PDA

View Full Version : Paradise Pier or HoJo's, if money were no object.



LibertyCall
03-11-2006, 08:44 AM
Two connecting rooms at Hojo's, or concierge level suite (the basic "paradise suite", about 800 sq. feet, not the huge ones!) at PP? We always stay at Hojo's and love it, but I really want to try an on property hotel and that 200/night GCH rate in June just doesn't look like it's going to happen.

Walt'sbirthdaygirl
03-11-2006, 08:45 AM
I would take the PP, I think its cute, clean and Disney. The walk will be a bit farther than HOJO's, but you can't beat the disney theming.

rentayenta
03-11-2006, 08:53 AM
PPH hands down. I didn't find the walk any longer than the walk to the HoJo's. Maybe because I got to stroll down cool DTD and not Harbor Blvd. ;)



Cute avatar Walt'sGirl!

Susan L
03-11-2006, 09:46 AM
PPH, no question. We just stayed at the HoJo for our first three nights and then moved to the Grand. We did not enjoy our time at the HoJo. You can't beat being on site. PPH is a cool hotel and it is close to everything. Take the Monorail in and out of DL and use the GCH entrance for DCA. Concierge sound very nice.

TikiGeek
03-11-2006, 09:57 AM
Although we love HoJo's and stay there frequently - PPH offers a more "Disney" experience for all of the reasons mentioned above. If $$$ are not a factor, I agree, PPH hands down. :)

Malcon10t
03-11-2006, 10:37 AM
Although we love HoJo's and stay there frequently - PPH offers a more "Disney" experience for all of the reasons mentioned above. If $$$ are not a factor, I agree, PPH hands down. :)
If money is no issue, DLH is more of a Disney experience. For about $40 a night more, my vote would be DLH.

kisroo
03-11-2006, 10:39 AM
If you want the Disney feel~PPH. Plus, the concierge gives you a fantastic room and breakfast, snacks, water, pop...

Have a wonderful time!!

~kisroo:)

LibertyCall
03-11-2006, 10:41 AM
Money *is* an issue, but we can afford 1400 of an issue, not a whole lot more than that though, lol. I just keep reading that PP seems soooooooo far from everything. I wondered if the extra expense was worth it with the longer distance and all.

DLH is booked for our dates anyway (according to the website).

kisroo
03-11-2006, 10:42 AM
Like Renta said, it's not that different of a walk and you're going through DtD which makes it all the more Disney-like! ;)

TikiGeek
03-11-2006, 10:53 AM
If money is no issue, DLH is more of a Disney experience.True. I was just choosing between the 2 given in the OP. :)

Hakuna Makarla
03-11-2006, 11:06 AM
paradise is farther away the the hojo's??? No way,really ??

SoCalDude
03-11-2006, 11:07 AM
Park view at the PPH. The park view rooms are amazing!

luvindiznee
03-11-2006, 11:40 AM
I dont know about HOJO...but you will be pleased with PPH. We stayed there a week with 3 boys - 3, 5 and 8, and had the time of our lives. You can see and hear the fireworks from the 3rd story roof, they liked that, and the walk is probably 2-4 minutes further than DLH from the monorail. There's a minifridge in the room, and 2 queens and a good pullout couch that is comfortable.

kohl
03-11-2006, 12:10 PM
We have stay at HoJo's before and were not that impressed. We really enjoy the PP. We would pick PP over HoJo's anyday.

Darkbeer
03-11-2006, 10:57 PM
I am a HoJo fan, let me share something I saw just a few minutes ago at TripAdvisor.com....

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g29092-d75680-r4595594-Howard_Johnson_Plaza_Hotel_Anaheim-Anaheim_California.html




The Howard Johnson's Anaheim is a fantastic value! We requested building #2 by the quiet pool and received a beautiful room on the 3rd floor! We experienced no noise problems whatsoever. The walk to the entrance of the Disneyland Resort was quite short (approximately 7-8 minutes). The staff was extremely attentive and friendly. We received a great rate and plan on staying at the Howard Johnson's for all future trips to the Disneyland Resort!

We stayed for a few nights at the Grand Californian for a few days after our Howard Johnson's stay and preferred the Howard Johnson's Anaheim! It's a beautiful resort at a great price - can't wait to return!

SoCalDude
03-11-2006, 11:45 PM
I am a HoJo fan, let me share something I saw just a few minutes ago at TripAdvisor.com....


Good 'ol DB is like old faithful :p

Funny thing is - I can say the EXACT same thing about PPH with the exception of "We requested building #2" and staying on the 3rd floor part :fez:

EDIT:
I just spent some time on the site DB linked to - on the very page that came up when I clicked this was the review:


Anaheim: Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel - Anaheim: "If you are smart you'll read this before you book this place!"
Mar 5, 2006: rogntril@[email removed for spamfighting, you can find it on the site if you really want it], Hillsboro, Oregon Compare prices with:


I stayed at this hotel in:
February, 2006
My ratings for this hotel are:

Rooms
Service
Value
Cleanliness
Pool
I traveled to this hotel with: spouse/partner, small children, family members

My visit was for: extended vacation

Would I stay at this location again: no way!
I'm amazed at the variances in the reviews of this place. I will agree that some rooms are much better than others. Here is some of my feedback:

The good:
* Close to Disneyland if you don't mind walking 12 minutes each way (which sounds ok in the morning but is a bit much after 12 hours of walking all day).
* The staff was very friendly and helpful.
* The second room we were in was adequate for the price we paid (in Building 2)
* The grounds were nice (not great).

The not so good:
* Location is right off of I-5, a Major 10 lane freeway, that has high traffic 24 hours a day. Our first room in building 1 was literally 15 feet from and overlooking I-5. I couldn't hear my wife talking in the room with all doors closed. They moved us to the other side of the building but it was at the end and still only 100 feet from I-5. I can't state strong enough that the location of the entire hotel is very poor.
* Our first room was very substandard. When we asked the staff acted like they've heard it many times before and were as accommodating as they could be. They moved us the next night to a better room. The hotel states that that the rooms have been updated. This might be true of a building we didn't stay in but building 1 needs refurbishing badly and building 2 is still years old but better than building 1.
* The hotel was undergoing major construction!! This is a big deal and would have been nice to know about. We wouldn't have stayed there had we know this.
* 1 of 2 elevators were down and under construction in building 1. This lead to long wait times for the elevator.
* The pool wasn't anything like what is represented online. It was just ok. Maybe 1 step up from a Super 8 motel pool.

I would think that you can easily find a much better place to stay for the money around Disneyland. I wouldn't recommend the Howard Johnson in Anaheim to anyone. This is supposed to be their best and "flagship" Hotel. I was very dissapointed and let down at how poor of a place it really was.

I didn't bring most of these things up to the staff as there was nothing they could do about it.



Granted one time I did have a prob with wait times and the elevator at the PPH.. but it was minor and one night only.

Go with everybody that has posted in this thread to this point with the exception of DB... go with the PPH (and get a park view room). There is NOTHING like having the park just outside your window! It is an AMAZING thing to go to sleep to and to wake up to! Looks like if you stay at the HoJo you have a great shot of waking up to a view of bumper-to-bumper traffic :fez:

LibertyCall
03-12-2006, 07:11 AM
Looks like PP is the favorite on this thread! I do have to say that I have never had anything to complain about at HoJo's. From the cleanliness to the service. I love the grounds, too. I hope I don't spoil myself if we stay at the PP!:D

Susan L
03-12-2006, 01:06 PM
You will like the PPH and the walk back and forth from the parks is not that bad, and as I said before if you use the Monorail its a piece of cake. The walk back and forth to the HoJo is terrible.

twist1980
03-12-2006, 03:25 PM
I would go with PPH. There is nothing like waking up in the morning and walking through a nearly empty DtD. It really is a quick walk and you can always catch the Monorail (which is a short walk from PPH)!

Darkbeer
03-12-2006, 08:54 PM
Let me just state, that HoJo's is rated Number #2 in Anaheim at Trip Advisor, while Paradise Pier is a few places lower...

So maybe you should go with the hotel MORE people prefer... ;)

sambo
03-12-2006, 10:45 PM
I've stayed at both, and now that the makeover at HoJo's is complete (or nearly so) I'd return there in a heartbeat. Not that I didn't like PCH, or PPH, or whatever they are calling it now, because I did enjoy my stay there. I enjoyed all my stays at DLH as well.

My problem is that I am a true Disneyland fan. Meaning I am there for the rope drop and frequently among the last to leave Main Street long after closing. I rarely use facilities like the swimming pool. (let's see - Disneyland or a pool just like the one down the street that I see every week? Hmmm...) I did use the spa at HoJo's on a couple evenings when the park closed early, and the therapy was much appreciated.

So - If you are there to have a vacation and while on vacation, visit Disneyland, I'd recommend staying on property. It's a great experience. If however you are going to Disneyland and need a great place to stay, I'd recommend HoJo's. I hope you see the difference...