HoJo or Park Vue Inn?

[AvidTraveller]

I have a suite booked at the PVI and a kid's suite booked at the hojo. Hojo costs about $250 more, not including breakfast savings. I don't mind paying more if the hojo is worth it.

We have stayed at PVI before in a regular queen room. Our stay was nice and the location was superb. However, over the past year, the PVI has made some changes and have had some fairly negative reviews. Of course, hojo has a few bad ones to, but typically not so bad, even when they are bad.

Is this a no-brainer? Should we stay at Hojo? I worry about the distance as we have two small children that will require a daily nap.

In am aware of the big thread regarding Jack's experience at the PVI and that is actually what promped me to book my backup reservation at Hojo.

Which suite would you pick? I am so on the fence with this decision!

 

[BayAreaMom]

I'm not sure if you are specifically refering to the 2Q/kitchenette (with sleeper sofa in living room) suite at PVI, but we stayed there in August 2011 for 2 nights. Since then we have stayed in the kids suite at HoJo 3 times- Nov 2011, Jan 2012, and April 2012 ranging from 2-3 nights.

We did not like PVI at ALL. In short, our room was dirty, the kitchenette super small and unusable (meaning we didn't cook at all), the "free" food disgusting and inedible (we are super healthy eaters, and I realize this is purely personal), and the towels old and ratty. YES it was nice to have a living room and be right across the street. But we would never ever go back.

HoJos is fabulous- we love the spaciousness and decor in the kids suite. Its not perfect- we would prefer the bunk to be in the "inner" room as we do not feel safe letting our 2 kids sleep in the outside room (fear of an intruder). I also wish the fridge was bigger or there were 2 (one in the "bunk" room). The bathrooms are also dated, but we have 2 to use so can't complain much. We absolutely LOVE LOVE the kiddie pool area. But it does 'distract' from DL where we'd rather be unless its super duper hot. And age wise its best for younger kids, maybe 3-8 is ideal.

We are heading back to the kids suite at HoJo in Nov, Jan, April, June and August, if that is ANY testament to how much we like it

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I would would without hesitation pick Hojo. Everyone in our family is a fan of the kid's suite there.

 

[VictoriaAndMatt]

Hojo. I trust BlackJackDelta on his family's recent negative experience at PVI. I've never had a bad experience at Hojo, and have always found their staff accommodating.

 

[I'm mikey]

i would stay at HOJO, after reading BlackJackDelta's recent report about PVI ,i would stay away from there.

we have stayed at HOJO multiple times and never had any issues at all.

 

[DisneytheKid]

Here is another vote for HOJO. Here is the link to BlackJackDelta's report

 

[AvidTraveller]

Thanks everyone.

BayAreaMom - yes, the suite you described is what we have booked. Your experience with that suite doesn't sound to promising, to say the least.

How much farther is the hojo from the PVI? It looks so far away on the map, but one person told me it's about a 4 minute walk farther. Does that sound about right? Our kids will be riding in our double stroller.

 

[VictoriaAndMatt]

Thanks everyone.

BayAreaMom - yes, the suite you described is what we have booked. Your experience with that suite doesn't sound to promising, to say the least.

How much farther is the hojo from the PVI? It looks so far away on the map, but one person told me it's about a 4 minute walk farther. Does that sound about right? Our kids will be riding in our double stroller.

Yes that sounds about right. We've done that walk easily enough with our family. It looks farther than it feels.

 

[AvidTraveller]

Odd question.....do the little fridges at hojos have a freezer compartment? I have heard they do and don't.

Did any of you happen to notice one?

 

[AvidTraveller]

BayAreaMom - did you find the kids suite to be roomier? Or are the PVI suites comparable in size? Just curious. The hojo suites seems like it is bigger.

 

[BayAreaMom]

BayAreaMom - did you find the kids suite to be roomier? Or are the PVI suites comparable in size? Just curious. The hojo suites seems like it is bigger.

The HoJo Kids suites were about 20% bigger than the PVI suites. Maybe 30%. You are basically getting 2 attached full size rooms. PVI is the same deal, but the rooms were much smaller to begin with. And much more cramped- 2 Q bed versus 1 K.

To answer 2 more questions:
The walk from HoJos to PVI is maybe 3-4 minutes. It is one full size block.
The little fridges at Hojos have a TINY freezer compartment. It did not ever freeze anything for me, like ice packs.

 

[I'm mikey]

Thanks everyone.


How much farther is the hojo from the PVI? It looks so far away on the map, but one person told me it's about a 4 minute walk farther. Does that sound about right? Our kids will be riding in our double stroller.

the walk from hojo to the security tents was about 10 minutes for us.

Odd question.....do the little fridges at hojos have a freezer compartment? I have heard they do and don't.

Did any of you happen to notice one?

we last stayed at hojo's in may in building 1, the fridge in our room did have a very small freezer compartment.

 

[AvidTraveller]

I don't need much space in the freezer, though I would love more. I just have a cooler pack that I like to freeze. I know those little fridges can be finicky....either nothing is cold or everything is frozen!

BayAreaMom - thank you for the suite size details. Very helpful information.

 

[smiles33]

We stayed at HoJo Sept 2011 and loved it. I pushed our double stroller back and forth 14 times (7 round trips) in 3 days. I never once regretted saying at HoJo, even as we walked by other hotels and even though I got shin splints by day 3. We absolutely loved it.

As for the freezer packs, I just submerged them in a bucket of ice and that froze them!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

dont stay at park vul inn dont there was a bad bad review by a trustted dis member less then two weeks ago dont stay there go to hojos or desert inn or maybe quality inn just giving you heads up go read blackjacks post on page one or two about dont stay there

 

[JadeDarkstar]

didnt read your post just the first question lol sorry see you read it and hojos was good when we stayed years ago good luck

 

[AvidTraveller]

As for the freezer packs, I just submerged them in a bucket of ice and that froze them!

Good tip. Thank you!

 

[Zebbie]

I have a suite booked at the PVI and a kid's suite booked at the hojo. Hojo costs about $250 more, not including breakfast savings. I don't mind paying more if the hojo is worth it.

We have stayed at PVI before in a regular queen room. Our stay was nice and the location was superb. However, over the past year, the PVI has made some changes and have had some fairly negative reviews. Of course, hojo has a few bad ones to, but typically not so bad, even when they are bad.

Is this a no-brainer? Should we stay at Hojo? I worry about the distance as we have two small children that will require a daily nap.

In am aware of the big thread regarding Jack's experience at the PVI and that is actually what promped me to book my backup reservation at Hojo.

Which suite would you pick? I am so on the fence with this decision!

The cost of extermination of Bed Bugs in your home...would make the $250 upgrade seem cheap. This is sooo no brainer!

I would sleep in a tent before sleeping in PVI!

 

[AvidTraveller]

The cost of extermination of Bed Bugs in your home...would make the $250 upgrade seem cheap. This is sooo no brainer!

I would sleep in a tent before sleeping in PVI!

Decision made....Hojo it is!

 

[jory29]

Decision made....Hojo it is!

You can't go wrong there - it's truly a home away from home.