Shorter walk? HoJo or the new HIExpress?

[Misskitty3]

We love Hojo's but the Holiday Inn Express is $50 cheaper per night for our dates next summer (although they do charge for parking unlike Hojo's). I am thinking the HI is behind the new Marriott Courtyard with the water park. Is that correct? Do you think it is a shorter, longer or about the same distance to get to the main gates?

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I did the walk from both recently. It's roughly the same. Certainly not enough of a difference to make the walk the deciding factor.

 

[bumbershoot]

Wouldn't you have to walk by the HoJo from the HIE, making HoJo just a bit shorter?

Or if there's a way to get to the hotel-side of Harbor from HIE, without going on HoJo's street, you wouldn't be able to walk on the park-side of Harbor, making the walk a little more annoying (with all the hotel driveways causing nervousness as you walk).

 

[gary1955]

to the lobbies it is probably half a block longer to the Holiday Inn Express.

I drove by before the construction was finished. it looks like they will have a very small parking lot unless they share spaces with the Comfort Inn.

 

[planningjollyholiday]

I wonder if you can take a shortcut and walk through the back of the holiday inn through the parking lot/ road between Fairfield and the new Courtyard.

 

[o0quirkygirl0o]

When is your trip? The HI Express has had opening delay after opening delay. If you choose it, make sure you have a backup booking somewhere else.

 

[ADLFAN]

I wonder if you can take a shortcut and walk through the back of the holiday inn through the parking lot/ road between Fairfield and the new Courtyard.

Sadly, all the Harbor Hotels have walls and fences behind them and no short cuts are provided! We stayed at the Quality Inn on Manchester, and they are the hotel who sold half of their property to the people who built Holiday Inn Express, so right next door. The Holiday Inn is about a building further away than the Hojo, but a pretty negligible amount of steps. It will be brand new and shiny, but if the opening gets further delayed (they were not even close on Labor Day weekend, no parking lot for instance, just putting up the sign, etc.) They will try to move you to another property much further away, not cool! I would stick with the Hojo because it has a better pool, won't still be working on opening day staff and hiccups, and it is a smidgen closer, with Matterhorn views!! If you do end up at HIE, please report back and let us know how it goes! We also passed the new Courtyard with the water park on the roof, and it looked very nice! I am not sure if breakfast is included, but it sure looked good on people's plates when we passed their little patio!

Have fun planning!

 

[Misskitty3]

We aren't going until June 2016. Wonder with all the new competition if Hojo's will come down in price? I just double checked and Hojo's is wanting $199 per night for a family of 4 in the least expensive category room (2 double beds). I guess the price I was looking at last night for Hojo's, $170 a night, was for full prepayment and nonrefundable.

Thank you for the feedback on the distance. I think for the price difference, it might be worth it even if it was a whole block further away.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

Wouldn't you have to walk by the HoJo from the HIE, making HoJo just a bit shorter?

Or if there's a way to get to the hotel-side of Harbor from HIE, without going on HoJo's street, you wouldn't be able to walk on the park-side of Harbor, making the walk a little more annoying (with all the hotel driveways causing nervousness as you walk).

Yes, you have to walk past HOJO, but HOJO is across the street. So even though you're having to walk up the street, you aren't having to cross at the crosswalk by HOJO. Granted I did this while they were "fixing" the street and the crosswalk was not really up and running, but in general, while it's a very slightly shorter distance to HOJO, waiting for the crosswalk light to change takes a bit of time. I clocked HOJO at 13 minutes average (did the walk 2x) and the walk to HIE at 14 minutes (only did it once). So...I don't know. Does a minute matter? Does 1/2 a block matter? Everyone's answer will, of course, be different, but the walk felt the same no matter which side of Manchester I came from.

 

[Misskitty3]

Thank you for all of the helpful info!

 

[agamble]

I just double checked and Hojo's is wanting $199 per night for a family of 4 in the least expensive category room (2 double beds). I guess the price I was looking at last night for Hojo's, $170 a night, was for full prepayment and nonrefundable.

For that price were there any other hotels you'd be willing to stay at that are even closer? Also, it's a little early to book hotels for June. We booked ours for May in February and got a great rate ($89 at Desert Inn directly across from the park). Perhaps the HOJO price will go down in a few months. It's good to book early, but there is such a thing as too early.

We've stayed at HOJOs and I would stay there again if I could get a decent price (their prices are getting high). The splash area is great for kids. It might be fun to stay at that new hotel next to HOJO with the water park, but I think it's also pricey. We've also stayed at the Quality Inn that is directly in front of this new HIEx. They have a free mostly hot breakfast. They are typically more expensive than the other Quality Inn (across from the Pier). But they may be a little bit closer to the parks (probably just a few minutes), and the rooms are nicer, more recently updated I'd say.

 

[SGMCO]

I was looking into staying at that New Holiday Inn Express. I would love to hear reviews of future guest that get to stay there.