the way back to the hotel make it even better (Pizza Press anyone?). Plus the rooms are all close, unlike some hotels where a room at the back is almost more of a walk than the walk to this hotel
• Waterpark is good, big pool in the back is really nice and tropical feeling with very few small kids since they are in the waterpark.
• Rooms are decent size, clean, never had issues with anything in the rooms
• Great fireworks viewing from parking lot area
• Free Parking
• kCup coffee maker, fridge
• Express room cleaning, makes it quicker and less invasive
• Fairly short walk over to the Starbucks on Harbour, just on the other side of the freeway

Cons:

• Wifi is awful, barely worked during our trip
• Waterpark is great, but for younger kids (like 7 and under)
• You now have to wear a plastic wrist band to access the pool (although it's not seemingly enforced)
• No breakfast, but I find the free breakfasts on Harbour to be so awful that I never bother anyway. A quick grocery trip takes care of this.
• No microwaves in the room
• Some noise from the freeway, but never hear inside the rooms.

My experience with the BWPP, admittedly it's been about 6 years since my last stay but a quick look at reviews confirms not much has changed

Pros:

• Amazing location
• Did I mention location?
• If all you want is a bed, this is a decent hotel (but the surrounding ones are better)

Cons:

• Small over crowded pool
• Smelly rooms, sometimes musty
• Awful breakfast, cheap food that tastes like what it costs
• Very dated, staff not the most helpful, however appears to have been given a slight face lift since my last stay