Your favorite hotels - how do they compare to Disney?

[WaltD4Me]

My 3 favorite resort hotels are
1. Opryland
2. Nemacolin in PA
3. The Peabody in Memphis

The Opryland is just beautiful, I love to get a room with a balcony! The only thing is, it is so HUGE...I hate when it takes 10 minutes just to walk to the lobby.

Nemacolin is a true resort, absolutely beautiful with lots to do, but very
pricey!

The Peabody is a classy old hotel that is beautiful and fun place to stay with lots to do nearby. I love their rooftop bar/dance club.

They are all unique in their own ways, I can't compare them to Disney though because they are just different. I've stayed at the Poly and GF, Poly is my favorite, but if they put the Peabody on Disney property, that would probably be my favorite.

 

[ugadog99]

I am sure there are many hotels around the world that are superior to Disney in room quality and amenities. However, I don't have the money to splurge for those. I enjoyed my vacation in Hawaii, but in all honesty, I'd rather be at Disney. I love their resorts and for my family, the Disney magic is the best amenity of all.

 

[DisneyDella]

I've never stayed ANYWHERE that even comes close to comparing with Disney!
Fort Wilderness Cabins are our favorite at WDW!

 

[pedro2112]

Most of the Resorts we stay at in Las Vegas are nicer than the Disney Resorts. On our last trip, we stayed at Mandalay Bay, and there really isn't anything at Disney that comes close to that.

More locally, our favorite Hotels are the Chicago Hilton and Towers and the Palmer House. I don't think that any Disney Resort would comapre to those.

 

[D&R love Disney]

For a resort I'd say the Don Cesar on St. Pete Beach. I also love Boutique hotels and Inn's. The Chanler in Newport RI has some of the most unusual suites.

 

[aubeone]

I agree...The Great Wolf Lodge is awesome. All Disney families will love this place. They have one in Virginia, Penn, Wisc, New in Niagara Falls. They are also building a similar one in Lake George, NY near a six Flags. This is also near the "real" Saratoga Springs...my hometown!

The Great Wolf Lodge should not be missed.

Oh...by the way...the Bellagio in Las Vegas is not so bad!

 

[NJBlackBerry]

My favorite non-Disney hotel (by far) is the Dharmawangsa hotel (http://www.asiatravel.com/indonesia/thedharmawangsa/).

Ultra luxurious; each room has a fantastic sound and video system, with a very generoud bathroom (huge shower; huge tub; two sinks and a LOT of marble). And a butler. Yup. Full breakfast included for $135/night (corporate rate). Superb indoor and outdoor pool. Full service spa (1 hour hot stone massage - $29).

Of course you have to be in Jakarta, Indonesia to take advantage of this resort! Oh well, you can't have everything

 

[minijeanie]

fyi

there is also a great wolf coming to the Pocono Area in PA this year as well.
They are offering great weekend rates!

 

[bringerofdreams]

The Pocono Great Wolf is here already minijeanie LOL! They are already booked for much of December.

 

[goofie4goofy]

One of my favorite hotels is here www.capjuluca.com

It is the same price to stay in a Jr. Suite with a huge private outdoor shower, 15 steps from sugar sand and turquoise water, beach butler, and breakfast served everyday on your own private verandah...included in price as it is to stay at the GF RPC. The service is top notch, the people are friendly the island is safe, beautiful and fun to drive around. There is not spalsh mountain, but there are 33 beaches, fabulous food and the best rum punches. Dinner on the beach at night by candle and moon light is highly recommended...shoes optional.

Another favorite here www.biras.com The price includes everything...staying in a Grand Suite costs less than a week in the GF RPC. Three gourmet meals plus high tea per day, water sports and your own boston whatler to explore uninhabited islands...they will even pack you a gourmet lunch (no charge). It is so safe here, you don't even get a room key!

For even less money than a room at the GF RPC I can stay in a huge suite at the Bellagio, which has 2 bathrooms 1 with a jacuzzi and 1 with a steam room, private butler and private restaurant and a limo. The views from the suites are beautiful...and you are treated like a celebrity every time.

WE always stay at the GF in the RPC and while other hotels charge the same per night or less, the Gf just does not deliver what the others do in the same price range. We do love WDW, but we love other places just as much but have more to offer for the money. Theme park vacations are fun but not always a "vacation".

 

[Kay7979]

I've enjoyed checking out some of the other resorts recommended, and am delighted to hear a Great Wolf Lodge is coming to Niagara Falls Canada, since that is only a little over an hour's drive for us.

I am a sucker for theming, so I will always be partial to Disney resorts. Even when we stay off-site at Disney (prefer condos for the space) we spend time walking the resorts, and eating at their restaurants, because the landscaping and theming are so enjoyable. We go to some very nice places, but without the theming my husband says: "It's just another beautiful resort." The theming adds a wonderful extra dimension. It sounds, though, from comments here, that Disney has room for improvement to measure up to some of the world's other fine resorts.

 

[Belle5]

just subscribing...

 

[zipDdoodah]

I agree there are many hotels that are nicer than the Disney hotels out there, but the thing none of them have that Disney has is the ultimate theming. As others have said, it's like comparing apples to oranges. The coolest thing would be if Disney would build an ultra Deluxe resort that compared more to some of the 5 star hotel chains AND had the theming of Disney. I would be in heaven!

Some of our favorite hotels from over the years that are non-Disney include JW Marriott Las Vegas, Loews Coronado Island, Loews Santa Monica, and the new Wynn Las Vegas (very pricey but very nice). We have Four Seasons Hualalai in Hawaii on the Big Island planned for spring break, and I can't wait to see how this resort compares to some of our favorites.

All of these hotels mentioned, I still love going to WL at Disney because I love the theming so much (I just wish the rooms were a little more luxurious). Also, the Grand Californian is quite luxurious for a Disney hotel.

 

[WDW LifeLong Fan]

Our favorite non-Disney hotels/resorts are:

The Cloister - Sea Island, Georgia
Four Seasons, Maui & Las Vegas
Bellagio - Las Vegas

All of these usually have superior service to the Disney Hotels.

 

[Skylark]

If I chose to stay at another hotel in Orlando, it would be Portofino Bay, J.W. Marriott or the Peabody.

 

[Ladyhawke10]

Favorite Hotels --

Lanai's Lodge at Koele (Four Seasons)
Lanai's Manele Bay Resort (Four Seasons)
Kauai's Princeville Resort (Starwood)
Hyatt's Poipu Kauai
Ritz Carlton Kapalua
Kapalua Bay Hotel (sigh, it is no more, used to be Starwood)
Grand Floridian
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Boardwalk Inn
Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, CA (looks like GF!)
Chateau Frontenac in Quebec Canada (Fairmont--you see the replica in Epcot)
Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Our 2 favorites over the last years vacations have been the Bareclo Maya outside of Cancun MX. Wonderful resort, beautiful beach and really not expensive at all. We also really enjoyed the Venetion in Vegas. Great rooms, hugh bathrooms and a whole living room area. I didn't think I would like Vegas (I don't really gamble) but I would go back here in a heartbeat!

 

[xmelissax]

My favorite is definately Kona Village on the Big Island of Hawaii, I don't think theres much that can beat it. Certainly not Disney in terms of grounds and service.

 

[branv]

My favorite, that totally blows away Disney in terms of style, comfort and service was the Rimrock Resort in Banff. Amazing location, beautiful interiors - big, comfy beds with Duvets, big (but not too big) lobby/bar area with the most amazing view, design and a huge fireplace, impeccable service, and oooh the restaurants (as silly as it is, I still think about their hot chocolate

My second favorite was the place we stayed for our honeymoon: Royal Hideaway in Playacar. It's a quiet, smaller but lovely resort, mostly adults, not a party atmosphere at all. Huge rooms (though the bed was just okay), big bathrooms with jacuzzi tubs, champagne and a cool moist towel when you arrive, wonderful service, and the restaurants were to die for (and I am definitely a food snob), fruit and drinks regularly offered to you on the beach. *sigh* ok, now I want to go back...

Here's an interesting foil: we stayed one night at what is technically a business hotel in downtown Dallas, The Magnolia. The room we were in had a bedroom and a livingroom/kitchen. The design was VERY chic and modern, the bed was out of this world, large garden tub. And they had great plusses...hmmm, much like the plusses the concierge folks get at the WDW deluxes. We only paid $150/night.

I'd mention the "W" in San Francisco if the rooms weren't so darn small.. Oh but those duvets.... And I took all the Aveda toiletries I could get my hands on

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

My favorite, that totally blows away Disney in terms of style, comfort and service was the Rimrock Resort in Banff. Amazing location, beautiful interiors - big, comfy beds with Duvets, big (but not too big) lobby/bar area with the most amazing view, design and a huge fireplace, impeccable service, and oooh the restaurants (as silly as it is, I still think about their hot chocolate

My second favorite was the place we stayed for our honeymoon: Royal Hideaway in Playacar. It's a quiet, smaller but lovely resort, mostly adults, not a party atmosphere at all. Huge rooms (though the bed was just okay), big bathrooms with jacuzzi tubs, champagne and a cool moist towel when you arrive, wonderful service, and the restaurants were to die for (and I am definitely a food snob), fruit and drinks regularly offered to you on the beach. *sigh* ok, now I want to go back...

Here's an interesting foil: we stayed one night at what is technically a business hotel in downtown Dallas, The Magnolia. The room we were in had a bedroom and a livingroom/kitchen. The design was VERY chic and modern, the bed was out of this world, large garden tub. And they had great plusses...hmmm, much like the plusses the concierge folks get at the WDW deluxes. We only paid $150/night.

I'd mention the "W" in San Francisco if the rooms weren't so darn small.. Oh but those duvets.... And I took all the Aveda toiletries I could get my hands on

Now YOU know how to travel..........can you adopt me? Do you have kids/want kids.........I can be your nanny!!

They sound like great places.