Is there a point to staying in a good neighbor hotel?

[starlitsinger88]

I'm driving to Disneyland in about two weeks with my best friend. We're both 19, and have no problem staying in the cheap one star hotel we have for 40 bucks a night.

BUT, the more I look, the more the "good neighbor hotels" draw me in. I think it's just the Disney name... if I could stay at one of the official resorts I would, but alas, I don't have that kind of money.

What do the good neighbor hotels provide that any other hotels can't? Is it worth increase in price (40 a night to 66 a night)?

-Alana

 

[avalon451]

I think they have to be a certain standard of cleanliness and good service to be a "good neighbor" hotel.

That said, there's a lot of differences between them.

If you haven't read Hydroguy's Tips Compilation yet, it's got tons of great tips for how to make the most of your stay at DL, and one of the threads is Hydroguy's Hotel Rule-- always stay within walking distance. : http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862

I'd far rather pay 100 bucks for a hotel across the street than pay 40 bucks for a fleabag hotel farther away. Or even for a 3 or 4 star hotel farther away. Check TripAdvisor.com for any hotels you're looking at, to get reviews. There are some truly terrible ones nearby.

Ideally, I'd rather stay at HoJo for the Entertainment book rate of $59 a night-- walking distance, and the nicest hotel on Harbor. It's a favorite of many on these boards. I'd stay there even without the Ent rate. It's still 15% off their best rate if you call them directly, ask for IN HOUSE reservations, and mention the DIS boards. Here's the website: http://www.hojoanaheim.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14

Hope that helps! Sounds like a fun trip. Have a great time!

 

[bumbershoot]

If you can't get the great hojo rate, you could look into motel 6...still inexpensive, but the one in Anaheim has a good rep. And it's walkable...not right across the street, but not ages away, either. Motel 6 through hotels.com is even better!

 

[Escape2Disney]

Portofino also has a good rate from time to time. Before we found out we were staying at GCH (YEAH!!), I had a reservation there for $69/night.

 

[MagicalMomAZ]

OMG! We stayed in the rattiest motels over the years when we were in college & just living to tell the tale was part of the fun!! I won't go any further than sticky carpet & used soap. Oh! And scorpions!

Ok - Here's the deal. For YEARS our family ALWAYS (we're talking 3 generations!) stayed at the Lamplighter Inn, not even sure if it exists now. But it was cheap & that was important.

Good Neighbor Hotels do come w/ the cleanliness factor & even a safety factor as they cater to families. It's nice to have the little extras of course but as adults who've "paid our dues" by living cheap once upon a time.....it's simply a convenience. When you're a parent - convenience becomes a HUGE factor!

Stay where you can afford - do it frugally. Save the cash for souvenirs or food. My best trip was when I was 20 - we stayed at my GF's aunt & uncles place...who both WORKED at DL! Behind the scenes fun...homemade meals..free lodging!

 

[brenda1966]

The benefit of a good neighbor is being within walking distance. You then don't have to pay to park at Disney. So, if you can get a super cheap hotel that is still within walking distance, I don't think you need a good neighbor. And at age 19, you can probably walk a bit further without it being too far to walk. But if it's 40+ more a night, it's probably not worth it. You will have the hassle of parking and the parking garage, but if you're on a budget you do what you can. I'd look for the cheapest thing you can within walking distance. It's really nice to avoid the bother of a car.

 

[DizNee Luver]

The Good Neighbor Motels have to fit a service & cleanliness standard set by Disney. There are a few motels within walking distance that are not Good Neighbor Motels.....we stayed at one & this place will never be a Good Neighbor. PLEASE avoid America's Best Value-Astoria Inn & Suites!!!!! It was so nasty & the beds felt like we were sleeping on the ground. We had a baby crawling on the floor for 15 minutes & her feet & knees turned black!!! Gross! I put pics in the Hotel/motel pics & reviews thread. So you do have to be careful when going with motels not associated with Disney.

I agree with the poster regarding the Motel 6. It is quite a good walk away but you can use the ART bus system. The motel was very clean & the cheapest of the Good Neighbor motels. They've remodeled & removed the carpets & put in wood flooring. Much nicer & the staff was always friendly. If you find a motel you're interested in, post a thread on here to get comments......hate for you to pay $40 & find out you're in a disgusting place.

Good luck!

 

[HtomSirveaux]

Hotel/motel pics & reviews thread

There's a thread for that? Where? I would have figured it'd be sticky-ed.

 

[DizNee Luver]

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1745747

This is the link.....its not stickied at this point.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

well there is also desert inn right across the street. They have rooms 50-100 i belive

but try hojos 59 for the ent rate an if not that then do the 15% off by mentioning disboards

 

[spacemermaid]

You may want to check out tripadvisor.com , to see what other people who've stayed in the hotel you've got reservations for have to say about it.

I'm also a "budget" traveler; with that said, it's worth it *to me* to pay a few extra $s to stay in a place that's CLEAN and SAFE. Check out the reviews places get & look for any warnings that a place is anything less than safe and clean. A certain hotel nearby the park, I chose once because it was $15 cheaper a night than a couple of others in the area; it was cheap for a reason! (This was a few years ago, before I discovered Tripadvisor & Disboards!) Stains galore on the carpet, mold in the bathroom, thin walls, and a bedspread that could've got the place shut down by the Health Department.(there were bodily fluids on it). The "topper" was when "Huggy Bear" & one of his lady friends had a knock-down drag-out fight outside my room at around 3 am Fortunately, the police showed up quickly to take care of that!

Have you checked out Anaheim Plaza Hotel? I have found their rooms/property to be clean and safe (nothing luxurious, though they do have a HUGE pool!) & the rooms are usually about $49 a night.

Have fun on your trip!