9 Reasons to Saty at the Howard Johnson Hotel in Anaheim

The Howard Johnson hotel in Anaheim, aka HoJo, has some great features that make it the perfect family friendly hotel to stay at. Whether you are planning a trip to Disneyland or just want a vacation in Anaheim, here are 9 benefits of booking.

View the HoJo website HERE

**Save 15% on your stay by using corporate code 1000022077**

Disneyand Passholders get 20% off, and if you call to book directly they can override the minimum length of stay.

1. Water Playground and Pool

The HoJo has a really fun water playground called Castaway Cove. It is pirate themed and includes water slides, splash pad, climbing rope, and even a small wading pool for the little ones. They also have a jacuzzi for parents to relax while the kids play. There is a larger pool surrounded by a beautiful garden in another area of the hotel. TIP: Check in starts at 4pm, but you can swim before your room is ready. Just ask the front lobby to hold your suitcases, or keep them in your car. I would recommend to have a separate bag with all your swim essentials and sunscreen for easy changing. So get there before 4pm on day of check in to take advantage of the fun! You will need a wristband to enter the pool area, but the front desk staff were very nice and will give them to you early before the room is ready.

2.Short Walk to the Parks

The convenience of parking at the hotel and walking a short 8 minute walk to the park entrance is enough for me to book here! It was so nice not having to pay the $30 parking fee, battling large crowds, and walking or waiting in line for the tram to get to the parks.

3.You Can See the Fireworks and Monorail from the Hotel

During the summer Disneyland has nightly fireworks at 9:30 and you can watch them from the hotel! (Non-summer days have fireworks on the weekends) Check the Disneyland app to verify the date and time of the show. I would also recommend asking a hotel staff where would be the best place to view the fireworks. From our room we would not have been able to see them, but if you sit in the pool area you should have a good view. We had fun watching the monorail come by every few minutes and waving at everyone! You can still feel the Disney magic even if you are not in the park.

4.Kids Get a Complimentary Pirate Hat and Sword Ballon

When you check in at the main lobby, be sure to ask for a pirate hat and sword balloon. my kids had so much fun just walking around and pretending to be pirates. This also kept them busy in the hotel room while I was packing things up for the day. I heard they pass out chocolate coins too, but we did not know to ask for them so I'm not 100% if they still do that.

5.Free Face Painting and Glitter Tattoos Every Other Saturday

We were so excited to get complimentary face painting and glitter tattoos on Saturday. They offer this from 8:30-10:30 am at the front desk. They did an amazing job and were very friendly! I would recommend to bring a few dollars for a tip.

6.Great Value

The price to stay at HoJo is WAY less than the price of a Disney Hotel stay. And if you missed the first part of my blog, there is a discount code to save another 15%! I was really impressed by the intimate feel of this hotel, it was not huge but just big enough to feel like you are having a great vacation. The pools and greenery were very well kept. I also felt like every staff member we ran into were very nice and accommodating.

7.Gift Shop with Disney Merch

We really enjoyed the gift shop they have on property. They offered so much fun Disney merchandise like clothes, swimsuits, luggage, hats, mugs, toys, and so much more! They also offer the essentials in case you forgot to pack something (suncreen, toothpaste, medication) Grab and go type snacks and desserts are available, but there is no restaurant on property. Although you can literally walk across the street and there is a MiMi's, McDonalds, and Panera Bread close by.

8.Fun Decor and Photo Ops

We enjoyed walking around and looking at the Vintage Disney posters hanging on the walls on the entire property. Even the rooms had a cute Mickey Mouse Painting! There is also a fun photo op outside in the huge orange chair!

9.Clean and Newly Remodeled Rooms

HoJo is in the process of a three part renovation. We Stayed in building 2 which has newly remodeled rooms. I was very impressed by how clean everything was, not only in the rooms, but also the lobby and outside walkways. Cleanliness is soooo important to me (I'm a bit of a germ freak). So I was very happy with this!

This was our first time staying at the Howard Johnson Hotel in Anaheim and it definitely won't be our last! I hope you were convinced that it is definitely a Hotel worth trying out. View my Instagram Post below to watch the video.

Check out my Instagram page for more family friendly travel ideas in SoCal!