By D’land Diva
We in the D’land Diva family are HUGE fans of the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel. We have been visiting this hotel for over ten years and have never been disappointed. The hotel is clean, spacious, within walking distance to the Disneyland Resort, and the customer service cannot be beat! Within the past few years, the main pool area has undergone renovation turning it into a huge pirate ship themed water park, complete with water slides and a wading area for toddlers. This addition to the hotel has made our visits even more exciting!
Located on Harbor Blvd, just off of the 5 freeway, the Howard Johnson Hotel Anaheim is literally across the street from Disneyland. From the hotel, guests can see the Matterhorn, Space Mountain and the Monorail. It is an eight minute walk (maybe 10 minutes with strollers and small children) to the front gates of the Disneyland Resort. This makes it super convenient to walk back to the hotel for naps or pool time. Diva Tip: There are three official Disney hotels at the Disneyland Resort, but some of the off property “Good Neighbor” hotels are actually closer to the park and much, much more affordable. The Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel is a Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotel and it was named Trip Adviser’s Traveler’s Choice for Best for Families in Anaheim, 2012.
In general, the nightly rates for rooms at this hotel are less than $200 a night and great rates can be found during certain times of the year for less than $100 a night. Yes, you read that correctly- less than $100 a night for a hotel right across the street from Disneyland. If you are a Disneyland Annual Pass Holder, there are discounted rates, so be sure to check when booking your room.
The hotel grounds are beautiful. There are a lot of trees, flowers, plants and even waterfalls. It is a very serene, quiet environment. We have found this to be really nice after a busy day in the parks. There is an arcade if the kids are looking for something to do outside of the pool. Hungry for a snack? There is a convince store on property. The store is perhaps one of the best perks of staying at the hotel. It is open early and stays open late. Diva Tip: This is a great place to grab some breakfast on your way over to Disneyland! There are snacks, toiletries and souvenirs available in the shop.
So, let’s talk about the rooms. The rooms are spacious, and there are options of a king bed, two double beds or two queen beds. There is also the option of staying in a kids suite, a queen suite or a king suite. ADA accessible rooms are available. Rooms include a refrigerator, a Keurig coffee maker, a flat screen TV, free Wi-Fi, safes and toiletries. The rooms are clean and quiet. Even the rooms close to the freeway have two doors to the balcony and double pained windows to block out the noise. Most of the rooms also have double sinks! The staff is super friendly and if you need anything, such as extra pillows or towels, they are prompt in getting those items to you.
For those interested in a Disneyland view, there are a number of rooms that face the park. This means that you can watch some of the action- including fireworks- from your room.
The Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel has plenty of FREE parking, but it is also along the ART bus route. ART buses run between the hotels and Anaheim attractions (including Disneyland). More information about the ART buses can be found here.
For more information about the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel and Water Playground be sure to check out their website here.
We hope you enjoy your stay here as much as we have!
