Castle Inn and Suites

[Lillybelly]

We are going to Disneyland mid April. We will be traveling with our 4 kids - ages 6, 4, and 2 yr old twins. We would like to find a place to stay that is clean and afforable. Because of our twin terrors and the fact that I would like to have some grown-up time with my DH, we are also looking for a place with more than a 1/2 wall to divide us from the kids

We've looked at Camelot, Carousel, and Park Vue but all cost around $200 a night for the family suite which is a little pricy for us.

So now we are looking at the Castle Inn - it gets good reviews on trip advisor, is more affordable, has a wading pool for the kids, and a door that shuts for mom & dad.

I tried to do a search but came up empty handed. I was just wondering if anyone here has stayed here or if anyone has any other ideas or additional advice for us. Thanks

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

We stayed there in '05. We just had a regular room, but we'd never stay there again. The carpets were filthy, and the rest of the room wasn't much cleaner. When we arrived there was no running water (was out for a few hours). Then we had no TV for 4 of the 5 nights we stayed (which was a big problem for us, we like to watch TV at night and on breaks). The staff was very unfriendly, and we never got to speak to the manager as promised. The pool we also didn't find the cleanest. Were really not all that super picky either. We loved our stay at the Tropicana in June, clean and friendly staff (with water and TV working!).

Others have had better experiences, especially with suites. So as with anything, it depends on the personal experience. For us though, we figured it was that cheap for a reason! Furthermore we had stayed there in 1996, kind of a honeymoon trip for just DH and I. We had a very nice stay, which was why we were quite disappointed on our return.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i have heard nothing but bad about it. I know from some of the threads ive read i wouldnt dare stay there.

I loved camolot, and i didnt think they were so excpincive, what about two rooms. in stead a suiet (next to each other)
if im right 77 or 80, seems close to what we paid for one room. that would save maybe 50 if thats what it was.

have a good trip no matter where you stay

 

[Disneyluvr2]

All I can say is...DON'T STAY AT CASTLE INN!!! We stayed there once because I thought it would be neat to stay at a "castle". The outside might look like a castle but the inside was more like the dungeon! Spend the extra money and stay at one of the other places. We've been staying at Park Vue Inn for the last 6 years and have never been disappointed! It's a great location too...directly across from the crosswalk!

 

[cheesemouse]

Try looking into the Anaheim Desert Inn and Suites. They have a variety of suite options and have solid doors connecting the rooms. We are staying there shortly so I'll let everyone know how it is. Also, they aren't too expensive but also aren't the fanciest place around. But, they're very, very close to DLR.

 

[jordansmomma]

Ask Spongiemommy she just stayed their on her trip. She said it was fine.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i have just heard more bad then good about it and wouldnt want to take a chance of it being the worse trip ever becouse of a hotel.. so ive just decied never stay there

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

We just got back from a stay at the Desert Inn and Suites and could not have been happier. It was clean and the service was fine. We had a parlor suite A which was a suite but you will definately need something bigger for 4 kids if you want to be in a room alone with your husband. With the pull out sofa and a portacrip you couldn't open the door, that's how small the extra room was. But, it was still an extra room so I was happy with that. We didn't want to have to go to bed at the same time as the kids and needed some extra time to prepare for the next day. That will be our place of choice from now on, also had reasonable prices.

 

[Lillybelly]

Ok - Thanks so much for all your help. We definately won't be staying here. Now we are looking at a couple of the suite hotels further away. For about the same price we can get hot full breakfast and a managers reception dinner 4 of the days we'll be there. Along with a heated pool an #3 on trip advisor's Garden Grove List. We'll have to drive the car but MIL couldn't walk anyway so it looks like an all around better choice for us.

Thanks again for all your help.

 

[ctamama]

Ok, Lilly, good you have made your decision. Just to reassure you it was the right one , we stayed at Castle Inn in 2001. The beds were so uncomfortable...none of us slept well at all!! Pool area..not so great! Never again!

Staybridge Suites is 1 mile away. We stayed there a few weeks ago, and were very happy with it. Comfortable beds Breakfast every morning, a reception 2-3 nights per week, and lovely pool area. We would stay again!

 

[Sosai X]

I've stayed there my last 2 trips, the past ending just a week ago. The rooms have been clean for me, no problems. But, the carpets seem to be stained in some rooms, and are in desparate needing of replacement. The fridge in our rooms has always been noisy, buzzy and hissy. They only offer 13 TV channels, which gets a bit stale. Just the local channels, Disney, Toon Disney, and HBO. The wireless internet is spotty at best. I have never been in the pool, but it looks okay from what I have observed. All this being said, really, it's a budget hotel. Keep that in mind, and you won't be disappointed. It is affordable, and always seems to have available rooms, so if you just need a place to sleep, shower, and store some stuff, it fits the bill. If you require something higher end, try for either of the Best Westerns up the road. Properly warned ye be, says I, and knowing is half the battle!

 

[nurse.darcy]

Would not stay at the Castle Inn. Annabella is great and I LOVE the Portofino Inn (except for the pillows - I bring my own). In the kids suite at the Portofino you get a king bed in one room, and bunk beds plus a full sized sofa bed in the other. Its not a 5 star hotel, but its definitely a far cry from the outrageous prices you find at the Castle Inn. Also, its in the Convention Center area and has free parking.

 

[pumpkin5156]

I did not read the other posts, so forgive if I repeat.

DO NOT STAY HERE!! It's so tempting because the price is so low, but you will be disgusted. The price is the lowest on Harbor for a reason. The carpets are like sticky filth and everything is run down and thin. It is noisy and very gross. I do not stay at 5 star hotels, but this place is just unacceptable.

 

[DevilDuckie]

We honeymooned there in 2004 and it was delightful. The staff was friendly and courteous and the room was clean and well-appointed. It was priced much lower than some hotels we've stayed at that were a lot less comfortable, like the Del Sol.

 

[blackjackdelta]

I would look into RI Maingate, we have 4 kids(bigger kids now) Never a problem.

Jack

 

[Grumpy Pete]

My wife and I stayed there the first week in Nov 07. The beds were very comfortable. I slept very well. The carpet looked a little worn, but it was clean. I enjoyed my stay there and will probably try them again. When we were booking , I asked the travel agent about the quality of the place and she said if I had asked a year & a half ago she wouldn't have been able to recommend it. But that they had done a refurbishment and could recommend it. I trusted her recommendation and was pleased with our stay.

 

[vettegirl]

We stayed there in Oct 07 and found it to be just fine. The rooms were very clean and the walk to Disney was very short. We always had fresh towels, coffe and the wireless internet was free. Not a bad place for the $60 a night rate we paid.

 

[pose2pose]

My wife and kids and I have stayed at the Castle Inn at least 3 times over the past few years and will be returning again next month. I agree with the comments that it's a budget hotel and could use some better upkeep overall, but if you can get a good deal on it (which we usually do through Get Away Today) it's the cheapest hotel within easy walking distance of the parks.

On our last trip in March 2007, they uprgaded our room to a suite for free, which was really nice (although the A/C didn't work well and the room door was tricky to unlock).

Every trip, we ponder whether or not to spend the extra $ for a different hotel, but we always go back to the Castle Inn: It's cheap, it's close, and the kids love the fact that the hotel looks like a castle.

 

[scanmom]

in March 2007. We had booked a suite at the Ramada Inn Ltd. Suites... and spent 1 night there and checked out because it was HORRIBLE!! I called several places out of the AAA tourbook as we drove up and down Harbor, and we ended up at the Castle Inn, in a 2 room suite. It was fine... nothing fancy, but it seemed great compared to the Ramada that we had originally booked. We had 2 adults and 4 teenages, so it was a little cramped, but not bad. And it was clean, but not fancy. My DH and DS13 used the pool/hot tub, and they were basic, but clean. And the walk to the parks was quick and easy. One morning we walked about 1/2 a block away from DLR, got donuts/sausage rolls at a little bakery, and ate them on the walk to the park...perfect and cheap!!! My DD19 left her purse in the room after we had checked out, and about 3-4 days after we had returned home, I got a call from management, and they returned the purse..mailed it right out and did not even charge me any postage!! Everything was in there..even the little bit of cash she had in it! That is great customer service, in my opinion! And it says alot about the honesty of the maids too!!! I would definitly stay here again!!

 

[annieb727]

We stayed for 11 nights Sept 2007. We'd stay there again in a heartbeat! It was just fine for us! The boys loved the whole castle thing. We got ground floor room and got to park right in front of it. It was clean - maidservice was great. I have no complaints other than the fact that I had to bring my laptop to the front office to get an internet connection, but it was a nice break from the kids anyway lol.