Holiday Inn & Suites on Walnut *OR* Priceline Hotel (Doubletree/Hyatt/Crowne Plaza)

[robinb]

My next trip to Disneyland is coming up in about 10 days! Yippie! We're staying around DL from Saturday 3/4 - Tuesday 3/7 and then we're moving to a hotel near LAX because we have an early morning flight to Hawaii.

A few months ago I booked a DL View at the Howard Johnson's for $110 per night. I was pretty happy with that until December when I booked two nights at Paradise Pier at $165 each, only our first night (Saturday) was not available. It's available now, for $265! Yikes! That's not happening. I have been checking DL reservations just about daily hoping that the Saturday will pop up at a better rate, but it's getting too close and I have to cancel very soon.

I am now starting to feel cheap. Plus, I booked the HoJo in hopes of walking to and from DL but I recently remembered that I ended up carrying my boneless sleeping 50lb 6-year old child back to the Hilton every night in October. *Ouch* So ... it seems that if I need to pay for the ART and can't walk *anyway*, then perhaps I should save some money for Mai-tais on the Big Island and book a cheaper hotel.

With that lead-in ... here is my question ...

Should I go with the Holiday Inn & Suites on Walnut or should I book using Priceline?

The HI ...

• Is $64, minus $10 per night in Amazon Gift Certificates from Priceline's Shop & Compare side though TravelWeb. Total would be $225 for 3 nights and I would receive $30 back in Gift Certificates.
• Parking is free.
• It appears to be a short walk to the Mickey & Friends parking tram. If I have to carry my DD it will not be as far as the walk to the Hilton.
• It's a solid 2* hotel. Nothing fancy with reports of worn rooms.

Priceline Hotels ...

• Would be about $47 per night, plus Priceline fees for a total of $165.75.
• I can get any of these hotels. I will not know which one until I bid. I am a Priceline mavin and I understand everything involved in bidding.
• The Doubletree adds $8 per night in parking and resort fees, the Hyatt adds $14 and the Crowne Plaza adds $7. That brings the total up to $186, $189 or 207.
• I will likely get the Doubletree and they will probably honor my DH's Diamond Hilton Honors card and we'll probably get breakfast. Other Priceline customes have had their honored.
• The Priceline hotels are a solid 3*.
• They are all 1 - 1.5 miles from DL. I would have to take the ART/shuttle or drive and pay to park. ART passes are an additional $6 per day.

So ... what would you do? Go for the hotels that are nicer, but farther away? Go for the hotel that is closer, but not as nice? I am torn since there are advantages and disadvantages to both!

Hmmm ....

 

[funnygarcia]

I have stayed at that Holiday Inn once before- and never have gone back- really rude staff and just plain dingy depressing rooms.
We went when it was becoming a Holiday Inn, constuction chaos and potential safety issues made for a hectic trip for my family of DH, myself and then 3 and 6 yr olds.
However, if I needed a budget trip to get my Disney fix I might consider them again.

I would love to do Priceline again - got Marriot and Hilton in the past.. but I noticed the icky Radisson was coming up on posts on biddingfortravel and I stopped doing the Priceline thing because of that one hotel. It's also a larger bidding area than before so might need a car.


I love Hojo's! I found a good rate thru a pkg on Travelocity, big chunk of money saved and flying into SNA. Very happy -- going solo March 2 -6 (in parks on 3,4,5 )

I guess I wasn't much help LOL
Goodluck whatever you decide!

 

[c&m]

We are doing the reverse of your trip...March 9-16 in Kauai, Hawaii, and March 17-20 in Anaheim.

For our Anaheim portion, we bidded on Priceline and got the Doubletree hotel for $50. This hotel, though a little further out, has a DL shuttle and has good, solid reviews on Tripadvisor. We are very happy with our good fortune in getting this hotel.

The HI you mentioned has not gotten good reviews at all. In fact, my daughter's teacher and a few other teachers from the school stayed there during a conference last year. They thought it was worn and weary, and just generally icky to stay in. The teacher also told me that she wouldn't bring her family to stay there.

JMO, I'd use Priceline. The Doubletree at about $47-50, plus the $8 parking, would still come in cheaper than the HI in Priceline's Shop and Compare. And you're getting a nicer hotel.

 

[robinb]

Hmm ... so the HI is a pit, eh? That changes things.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

how weird about HI because Tripadvisor shows fantastic reviews of this place..its rated 19 out of 98


http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...5-Holiday_Inn_Anaheim-Anaheim_California.html



..I wonder if people know which HI your talking about

 

[Pokemom]

We stayed at the Holiday Inn on Walnut last summer and I think your original opinion of the hotel was correct. The hotel rooms were fine - nothing fancy, but OK (we were hardly there anyways). The staff we dealt with were polite and helpful. We didn't eat at the restaurant or come back during the day to use the pool, so I can't comment on those aspects. Different people will have good and bad experiences with the same hotel. The walk to the Mickey & Friends tram is about 10 minutes.

 

[disneyfanzz]

We just had this same problem for our trip in a week and a half. We went with priceline and they didn't accept our bid of $55. We then found the Holiday Inn on walnut and went with that through getawaytoday.com. From what I've read the Holiday Inn on the corner of Harbor is the questionable one. The one on Walnut has gotten good reviews. I hope I'm right. I guess I'll know in a week and a half.

 

[robinb]

We just had this same problem for our trip in a week and a half. We went with priceline and they didn't accept our bid of $55.

Do you mind telling me your dates? I have not tried PL yet. We're there on 3/4-3/7 which is just about a week and a half away.

 

[disneyfanzz]

We were trying March 6-10. I talked to a guy at Get Away Today and he said a lot of hotels were full March 10-11 so you may be OK with your dates. Good luck!

 

[NancyIL]

I got the Doubletree on Priceline with a $46 bid for March 10-13. Later I tried to bid for March 9th and got nothing when bidding up to $64, so broke down and reserved the first night at the AAA rate of $116.10. Btw - I've read that the Doubletree has its own free transportation to the parks that leaves the hotel at the top of the hour. Good luck, Robin.

 

[robinb]

Just an update ... I finally bid on Priceline and got the Doubletree for $51 per night. I started bidding at $35 per night. At $47 I was offered a $13 counter-offer. I ignored it and continued to bid: $48 & $50 with no takers. Our total for 3 days is $179.28 plus $24 in parking for a total of $203.28. This compares to $379 which I had at the HoJo, so I saved $176. The bad news is that we will be at the mercy of the shuttle to DL. The good news is that my DH is HHonors Diamond and it is very likely that we will get an upgrade and free breakfast (according to other reports from HHonors members).

BTW, my DH went to DL on Sunday and he hated the Mickey & Friends parking. He said that he had to wait for at least 3 trams each way. That put the Holiday Inn out of contention right there. Of course, that *was* a Sunday which is the busiest day at DL.

 

[NancyIL]

Just an update ... I finally bid on Priceline and got the Doubletree for $51 per night. I started bidding at $35 per night. At $47 I was offered a $13 counter-offer. I ignored it and continued to bid: $48 & $50 with no takers. Our total for 3 days is $179.28 plus $24 in parking for a total of $203.28. This compares to $379 which I had at the HoJo, so I saved $176. The bad news is that we will be at the mercy of the shuttle to DL. The good news is that my DH is HHonors Diamond and it is very likely that we will get an upgrade and free breakfast (according to other reports from HHonors members).

BTW, my DH went to DL on Sunday and he hated the Mickey & Friends parking. He said that he had to wait for at least 3 trams each way. That put the Holiday Inn out of contention right there. Of course, that *was* a Sunday which is the busiest day at DL.

Congrats, Robin. I've still been trying Priceline for my one weekday night, and striking out. I'm afraid of being too "successful" and getting a different hotel for my first night. I can justify paying the AAA rate by looking at the convenience factor of not having to move, plus the HH points/AA miles I'll get by not using Priceline the first night, but it would be nice to pay less.

Btw - you mentioned the resort fee of $8/night at the Doubletree. Does everyone pay that, or only the people who park at the hotel?

 

[robinb]

Nancy, did you try to add a day through Priceline on your reservation? There is a link on your confirmation that says " Extend your stay for the same nightly rate" right above the hotel information. BTW, my best available rate at the Doubletree was the $116 AAA rate.

I *think* the $8 is a parking fee and not a resort fee. I'm sorry if I was unclear. I wouldn't expect you to pay it if you don't have a car. I'll try to post a little update on the hotel and possible HHonors upgrades when I'm there.

 

[judimouse]

The Holiday Inn and Suites on Walnut is a good hotel. I spent 26 nights there during the last half of 2005.

Friends talked me into staying at HoJo my last couple of trips and I told them last Sunday that I am going back to HI.

I have pictures of most of the hotels in the link below my signature.

 

[robinb]

The Holiday Inn and Suites on Walnut is a good hotel. I spent 26 nights there during the last half of 2005.

Wow! Now that is a recommendation!

I love your website. It is so helpful! I like to take pictures of my hotel and rooms. I would be happy to take a few of the Doubletree if you're interested.

 

[NancyIL]

Nancy, did you try to add a day through Priceline on your reservation? There is a link on your confirmation that says " Extend your stay for the same nightly rate" right above the hotel information. BTW, my best available rate at the Doubletree was the $116 AAA rate.

I *think* the $8 is a parking fee and not a resort fee. I'm sorry if I was unclear. I wouldn't expect you to pay it if you don't have a car. I'll try to post a little update on the hotel and possible HHonors upgrades when I'm there.

I looked for the "extend your stay" link on my confirmation and didn't see it. It was exactly one month after my original successful bid when I tried to add a night, so it was probably too late. I even e-mailed Priceline about it, but naturally never heard anything from them.

Have a great trip!