Howard Johnson Anaheim Room, pool and jacuzzi Review

[Hojoanaheim]

FACT: Lorealle is an angel sent from heaven to deliver outstanding customer service.

Awwwwww shucks! Thanks, ozdisfan!

 

[firefox2]

Aren't they wonderful?! We love them too!

Lorealle

Ooooh, yes, we also enjoyed our coffee every morning, but found, it was best with bottled water, YUMM! It also helped that my favorite creamers were sold in the gift shop.

 

[BCholly]

I have read this thread with interest as we just came back from HOJO's and I agree with alot that has been said. HOJO's is good value, but there are issues. We stayed in the king room and after much much research about the likely noise issue, we found the noise to be much louder than we expected. ANd the air condition is like a jet engine.

Now, we have no-one to blame, we still had a good time, it didn't bother the kids. But there is no-way that I would ever stay on the freeway side again. I don't think anyone truly indicated how loud the noise is, to the level that the windows shake quite often when large trucks pass.

Also, i agree the bathrooms are a bit below the cleanliness of the rest of the rooms. and how anyone can go in that jacuzzi is beyond me. That foam is there much of the time, and when I saw kids in there thinking its bubbles and putting it all over their face, it made me ill. But it apparently doesn't bother others.

I agree that for the entertainment rate or discounted rate it is good, the gift shop and services for families is excellent. I just wish someone had mentioned the level of noise, no door or window on earth could block that sound out.

Could you please tell me which building is on the freeway side?
We have a premium disney view, hopefully top floor.

 

[jory29]

We stayed in the king room and after much much research about the likely noise issue, we found the noise to be much louder than we expected. ANd the air condition is like a jet engine....
But there is no-way that I would ever stay on the freeway side again. I don't think anyone truly indicated how loud the noise is, to the level that the windows shake quite often when large trucks pass.

Can anyone tell me - do those who think that the noise level is unacceptable live in more quiet/remote areas (ie., not a city with roads nearby?) We have yet to stay on a freeway side, but do plan to do so in the future, and we don't think it will be an issue for us since we live in a small city, and do hear traffic in our own home.

We were impressed when we had a premium room that the door to the balcony was SO sound proofed; it was amazing to open the door and hear the traffic, we loved playing with the door (opening and closing it) because when we closed it, the noise would stop, LOL.

So I am interested to learn more from people who stay on the freeway side who think it is noisy, and from those who stay on the freeway side and think it is fine...

Marvel,please respond if you don't mind, do you live in a quiet location at home? I'm so curious to know, as I hear lots of input on the freeway noise topic on these boards.

I agree with everyone here, Lorealle is a real gem! It's nice that we can take a concern to her and she will assist wherever she can.

 

[jory29]

Could you please tell me which building is on the freeway side?
We have a premium disney view, hopefully top floor.

You should be fine with Disney View premium view - the freeway side is opposite your hotel room (across the hallway, their windows face the opposite direction, and overlook the I5 freeway.) We were fine in the room, didn't notice noise at ALL until we opened the balcony door.

Edited to add: Oh my gosh, 1 day until DL for you!! Have a great time on your trip!!

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Can anyone tell me - do those who think that the noise level is unacceptable live in more quiet/remote areas (ie., not a city with roads nearby?) We have yet to stay on a freeway side, but do plan to do so in the future, and we don't think it will be an issue for us since we live in a small city, and do hear traffic in our own home.
We were impressed when we had a premium room that the door to the balcony was SO sound proofed; it was amazing to open the door and hear the traffic, we loved playing with the door (opening and closing it) because when we closed it, the noise would stop, LOL.
So I am interested to learn more from people who stay on the freeway side who think it is noisy, and from those who stay on the freeway side and think it is fine...
Marvel,please respond if you don't mind, do you live in a quiet location at home? I'm so curious to know, as I hear lots of input on the freeway noise topic on these boards.
I agree with everyone here, Lorealle is a real gem! It's nice that we can take a concern to her and she will assist wherever she can.

I can tell you that if it wasn't for that 2nd double door that they put in the King rooms, you would definitely hear the freeway. We were on the 6th floor, so that may also be why the sound didn't bother us as much as the other poster. I have heard that the further down you are, the worse the volume and vibration is, but we've never stayed on a lower floor so I can't confirm that myself. We were surprised when my husband opened the 2nd door how much noisier it was than when they were both closed. Again, with the white noise from the A/C, we didn't hear/feel anything. I prefer white noise to complete silence though, and I sleep better with white noise.
We live in an urban area in the suburbs, so we're not used to loud noises, honking horns or sirens on vehicles going by. I am light sleeper though who will wake from the sound of someones footsteps as they walk by -- even when they walk softly. That's why I like white noise because it drowns out all the small noises with one tolerable noise. I bet a location lower to the ground probably has more noise/vibration issues. We specifically asked for a high floor to avoid that and the person who helped me on the phone agreed that it would probably be less noisy higher up. You can see in one of my photos I took that there was a big semi driving by when I took it and we didn't feel or hear anything from that semi. I'm sure lower to the ground is probably a different story.

 

[Lights_Out]

I thought this was a GREAT review

Not everyone has the time and/or boldness to complain about every single detail that is wrong with the hotel (me being one of those people), but I think that every hotel should keep up with a cleanliness standard BEFORE anyone has to complain anyway.

That airvent is extremely disgusting. I would've been scared of getting asbestos or something (even though that's just being paranoid).

I never planned on staying at HoJos because it seemed like it was just hyped up by sponsoring all those boards... but it looks like they don't live up to the hype. Even if their customer service might be great... I find cleanliness the most important factor of a hotel.

 

[QueenDoOver]

I thought this was a GREAT review

Not everyone has the time and/or boldness to complain about every single detail that is wrong with the hotel (me being one of those people), but I think that every hotel should keep up with a cleanliness standard BEFORE anyone has to complain anyway.

That airvent is extremely disgusting. I would've been scared of getting asbestos or something (even though that's just being paranoid).

I never planned on staying at HoJos because it seemed like it was just hyped up by sponsoring all those boards... but it looks like they don't live up to the hype. Even if their customer service might be great... I find cleanliness the most important factor of a hotel.

Well, I have to say, I don't think the HOJO is hyped because of adversing, and don't even know or care if they do. I know a lot of the people that post about the HOJO, and they are just families that have stayed there and liked it. I have stayed there and liked it to, but I don't always stay there. Our last trip we stayed at HOJO and it allowed us to have a delightfully long trip because of the rate. Our cousins stayed at the DLH and even got upgraded to a suite. I noted when I visited them that many of the same issues were in their room, a bit of black in the caulking, a bit of peeling wall paper, etc.. ?We have also stayed at PPH and had a few of those sorts of things. I think it is possible in any hotel. We have had excellent service from all three of the above mentioned hotels. I think what is exceptional is to have such great customer service for the price that you pay at HOJO. From what I have read, that is not the norm along Harbor Blvd. I know that I had a miserable customer service experience with Ramada Maingate Limited. I for one will stick with what I and others know will not detract from my vacation experience. Yes, a filthy vent will slip by now and again, but I know that it would be taken care of immedietly if someone knew about it.
And I think the original poster is doing a service to discuss the matters, in particular the noise factor, because some people could have their vacation ruined if unable to sleep through that noise.

 

[Lights_Out]

Well, I have to say, I don't think the HOJO is hyped because of adversing, and don't even know or care if they do. I know a lot of the people that post about the HOJO, and they are just families that have stayed there and liked it. I have stayed there and liked it to, but I don't always stay there. Our last trip we stayed at HOJO and it allowed us to have a delightfully long trip because of the rate. Our cousins stayed at the DLH and even got upgraded to a suite. I noted when I visited them that many of the same issues were in their room, a bit of black in the caulking, a bit of peeling wall paper, etc.. ?We have also stayed at PPH and had a few of those sorts of things. I think it is possible in any hotel. We have had excellent service from all three of the above mentioned hotels. I think what is exceptional is to have such great customer service for the price that you pay at HOJO. From what I have read, that is not the norm along Harbor Blvd. I know that I had a miserable customer service experience with Ramada Maingate Limited. I for one will stick with what I and others know will not detract from my vacation experience. Yes, a filthy vent will slip by now and again, but I know that it would be taken care of immedietly if someone knew about it.
And I think the original poster is doing a service to discuss the matters, in particular the noise factor, because some people could have their vacation ruined if unable to sleep through that noise.

I must say that I am extremely surprised that the Disneyland hotels would have similar problems to HoJo, but the problems mentioned here are not just "peeling wallpaper." I actually wouldn't complain about peeling wallpaper and a little stain on the carpet or something, but in my personal opinion, I consider the bathroom vent and the dirt and grime in the jacuzzi small health hazards.

I have stayed at the Sheraton (not the Park) right above Disneyland most of the time I visited Disneyland and their rooms have always been clean. The customer service isn't very good, but there's nothing to complain about so I don't have to deal with employees all that much.

But I guess if you're staying in the area for more than a week a rate at HoJos would be the best.

I guess I'm just really strict about cleanliness.

 

[MamaLou]

If you don't stay in the Anaheim area, where do you stay? Personally (so far) the Candy Cane Inn is my fav.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

I think what is exceptional is to have such great customer service for the price that you pay at HOJO. From what I have read, that is not the norm along Harbor Blvd.

I agree with this statement. We've had deplorable service at Desert Inn and Suites-- plus the carpet was so filthy our feet and socks turned black and to make matters worse, they didn't care about the fact that there was no parking (even though we only had one car) and made DH park at their other property all the way on Katella and walk back at 3am! I agree, the service at Hojos is top notch. I'll take the mildew and dust on the vent any day over those conditions and horrible service/attitudes at DI&S. If I were on this board back when we stayed there, you can rest assured I would have given them a horrible review, but alas I wasn't actively participating on DisBoards back then...

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

I thought this was a GREAT review

Not everyone has the time and/or boldness to complain about every single detail that is wrong with the hotel (me being one of those people), but I think that every hotel should keep up with a cleanliness standard BEFORE anyone has to complain anyway.

Thank you for posting your thoughts Lights_Out.

I consider the bathroom vent and the dirt and grime in the jacuzzi small health hazards....
But I guess if you're staying in the area for more than a week a rate at HoJos would be the best. I guess I'm just really strict about cleanliness.

I agree...and I am really strict about cleanliness too.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

If you don't stay in the Anaheim area, where do you stay? Personally (so far) the Candy Cane Inn is my fav.

I always stay in Anaheim either at Hojos or Fairfield Inn. CCI is very highly regarded among the Harbor Blvd hotels, so I wouldn't have any qualms about staying there either.

 

[Lights_Out]

Has anyone stayed at the Jolly Roger?
They renovated their hotel and seem to have been getting pretty good reviews so far.

 

[Krissy Marissy]

I stayed at the hojo for my first time this last june and will never go back!! Found mold in the bathroom, the ledges by the windows just covered in dust, the carpet was disgusting. It stained my kids socks and our feet turned black. This was the case all six days! We just don't feel the hotel was even worth the ent rate. The view of disneyland was okay, but had we been one room over it would have only been a tree. Hojos just isn't the place for us.

 

[Lights_Out]

I stayed at the hojo for my first time this last june and will never go back!! Found mold in the bathroom, the ledges by the windows just covered in dust, the carpet was disgusting. It stained my kids socks and our feet turned black. This was the case all six days! We just don't feel the hotel was even worth the ent rate. The view of disneyland was okay, but had we been one room over it would have only been a tree. Hojos just isn't the place for us.

Oh my.
That sounds horrible
I guess you really get what you pay for.
But I still can't believe the conditions of some of the rooms

 

[Mouse13]

We travel a lot and have always found the HoJo to be a great value for the Entertainment rate. We have chosen to stay at the HoJo for our last 6 trips to the DLR and will be staying with them again in less than two weeks. We have always found the rooms to be large, clean and comfortable. We did have an issue with the internet connection during one trip and it was resovled right away. We always see employees cleaning the grounds and pool areas daily and have never had an issue with our room service. The customer service prior to and during our trips has always been outstanding. Although they are not perfect (what hotel is?) they have continually worked hard to improve their services and earn our business. As a result, we will continue to be loyal customers.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Sorry, decided not to post.

Jack

Sent from my iPhone

 

[jory29]

Sorry, decided not to post.

Jack

Sent from my iPhone

I clicked on this link just to see what you posted! I always value your posts/opinions on this board.

I love the Hojo; we have only stayed there once, but the service and quality was unbelievable for the price. We plan to stay there every time we go in the future. The staff encouraged us to go to the parks reassuring us they would put away our Vons grocery order, and they did so perfectly! They have once again offered to do so for us on our next trip (we may be an hour late to check in from when they deliver the groceries, but they said they would take care of it for us!) Lorealle and Jennifer are *so* nice, as is the rest of the staff. The hotel cleaning staff is unbelievably friendly and happy, too- they are very hard workers, and wonderful people! I can't understand a lick of Spanish, yet I was able to convey (via playing charades ) to cleaning staff that 1.) I was sick and couldn't have the room cleaned as I needed to sleep, 2.) Could I please have decaff coffee (they didn't have any but I understand that they do now.) and 3.) Could I please have some towels, glasses, and have the wastebaskets emptied. She did all that! Awesome lady, she was in our room daily and did a great job cleaning. We had a minor internet problem upon our arrival but it was resolved straight away after I called the help desk. I loved how fresh and clean the linens smelled and looked. Cleaner than what I can get ours at home, it seemed. The bathroom was older, yes, BUT was very clean. They also had a cool 'hidden Pinocchio' in the tub area if you looked carefully. I didn't think to look at the vents, but I don't usually do so. The Pirates Cove area at the Hojo was the highlight of our kids vacation, Disneyland and CAP included!! I can't recall how much foam was in the water in the hot tub, but so long as a person doesn't submerge, and so long as they go back to their rooms and wash off, likely no big deal. I am a self-admitted germ freak, and value cleanliness in a hotel, and I found all that during our stay at the Hojo. I also loved the gift shop! Everything we needed was there. Our sunglasses that we purchased broke the same day, and they exchanged them for new ones the next day when we returned to the gift shop. The free wired internet was great, as were the in-room safes. The walk was an easy 7-8 minute walk to Disneyland. Tons of restaurants nearby. Free internet kiosks in the lobby. Great coffee makers in the room. I'm looking forward to our next stay there. The report didn't change my mind, and she (OP) said she would still stay there as well, again sometime. She probably just found it odd/not in character with the Hojo, and so now they will remedy whatever needed to be remedied, and things are all good now.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

I stayed at the hojo for my first time this last june and will never go back!! Found mold in the bathroom, the ledges by the windows just covered in dust, the carpet was disgusting. It stained my kids socks and our feet turned black. This was the case all six days! We just don't feel the hotel was even worth the ent rate. The view of disneyland was okay, but had we been one room over it would have only been a tree. Hojos just isn't the place for us.

Thank you for posting KrissyMarissy. I must say that I am shocked about your room conditions, especially since you had a DL facing room. I guess I am not the only one who has experienced less than stellar conditions there. Hopefully the newly created clean room team will deeply clean all the rooms. I kind of had similar issue with the view on my previous trip to Hojos in January. We had an obstruced view due to a tree in the middle of our balcony. To see anything, we had to crane our necks around the tree in both directions!