Hojo Q? Reviews?

[indiesgirl4ever]

I didn't have nearly the good experience almost everyone else has had at the HoJo...several items in our room didn't work well or at all (the safe was quickly fixed, the Internet was eventually fixed but it took some trouble on my part and them belatedly sending someone in-person, and the loose electrical outlets that kept items from charging were, I'm assuming, not fixable at all). The air conditioner was quite loud (it ran nearly constantly) and while the walk was manageable, if anyone in your party is prone to illness or fibromyalgia, the walk may be enough to keep them from coming back to the parks after an afternoon break. (That's not really HoJo's fault; the hotel isn't much farther than some others, but it is at the edge of what most people seemed to consider an acceptable walk.)

The room was clean and a good size, though, and the Disney view was nice. And Loraelle is so nice online! (Haven't had the pleasure to meet her in person.)

I think it would be fine for the $59 Entertainment rate, but paying an average of almost $100 out-the-door per night for 4 nights (one night at full price, the others Entertainment/Disney view), I wasn't wowed. It was probably a fair rate given the proximity to Disneyland, but I'm one of those that doesn't really understand the rave reviews the hotel gets.

I'm sorry about your bad experience I appreciate your review I'm just glad it isn't $300 per night *cough cough disney cough cough* I've watched the vid that hojoanaheim has on their youtube channel about the walk, that's my greatest concern, distance. If we decided to tag along a little one, would they be able to handle the walk back at the end of the day when they're pooped? (no way are we paying $12 per day for stinking parking! ) so, another question i guess, how smooth is the walk? I know it's like a 9 minute walkk or so, anyone had any experiences with little ones on these walks? Our little ones aren't much walkers. Sorry for all the questions, but you guys have informed me on so much, I'm so glad I found this site!

 

[Kayla's Mom]

I'm sorry about your bad experience I appreciate your review I'm just glad it isn't $300 per night *cough cough disney cough cough* I've watched the vid that hojoanaheim has on their youtube channel about the walk, that's my greatest concern, distance. If we decided to tag along a little one, would they be able to handle the walk back at the end of the day when they're pooped? (no way are we paying $12 per day for stinking parking! ) so, another question i guess, how smooth is the walk? I know it's like a 9 minute walkk or so, anyone had any experiences with little ones on these walks? Our little ones aren't much walkers. Sorry for all the questions, but you guys have informed me on so much, I'm so glad I found this site!

We stay at Hojo every trip and we have 2 daughters ages 2 and 7. We get a free stroller at the park with our Disney Visa so we don't get the stroller until we are at the parks, we are normally there for 3-4 days. My youngest normally walks to DLR and if she is tired coming home, DH carries her. We are fine with the walk, yes we are tired at the end of the day, especially after being there for a few days. It's doable for us though.

 

[wvnative]

We stayed at HOJO for the first time in March. Everything was a breeze. The initial reservation (call 714-776-6120 and ask for in house reservations in order to get the best info..they're ever so nice) was so easy. The front desk staff was very helpful. The room was a good size and all around comfy. Even with some young children running in the hallway it was pretty quiet.

As for the walk, it's not too bad at all. I have a "bad" foot that hinders my ability to walk on occassion and I had no issues with the walk to or from. We crossed to the DL side of Harbor and cut through the taxi area. It saves some time/steps and you aren't part of the huge morning crwod on the hotel side.

I believe we were in building 1 in the $59 (ET) room. I think it was room 1215. I normally take pics but was distracted by annoyances from my travel companion last trip and take nearly as many as usual. lol

We used to stay at Desert Inn but will do HOJO as long as I can get the ET rate from now on. For the regular rate, I'll stay at DI due to closeness.

Oh, and although there was some sort of billing issue at the end after I returned home, one call and the HOJO staff cleared it up right away. Their customer service is wonderful.

 

[Hojoanaheim]

I didn't have nearly the good experience almost everyone else has had at the HoJo...several items in our room didn't work well or at all (the safe was quickly fixed, the Internet was eventually fixed but it took some trouble on my part and them belatedly sending someone in-person, and the loose electrical outlets that kept items from charging were, I'm assuming, not fixable at all). The air conditioner was quite loud (it ran nearly constantly) and while the walk was manageable, if anyone in your party is prone to illness or fibromyalgia, the walk may be enough to keep them from coming back to the parks after an afternoon break. (That's not really HoJo's fault; the hotel isn't much farther than some others, but it is at the edge of what most people seemed to consider an acceptable walk.)

The room was clean and a good size, though, and the Disney view was nice. And Loraelle is so nice online! (Haven't had the pleasure to meet her in person.)

I think it would be fine for the $59 Entertainment rate, but paying an average of almost $100 out-the-door per night for 4 nights (one night at full price, the others Entertainment/Disney view), I wasn't wowed. It was probably a fair rate given the proximity to Disneyland, but I'm one of those that doesn't really understand the rave reviews the hotel gets.

ACK! Eeee-va! I'm so sorry that you had this experience! I'm forwarding these comments to our General Manager so that we can look into fixing some of these things [loose outlets/AC, etc.]

 

[darph nader]

Great pics robinb. (note to self,get wiiiiiiiiide screen monitor)

 

[Eeee-va]

ACK! Eeee-va! I'm so sorry that you had this experience! I'm forwarding these comments to our General Manager so that we can look into fixing some of these things [loose outlets/AC, etc.]

Thank you. It was room 1615.

 

[lb2000]

We just spent 2 nights at the Hojo... booked it off of reviews from this site. It was a great deal for the price. We had the 5th floor I think tower 1? It had an excellent view of the fireworks! We had our 3 girls: 3, 5 and turned 7 at Disney. The walk was easy. We did bring 2 Maclaren Volo strollers so that 3 and 5 could ride. That was necessary. My 7 year old was tired at the end of the day, and my husband ended up giving her shoulder rides at night and pushing a stroller.

The girls loved the water park and the "big" pool. The room was a bit of a squeeze with 5 of us, but not bad since it was only 2 nights. I would love to book a kid suite when those become available. I think that would be great for us.

All in all, I think it was a great value and great choice. We'll likely stay again.

 

[tasha99]

We just came back today after a 5 night stay at Hojo's. Overall, I thought it was a great hotel and a great value. The people there were all very helpful and friendly, and the rooms were very clean. I am pretty picky about beds, and I slept very well there. We stayed on the 5th floor in building 1. I think the fridge and microwave were worth the extra cost, but not necessarily the view, which was mostly covered by trees. I think if I ever go again, I'll get a pool view room, which would have been $10/night cheaper.

The air conditioner does run a lot, but you have control over it and can turn it down or turn it off. I like the noise because I find white noise relaxing, but you don't have to have it set low if you don't want to.

Also, be aware that your fridge may not be on when you get to your room. We lost some milk because we just assumed it would be running.

For us, the only real problem was with my credit card. My card got swiped more than once, which put my holds at over the limit. I moved everything to my debit card the next day, but for about 12 hours, I didn't have access to any money (long story). Lesson learned: one backup is not enough--next time, I want a back up for the back up! I don't think that was Hojo's fault though--I think something just got screwed up in cyberspace and kicked out different answers to Hojo and the bank.

As for the walk, it's no big deal for people aged 6-60 or so. I could see thinking it's far for the very young, or for older people who are out of shape. I'm 42 and overweight, and I didn't think it was very far at all (8-10 minutes?). One thing I did notice, though, is that late at night, you leave the park in a big group, but that group dwindles as you get to Hojo's. I was pretty uncomfortable for the last block of that walk one night when I realized DS and I were the only ones still walking.

Overall, I thought Hojo's was a great value. I would stay there again.

 

[marvel]

Can I just ask in which building the King Kids Suites are in? Are they only in one building? I am guessing you cannot get a king suite with a view?? which would be the best one in terms of away from the noise of the freeway. thanks.

 

[DangerMouse]

Can I just ask in which building the King Kids Suites are in? Are they only in one building? I am guessing you cannot get a king suite with a view?? which would be the best one in terms of away from the noise of the freeway. thanks.

The new kids' suites are all on the freeway facing side of Building 1. So unfortunately, you can't get a view. I'm very interested to hear the first trip reports from people who have stayed in these new rooms to see how they felt about the noise level from the freeway. I'm not sure anything has been done during the remodel in order to sound proof these rooms more.

My favorite quiet rooms on property are the Deluxe queen/queen rooms in Building 2 facing the pool. I've never had a freeway noise issue there.

 

[indiesgirl4ever]

Thank you for all the reviews! I appreciate them. One question, am I going crazy or is it really gone? What I mean is I remember going on the Hojo's Anaheim sight where it says select rate, wasn't there an Ent. option? I always thought there was, maybe it was just my imagination. So is this all in my head that the Ent option is not up online, or did they take it down?
Thanks

 

[Hojoanaheim]

Thank you for all the reviews! I appreciate them. One question, am I going crazy or is it really gone? What I mean is I remember going on the Hojo's Anaheim sight where it says select rate, wasn't there an Ent. option? I always thought there was, maybe it was just my imagination. So is this all in my head that the Ent option is not up online, or did they take it down?
Thanks

Hiya!

The ET Rate is available at varying rates based on our availability- here is a link with all the current ET Dates available:: http://www.hojoanaheim.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14 If the dates that you're looking for are not listed as available for the full discount, you're still entitled to 15% off of our room rates.

Occasionally, and I'm not sure why, the internet is wonky and it just cannot process the request for the ET Rate. If this happens, just give our In-House Reservations Team a call at 714-776-6120, and we can get you all booked directly over the phone.

I hope this helps!
Lorealle

 

[indiesgirl4ever]

Hiya!

The ET Rate is available at varying rates based on our availability- here is a link with all the current ET Dates available:: http://www.hojoanaheim.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14 If the dates that you're looking for are not listed as available for the full discount, you're still entitled to 15% off of our room rates.

Occasionally, and I'm not sure why, the internet is wonky and it just cannot process the request for the ET Rate. If this happens, just give our In-House Reservations Team a call at 714-776-6120, and we can get you all booked directly over the phone.

I hope this helps!
Lorealle

Ok, thank you! I'll make sure to look into it!

 

[Saskiwi]

We stayed at Hojo's in April and found it great - when you are on their site, click on Forums and you'll find out all sorts of stuff, like what kind of coffee maker the rooms have, where is the closest supermarket etc etc. - all questions are answered by one of their friendly staff - it's great if you're into micro-planning like I was!!

I haven't read all this thread but just in case it hasn't been mentioned - the short cut to DL from Hojo's is to cross Harbor Blvd at the lights right outside Hojo's (Manchester) and walk down the DL side of Harbor. then you can shortcut thru the bus lanes to the security checkpoint - just saves you having to hustle through loads of other people. We timed it and it takes 8 mins door to gate.

We never felt insecure walking back late at night - always seemed to be people about.

 

[indiesgirl4ever]

We stayed at Hojo's in April and found it great - when you are on their site, click on Forums and you'll find out all sorts of stuff, like what kind of coffee maker the rooms have, where is the closest supermarket etc etc. - all questions are answered by one of their friendly staff - it's great if you're into micro-planning like I was!!

I haven't read all this thread but just in case it hasn't been mentioned - the short cut to DL from Hojo's is to cross Harbor Blvd at the lights right outside Hojo's (Manchester) and walk down the DL side of Harbor. then you can shortcut thru the bus lanes to the security checkpoint - just saves you having to hustle through loads of other people. We timed it and it takes 8 mins door to gate.

We never felt insecure walking back late at night - always seemed to be people about.

thank you for the info!

 

[glokozar]

We will be coming to DL for the first time December 21-30th and I just booked a Disney View room. I am so excited. I would have loved to stay on property but the cost was just too much for me.

Should I request a certain floor for my room or do all the Disney View rooms all have great views. Since this is our first visit I want it to be as magical as possible. Also, are the bathroom sinks located outside the bathroom? I could not tell by the pictures on line.

Thanks.

 

[indiesgirl4ever]

We will be coming to DL for the first time December 21-30th and I just booked a Disney View room. I am so excited. I would have loved to stay on property but the cost was just too much for me.

Should I request a certain floor for my room or do all the Disney View rooms all have great views. Since this is our first visit I want it to be as magical as possible. Also, are the bathroom sinks located outside the bathroom? I could not tell by the pictures on line.

Thanks.

make sure to take tons of pics for us!

 

[aliceindisneyland]

Staff really is the nicest and most helpful of any Harbor Blvd hotel we've stayed at! We just stayed on Sat 6/27 with the Ent. rate $59 standard room. We tried to check in very early (just in case!) around 11:30; though our room was of course not ready they very kindly gave us a pool key so we could use the pirate pool! When our room was ready a very helpful staff member helped (read: did all the work) cart our bags up the stairs and into our room--though of course at this hotel level they don't have an official bell hop. We requested extra coffee and towels; about 1 minute later they arrived!
The best perk for us at HoJo is that they will hold your luggage in a locked room, clearly tagged so less chance of mishaps, both while you are waiting to check in **and** after check out. HoJo also generously allows you to keep your car parked there after checkout (good luck with that at either Best Western!) -- we were able to do another 1/2 day at DL that we would not have attempted if we had to leave our bags in our car and re-park in DL parking structure.
A note on the rooms with a view: the check in clerk was almost apologetic that our room "faced" the freeway, but we actually found that our technical view was just of another HoJo building and we had a great view (albeit through the trees) of DL fireworks! And a little white noise never killed anyone Actually, we only heard the freeway when we opened the balcony door--otherwise the sound was comparable to a portable fan. Just looked at photos from another trip with a true "Disney view" room and yes, we could see the Matterhorn, but again it was through trees (that may have since been cut back) so not sure if a view is worth paying for unless you request a tree-free view as a pp suggested.
The walk: you can jaywalk across the street into the Mimis parking lot or wait for the light (we tried both ways once with DH at the light and he beat me to the room), then you have the light to cross to the DL pedestrian entrance. We timed it from the light at HoJo to the security gate and it took 12 minutes because we missed both lights. I was carrying DD2 and DS5 was walking. So max 12 minutes walk with little ones--not bad at all (and noting how far away DL Hotel looks from Downtown Disney I expect about the same walk from DL Hotel as HoJo!)

 

[indiesgirl4ever]

Staff really is the nicest and most helpful of any Harbor Blvd hotel we've stayed at! We just stayed on Sat 6/27 with the Ent. rate $59 standard room. We tried to check in very early (just in case!) around 11:30; though our room was of course not ready they very kindly gave us a pool key so we could use the pirate pool! When our room was ready a very helpful staff member helped (read: did all the work) cart our bags up the stairs and into our room--though of course at this hotel level they don't have an official bell hop. We requested extra coffee and towels; about 1 minute later they arrived!
The best perk for us at HoJo is that they will hold your luggage in a locked room, clearly tagged so less chance of mishaps, both while you are waiting to check in **and** after check out. HoJo also generously allows you to keep your car parked there after checkout (good luck with that at either Best Western!) -- we were able to do another 1/2 day at DL that we would not have attempted if we had to leave our bags in our car and re-park in DL parking structure.
A note on the rooms with a view: the check in clerk was almost apologetic that our room "faced" the freeway, but we actually found that our technical view was just of another HoJo building and we had a great view (albeit through the trees) of DL fireworks! And a little white noise never killed anyone Actually, we only heard the freeway when we opened the balcony door--otherwise the sound was comparable to a portable fan. Just looked at photos from another trip with a true "Disney view" room and yes, we could see the Matterhorn, but again it was through trees (that may have since been cut back) so not sure if a view is worth paying for unless you request a tree-free view as a pp suggested.
The walk: you can jaywalk across the street into the Mimis parking lot or wait for the light (we tried both ways once with DH at the light and he beat me to the room), then you have the light to cross to the DL pedestrian entrance. We timed it from the light at HoJo to the security gate and it took 12 minutes because we missed both lights. I was carrying DD2 and DS5 was walking. So max 12 minutes walk with little ones--not bad at all (and noting how far away DL Hotel looks from Downtown Disney I expect about the same walk from DL Hotel as HoJo!)

The Hojo sounds like a marvelous, safe, and organized hotel! can't wait until we can book a trip! Thank you for the review!

 

[seobaina]

oK, please excuse the complete blank looks here but 'what is hojo', and how to I check rates online? thanks