Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [198]
Best Western Courtesy Inn ( 714-772-2470, 800-233-8062; www.bestwestern.com/courtesyinn; 1070 W Ball Rd; r $89-129; wi-fi) Refreshingly honest management will tell you there’s nothing particularly special about this 37-room motel. That said, the rooms are clean and reasonably priced, and all have a microwave and fridge. Walk to Disneyland in 10 minutes.
Midrange
Desert Palms Hotel & Suites ( 714-535-1133, 888-788-0482; www.desertpalmshotel.com; 631 W Katella Ave; r $59-165, ste $185-449; wi-fi) A five-story, 187 room hotel bordering DCA, the mazelike Desert Palms has rooms with microwaves and fridges; downstairs there’s a bar, restaurant, fitness center, hot tub and continental breakfast in the morning. A little worn but that may be due to the rotating hordes of families. Wi-fi costs $10 per day.
Cortona Inn & Suites ( 714-971-5000, 800-416-6819; www.cortonainn.com; 2029 S Harbor Blvd; r $69-329; wi-fi) Formerly a Days Inn, this well-maintained two-story motel has fridges and microwaves in every room, plus on-site laundry facilities and small games room. Rates include continental breakfast. You can walk to Disneyland in 20 minutes. Wi-fi costs $10 per day.
Candy Cane Inn ( 714-774-5284, 800-345-7057; www.candycaneinn.net; 1747 S Harbor Blvd; r $99-189; wi-fi) You’ll find more flower beds than candy canes at this oh-so-cute motel, known for welcoming grounds bursting with gorgeous blooms. Rooms have all mod-cons, plus down comforters and plantation shutters. The hotel is adjacent to the main gate to Disneyland. It’s a top choice and booking a year out is strongly advised.
Anabella Hotel ( 714-905-1050, 800-863-4888; www.anabellahotel.com; 1030 W Katella Ave; r $119-189; wi-fi) Formerly three separate motels on adjacent lots, this sprawling, 7-acre complex has the feel of a laid-back country club, complete with trams carrying guests from the lobby to their buildings. Rooms are decorated in Spanish Colonial style, with extras such as granite bathroom counters, fridge and web TV. Grab a Tanganita at the on-site Tangerine Grill & Patio. Parking costs $10 per night, wi-fi $10 per day.
Carousel Inn & Suites ( 714-758-0444, 800-854-6767; www.carouselinnandsuites.com; 1530 S Harbor Blvd; r $140, ste $180-240; wi-fi) Just over the berm from Disneyland, this recently remodeled four-story motel makes an effort to look good, with upgraded furniture and pots of flowers hanging from its exterior corridors’ wrought-iron railings. The rooftop pool has great views of Disneyland’s fireworks. Suites sleep four to eight people. It’s a sister property with Anabella Hotel. Wi-fi is $10 per day.
Alpine Inn ( 714-535-2186, 800-772-4422; www.alpineanaheim; 715 W Katella Ave; r $149-159; ) Connoisseurs of kitsch will hug their Hummels over this snow-covered chalet sporting an A-frame exterior and icicle-covered roofs. Right on the border of DCA, the inn also has views of the Ferris wheel. Rooms are on the older side, but clean. There are five family-friendly suites.
Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel ( 714-999-0990; 1717 S Disneyland Dr; r $225-255; ) Sunbursts, surfboards and a giant superslide are all on deck at the Paradise Pier Hotel, the cheapest, but most fun, of the Disney hotel trio. Kids will love the beachy decor, not to mention the 186ft waterslide and the tiny-tot video room filled with mini Adirondack chairs. Rooms are just as spotlessly kept as at the others and are decorated with colorful fabrics and custom furniture. The hotel connects directly to DCA. Request a room overlooking the park.
Top End
Disneyland Hotel ( 714-778-6600; 1150 Magic Way; r $285-325; ) Built in 1955, the year Disneyland opened, the park’s original hotel seems in need of a dash of bibbidi-bobbidi-boo. Staff seem a little less ‘happy’ here, and the rooms – though good-sized – are a bit more tired