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Hawthorne Inn and Suites
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Reviewer's Name: |
Claire |
Reviewer's Email Address: |
clairecowan@aol.com |
Date(s) of Stay: |
Oct. 7-13, 2001 |
Disney Resort: |
Disneyland (California) |
Location: |
Anaheim Area |
Ease of Disney Park Access: |
Close, but we used a shuttle |
Complimentary Park Shuttle Available? |
Yes |
Park Shuttle Comments: |
The shuttle was shared with three or four other hotels,
plus the RV park (which is way out of the way and kudos to the
drivers who thought to ask us if we were going there. If there
were no takers, they skipped that stop, which cut out a twenty
minute detour) Some friendly drivers, but most didn't help
with the stroller, greet the guests, etc. Two of the drivers
were hilarious. We made sure to tip them. The shuttle ran
every twenty minutes part of the day, every hour for part,
then closed for two hours mid-day (beware if you like that
mid-day nap), so it was confusing. Hang on to your shuttle
schedule. At park closing, we had to run each night to catch
the last shuttle of the day. Which is the last thing we wanted
to do at that time of day. Three times, the shuttle was too
full and they "called" to send another one. But what really
happened is that the shuttle completed the route, then came
back to get the next group. Did they think we wouldn't
recognize the driver?? Twice we had to walk and it's a long
one. Also--the shuttle drop off/pick up area is the one
furthest from the gates. |
Address: |
1752 S. Clementine Dr. |
Phone Number: |
714-535-7773 |
Facility Type: |
Hotel |
Accommodation Used: |
Suite |
Accommodations Review: |
We arrived from the airport at ten a.m., and while we
weren't able to check in, we "pre-checked" and were able to
freshen up/change in the bathroom in the lobby, and they
stored our baggage in the office so we could go to DL for the
day. A few things didn't go well that first night. They didn't
have a crib for our ten month old, even though I reconfirmed
twice on the phone and mentioned it again that morning when we
"pre-checked" in, so she had to sleep in her stroller. It was
a long night. Also, two drawer-fronts came off as we were
unpacking. Since we saw this as a danger to our baby, and
since we thought it would be inconvenient to stay for six days
out of our suitcases... they offered us the room next door.
Well, it had the same problem, and so did another room down
the hall. The furniture is very low quality. They promised to
get us a crib (even got one from another hotel, which was a
nice touch) and fix our furniture while we were at DL the next
day and they did. I also thought the staff was pretty friendly
and helpful when we had these problems. The room was spacious
enough--room for the crib, two double beds, and in the "living
room" area a fold-out couch. My mom just slept on the couch,
as is. Plenty of room for six, plus the stroller, etc. And
although I'd read another review regarding the cleanliness of
the hotel, I thought it was pretty clean. I talked to the
staff at the front desk and they said they did a complete
rehiring of housekeeping staff a few months back. The
breakfast buffet was okay. They had scrambled eggs (from a
powder I'm thinking), hash brown triangles, and sausages. On
the other bar, which we didn't see our first trip, they have
waffles you can make--which was the most popular with our
group. They also had fresh fruit daily--usually oranges,
sometimes cantaloupe and canned fruit, pears and peaches.
There was a pop machine, two juice machine and milk. There
were three types of Kellogg's cereal to choose from daily, as
well. They had a nice assortment of bagels and bread and
English muffins to toast. Also, there were condiments for
everything. The breakfast, while not exceptional, met our
needs each day. Get there early, as it tends to get crowded
twice--once before the shuttle for early entry and once before
the regular gate opening shuttle. Also, the shuttle runs
twenty minutes to park opening, so don't plan on being the
first in line. Also, there are no restaurants within walking
distance from the hotel. And I didn't get to the exercise
room. My kids had a blast and liked the hotel a lot, which is
what really counts. I'd say overall it met our needs, and for
a group of six, that says a lot! |
Rate/Night (for your stay): |
$69 |
# of Restaurants/Lounges: |
0 |
Restaurant/Lounge Review: |
n/a |
Amenities / Facilities / Activities Available: |
Sundries Shop, Pool, Hot Tub, Health Club/Spa, Hair Dryer, Laundry, In-room Safe,
Cooking Facilities, Non-Smoking Rooms Available, Smoke Detectors, Fire Sprinklers.
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Pool Description/Comments: |
The pool was clean and never crowded. It's located under
the hotel/parking garage. My daughter enjoyed it a lot. Twice
there were no towels, though. |
Other Comments: |
For a large family/group on a budget, I'd say this one is
not bad. I did notice there are other hotels closer to DL,
that offer suites, which was the main attraction for
us. | | |
