Howard Johnson Anaheim: Finding Home Away From Home
It’s no secret that our family loves to take trips to Disneyland. As often as we are able, we make the four hour or so drive down to Anaheim, car loaded to the brim with our belongings, as we prepare to embark on a three to five-day adventure at the Happiest Place on Earth. We have figured out how to plan our trips down to a fine science, from where we will stay, to what we need to bring, which meals we are eating at the parks and where, and so on. But there was one place that had, until recently, seemed out of reach, a place to stay that was not only incredibly close to the park, but also genuinely cool in its own right- the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground, often affectionately referred to as “HoJo Anaheim.” They had a funky, modern aesthetic. They had Disney-themed and decorated rooms. They were, quite literally, a seven minute walk away from the Disneyland entrance.
And, they had an out-of-this world hotel waterpark, complete with a gigantic pirate ship. We had to go, we told ourselves. We kept an eye on the rates whenever we were planning trips just in case we would be able to afford to go. While it seemed like a slight possibility, staying at the HoJo Anaheim also seemed completely out of our reach.
Until now.
Thanks to our hard work in the online community, and the absolutely amazing Marketing Director, we were able to secure a collaborative deal with HoJo Anaheim: In exchange for a fully edited suite of photos, and an Instagram takeover for a day, we would be allowed to stay in one of their refurbished rooms that they set aside for digital media influencers for the duration of our stay. We were ecstatic; not only was this fulfilling a dream of ours, but this was poised to be our largest collaboration to date. Not only were doing our first Instagram takeover for a company, but HoJo Anaheim wanted us to cover the California Food and Wine Festival, which was taking place at Disney California Adventure Park, as well give away one Sip and Savor Pass to a lucky winner who participated in a giveaway that we would facilitate.
Needless to say, we crammed everything we would need into the car, loaded up the kids, and made our way to Anaheim. We were prepared- in addition to our regular clothes and necessities, we had also packed everything we had acquired from Disney-based companies to do collaborations with while we were at the parks. We had four days at the parks, which was plenty of time for photoshoots, outfit changes, and sampling the amazing food and drink on display for the Festival. We had around thirty-two companies that we were collaborating with in addition to HoJo, from clothing companies to jewelry makers, custom Minnie Mouse ear makers, footwear companies, and more. Hardly any of the clothing we took was our own. Almost everything we wore was entirely from companies we were collaborating with, and we are so fortunate to each and every company that we’ve worked with. You all have truly helped make our dreams a reality.
Now, checking in to most hotels is a pretty straightforward process, but the feeling was electric as we pulled up and greeted the front desk staff. They were the best- incredibly hospitable, prompt, and courteous. They even had some packages on hold for us that companies had sent to the hotel in preparation of our arrival. After receiving our waterpark passes, our room keys, and signing our $0 bill (!) we started unpacking the car, and after finding one of those awesome luggage carts (another first for us), we started moving into our room.
If you stay in one of the Disney themed rooms (we stayed in a Queen Deluxe), the first thing you’ll notice is just how well put together the rooms are. Outfitted in retro-modern fashion, the room pops with funky colors and patterns, complete with funky chevron accent pillows, an awesome multi-circle mirror, and cool, semi-abstract Mickey Mouse artwork on the walls. The room isn’t just all flash and decorum; it’s also functional, with multi-plugs for charging, easy-switch lights, ample closet space, and a ready-to-go Keurig machine. There’s a desk space and a sitting nook, and the bathroom comes with a gigantic mirror framed with an LED border- perfect for putting makeup on in front of. Every basic amenity was there, but with an extra level of care and style that really elevated the room to another level beyond anything we were previously accustomed to. Also, I just want to take a second to applaud the coffee that comes in the room- a blend by Wolfgang Puck, I believe- that was simply fantastic. Also fantastic was the gift basket that was waiting for us, filled with snacks, toys and puzzles for the kids, and a heartfelt, handwritten card. Never before have we received such incredible treatment from a hotel. After unpacking and moving everything into its respective places (so much drawer space!) we were ready for tons of Disneyland fun and adventure.
Since we have two children under the age of three, staying at the Disneyland parks for the entire day isn’t very feasible- they need a break at some point. So we used our break times to come back to the room for a bit, rest our feet, and enjoy the awesome water park. HoJo also has a traditional pool, but we didn’t actually figure that out until our last day, when we decided to explore the full grounds of the hotel. Since the water park was just outside of the building we were staying in, that was where we spent our time when we weren’t at Disney.
I’ll get to the main feature of the water park- the pirate ship- in just a second, but I was actually more pleasantly surprised by everything else that was in the water park. They have a kiddie pool that’s no deeper than a foot, which our one year-old and two year-old absolutely loved. There were numerous water features surrounding the pirate ship; great founts of water spraying everywhere, much to our kids delight. There was a hot-tub, with handicap access, which I was extremely impressed by, and a large outdoor chess/checkers set, and a beanbag toss game. Of course, the pirate ship was insanely cool!! There’s a small, two lane straight slide, and a larger swirly side at the top. Water cannons on the middle level aim into the water park area, complete with rival cannons shooting back into the ship. But by FAR the coolest part is the giant water bucket, which fills with water until it reaches critical mass, at which point it dips forward, releasing a deluge of water on anyone unwary enough to be underneath. Just be careful with very little ones- it’s a LOT of water, and while the force is somewhat mitigated by the water cascading over the ship itself, it can be quite intense. All in all, though, bravo to HoJo Anaheim for including such a fun addition to an otherwise boringly traditional pool area.
Our first evening we were again impressed when we asked for a crib to be brought up for our daughter to sleep in. She tends to roll a lot at night, and the high beds made us nervous, but they had a crib brought to our room in less than thirty minutes. The next morning we were greeted by a knock at the door- the front desk manager had brought up balloons in celebration of our daughter's birthday! Later that day, after a round of Disney, we came back to the room and had cake pops, cake, and balloons, and sang happy birthday songs to Irie, who absolutely loved every bit of it. The hotel knew we were coming to celebrate our daughter's birthday, but that unexpected care and attention was truly something special. We were mortified when Irie decided to smear cake all over the sitting nook, but when we came back to the hotel, our room was as spotless as ever. It was so relieving to be able to come back to a clean room and rest after spending the days at Disneyland.
We knew that staying at the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground was going to be a special experience. What we weren’t expecting was just how far above and beyond the norm both the hotel and its staff would be. Everyone was extremely accommodating, the rooms and amenities were fantastic, and unique in a way that we hadn’t experienced until now. The close proximity to the Disneyland parks simply can’t be beat, and if Disney is your thing, it’s a fantastic place to stay. We want you to give it a try as well, and we are offering a special discount code: LNLR that allows you to save %15 off of your next booking. We want to thank everyone at HoJo Anaheim for our fantastic stay and experience.
-The Center Street Clements
Devin, Montana, Atticus & Irie!