Criteria for choosing a hotel/motel

[ckmiles]

I am sure I am way over thinking this, but as a planner, this is how I roll.

I have poured over these boards reading many reviews on off site accommodations. I have my three must haves (free breakfast, wifi and parking) so I narrowed down the choices based on those.

My question is how to you decide from there? My 3 finalists are Park Vue, Ramada Maingate and 3rd is Candy Cane. I normally stay at chain hotels (mostly because of where I go that is what is offered and what I know). So the smaller family owned motels are new to me (not bad just new).

Park Vue is the closest and the best price - its gotten good reviews recently but the bug review from last year scares me

Ramada Maingate- Chain hotel- under construction a little bit farther away

Candy Cane $154 more than the others

Cost is not a deal breaker but it is important.

I guess what I now need is a 4th deciding factor.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks!

Cindy

 

[Butterfly123]

I notice that a lot of people like free parking when choosing a hotel. But that can narrow down your options since so many places on Harbor charge for parking now. What I do when considering prices is just add the cost of the parking on to the cost of the stay, and then use that to compare to room prices of the places that offer "free" parking. That gives you lots more options. Maybe that's not so helpful!

I have heard great things about all your options, but haven't stayed at any of them. I would just say that as much as people love CCI with it's dedicated shuttle, I think I would sooner be able to just walk across the street and not have to think about a shuttle at all. That's just my two cents. And we really like the mini suites at BWPPI, as we have 5 in our family. But they do charge parking.


Just adding the bug reviews scared me off from Park Vue, too.

 

[GatorChris]

If those are the three things you look at, I'd just go with the one that's closest to the gate. After all that walking each day, reducing 100 yards off the walk back to the hotel is a big deal.

 

[crystal1313]

Ramada Maingate and CCI are our top choices when staying offsite.

At the Ramada, would you be staying in the new superior rooms? If so, I would choose the Ramada, because that building is a year old and the rooms are much more spacious than CCI. Plus, from everything I have read, the construction going on at the Ramada is happening on the older building, so not terribly close to your room.

If you are staying in the older rooms at Ramada, I would lean towards staying at the CCI. To me, their rooms are fresher feeling than the rooms at the Ramada. Both motels have been very clean when we have stayed.

The breakfast at CCI is MUCH better than at Ramada. Lots of choices. One of the best cold breakfast spreads I have seen at a motel. But, $154 could buy a lot of breakfast elsewhere!

Ramada has a fridge and microwave in all the rooms. I believe CCI only has a fridge standard in all the rooms, but the more expensive rooms have a microwave. Don't know if that's a deal breaker for you. Also, CCI has an in room safe and Ramada does not.

For us the walks to either are not bad at all. But if for some reason you need to ride a shuttle, CCI has a free dedicated shuttle for only CCI which is nice.

Both Ramada and CCI have wonderful staff who have always been really friendly. Ramada's rating has gone down a lot on tripadvisor due to all the construction. CCI is consistently rated very high.

I wish I could weigh in on Park Vue, but have stayed away since reading the beg bug thing here on the Dis. It wasn't so much that they had bed bugs (because any hotel can get them), it's how they handled the situation that I didn't like.

Hope that helps you!

 

[ckmiles]

Thanks Everyone- your thoughts were very helpful.

I think Im going to go with the closest hotel- the cost savings are worth it for me and my feet will thank me after a long day at the parks!

 

[hyperminimalism]

So I might be adding to this a little late, but my criteria are:

1. Trusted brand (usually I stay with Marriott, and I've stayed at the Residence Inn, and the Courtyard there in Anaheim before). We'll be staying at Springhill, so this'll be a first for me and at a newer hotel even.

2. Good reviews! (And guest pictures, if available) I like reading reviews from other hotel guests as it gives me an idea of what to expect. Of course, sometimes I take them with a grain of salt since often times experiences are entirely subjective, but a generally good overall score is something that's necessary.

3. FREE wifi/internet. Must, must have. I am a net junkie, and although I'll sacrifice it for a few days at the parks, I need to have a connection when I come back to the hotel.

4. Reasonable price and/or the ability to use points. As a Marriott Rewards member, we've got plenty to spare. We'll be using those points for a 5-night-stay in August, which will essentially be 'free'. Now all we have to worry about is ticket prices, gas since we're driving down from Oregon, and spending money for food and souvenirs.

Proximity to the park isn't all that important to me since I will have my car. But even having to use it doesn't mean we can't stay five or ten minutes away from the massive crowds.

 

[sftnslky]

Our criteria is a little different, here it is.

There are 6 of us so we need 1 room that can accommodate all of us. Don't want to pay for double rooms.

We drive down from the Sacramento area, so free parking is a must.

Free full breakfast.. We have 4 teenagers including BOTTOMLESS pit twin boys. Along with them and dh a tiny breakfast of juice and pastries just will not do..so a full buffet breakfast saves us approx $60 per morning.

The hotel MUST have a pool and room service with kids menu. We take breaks in the afternoon and the kids would not consider it a vacation if they couldn't swim everyday. As for the room service, our boys really don't like to go to "fancy" dinners i.e.... Joes Crab Shack, Mimi's etc... So to be able to order a few chicken fingers and fry baskets comes in super handy.

The hotel that we usually go with is Embassy Suites. It meets all our requirements and won't break your budget.

 

[laura&fam]

I always consider if there is a fridge and microwave in the room. Being able to have some snacks on hand avoids grumpy kids and saves money. Also the snacks we have tend to be healthier.

We have 5 in our family so a larger room layout makes a big difference. Some hotels don't even allow 5 in a room.

 

[zanzibar138]

I also have a list which I work through for choosing a hotel. It works kind of like a knockout game. Any hotel that does not meet the criteria does not make it to the next round.

Every location and even every trip have different requirements, but generally for DL I go for:

1. Location
Must be within a 10 minute walk.

2. Reviews
Must have over a 75% rating on TripAdvisor. Agree with the PP about reviews being entirely subjective, but I think 75% is a good benchmark where most people have generally been happy with their stay.

3. Free wifi
Being an international guest, I cannot use wifi on my phone, and I enjoy using facebook to update family and friends back home

4. Price
This is different every time, but I always set a price that I absolutely won't go above.

If all the shortlisted hotels are within a similar price range, I'll generally go for the one with the highest TripAdvisor rating. If there are any hotels that are significantly cheaper, I'll generally go for one of them, but make sure that I read any 'terrible' and 'poor' reviews before I book. If anything negative jumps out, I'll reconsider.

Interestingly, I am opposite to you and much prefer smaller boutique style hotels than chains. I prefer my accommodation to be unique to the area, and don't want a cookie cutter experience at every hotel. So if I'm having trouble deciding, I'll usually for the one that looks more unique/boutique.

I've never had any trouble with accommodation I've booked using my knockout system, whether it's a chain, boutique, or even a B&B.

 

[GracieB]

I know location seems high on the list to most. I disagree. I'd rather have a Marriott, Hilton or Sheraton, further away but on ART, than an outdated motel across the street. The price is often similar! When I take my rest break, I want comfort and nice decor.

Breakfast is not an issue, as most hotel breakfasts (except Embassy Suites) are not great anyway. Of course, it is more important with a big group, or several kids.

 

[zanzibar138]

I also have a list which I work through for choosing a hotel. It works kind of like a knockout game. Any hotel that does not meet the criteria does not make it to the next round.

Every location and even every trip have different requirements, but generally for DL I go for:

1. Location
Must be within a 10 minute walk.

2. Reviews
Must have over a 75% rating on TripAdvisor. Agree with the PP about reviews being entirely subjective, but I think 75% is a good benchmark where most people have generally been happy with their stay.

3. Free wifi
Being an international guest, I cannot use wifi on my phone, and I enjoy using facebook to update family and friends back home

4. Price
This is different every time, but I always set a price that I absolutely won't go above.

If all the shortlisted hotels are within a similar price range, I'll generally go for the one with the highest TripAdvisor rating. If there are any hotels that are significantly cheaper, I'll generally go for one of them, but make sure that I read any 'terrible' and 'poor' reviews before I book. If anything negative jumps out, I'll reconsider.

Interestingly, I am opposite to you and much prefer smaller boutique style hotels than chains. I prefer my accommodation to be unique to the area, and don't want a cookie cutter experience at every hotel. So if I'm having trouble deciding, I'll usually for the one that looks more unique/boutique.

I've never had any trouble with accommodation I've booked using my knockout system, whether it's a chain, boutique, or even a B&B.

 

[disneychrista]

My main criteria is price. Parking, wifi & breakfast included are bonuses, but remember they are not really free they are built into the price of the room.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

Dedicated shuttle! CCI wins, every time…