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missymouse
01-11-2003, 07:30 AM
Hi! we are planning to visit disney in february, and my husband has a few free hotel nights with Hilton from biz-travel points. We were thinking of staying at the new embassy suites in garden grove because a) its free, and b) they say it is only 1 mile to DL. Has anyone out there stayed here, and if so is it clean, and conveinient to park? Any info about this place would be greatly appreciated!!

EandCDad
01-11-2003, 08:01 AM
I haven't stayed at that particular one, but it is brand spanking new, it opened pretty recently. So I would assume it is about as nice as an Embassy Suites can be.

It is on Harbor between Orangewood and Chapman. You are probably about a mile directly south of the entrance area. It would be a long walk with children but they probably have a shuttle.

marciemi
01-11-2003, 10:33 AM
I posted this exact question over on the disboards. (wdwinfo.com if you want to look at the responses). I heard only good reviews about it, but one thing I found out was that it did NOT have an indoor pool as I would have expected from a brand-new Embassy Suites. Since that was one of my major criteria for a hotel in February with 3 hyper boys (the other was the hot breakfast), I switched to the Anaheim one which is about 6 miles further away! We haven't gone yet so I can't tell you how that one is yet, but do know they have the indoor pool!

MouseWife
01-11-2003, 12:21 PM
I was surprised that it didn't have an indoor pool, myself. But, even in December the family went swimming.

It is a very nice hotel, in a nice area of other hotels.

There are a lot of nice restaurants nearby, including a Buca di Beppos in the parking lot, the kids loved it. Cracked up over the pictures all over and in the bathroom. :eek:

The shuttle was very good. A nice big bus {at the time we went} and very convenient.

The breakfasts were great. The evening reception was {when we went} only drinks and Chex mix. But, it was nice and relaxing. The bartender was nice, didn't laugh at me when I asked for a 'Mom who doesn't usually drink' margarita.

I would have stayed there on our last visit but I couldn't get a very good rate. So I didn't. Don't forget to get your HiltonHonors points. :D

FoodLover
01-11-2003, 12:30 PM
FYI, the Anaheim Embassy Suites has a BEAUTIFUL atrium with a koi pond and the people running it could not be nicer. The upkeep there is great, rooms are in terrific shape, etc.

However, it is absolutely in the middle of NOWHERE. One side overlooks a major freeway and the other side overlooks a big dusty (95% of the year) dry riverbed/irrigation ditch. In other words, you will want to keep your windows and drapes closed all the time. I don't understand why they even bothered to put balconies on this hotel.

It will take you about 15-20 minutes to get to DL from the Anaheim ES. The one in GG is MUCH closer.There is only one restaurant close by the Anaheim ES (a steakhouse, if I recall correctly), but the restaurant in the hotel is pretty good.

In short, it's not an attractive location at all, but the hotel itself is very nice.

Mary
MouseSavers.com

EandCDad
01-11-2003, 02:16 PM
Originally posted by FoodLover

It will take you about 15-20 minutes to get to DL from the Anaheim ES. The one in GG is MUCH closer.There is only one restaurant close by the Anaheim ES (a steakhouse, if I recall correctly), but the restaurant in the hotel is pretty good.



The last time I was at the one in Anaheim (on Fontera), the restaurant in the parking lot was a sports bar. This was a few years back, though, there is a Carls Jr. that is pretty close. I assume they run a shuttle to Disneyland, but it is far less convienent than the one in Garden Grove.

As Foodlover noted, the Anaheim hotel itself is nice, however, the area is REALLY dumpy.

FoodLover
01-11-2003, 10:25 PM
EandCDad, you're right, it's a sports bar next door.

I didn't see the Carl's Jr -- must be on the opposite side of the freeway?

I forgot to mention there is a Boomer's Family Fun Center across the freeway from the Anaheim Embassy Suites, with stuff like go karts, bumper boats, batting cages, arcade games, etc.

Mary
MouseSavers.com

EandCDad
01-12-2003, 04:58 AM
Originally posted by FoodLover
EandCDad, you're right, it's a sports bar next door.

I didn't see the Carl's Jr -- must be on the opposite side of the freeway?


I'm taxing my memory here and I stay in lots of hotels, so I might be confused, but I think if you crossed the freeway there was one one right there or a few blocks down.

AVP
01-12-2003, 10:54 AM
The Embassy Suites - Anaheim South (http://www.mouseplanet.com/cgi/reviews/do/display.cgi?product-sku=dlrembassysuitesanaheimsouth) has a 5-planet rating in the MousePlanet Hotel and Restaurant Reviews (http://www.mouseplanet.com/cgi/reviews/do/find.cgi) database. In fact, the hotel would have received a Reader's Choice Award earlier this week if it had received more reviews. (Hint, Hint)

The Embassy Suites - Anaheim North (http://www.mouseplanet.com/cgi/reviews/do/display.cgi?product-sku=dlrembassysuites) property has a 4-planet rating in the database.

Whichever one you choose, please be sure to enter a review into the database when you return to help other travelers plan their trips!

AVP

truman
01-12-2003, 11:58 AM
I used to work at that Embassy Siutes when it first opened for about 4 months. If the hotel is busy, do NOT stay at this hotel! The hotel has a number of large fustrating problems. All of these problem only pertain to the hotel if it is busy.

First, the elevators are very slow and always crowded, especially at breakfast time. Expect a wait of 5 - 10 minutes just to get on an elevator, even if you are on the second floor and need only to go down one floor. There are no stairs to use. The only stairs are fire escape stair wells that will take you outside the hotel in the back and side parking lots.

Second, the toilets are always backing up because the contractor did not install the a proper flushing system and you may have to call hte front desk to get it unclogged. This has always been a problem. Three to four calls everyday!

Third, hope you like getting up early to take a shower, as the hot water tanks and heaters are not larger enough for a hotel of this size. The hot water generally runs out at 9:30 and it takes about a hour for the hearter to heat more water. That is if nobody is using it as it is making it.

Fourth, The furniture in the hotel room is the cheapest IKEA crap furniture you can buy. It looks good when you first see it, but on closer inspection it is partical board with a fake wood laminet. The corners were getting damaged when I was working there over a year ago, I can only imaging what it looks like now.

Most of these problems only pertain to when the hotel is busy, so make your travel plans accordingly.

If you would like to stay at a HILTON property you should look it the HILTON Towers located across from the park and next to the convention center. The rooms are very nice and they do have a lot of suites available, if you need the space. I forget what the level is called, I think Lani, but you can get a suite or a room that is on the same level as the pool with the nice potted garden right outside your window. These rooms also have a sliding glass door that open right out to the pool. This make it very nice if you want a quick dip.

Hope this helps you plan your vacation a little better. I hate to be such a downer about the Embassy Suites, but that hotel has a lot of big problems.