Thoughts on our first stay at Howard Johnsons (Hojos)

[LisainCalifornia]

I thought I would right up my thoughts on our recent stay at Howard Johnsons. We actually just got home today, and stayed for two nights.

Although we have gone to Disneyland a few times a year for the last 10 years, this is the first time we have stayed off property. We typically stay at the Disneyland Hotel (upper pool view), but have also stayed at the Grand Californian a few times. We actually prefer the Disneyland Hotel to the Grand Californian because the rooms are lighter, bigger, and more comfortable for our family of five. The Grand always feels a little cave like and the view is very limited because the hotel has so few floors. We love the Disneyland Hotel pool view--the higher the floor the better--it just feels very relaxing and vacationish to us.

Anyhow, this time was a trip for just my daughter and I. We have never done this before, but it was a lovely time for both of us. I chose to stay at Hojos because I wanted to keep costs down on this trip. Hojos provided us with a great rate (entertainment) of 79.00 per night--premium Disney view room. Here are my thoughts:

1. Rate was great--It felt good not to spend so much money on the hotel.

2. We arrived at 1:00ish on Tuesday, and they said the room wasn't ready. I had hoped it may be, but wasn't surprised it wasn't. The guy at check in said the gauranteed check-in time was 4:00. The held our bags, and we went into the park for several hours. We arrived back to the lobby (which is very small and sort of unairconditioned) at 4:30, and he said our room was still not clean. My daughter and I had been traveling since the crack of dawn that morning, and after walking all the way back to Hojos from the park--I just wanted to cry when he said that! Suddenly, he said our room was actually clean (?) and we went to collect our luggage and went up to our room.

3. We stayed on the 7th floor, and had a premium disney view. The room was very clean and large. Plenty of room for luggage storage, and a great set up with an extra sink outside of the bathroom. The only thing that really bugged me was that the airconditioner was this really loud fan that didn't really cool the air that well. The only good part about the loud fan is that it killed the VERY loud freeway noise that was ever-present. When you leave the hotel itself it is so loud. I don't even see how people can use that pool there--because the sound of the freeway is really that bad.

4. The view? Meh. Really it is a view of the Matterhorn, but you have to compete with the look of the freeway, and the freeway noise is so loud it is deafening. We never really looked out there because it just wasn't great. The trees really block the view view, anyhow.

5. The TV in the room is pretty old, and it only gets a handful of channels. The only kid channel is the Disney Channel. This bothered my daughter, because at the Disneyland Hotel you have all the kids channels (Nick, etc...) and the "Princess Bedtime Stories". We didn't watch much TV, but sometimes when we would come in from the park at night or mid day, we would just want to relax with some TV, and the selection was very limited.

6. The distance to the park was more bothersome than I had anticipated. I am use to staying at the DLH, so I am use to walking a bit from the park, but this seemed farther to me. Even if the actual distance wasn't that much further, the scenary on the way was much more depressing. There is a big difference walking from DLR thru downtown disney (which seems like a world all it's own and very vacation-like) to the DLH, and walking down Harbor Blvd past the homeless man on the corner with the smell of bus exhaust hitting you in the face. I am not a prissy person, and I can hang with anything--but on my vacation I just want more of a feeling of getting away from things. I hope that doesn't offend anyone.

We would get to McDonalds, and feel like "We can't walk another step...", but still have to walk much further. When you walk through downtown Disney, it is so interesting, and there are so many things to admire, but walking down Harbor Blvd., you just don't get that same feeling. I missed it by day with the sun beating down on us and the smell of car exhaust choking us, and by night when I felt a little unsafe cutting through the parking lot of Mimi's close to midnight with my 12 year old daughter. I just didn't like that. I know when we would walk through downtown disney in years past on a summer night, we would see so many wonderful sights--like listening to the bands playing or seeing the lights in all the trees.

7. I found the staff overall to be very helpful and polite. The room was kept super clean while we were there. The beds were the pillowtop kind and very comfortable.

So there is my review. I know many will not agree with it, and that is okay. I just wanted to give my review, being someone who has always stayed on property--which I know can be a different view from someone who doesn't do that. My initial opinion is that I think would rather just spend the extra money to stay on property in the future, but maybe time will soften that view.

I think if Hojos were right across the street and not so close to the freway I would like it much, much more than I did. That is not the fault of the hotel--it is more of a location thing.

Lisa

 

[PinkBudgie]

Thanks for the review. I found it interesting because I have never stayed there. I always wanted to stay on site but then when I look at the very nice hotels you can get for a fraction of the price, we always end up off site.

Sometimes I think it would be nice to be able to walk back but you bring up a good point. By the end of the day I'm tired of walking. We always drive so we just take the tram to the car. And unfortunately some of the nicer off site hotels are too far to walk anyway.

Sounds like it would be a decent place to stay for a great price if your main focus is just a place to sleep.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

Sounds like it would be a decent place to stay for a great price if your main focus is just a place to sleep.

Exactly! It is actually much better than decent--it was very clean and comfortable. At the end of the day I appreciated the soft bed very much. It was also very quiet (besides the freeway noise)--I didn't hear kids running around and screaming, which can be a problem at hotels by Disneyland. I mean I don't mind screaming kids (got three of those myself!), but not thru paper thin walls when you are trying to rest. So Hojos must have some good soundproofing, which is a great bonus.

 

[tasha99]

Thank you for your review--it was very useful to me since I am staying there next week w/DS11. One thing I hadn't even though of that now concerns me is walking home from DL at midnight. Are there other people walking around at that time? Are there cabs (would that be safer?)

I'm also a little disappointed about the TV. It won't be a big deal, but we only get the major networks at home, so being able to relax and watch other channels would have been a treat.

 

[lulubelle]

I agree with everything you said Lisa, except the freeway noise. Maybe our room was further inward or maybe it's because I live here and am used to freeway noise, but I never really noticed it in a Prem Room. Anyway, it seems those of us who choose on-site are outnumbered around here due to the huge price difference. That said, we always stay in off season and manage to get pretty decent AP rates (think in the $140 - $200 range). Of course, sometimes a short budget wins out and we stay for free using points at Sheraton or Hojo's with their great Ent rates or another offsite super deal I cannot resist. But when the budget does afford, I feel onsite is worth it for the ambiance and pleasant walk among other things (even the TV channels, I LOVE all the DL channels highlighted top 8 lists, restaurant reviews & DVC plugs!). We also like taking the monorail from DLH which cuts down on the walk considerably. Hojo's cannot be beat for cleanliness and pleasant staff. I am rambling here, so will just end with saying, thanks for the post and I agree with you. Glad you and your DD had a great trip.

 

[disneynerd420]

I'm glad you posted this! I'm really of toying with the idea of staying at HOJO on my spring 2010 trip. This will definitely help me decide.

 

[VallCopen]

Thanks for the honest review. My sister-in-law was thinking of Hojo's this fall. I told her it is a great price but that a bit of magic is gone when staying of site.

We use to stay off site but the past 5 years we only stay on site and nothing compares to the view during the walk to the park, especially at night. We always seem to be able to get a good rate at the Pier 139-189, so for 4 or 5 nights it isn't that bad in comparison to 100 at hojo's per night, especially after I have spent so much on food, car & flights, I figure what is another 200-300 after I already went broke spending 3000. We now are DVC members, since May, and we can't wait to try them out. Again thanks for the review.

 

[DLR29]

Thanks for the review. I can't wait to stay there next week and try it out for myself.

 

[Rio_san7]

That is a very informative review. Thank you for doing so.

I have heard good things about Hojo's but never read a detailed review like yours. This is the kind of information people need when making a decision about choosing a hotel to stay.

Now I can say that I will definitely give this hotel a try.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Thanks for the honest review. I've stayed there many times and agree with some of what you said. The DL facing rooms can be hit or miss because it does compete with the trees. We never noticed the traffic noise on the DL facing rooms but in large part that's thanks to the white noise generated from the A/C in the room. It doesn't get as cold in the Hojo rooms as it does in the Fairfield Inn rooms. Their A/C thermostats are newer with sensors and the a/c is quiet.
I never noticed a homeless guy on the street corner and we just left yesterday. I did notice the often mentioned and complained about Timeshare people at Tropicana, but they only approached me once and I said no I'm not interested without even looking them in the face, kept walking, and they left me alone. This was on my last day and they never bothered me ever before in all these years. I totally agree with what you wrote about getting by McD's and feeling like you can't walk another step. We were so glad to get to Fairfield Inn. Those few extra precious steps made it seem a lot easier. However, DH said he thought Fairfield Inn's rooms were not as sound proofed as Hojos when it came to hearing people slamming their doors. Hojos doors do not slam. I actually saw that ours was left ajar once when I thought I had closed it. Fairfield Inn's room doors are designed to slam as a safety feature I guess.
Anyway, just wanted you to know that as much as we liked Hojos, I also agree with some of what you wrote. OTOH, we've paid full rates to stay there during the peak season when everything else was way more expensive or sold out and we were happy there. At those times, when we didn't have an AP, I'm sure the Grand and DL rates were in the $350-$450+ range, and we'd never pay that to stay at DL. We like both Hojos and FFI and would stay at both places from now on. I just can't bring myself to stay at DLR because the offsite restaurants we like are on Harbor near Hojos and FFI. The walk to and fro would be crazy for us.

 

[SnowWhite09]

We just returned from 13 nights at Hojos and overall we found it to be excellent. We stayed in Building 2 overlooking the garden pool and didn't notice the noise from the freeway at all. The room was always clean, the beds were fantastic and the staff were very helpful. The walk for us was only about 8 minutes although we found that we are fast walkers. The spa was fabulous and our daughter loved Castaway Cove. In terms of walking back to Hojos late at night, we stuck to the side with the hotels and restaurants on it and had no issues. One night we walked down the other side after 11pm and were approached by a group of teenagers asking for money.

Again, overall our experience at Hojos was fabulous, great value for money and we would stay there again without any hesitation.

 

[PinkBudgie]

We found a way to deal with hotel noise.

To help with noise at a hotel, we always bring a sound machine that plays rain or our own small fan. It is a constant sound that helps so you don't hear freeways, kids, noisy convention adults, or air conditioners that go on and off with a loud click.

 

[QueenDoOver]

I have stayed at both building two, close to the freeway, and also building1, premium Disney view. From the balcony, it was noisy, no doubt at all, but I did not hear a single sound from inside either room. We did go off season, so the AC was not a factor for us.

The walk was just fine, and we did both the McDonalds side and the DL side. Saw a few locals at the bus stop, but that was about it. Felt very safe, well lit, and always plenty of people around.

That being said, I love staying on site, but hey, I love my money even more, most of the time!

My next stay is at the Super 8 on Katella. Only 3 nights, so I am not too worried, but I am a little bit worried. Hoping for the best and know that I will survive it for sure. And the rate was just too darn good to pass up.

 

[LavenderPeach]

My next stay is at the Super 8 on Katella. Only 3 nights, so I am not too worried, but I am a little bit worried. Hoping for the best and know that I will survive it for sure. And the rate was just too darn good to pass up.

We just stayed in the Super 8 in April. I had a few issues with that place but like you said, you can't beat the rate and it was fine for just being a place to sleep. But make sure you check the clock in the room when you check in. Ours was about 30-40 minutes off so we were late going to dinner the first night which was kind of annoying. I would have been really mad if it had made us late to getting to the parks in the morning. I tried to reset the clock but after an hour it started flashing and then later it restarted at 12:00. I was glad I had my own alarm clock. I'm sure it was just that one clock in that one room and it's probably fixed by now but you never know.

OP, thanks for posting your experience at the Hojos! You hear so much about how much people love that place but you don't always get details about what it's really like there so thanks for sharing.

 

[silence]

We love the HoJo and stay there most trips.

I do have to tell you, I MUCH prefer the pool view rooms in Bldg 2 vs. Premium Rooms with "Disney View".

The A/C seems better, I think they are newer units? PLUS, we had lots of noise our last Premium room, and never any noise in the Deluxe Rooms. I dunno why, but that is our experience.

As for the walk, I'm a big big person, and my poor feet can only take so much walking. There have been many nights when I was so tempted to get a taxi since they are right there on your way out! I wish HoJo was the first ART stop on the way back, we'd use them all the time.

 

[disney4metoo]

I thought I would right up my thoughts on our recent stay at Howard Johnsons. We actually just got home today, and stayed for two nights.

Although we have gone to Disneyland a few times a year for the last 10 years, this is the first time we have stayed off property. We typically stay at the Disneyland Hotel (upper pool view), but have also stayed at the Grand Californian a few times. We actually prefer the Disneyland Hotel to the Grand Californian because the rooms are lighter, bigger, and more comfortable for our family of five. The Grand always feels a little cave like and the view is very limited because the hotel has so few floors. We love the Disneyland Hotel pool view--the higher the floor the better--it just feels very relaxing and vacationish to us.

Anyhow, this time was a trip for just my daughter and I. We have never done this before, but it was a lovely time for both of us. I chose to stay at Hojos because I wanted to keep costs down on this trip. Hojos provided us with a great rate (entertainment) of 79.00 per night--premium Disney view room. Here are my thoughts:

1. Rate was great--It felt good not to spend so much money on the hotel.

2. We arrived at 1:00ish on Tuesday, and they said the room wasn't ready. I had hoped it may be, but wasn't surprised it wasn't. The guy at check in said the guaranteed check-in time was 4:00. The held our bags, and we went into the park for several hours. We arrived back to the lobby (which is very small and sort of unairconditioned) at 4:30, and he said our room was still not clean. My daughter and I had been traveling since the crack of dawn that morning, and after walking all the way back to Hojos from the park--I just wanted to cry when he said that! Suddenly, he said our room was actually clean (?) and we went to collect our luggage and went up to our room.

3. We stayed on the 7th floor, and had a premium disney view. The room was very clean and large. Plenty of room for luggage storage, and a great set up with an extra sink outside of the bathroom. The only thing that really bugged me was that the airconditioner was this really loud fan that didn't really cool the air that well. The only good part about the loud fan is that it killed the VERY loud freeway noise that was ever-present. When you leave the hotel itself it is so loud. I don't even see how people can use that pool there--because the sound of the freeway is really that bad.

4. The view? Meh. Really it is a view of the Matterhorn, but you have to compete with the look of the freeway, and the freeway noise is so loud it is deafening. We never really looked out there because it just wasn't great. The trees really block the view view, anyhow.

5. The TV in the room is pretty old, and it only gets a handful of channels. The only kid channel is the Disney Channel. This bothered my daughter, because at the Disneyland Hotel you have all the kids channels (Nick, etc...) and the "Princess Bedtime Stories". We didn't watch much TV, but sometimes when we would come in from the park at night or mid day, we would just want to relax with some TV, and the selection was very limited.

6. The distance to the park was more bothersome than I had anticipated. I am use to staying at the DLH, so I am use to walking a bit from the park, but this seemed farther to me. Even if the actual distance wasn't that much further, the scenary on the way was much more depressing. There is a big difference walking from DLR thru downtown disney (which seems like a world all it's own and very vacation-like) to the DLH, and walking down Harbor Blvd past the homeless man on the corner with the smell of bus exhaust hitting you in the face. I am not a prissy person, and I can hang with anything--but on my vacation I just want more of a feeling of getting away from things. I hope that doesn't offend anyone.

We would get to McDonalds, and feel like "We can't walk another step...", but still have to walk much further. When you walk through downtown Disney, it is so interesting, and there are so many things to admire, but walking down Harbor Blvd., you just don't get that same feeling. I missed it by day with the sun beating down on us and the smell of car exhaust choking us, and by night when I felt a little unsafe cutting through the parking lot of Mimi's close to midnight with my 12 year old daughter. I just didn't like that. I know when we would walk through downtown disney in years past on a summer night, we would see so many wonderful sights--like listening to the bands playing or seeing the lights in all the trees.

7. I found the staff overall to be very helpful and polite. The room was kept super clean while we were there. The beds were the pillowtop kind and very comfortable.

So there is my review. I know many will not agree with it, and that is okay. I just wanted to give my review, being someone who has always stayed on property--which I know can be a different view from someone who doesn't do that. My initial opinion is that I think would rather just spend the extra money to stay on property in the future, but maybe time will soften that view.

I think if Hojos were right across the street and not so close to the freway I would like it much, much more than I did. That is not the fault of the hotel--it is more of a location thing.

Lisa

Thank you for your honest review!

Because of all the great reviews I have read on the Dis about HoJo, I thought we would give it a try. We are staying at the GCH concierge level for three days, but since we are coming from the Bay area as well, I thought the night before we check in to the Grand, we should try HoJo. We only need a place to sleep since we will be arriving in the evening, and will not be walking back and forth to the park.

However, I am concerned about the A/C ( big thing in my book), and T.V. I hope we will not be disappointed. I do like a clean, cold room, no noise, a good bed and a nice TV. Since we will arrive late, we will watch a little t.v. before going to bed. However, we did get the Entertainment rate for premium room, so I cannot complain too much. I wonder if I should try to find another hotel or take my chances?

 

[KCmike]

Great review.

We've stayed at HOJO's and Fairfield Inn before and a few weeks ago we stayed at DL hotel. DL Hotel wins hands down. It was wonderful. Of the first two I would pick Fairfield Inn. I know ALOT of people here love HOJO's and a person that works there is on this site alot. It is nice. I just prefer to have the shortest distance to walk if I stay outside the resort. I personally didn't have any freeway noise and everyone there is very friendly. I feel if you going to DL and you don't live in California then do it right and stay on property. We use to stay off propert at WDW and when we finally stay at Port Orleans Riverside it was night and day how much better it was. I understand how people need/want to save money but in the end it usually worth it to stay onsite and get that "vacation feel" that you are talking about.

I really have to restate that we loved the DL hotel. We did the 5 for 3 offer and we really enjoyed every aspect of it. Room, pools, and location.

 

[bumbershoot]

...walking home from DL at midnight. Are there other people walking around at that time?

YES.




Perception is interesting!

For those who haven't seen detailed reviews elsewhere....

I wonder if they have two lobbies, as the lobby I've been in at HoJo is big, cool (temperature), and really awesomely retro. I LOVE that lobby.

Sounds like you walked up the hotel-side of Harbor? Don't do that! Walk on the OTHER side...you can hear the disneyland music when you walk on that side. And it's just a bit shorter, no need to cut through the Mimi's parking lot. And you keep away from the rest of the hordes going to or from their Harbor hotels, you don't even cross the street at the same light! Therefore, no timeshare people at Tropicana (I've never seen them once, even when walking on the hotel side, weird, eh?).

I've never even noticed an exhaust smell. It's so odd to me that it was so strong during your trip.


I've only stayed in the garden/pool view rooms, and I love them. Sure you hear the pool people during the day, but then the pool closes and it's nice and quiet. I would never bother with a view room...


There was one last thing on my mind...what was it? Drat I can't remember. I'll come back later if I remember.

Oh, that was it...we just stayed at the DLH, and that walk was just so long. I am in the minority on this, but just in case there are others like me I always mention it, I personally far prefer the straight shot (with NO commerce!) along Harbor than the meandering path through DTD. It's worth thinking about what your personality is, and if you have any people with you who will want to shop while you want to power through to/from the parks.

 

[got2travel]

I totally agree with your review. HoJos is not on the top of my list of offsite choices. Yes, the staff is great and the pool is fantastic. But if I'm not staying onsite, I'd rather stay a little closer and get a free cup of coffee and muffin to get my day started.

 

[jory29]

That was a good review, LisainCalifornia. A lot of aspects were reviewed.

I'll throw in my 2 cents here, too...We stayed at the Hojo this past Sept. and loved it. We were on the 7th floor, premium Disney view, with the entertainment rate. The staff was awesome, the rooms were super clean, the beds were *SO* Heavenly, the in-room safe was such a nice feature, as was the free wired internet. The fridge and coffee maker were also great. Spacious enough room, I found, but maybe that's because the 7th floor has a higher ceiling.

I think that a lot of other opinions will depend a lot on 1.) where a person resides, and 2.) Whether or not they have extra money to spend (as in, whether or not they are financially well off.)

What I mean by this, is some people really notice the noise of the freeway, others not so much. I believe those who live in a large city will not notice the noise as much as those who live out in the country, or a small town, etc. We live in a small city and we did notice that when we opened the balcony door, the noise would 'whoosh' in - but it wasn't irritating at all. We loved seeing how when we shut the door to the balcony, it seemed to be VERY well sound proofed. It might seem strange, but we actually opened and shut the door and discussed our amazement at the sound proofed doors. Sure, you could hear a little bit of noise when the door was shut if you strained to hear the sounds of traffic, but we had the door closed all the time anyway. My other point - the exhaust upon walking to the parks was definitely noticeable - again - we live in a small city, and I did find it noticeable.... but it wasn't a problem at all, because we were headed to the happiest place on earth. Now, that being said with the exhaust, my son noticed it as well, my dh and dd didn't appear to notice it on our walk to and from the parks. (I know we could have taken the 'shortcut' but we tried once, and my DH felt we were intruding on private property as there were signs indicating it was a pick up/drop off point for taxis, etc.)

My second point is to do with how financially well off a person is - I really feel those who can splurge on an onsite hotel without thinking twice about it are generally accustomed to the best - the best location, the best lobby, the most peaceful, serene place, etc. I imagine there are lots of people who do have a lot of money who still really enjoy staying at the Hojo because they can save money to spend more $$$ in the parks, or whatever their priorities are, but in general, I think that those most accustomed to the finest things in life will find that for them, only the priciest accommodations will do.

We did see homeless people on all 3 trips (2 trips in Nov., 1 in Sept.) - it didn't bother me in any way other than I really felt a lot of pain for them, and would think of them often during the trip; I have asked on these boards about one homeless lady in particular, named Elizabeth, who hangs out at the BWPPI when it's not so crowded. We were really worried for her. We also saw a lot of people trying to thrust brochures in our hands - we saw people calling out to us asking us to buy merchandise, and time shares. UGH! It us understandable that some don't want to walk past that, but we normally just said a quick no thanks and kept walking, and it was o.k. The worst part was trying to get past a demonstration in Sept. - the demonstration was to do with the same-sex marriage laws. Some people who didn't believe that there should be same-sex marriages were protesting a bill, and they were very much blocking the way for the pedestrians, it was very alarming, and our kids were nervous to go across the crosswalk because they were vocal, they were carrying large signs, and cars were honking out in support, etc.

Anyway, I digress... my point is, people will always have different points of views for hotel stays depending on their individual circumstances.

I'm a large person, size 18, 5'5" and I found the walk to be manageable, (it didn't feel that much longer than when we had stayed at the BWPPI one year, and the BWPPI is right across the cross walk) and we also went back to the Hojo hotel mid day for a break for an hour and a half or so. Our 6 year old also didn't mind the walk. It is around 8 minutes, and we took the usual 'long' way. (Only because as mentioned, DH refused to take the short cut once he felt we were intruding onto private property.) In any event, at night time, I would not have taken the shortcut back, just to be a little more safe.

I do also think that some of the best restaurants are in the off site area, so that is another perk for a hotel such as the Hojo.

And the playground area for kids is *SO* great. I love the Hojo. We'll be staying there again. We really found the premium room to be great - the view was nice, to just see/smell the ambiance of DL after having dreamed about it for so many long months since our last trip. For us it was worth the extra money per night, because we don't get a chance to see DL often, but for those who live close to DL and can get to the parks more than a couple times a year, I think I would be happy with a lesser priced room. It was so cool to view the hojo mattercam and look out and know we were THERE!!!! Speaking of which, I'm heading over to the Hojo mattercam right now, LOL. But before I do -

Another added bonus to the Hojo will of course be the addition of the kids pirate themed rooms, coming soon. 2 rooms joined together, king bed for Mom and Dad with the heavenly mattress, separate sleeping room for kids with a wooden bunk bed and a twin pull out sleeper, in-room safe, wireless net, AND 2 bathrooms. Also some pirate booty for the kids for them to keep, in a pirate's chest. There is a flat screen TV in the kids room, it looks like. (2 TV's total.) Sounds like a dream come true to me. I can't wait for those suites to open so DISers can start reviewing them!

We also found the TV to be adequate - the kids were so tired after the parks that watching TV wasn't even their thing to do. Mind you, we did bring along PSP's with a couple of movies, so they watched those.

Edited to add: (Extra things about the Hojo...)
1.) A cot fits *perfectly* in a Premium View Suite, in an area that is not being used (right by the balcony doors.)
2.) The Hojo staff allowed us to check in around 2 PM when we arrived, we were soooo lucky!! We had had an 8 hour flight (8 hours total from the time we left home I mean), so had really appreciated that.
3.)The Hojo staff put our Vons grocery order away for us in our room when it arrived - I was not planning on going to the parks that evening as we stated we were going to wait for the groceries, and the staff volunteered to take it in for us! AWESOME! They unpacked the fridge things, etc.