Also, any thoughts about Tropicana in general? I've never stayed there before. We used to live in LA so we didn't need a hotel, and the times we've visited the parks since then we stayed at DLH, Hojo, Candy Cane and Hyatt House. I'm looking forward to a shorter walk this time.
Is Tropicana quiet, are the beds comfortable, is the pool decent, walk as short as it seems? Any input appreciated! Thanks
I haven't stayed in the family suite specifically at Tropicana, but have stayed in other rooms there several times. It's one of my favorite motels! I think their refurb was done around 2016, so I'll try to note if it was before/after the refurb, since we were there before and after.
General: Outside is nothing special. We don't use the pool, as I feel "exposed" with it being out in the open in the middle of the parking lot. They have a convenience store at the front of the property. It's spendy (of course), but it has any basics we've needed if I'm too lazy to walk down to CVS. It's generally clean around the property. The only real outside "yucky" has been when passing by the outdoor smoking area; I've got asthma and had to walk near it because that's where the elevator is located. But quick breath-holding and scooting through the smoking area to get to the elevator is easier for me than climbing 3 flights of stairs, ha.
Rooms: I felt like the old rooms were kind of dark and dreary, but with their new décor/aesthetic, it was pretty bright and cheery. Our grandson loved the palm tree wall paper. The blues and oranges were fun and made things feel more modern. I'm not sure what the family suite promises as far as bathrooms; make sure to double check. We stayed in a king room back in 2018, and it only had a shower. Big deal? Not really. A little more difficult? Definitely-- our grandson has some sensory issues, and couldn't "get away" from the water in the shower like he would have been able to do in a tub/shower combo. It was also a little snuggly for hubs and I, who are/were a bit more rotund in the tummy. I've always found the beds super comfy, as did hubs. Not super squishy soft, but not super hard brick either. Just a good middle ground. Our grandson liked the chair sleeper, though he was a little disappointed that he didn't get the king bed all to himself. (Dream big, kiddo!) Linens are fine. Nothing especially good or bad there.
Staff: Always helpful. I've had 2 minor staff issues, but neither were a big deal. Once, I asked them to call me a cab to the airport. They called me a hired car service type thing. It was like $60 to the airport (was expecting $45-50), and he drove like a bat outta you-know-where. I was white-knuckling the door the whole way there. So, I just do Uber/Lyft now. The other one just felt "weird." Admittedly, I am completely 100% socially anxious, and I travel by myself to the DLR like 80% of the time. In other words, it could totally be my own awkwardness. So, I was coming back from the parks one evening, and one of the parking attendants called me by name when I was returning. Since I hadn't brought a car to park, and hadn't had any other interactions with the guy, it made me uncomfortable that he knew my name. But, again, it could totally be my anxiety! I didn't feel unsafe, per say, just .... weird that a parking person would know my name.
As far as noise, it's about what any place would be on Harbor. There's some traffic noise, worse closer to the front of the property. There's the expected yelling and running and general kid noise like any other place on Harbor. Of note, hubs tends to be a "must have dead silence" type for sleeping, and he doesn't remember any issue with noise at Tropicana.
If they weren't getting so expensive, we'd totally stay there more often, and miss staying there.
