I need your opinons for the podcast about these 4 Good Neighbor Hotels:

[ImTooExcitedToSleep]

What do you like or not like about the following Good Neighbor Hotels:

Howard Johnson's Anaheim

Sheraton Park Hotel

Anaheim Hilton

Residence Inn (the one on Clementine behind GardenWalk)

Please be aware your thoughts may be shared on the show!

Thanks!!!

 

[peterpanandwendy]

We have stayed at the Howard Johnson on three separate occasions. Once for our Honeymoon eight years ago, once just as a couples trip four years later, and then once last year with our kids, 1 and 3.

Likes:
- The pool area is really nice, although we have NEVER used it lol! We always get too busy at Disneyland and by the time we get back to the hotel we are too tired for a swim. But having it available is nice. It adds a nice 'resort' 'family friendly' ambiance to the hotel, instead of just a boring square pool.

- We have had our rooms upgraded twice for free. We find the customer service at HoJo's to be outstanding. They are very willing to accommodate any requests. We even left a little note for housecleaning a few times asking them to leave us extra packages of cups/coffee/towels etc and they were always very accommodating, even leaving us little notes back! Super cute! When I was in the planning process I was concerned that our flight was an early flight, and that we would be arriving in Anaheim from Vancouver WAY before check in time. I called to request an early check in, and she told me that if if they didn't have a room available for us, they would be happy to store our stuff while we enjoyed the pool or took a walk down to Down Town Disney until a room could be ready. I really appreciated their friendly, accommodating staff. Even the store lady would talk my ear off.

- The walk is decent. Not as close as other good neighbour hotels, but only about 8 minutes.

- The rooms are always very clean and well maintained. The hallways are always tidy and quiet. The elevators are never a problem. We have stayed in a few different buildings and never had a problem.

- The rooms we have stayed in always felt really big. Perhaps it is because we have been upgraded. We usually request a standard, double queen style room. Twice we were upgraded to deluxe double queens, and they felt really nice and spread out. Tons of space to spread out all our stuff and store our strollers and back packs and breakfast foods etc.

- I like the Kurig machines! Nice Bonus. This time I'm going to bring my own coffee!

Wishes:
- It is an older hotel, and it shows. This does not matter for us, and we tend to be fairly utilitarian and don't need everything to feel 'new' and I actually really like the 'retro' feel of Hojo's, but hey, some people like a more modern feel.

- Some of the buildings are further than others, and can add time to the walk. I LOVE the landscaping/park like feel of the courtyard of hojo's, but we stayed in one of the farthest buildings last year, and it felt FAR at the end of the day.

- The store is sort of 'meh'. Lots of tacky Disney merchandise, but I was hoping for more breakfast type things, like cereals, instant oatmeal, fruit, juice, milk, granola bars etc. There selection wasn't great. I think I was able to get a bottle of wine, though, and that was pretty sweet. (In Canada we absolutely can NOT buy wine in a hotel convenience store. Maybe that is just an American thing. But man, it is nice!)

All this said, I'm planning our next trip to Disney for the spring, and as much as I want to try some of the closer hotels, like the Camelot or the Holiday Inn, I just feel a real connection to the Hojo because of the fantastic customer service, the beautiful landscaped gardens, and the large airy rooms. I probably will end up booking at hojo again

 

[ImDMous]

The only one of those we have stayed at is the Hilton. We have Hilton points so that's our preferred hotel and usually the rates are pretty comparable. If you can get a corner Disney view room, it's huge! We love to stay there for the RunDisney events, the walk to the start is a good warm-up and not too far. The Starbuck's in the lobby is awesome. The cell service in the lobby is non-existant, blah! Walking to the park from here is very do-able but you can also grab the Toy Story shuttle across Harbor if your feet are tired on the way back. Going right past the new CVS on the way back is very handy. We love the Hilton beds and have never had an issue with room cleanliness or anything broken. If there's a big convention, it will probably be pricey since it's practically attached to the convention center.

 

[disney world dreamer]

i've only stayed at sheraton park hotel.

i found it to be a nice hotel.

i liked
-the grab n go store
-the in room refrigerator
-the view of the fireworks from my balcony
-the hot tub
-the toy story parking lot bus being right across the street

i didn't care for
-the lack of knowledge about the hotel by hotel staff (price of parking for a non hotel guest to visit, pool hours...)
-the fact that my room key was somehow deactivated TWICE.
-the price. its a nice hotel but i don't think its THAT nice of a hotel for it to cost that much

i should add that i did not choose the hotel.
my sister chaperones her school's FBLA (future business leaders of america) team to the national competitions and in 2013 it took place in anaheim so i tagged along and the organization tells each school where to stay.
the competition is being held there again in 2017 and i plan to join them again so i will be staying in whatever hotel the organization has chosen for them to stay in.

 

[demare]

Have only stayed at the Hilton. We too are HHonors members, so it's free, which makes it more attractive. But, as a hotel, we liked it. It was what I would expect of a Hilton. Clean, good service. We had a Disney view, which was nice. I did not think it was too far to walk, our kids were 5 and 8 at the time, and we did not have a stroller. I think there was maybe one night that we grabbed a taxi for the ride back. The breakfast that they served in the restaurant was good, we ate there each morning.

We are returning to Disneyland next month, and will be spending 3 nights off site. We were planning to stay at the Hilton, but we need three rooms, so due to points required, we opted for the Doubletree instead.

 

[kirstie101]

Of the four listed I've only stayed at the Howard Johnson.
It is our go to hotel when visiting Disneyland.

Likes:
We love the beds. They are amazingly comfortable. Definitely get a good nights sleep in them.
We love the kiddie pool area. DS4 and DD8 could spend hours playing there.
We love the keurig coffee makers in the room. I bring my own Kcups but you are given some each day and you can buy more in the little store there.
Parking is free which you don't find too much on Harbor Blvd anymore. And theres plenty of spots available which makes it nice too.
The staff are always super friendly. Every room request we've ever made has been honored. And every time I've had to contact them with a question or issue they have always been happy and helpful.
They offer an AP discount which is appreciated!
For RunDisney events they offer a discount for runners!
They decorate for Christmas! Every year I get adorable pics of my kids in front of their Christmas tree.
You can see the fireworks either from the kiddie pool area or even from your room if you have the right room.
The walk to the Parks is under 8 minutes. No need to waste time waiting for a shuttle.
Their little store is well stocked. I've bought everything from Visine to energy drinks there. AP's also get a discount in the little store.
The rooms are a good size. I've stayed at other Good neighbor properties and the rooms have been smaller. The rooms we stay in have a sink inside the bathroom and one outside the bathroom. This is very helpful when getting everyone dressed and showered in the morning.
I think the hotel grounds are quite nice. They have plants and fountains. I love their Birds of Paradise plants! So pretty when they are blooming!

Dislikes:
A restaurant onsite could come in handy, even though I know Mimi's is just across the street.
They don't offer a free breakfast which could also come in handy.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Our family really likes the Howard Johnson. We have stayed there 29 times in the last 7 years. Most often these days we stay in the kid suite because we love the extra space. We have also stayed in the deluxe rooms in building two and a premium view room in building 1. The top things to love about Howard Johnson are the proximity to the parks, the excellent, friendly, helpful staff, very clean rooms, and free parking. The meticulously kept grounds, fun kids' water play area, and swimming pool are all nice too and add a bit of a "resort" feel. The lack of a free breakfast isn't a big deal to my family. Improvements we would like to see would be updated, more modern bathroom fixtures and better wi-fi. In all fairness, the wi-fi has improved a lot in the last few years, but we think it could definitely get better still.

 

[NannyBeBe]

The HoJo is the only offsite hotel I will stay at.
First and foremost, the staff is a class act. They are eager to meet whatever need you have and are always professional.
Interior corridors. They just make me feel safer.
Our rooms have always been clean and comfortable.
The grounds are lovely and peaceful. So nice to sit on the balcony in the early morning with a cup of coffee.
The pool area is a joy for kids.
Not only is parking free, but you can actually fit a van into the area. The parking lots of some hotels are so cramped that once you park your car, you had best not move it until you are ready to leave.
The convenience store is great if you forget something like toothpaste, etc., or want a snack.

 

[mgmgbook]

Of those four, we have only stayed at HoJo, in 2011 and 2013. Both times we were located in Bldg 2. We really liked this location. It was easy to walk to and from the park on the sidewalk opposite of the other hotels and restaurants. When I've walked on the sidewalk with all the hotels, I'd often get trapped walking behind groups moving slower than us and there's no way around them. I'm not trying to be mean by saying that. It's just rather nice to be able to walk at your own pace. I was also impressed with how quiet it is at HoJo. I'm a light sleeper but I never heard anyone talking in the halls after we went to bed. Perhaps everyone is as exhausted as we are after a day in the park. Anyway, we are going to stay there again this coming December.

 

[croach]

I stayed at the Residence Inn last year. I liked the bungalow feel of the property. Instead of one large building, there are several smaller two story buildings. You do access your rooms from outside though, so that may be a safety issue for some. The rooms are very spacious(I was traveling alone so bear that in mind). As is the case with most Residence Inns, it had a kitchen area. My room actually has a full size fridge and oven. Another thing I liked was the full hot breakfast served every morning. It's not the greatest but it's not bad for free. There is a place in the lobby where you gcan buy tickets to the parks so that may be a convenient option for some. The property does have a slightly older feel to it but nothing too bad. It's a bit of a longer walk to the parks but the ART picks up right in the parking lot. Overall I thought it was a nice hotel and I would stay there again.

 

[SomeGuyInOz]

I've stayed in the Hilton Anaheim many times as airline crew. It's ok, but being a convention hotel it can get extremely busy in the lobby during conventions. In fact, I have seen 15 minute+ lines just to ride the elevators, not to mention one hour lines at the Starbucks in the hotel. I also find the rooms to be somewhat average for a Hilton - many rooms need a little TLC. We often get rooms with loose tap fittings, inconsistent water pressure, etc, and sometimes they are not as clean as I would expect. The weirdest thing is the annoying "crackling" noises that the windows make through the day, particularly on hot, sunny days. That's probably not a problem for regular guests who are out and about or awake in the middle of the day; it is a big problem for aircrew who are trying to sleep!

That said, the rooms are otherwise usually very quiet. The beds are comfortable. I do like staying here, but this hotel does not live up to my usual expectations of a Hilton and I wouldn't pay top price for it.

I often walk to Disneyland from the Hilton, and that takes about 15-20 minutes at a good pace. I probably wouldn't recommend walking for a family with young kids. Another alternative, if you don't want to pay for the ART bus service each day, is to walk to the nearby Toy Story parking lot and take the Disneyland shuttle bus to the park for free. The walk to the bus stop is about 5-10 minutes at most.

 

[ImTooExcitedToSleep]

Great thoughts. Keep them coming.

 

[disneydreamer74]

Hi Tom, We have stayed at the Hojo and plan to stay there again in less than 2 weeks. For years we have stayed at the Fairfield Inn. The reasons we chose to go back to Hojo's?
- We love the overall aesthetic feel of the hotel. Beautiful landscaping makes it feel as if you are NOT in a motor lodge.
- Kid's Pirate Cove...my daughter absolutely loves it.
- Great customer service..literally every employee I ran into on our last trip was super nice and smiling! Good customer service goes a long way with me!
- Comfy beds, outside sink (2 ppl can get ready at the same time!)
- I love the retro look/feel. We love the Nostalgia of DLR and staying at Hojo's really adds to that!
- As mentioned before..Keurig coffee...yummy!!

We are staying at the Sheraton Park on points for our first leg of our upcoming trip so I can't report on that as of yet!

 

[McNs]

Of the four we have only stayed at HoJo on our first trip. Unfortunately we had spent the first 3 nights at DLH, so things we would normally had overlooked were very obvious.

Likes:
The hotel was good value. A step above the motels.
The shop was handy and prices were pretty good.
Fireworks views
Staff were great
Beds were SUPER comfy
The regular pool (kids loved this)

Dislikes
The furniture (cabinets etc) is obviously cheap
No on site restaurant
kiddy pool area (kids didn't like it, neither did we)
Everything was just a bit tired
The walk back from the parks was twice as long as the walk there. Something weird in the time/space continuum there.
Poor choice of restaurants near by

It was OK overall, we won't go back, mainly because now we spend the extra to stay on site. I would recommend it for the price but would also recommend people spend a bit more for something better.

Of the other three probably the only one I would consider is Residence Inn if we needed somewhere with more space.

 

[ten6mom]

I have stayed at HoJo twice. I'll be honest... for me, proximity is key and there are other closer hotels for less. Also, I should have researched their water park area further before assuming that it would be a good fit for my kids (7 and 10 at the time), as it was for much younger kids. BUT. Their staff is AMAZING, particularly the reservations staff. Talk about above and beyond!