Help me decide- HoJos or BW PPI

[bunny]

We are traveling in October and are DL newbies (but WDW vets). For about the same price I can book either a premium room at HoJos or a room at Best Western Park Place Inn. Please help me choose. Everyone raves about HoJos but the room looks bigger at the Best Western and the hotel is closer to DL. Which should I choose and why?

 

[BethID]

I have stayed at both. When my kids were toddlers, we stayed at BWPPI. It was the closest to the parks, which was nice for naps and had breakfast. But the pool was tiny and very crowded. Also, no nice grounds. Just the hotel and parking lot, which is very small.
Then I found out about HOJO. It is a little further, maybe 5-10 minutes, depending on your walking speed. The grounds are so much more relaxing. I really feel like I am getting away from everything. I like that there are indoor hallways there. We still walk back in the afternoons for a swim/rest, but the walk is not bad. I prefer HOJO and will be staying there again in March.

 

[Mindy71]

After a looooooong day in the parks, the short walk to the BWPPI would be nice. I've never stayed at the HOJO, but we have stayed a few times at the Fairfield which is, I believe, one hotel closer to Disneyland than HOJO. The walks back at night weren't very appealing. Lots of folks on here seem to love the HOJO though.

 

[mvf-m11c]

I have stayed at both hotels. Both hotels have advantages and disadvantages, both of those hotels are my favorite off-site hotels.

HOJOs has the better design, landscape, and most definitely castaway cove. The walk going to the park is around 7-10 min and it is really a long walk after a long day at the park. Its good if you have kids and like to spend a lot of time at the pools after a long day at the parks. I also like the different variety of rooms that you can choose to your liking. Even though HOJO is close to I-5 and is really noisy outside in the back of building 2, the rooms inside the building are not as noisy as I thought. I believe it is safer to stay at HOJO than BWPPI because of the rooms doors are inside the hallways and HOJO is in a nice decorated hotel than BWPPI. At least HOJO still has free parking.

BWPPI is best known as the one of the closest hotel to the DLR that is not operate by the Disney company. Even though it is nicely decorated like HOJO, sometimes people call it a motel than a hotel, but if people don't care about decorations, this is the hotel to pick. The short distance is really a big difference when we go to the parks early in the morning and come back later in the afternoon to rest and go back later to the parks in the evening. It's about a 5 min walk to entrance from the hotel. Even though they have fewer rooms and varieties than HOJO, it does come with continental breakfast, HOJO doesn't offer any continental breakfast. BWPPI has only a small pool and a spa, the pool at BWPPI is not even bigger than HOJOs building 2 pool area. BWPPI just put in a self parking fee and so it costs to leave a car at the hotel than in the past.

If I were to choose, I would choose BWPPI cause I care about the short walk and don't care about the pool. But that is just me everytime I go to DLR. If I have other members of my party that care about going to the pool after a long day, I would choose HOJO because of castaway cove big size pools and water slides.

 

[mhalpern]

We are leaving for California two weeks from today and we'll be staying at the BWPPI. I have never stayed at either hotel and I chose it because of the proximity to DLR. I will write a review when we get back so be on the lookout.

 

[bunny]

Thanks everyone. We are only going to be at Disneyland for a few days this fall, so I am not concerned about swimming. I am trying to find a review of a recent stay at the Best Western. If anyone is staying there this summer, please post one.

 

[sasywtch]

We have always stayed at BWPPI and love it for the short walk to DL. On night after closing DL, one lady told me (as we were heading into the motel), gosh I wish we were staying here. It is definitely nothing fancy but we aren't into that. It's a two story, outside door with a small pool, gift shop in the lobby.
It has always been clean. We get the two queen and the little loveseat/chair that folds out into a single bed. Outside sink so others can get ready while others are showering. Microwave/refrigerator is standard whereas I don't think that's true with HOJOS ? They do have the free continental breakfast and I know everyone here says not to eat at Cptn Kids which I haven't however, the continental breakfast upstairs is fine for us. Coffee, juices, milk, 3 different types of cereal, toast, bagels, donuts, muffins, bananas. I think hard boiled eggs also but I don't eat those. I think instant oatmeal also.

 

[GrandBob]

Microwave/refrigerator is standard whereas I don't think that's true with HOJOS ?

HoJo's has a mini-fridge in all rooms. They have a microwave in the deluxe and premium rooms and the suites. You can check HoJo's room layouts and amenities here.

 

[koalagirl5]

Thanks everyone. We are only going to be at Disneyland for a few days this fall, so I am not concerned about swimming. I am trying to find a review of a recent stay at the Best Western. If anyone is staying there this summer, please post one.

If you want, you can check out my trip report. Link is in my siggy, and I have a review of my stay at BWPPI.

 

[sasywtch]

HoJo's has a mini-fridge in all rooms. They have a microwave in the deluxe and premium rooms and the suites. You can check HoJo's room layouts and amenities here.

Thanks, I was going off memory.