Portofino Inn vs. Staybridge Suites

[disneyjlh2002]

Help! Has anyone stayed at either of these two hotels. My understanding is that the Portofino Inn & Suites is walking distance from the main gate. The Staybridge Suites is over a mile away from Disney and is more expensive. However, the Staybridge Suites are a Holiday Inn hotel, so I know what I'm getting. Please let me know your experience with either hotel.

Many thanks,
Judy

 

[tiggeroo42]

Hi, Judy. We stayed at Portofino in June, so I'll tell you what I remember. It's on the corner of Harbor and Katella, which is only a block from Disneyland, but it's a long block! Probably at least a 20 minute walk to the gates. Portofino does offer access to a shuttle, though, so we used that.

We stayed in a "Kids Suite," which has a king bed in the front room and bunk beds and a sleeper sofa in the back room. There are two tvs, a mini-fridge, and a microwave. There was a lot of room for all our luggage, souvenirs, etc--the room was pretty large. Portofino has been recently renovated, so everything is clean and modern. Also, there's a mini-mart/gas station next door, so that was convenient.

Overall, we had a pleasant experience, and I would stay there again. The hotel has a website:
http://www.portofino-inn.com/ It will give you more info. Hope this helps!

 

[Peter Pan Fan]

We stayed at the Portofino and enjoyed it very much. It is on par with a Holiday Inn and I'd say even slightly nicer. I consider myself quite picky with hotel cleanliness and this one suited me just fine. We did stay in April of 2001 which was only about 6 months or so after it opened, so it may have declined a bit since then, but I would doubt it.

The location is great, I am probably a faster than average walker but it took me only a solid 10 minutes to walk from the hotel to the transportation/drop off area. One nice thing is the free shuttle, Portofino is the first to be picked up and the first to be dropped off - a nice bonus. If the shuttle was there when we go there, we'd take it, but if not we'd walk. That was 4 adults with a 8 month old in a stoller and no one complained about the walk.

I always opt to stay closer vs. further if you have the chance. Check out the AAA tourbook when you book your room, they always have a good deal and can get you park tickets if need be.

Have fun!