Park Vue Inn Review (3/21-3/27/17)

[hollyrose1313]

We just got back from our wonderful Disneyland spring break and I thought I would post a quick review on PVI.
Booking and Pre-Arrival: Last year we stayed at the Hojo (and loved it) but as it was full for our dates we decided to do something closer. The allure of free breakfast and across the street location led us to PVI. I booked through their site and checked often for a price drop (there never was one). I did call a few times with various questions and found the staff to be friendly and helpful.

Check-In: We arrived around 9 pm on a Tuesday and check in was pretty easy. The room balance was due at that time and they also had our account noted that i had a package waiting (Amazon Pantry that had arrived the day before). They also had lemonade and cookies at the desk, bonus points for that (though I never really saw them again).

Room: We had room 233 which is a corner room on ths second floor all the way back. The location of the room wasn't the best as it added a bit of a walk and lugging the stroller down the steps was a pain (if there was an elevator we never saw it). However being out of the way it made for a quiet location. The room was a good size, not sure if this is from being on the corner or if it is just the standard size.
The room was clean and nice enough in appearance. Plenty of outlets and USB ports for all our electronics (at one point we had 2 smart watches, 2 phones, and a tablet all charging in the bedroom area without needing a power strip). The fridge started out very warm but after cranking it up on oyr first day it kept our waters and snacks very cold.
I am not a coffee drinker but DH said the coffee in the room wasn't bad but it also wasn't good. One day they also didn't replace the coffee packets one day.
I brought my own toiletries so I can't speak to those but they did have makeup remover wipes which I thought was a nice touch. I usually shower at night or in the afternoon and it was fine but one morning I tried for a 7 am shower and the water pressure was awful. Speaking of the bathroom, there was a small (very high up, well above my head) window in the shower which let some natural light in there which I really enjoyed.
The beds...ugh, the beds. One of the beds was okay but the other was awful, the springs along the edge were worn so if you got too close to the edge you had to fight to keep from rolling right off.
Last weird room thing, our room was so humid, like all the time. It wasn't humid outside but stepping into our room was bad. Everything in the closet especially always felt kind of damp and some of the food (the oreos come to mind) became inedible due to the moisture they took on. We had the a/c running all the time which here helps dehumidify a room but maybe that was contributing to the problem?

Pool: We did a couple hours of swimming each day. The pool was actually pretty nice, espscially considering it is in the parking lot. Once inside the pool area it felt private with their greenery (I was afraid I would feel on display) and for the most part did not feel like we were in a parking lot (however when the IHOP's dumpsters were being emptied over our heads pretty much, that was less than magical).
The pool water was warm which made evening swims really nice and the hot tub was always hot.

Breakfast: This was fine, though I was disappointed there weren't many grab and go options (even just a banana or apple would have been great). Despite the lack of options it was nice to be able to get a hot breakfast each morning.

Overall, if they were to get new beds we would definitely be open to staying here again. The location can't be beat and the staff was really friendly.

 

[Frozen2014]

Thanks for the review. We have Desert Inn and Suites booked but I keep checking prices for Park Vue (and as you list, the price hasn't dropped). Sounds like the place was so so for you...with the beds, shower in the morning. You keep hearing how great the breakfast is, but doesn't sound like you are jumping up and down about it.

Thanks for the feedback. Hope you had a great trip at Disney.

 

[hollyrose1313]

You keep hearing how great the breakfast is, but doesn't sound like you are jumping up and down about it.

Yeah, I was underwhelmed. I guess maybe part of it is, other than Pop Century, I have never stayed at a motel before so the complimentary breakfasts that I am used to are Hyatt House, Springhill Suites, etc. which seem to have a greater selection and quality.
I don't regret staying there but unless they get new beds we will try something different next time.

 

[GatorChris]

Good info. I've been looking at this one. We're booked at the HoJo and they have really nice beds. I guess it's worth the 5 extra minutes of walking if I can collapse on a good bed...and it's not humid in the room. Yuck.

 

[Tinkerbell19672]

We found the beds at park vue to be super comfy. I wonder if they differ room to room? Didn't have a damp room issue either. We're staying there again, we liked it so much.

 

[adelaster]

This has me a little concerned. We're doing two nights there in May.

There are recent reviews online which site good beds, so I think it must be a room to room thing. The water pressure I'd expect, it's California.

I will say that on tripadvisor all the room recommendations are for "second floor in the back" - exactly where you were located. So it's possible that those rooms see more travelers and are thus worse for the wear?

The humidity would be a big problem though. Did you talk to the desk about any of the issues? How were they handled?

Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

It's been over a year since we stayed at PVI, but we stayed in the 3-Queen suite and all three beds were super comfortable and we didn't have any humidity problems, either. I hope you told the front desk!

 

[hollyrose1313]

This has me a little concerned. We're doing two nights there in May.

There are recent reviews online which site good beds, so I think it must be a room to room thing. The water pressure I'd expect, it's California.

I will say that on tripadvisor all the room recommendations are for "second floor in the back" - exactly where you were located. So it's possible that those rooms see more travelers and are thus worse for the wear?

The humidity would be a big problem though. Did you talk to the desk about any of the issues? How were they handled?

Thanks for sharing your experience!

Oh gosh, don't be worried at all. We didn't hate it by any means and if we had to stay there again I would be fine with it. Also I think the two issues I had would really not have been a big deal for 2 nights, just after 6 nights they stood out more.
Overall I would give a 6 or so (the staff was super nice), and I think part of the issue may be that I am not used to motels.
I didn't complain about the bed or the humidity to the desk. I slept in the other bed and didnt even know it was bad until our third day when I laid on it for nap time (and we were fully unpacked and didn't want to switch rooms). And I thought the humidity thing was in my mind until my husband mentioned it when we checked into our next hotel. I did call the front desk about gnats in our room one day and they were helpful.

 

[redman96]

We stayed there 6 nights last week and absolutely loved it! 2 queens & bunk beds. Our beds were super comfortable. Rooms were very clean every day. LOVED staying in the back. A bit more of a walk - but NOTHING compared to WDW. It was so quiet too in the back. One of the quietest hotel stays I've had. Great size for fridge & microwave. Staff members were excellent. Breakfast wasn't bad - wish they opened before 7 for easier RD & wish they had more fruit options. At the end of the day - or anytime - LOVED seeing the hotel right there across the street as we exited the park. We did fireworks in the hub & were back in our room in 15 minutes. Would have no hesitation to visit again!

 

[Indiana Scott]

You should have told the staff about the humidity and the bed. It's been our experience that they will quickly do what ever is needed to solve the issue.

 

[adelaster]

Thought I would follow up on our recent stay. Really nice! I'm not a hotel person but was really pleased with this. We were on the 2nd floor. I used the laundry room during our visit & we had breakfast both mornings. It was really decent for hotel fare, and didn't make us sick. They seem to keep a good eye on keeping the area clean. You can see the park from the roof area- a view you'd pay dearly for on the east coast! Good to know the breakfast foods seem to rotate, and you have to use a waffle iron to make waffles. The rooms were clean, staff was friendly, and the location was amazing. Seriously a five minute walk to Disneyland. Lots of good food options nearby, and many more within a ten minute driving radius. Checkin & checkout super easy. Will even let you use the lot before your room is ready. Would definitely return.

Very true about noise & families though-seems large families really shack up in some of the rooms. You will hear loud people and running children when they go by-so this is not a sleep-in kind of place. The property has many signs up asking people to be mindful of noise & walk, but y'all know how well most people read signs & practice respecting others. The most uncomfortable thing was passing by some families that were just leaving their room door open and staring at people who walked by... awkward. Breakfast was a bit crazy when kids were there too-would recommend getting there before or after them. The AC is in the bathroom area, so it is set back in the room. As long as you keep the curtains closed & the door shut and don't have a lot of room activity it's perfectly adequate. Could easily see how larger families would struggle though. Parking can be tricky too-they were trimming palms the day we left and getting out was a bit difficult. Also worth noting that this place does use stairs, so that could be an issue for some guests. I found them to be easy and painless.

One regret? Not getting icecream during our stay!

 

[jenng1983]

The most uncomfortable thing was passing by some families that were just leaving their room door open and staring at people who walked by... awkward.

One regret? Not getting icecream during our stay!

Yeah, we noticed people doing that during our stay last year... it was so awkward! Especially since my then 4 year old peeked in each open door and said hello to the people inside. So weird.

My regret? Forgetting that showing my room key would get me 10% off the ice cream. Twice.