Stay: March 3 - March 4, 2008

Room: Standard Room

Upgrades: None

Comments: Fine Hotel, staff took a little long to check me in, did not give me an upgrade as a SPG Gold member at the time. Room was fine, location is great if you are going to Disney. Parking is not included, keep that in mind. I would only recommend this if you are going to Disney and not able to stay on the property. Otherwise there are plenty of other hotels around.

Before booking this I had read mixed reviews but with the expectation that this not the Ritz, but a family hotel, I thought it was an excellent choice and value.

We checked in on June 22nd and were greeted by the friendly staff who gave us an early check -in. The lobby by the way has a series of fish tanks that the kids loved because of the look-a-like Nemo fish.

The rooms to our surprise were very spacious which was great for the kids. The only two negatives were the size of the bathroom and the carpet was very run down.

The hotel is very close to Disney and, like many others have mentioned, there are no restaurants nearby. We found the hotel food prices to be more expensive and of lesser value than the meals we enjoyed in Disneyland and California Adventure. If your hotel package doesn't include breakfast, head over to Disneyland and get breakfast at the Orleans Cafe.

The hotel also offers a free shuttle every 30 mins to the parks and and back to the hotel. The bus drivers were always on time and prompt to leave.

Something else to note - if you're not at the parks when the fireworks go off you will certainly hear them in your room when they go off - they sounded like bombs - fortunately the kids slept right through them.

Overall this hotel is a great choice to stay with the family - the rooms could use a make-over but the close proximity to the parks and the free shuttle make it a great value.

This hotel has uneven service, high pros and low cons. This would be okay if the hotel was $100 or under. I think for the price, the service should be better.

The shuttle made it worth while. This is clearly a priority for the hotel. I never had to wait more than 15 min for a shuttle, it was great service.

Housecleaning, on the other hand, is horrible. On our first day there, we were able to check in early - at 10 am. This was fantastic. However the next day, when we returned from our day at the park, at 2pm, our room was still dirty. So, that means that over 24 hours had passed and nobody had been in our room to clean. Our trash cans were overfilled, we had dirty towels on the floor, and our beds had not been made. I put my baby down for her nap and called the front desk. They told me that when we left for the evening, they would clean the room, which they did. However, I felt that for $190 a night, this was really bad service.

I noticed that a pizza box and dirty cups were sitting outside someone else's room for a really long time. I saw them at 5pm, and the next morning at 9am, they were still there.

The rooms were big, which I loved, but the bathrooms are small, the tubs drain slow, and the faucet leaks. Again, okay for less than $100, but not for $150-$190.

Our first night was $150, but when we went to book the 2nd night, the price was hiked up to $190, so we bit the dust.

I feel like next time I will choose another hotel. Like I said the only good thing about this hotel is the shuttle service.

This was destination #6 in our 2007 summer holiday which took in San Francisco (Holiday Inn, Fisherman's Wharf), Yosemite (Yosemite View Lodge), Carmel (Carmel Mission Inn), Santa Maria (Holiday Inn), Beverly Hills (Beverly Hilton), Anaheim (Sheraton Anaheim) and San Diego (Paradise Point).

This review is for the Sheraton Anaheim Hotel.

First of all let's face the facts. Walt Disney's purchase of a few empty fields in Orange County all those years ago did not stay a secret for long. Hence everyone pitched up and started building around his plot. What you have today is a bizarre case of a magical land-locked Disneyland Resort with no end of hotels/motels on the doorstep. You've therefore only got a choice of 3 Disney hotels "on-property" (not like the many in WDW Florida), all of which I personally think are not work the money, certainly as 2 of them don't look that special. I might stay at the Grand Californian Resort and Spa if I was loaded but after the likes of a Castle Club room in the delightful Disneyland Hotel in Disneyland Resort Paris, I'm not sure it would be any better.

So where do you stay? Answer: the Sheraton Anaheim Hotel. It's great.

Within 5 minutes drive (the majority of that being for traffic lights) to the parks by courtesy coach that runs every frequently throughout the day, the Sheraton Anaheim Hotel is based just north of the park area. It has a large car park which was free for us to use as a Virgin Holidays guest. This is also a perfect vantage point to see the fireworks every night.

Check-in was a dream; pleasant and efficient , especially as we were checked in by fellow brit Gary from Crewe. It was our wedding anniversary during the stay and although nothing could be done that night, we got upgraded to a turret room for the remaining 4 nights.

Rooms are big, clean and overall good. The room we got for the first night was in an ancillary block and a bit of a trek away. It was however, slightly larger and more modern than the turret room (simply more accessible I think - no more special in any way so I would not recommend paying for one).

The restaurant is also to be recommended. It is both child-friendly and very reasonable. The salads are great and a nice change from theme park fare but having said that Disney food can be good. Service is also special (though the occasional member of staff could do with a lesson in charm) and a nice change from the "order-eat-pay-leave" places that make you feel like you've overstayed your welcome after 30 minutes. We got a free $25 voucher to use because of our 5 night stay and 2 salads, 2 kids meals and 2 drinks later - all we paid was about $3 plus tip. Breakfast (if you're not rushing to see Mickey) is also a relaxed affair with children often free with paying adults. You are offered the choice of a la carte or the buffet, the latter being much the better option.

The hotel has a medium sized lounge so actually somewhere to sit and relax rather than just the bedroom. There is also a snack shop (they refer to it as some kind of deli) but when we visited it was poorly stocked, drinks machines part-empty and overall rather poor. OK I suppose if you need something when you get in late. The other option is room service which is speedy and not much more than the restaurant prices. I think you can have the same menu too.

Finally, there is a nice large pool to let the kids have some fun during any Mickey-free days you may have.

The Sheraton Anaheim Hotel is great value for money and of a high quality. Staff are very friendly and the courtesy bus is a god-send.

TIP: Get to the queue in plenty time (in whichever direction Hotel to Park or Park to Hotel) as it fills up quickly. When full however, they use a smaller second bus and keep on going round until everybody is on.

TIP: Eating in Disneyland? Try breakfast at the Cafe Orleans. Highly recommended and great value.

TIP: Know your rides and plan ahead. The Nemo Submarine ride is hugely popular and the queue can be long if you don't get there early.

TIP: Disneyland is special place and once you've been you'll understand why when talking to Cast Members, they can often give you the feeling that they regard WDW Florida as inferior. Take the time to learn about the history and the inspiration that was Walt Disney (visit the cinema in Main Street USA for sure). As they say "it all started with a mouse"

So, it's a thumbs up from me (and I have high standards). We're back again this year this time for 8 nights and with 5 days of Disney magic. Can't wait!