A Decent Suite Hotel Near Disneyland
Written: Sep 02 '05 (Updated Jun 21 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: View of Disney fireworks; great breakfast; great service; location
Cons: Card keys kept deactivating.
The Bottom Line: A suite hotel convenient to Disney with nice accommodations.
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| modernmarvel's Full Review: Marriott Suites Anaheim |
We stayed in this hotel for four nights in August 2005. It was part of a package deal arranged by AAA including air fare from Boston and accommodations. It also came with a great free breakfast.
CHECK IN AND CHECK OUT
The check in process was fairly smooth. The bell service promptly helped us unload the car. We had to wait about five minutes in line to check in. We got our card keys and then went up to the room.
There was a process to check out using the TV but it was not working. So, we had to check out at the front desk. The process was quick and relatively painless. The bell service helped us load up the car.
SERVICE
The whole hotel was very clean. Our rooms were cleaned very well every day. The staff was all friendly, helpful and nice. I couldn't have asked for better or more friendly service. My only complaint was that my card keys deactivated a couple of times and I had to go down to the front desk twice with all three kids in tow to get them reactivated.
THE ROOM
We chose this hotel because it was a suite hotel. When you walked into the main room of the suite, there was a chair and a sofa. The sofa folded out into a bed. The chair was on wheels which made it easy to move at bedtime. Also in this part of the suite was an end table, a TV in an armoire with drawers, a desk and chair and a dresser with more storage.
This "living room" was separated from the bedroom by a door that could be locked. The door had glass panels covered by white curtains. This was the only thing I didn't like about the room. The purpose of staying in a suite hotel is so parents can have some privacy. I would have preferred a solid door.
Our bedroom had a king size bed that was very comfortable. The comforter was soft and we got lots of extra pillows and an extra blanket. The bedroom had a TV in an armoire, similar to the living room, with more drawers for storage. There were also two nightstands.
The bedroom had a sink area next to it. The sink counter was made of an attractive granite. The hotel provided soap, shampoo, conditioner and lotion. There was also a hair dryer. In this area, there was also a full size closet which provided great storage. Tucked in the closet was a full-size ironing board.
The toilet and shower were set off by a door that could be locked. The shower was great and the water temperature remained constant which I appreciated.
We ordered a crib for the baby and got a pack and play. This is fine for our 13 month old but may not have been good for older children. When we arrived, it was set up and already had a sheet on the mattress.
The TV had lots of services. HBO was included for free and there was a free TV guide magazine on top of the TV. There were pay per view movies that cost $12.99 per movie. There was porn but you could lock the order feature by calling the front desk. There was a video game controller on top of the TV so I assume you could order games as well.
The room had a nice, neutral decor. There was a lot of yellow in the scheme which was fine. The amount of storage was great. Overall, I thought the room was livable and very well-organized. The best thing about our room is that we could see the fireworks from Disney (we were on the 8th floor in an even-numbered room). We turned off the lights and enjoyed the show each night just before putting the kids to bed.
My only complaint about the room was the thin walls. I could hear every cough and hiccup from our neighbors behind the bedroom.
AMENITIES
There is an outdoor pool that was not huge or deep. I believe that the deepest it got was about five feet so there was no diving and there were no slides. Both the pool and the pool area were very clean. There was also a hot tub, lounge chairs, regular chairs and a few umbrella tables. There were outdoor showers and lots of small, scratchy blue towels so you didn't have to use your room towels. The pool area had no theming and was very generic in appearance but it was pleasant enough. The best part was that there were no rules limiting floaties so the kids could use their float rings and bubbles in the pool.
There was ample free parking behind the hotel.
There was a bar and a restaurant called the OC Grill on the main floor. We ate a great breakfast buffet that was included in our package each morning. The breakfast buffet included juice, coffee, eggs, potatoes, pancakes, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, smoked salmon, some deli meats, donuts, bagels, english muffins and waffles and omelets made to order. The service was great and it was great to fill up at the hotel instead of paying much more to eat at Disney. I believe the breakfast buffet costs around $17 per adult if you are not on a package.
A shuttle to Disney stops at the hotel. It costs $3 for each person over nine years old each way. There is a shuttle schedule available at the desk. We didn't use the shuttle so I can't comment on how well it works.
LOCATION
Although this hotel has "Anaheim" in its name, the hotel is actually located in Garden Grove. The hotel is located about two miles from Disney which is too far to walk. This area is primarily filled with hotels and restaurants serving the crowds that visit Disney. There are lots of parking lots and strip malls. Generally, the area is not attractive and there wasn't much in terms of views.
There is a Target across a very busy street from the hotel which is great in case you forgot to pack something. Three restaurants: Outback Steakhouse, Red Robin and Joe's Crab Shack share the parking lot and you can walk to them easily.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
I thought this was a great hotel. The room was comfortable and functional and, happily, very clean. The staff was friendly and helpful. There were a couple of small glitches but, overall, I thought the value was great for the money we paid.
MY REVIEWS OF THE DISNEY THEME PARKS IN CALIFORNIA
Disneyland
Disney's California Adventure
MY REVIEW OF THEME PARK HOTELS IN CALIFORNIA
Disney’s Grand Californian
Residence Inn Anaheim
MY REVIEW OF THEME PARK RESTAURANTS
Storyteller’s Cafe
Blue Bayou
Wine Country Trattoria
Goofy’s Kitchen
MY REVIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS IN DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
Soarin’ Over California
Grizzly River Run
The Sun Wheel
Orange Stinger
Mulholland Madness
Jumpin’ Jellyfish
Playhouse Disney Live on Stage
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Monster’s Inc. Mike & Sully to the Rescue
Jim Henson’s Muppet Vision 3D
It’s Tough to be a Bug 3D
Princess Dot Puddle Park
Heimlich’s Chew Chew Train
Tuck and Roll’s Drive ‘Em Buggies
Flik’s Flyers
Francis’ Ladybug Boogie
Misson Tortilla Factory Tour
Boudin Bakery Factory Tour
MY REVIEWS OF INDIVIDUAL RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS IN DISNEYLAND
Pirates of the Caribbean
Indiana Jones Adventure
Storybook Land Canal Boats
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
Peter Pan’s Flight
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Alice in Wonderland
Matterhorn Bobsleds
It’s a Small World
Tarzan’s Tree House
Aladdin’s Oasis
Splash Mountain
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Autotopia
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience 3D
Astro Orbitor
Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
MY REVIEWS OF OTHER THINGS TO SEE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Legoland
SeaWorld San Diego
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
The San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Wild Animal Park
Balboa Park
Cabrillo National Monument
San Diego’s Old Town
The Museum of Making Music
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Recommended:
Yes
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modernmarvel
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