$200 Million Year-Long Renovation Completed at Largest Hotel Near Disneyland
The largest hotel in Orange County has finished its year-long, full-property renovation that had reported a budget running an upwards of $200 million. The overhaul of the Hilton Anaheim marks the first full-scale makeover of the hotel that opened 40 years ago in time for the 1984 Summer Olympics, in a full circle moment as the resort now gears up for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, DisneylandForward, and all that the future holds.
For those who are unfamiliar with it, the Hilton Anaheim is a massive hotel complex located literal steps from the Anaheim Convention Center (ACC) and within walking distance of Disneyland Resort. It’s one of our favorite ACC area hotels, and is a fantastic option for the 2026 D23 Expo if you’re still looking for somewhere to stay. (We’d highly recommend getting on that ASAP, booking before tickets go on sale.)
The Hilton Anaheim just announced the completion of its multi-million dollar, full-property renovation (note that the latest press release does not mention the $200 million number; that was from a previous release when the project was announced last summer–no word on the actual cost of the overhaul, but budgets usually go up, not down).
The comprehensive transformation of the Hilton Anaheim began last July, and culminated in the hotel’s grand unveiling this week. It featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony with local officials, guided property tours for dignitaries and VIPs, and an evening celebration for guests and attendees.
“Completing this renovation, the most significant transformation in our history, is a major milestone for our hotel and our entire team,” said Sergio Bocci, general manager, Hilton Anaheim. “For over a year, we navigated construction, while keeping our commitment to serving guests, reimagining every space for the future, and honoring the legacy of what this property means to Anaheim. This transformation has allowed us to celebrate the property’s role in Anaheim over the past 40 years while creating a hotel ready to welcome guests, neighbors, and partners to gather for years to come.”
We haven’t even visited the Hilton Anaheim since last year’s D23 Expo and it’s been much longer since we’ve actually stayed at the hotel (something we’ll attempt to remedy this holiday season now that the overhaul is finished), so we’ll simply share details of the multi-phase, multi-million dollar overhaul (along with photos provided by the Hilton Anaheim) without much commentary:
Guest Rooms & Suites – All 1,574 rooms and suites were redesigned with modern furnishings, spacious layouts, soothing earth tones, and vibrant accent blues inspired by California landscapes. Features include upgraded lighting, plush bedding, warm wood accents, and updated carpeting, creating a refined yet welcoming environment.
Meeting & Event Spaces – The hotel’s 105,959 sq. ft. of meeting and event space received a complete update, including modern desks and chairs, horizon-inspired wallcoverings, leather-like vinyl finishes, deeper wood tones, and enhanced lighting. The ballrooms and conference rooms now provide sophisticated, flexible settings for conferences, weddings, and social events, complemented by expanded audiovisual and technology capabilities.
Lobby & Poppy’s Lounge – The reimagined lobby is now an inviting communal hub, featuring open seating, tree-inspired motifs, nature-inspired textures, and a custom LED lighting system evoking a California sky. Anchoring the space, Poppy’s Lounge blends modern elegance with comfort, offering handcrafted cocktails, shareable bites, plush seating, and a striking grand chandelier custom-made in Los Angeles.
Hilton Anaheim’s food and beverage program has undergone a complete overhaul under Executive Chef Prabeen Prathapan, from catering and banquets to the introduction of brand-new dining concepts that offer a distinctly Southern California experience.
In-House Starbucks – Hilton Anaheim’s renovated 3,000 sq. ft. Starbucks offers a bright, modern design with warm wood tones, abundant natural light, and inviting seating. The refreshed location provides enhanced speed, convenience, and personalization for both hotel guests and the local community.
Hansen’s Market – An elevated grab-and-go marketplace featuring fresh sandwiches, organic fruit, local coffee, California wines, and curated snacks, reflecting Anaheim’s local tastes and regional specialties.
Outdoor & Recreational Spaces – The newly branded Anaheim Rooftide Terrace on the fifth floor offers a 1,200 sq. ft. pool, hot tubs, a kids’ splash area, fire pits, lawn games, flexible lounge zones, and lush landscaping. Saltflower anchors the terrace, providing alfresco dining and a resort-style experience designed for relaxation, social connection, and family-friendly enjoyment.
Saltflower – Poolside coastal-inspired restaurant serving light bites, seasonal fare, and handcrafted tiki-style cocktails. With its open-air design and pool-facing views, it delivers a relaxed yet refined, all-season atmosphere.
Poppy’s Restaurant – Signature all-day dining with seasonal, locally sourced dishes, from California avocado toast and breakfast grain bowls to artisan steaks and desserts, complemented by craft cocktails and regional wines.
“From the lobby to our guest rooms, from rooftop pool experiences to our signature dining venues, every element has been thoughtfully designed to deliver a world-class experience,” Bocci added. “We’re proud to reaffirm Hilton Anaheim as a leading destination for travelers seeking both comfort and connection in the heart of Orange County.”
Quick Commentary
As noted above, the Hilton Anaheim is a great option for events at the Anaheim Convention Center. If you’re looking forward to the 2026 D23 Expo, this is an unbeatable option.
With that said, we typically would not recommend the Hilton Anaheim–or most of the ACC hotels, for that matter–to guests doing Disneyland trips. It’s in this no man’s land where it’s a bit of a long walk, especially on a daily basis and doubly so if you’re doing midday breaks, but it’s awkward for doing rideshares.
You could walk across Harbor Boulevard to the Toy Story Lot and catch the shuttle from there, but that’s a hassle. It’s a similar story with the ART shuttle, which is more convenient but can be a bit tedious. We always just end up walking.
As a rough rule of thumb, we recommend sticking to the area of the Anaheim Resort between the 5 and Katella. Basically, limit yourself to hotels from the HoJo to Hotel Indigo and Alpine Inn. (This also includes options on Disney Way and other side streets, like the Element and SunCoast.) The fewer intersections crossed, the better.
This is both for the sake of having a more reasonable walk to and from the parks, but also for the sake of safety. In both regards, not having to cross Katella or the I-5 interstate is huge. The Hilton Anaheim is nowhere near the 5, but it is on the “wrong” side of Katella. (It’s in a nice area, to be clear; the Anaheim Convention Center area around the hotel is lovely. It’s the walk to and from the parks, especially at night, that can be a bit dicey.)
A bit beyond the scope of this post, but one area of emphasis we’ve recently added to our Guide to Staying Off-Site vs. On-Site at Disneyland Hotels is safety and crime. This isn’t a huge sticking point for us, but it’s a concern we’ve heard from many readers. And it’s a fair concern, especially around the Katella intersection and the I-5 overpasses (I have no issue with Katella, but I would not walk through those overpasses at night).
Again, all a bit unrelated to a post about the Hilton Anaheim’s massive, multi-year overhaul, which looks fantastic. Although it’s not as flashy as the nearby Westin or JW Marriott, this has long been one of the nicest hotels in all of Anaheim.
I was honestly shocked to learn that this was the first top-to-bottom renovation in the hotel’s 40 year history. The Hilton Anaheim has always struck me as a nice, classy hotel that’s well-maintained and well-managed. We’re really looking forward to staying there again and will report back on our experience. Stay tuned!
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and many other SoCal cities!
Your Thoughts
Have you stayed at the Hilton Anaheim? Thoughts on the $200 million refurbishment? Thoughts on the rooms or amenities? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment on staying here when visiting Disneyland or attending an event at the Anaheim Convention Center? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Wow… wife and I spent last week there and had no idea this was a big deal. They had a bunch of decorations up and a lot of extra staff around on our last day and the concierge told us it was their grand reopening. We don’t keep up with Anaheim much, we’re really “World” people, but decided to do a quick Land trip since it’s been like 13 years.
I hope they cleaned up the health club
I enjoyed this is the past but difficult during renovations and some areas closed
steam room relaxing but not sure if they did away with it
Tom, I’d love for you to do an updated review of the Candy Cane Inn (your last review was in 2017 and they’ve gone through major refurbishments since then)! It seems like a great location to walk to the parks! Thanks!
Apparently I’m the only person who prefers a cozy atmosphere these days. That hotel looks very clean and modern, but also cold, sterile and uninviting.
Hopefully on the pool access rooms with sliding doors they replaced the sliders, last time we stayed there the doors were hard to open/close, didn’t seal well and the room was full of ants coming in through the poor seal on the slider (they moved us but same in that room too so got bug spray at drug store on corner and fixed ourselves)
7 or 8 years ago, we stayed at the Homewood Suites across Harbor Blvd and next to the Toy Story lot. The hotel was pretty new at the time and we chose it because of the proximity to the free bus.
I am in total disagreement with Tom, getting on the Disney parking lot bus and being dropped off at DLR is really simple and easy. I highly recommend utilizing this “hack”.
We actually don’t disagree, at least with regard to the Homewood Suites. In fact, that’s exactly why it rates highly in our review: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/homewood-suites-by-hilton-anaheim-convention-center-hotel-review/
The Hilton Anaheim is a longer walk to Toy Story Lot, and it requires crossing Harbor Boulevard. Maybe that’s not a deal-breaker for some, but I’d rather just walk to the park than hassle with the Toy Story Lot and shuttle at that point. Obviously, YMMV.
We actually love the Hilton Anaheim. It has always been a bit of an upscale hotel with nice food and friendly people. I agree it is a bit of a walk and at my age I now take Art which I find easy to use. I’m glad they upgraded Starbucks and the restaurants. The one thing about the rooms is they don’t have full just the drawers anymore just a couple small ones which can be a little bit inconvenient. But overall, the hotel is very nice and relaxing.
This is great news. We used to stay here a lot when I was a Hilton regular and would either use Hilton points or pay cash to rack up more points. This is where we stayed on the trip where I proposed to my wife, so I do have a soft spot for it. I haven’t stayed here recently due to the walk (it’s not surprising how ten years of aging and an extra 30 pounds adds to a walk like that) and the room quality. While the lobby area stayed nice, the rooms where really showing there age. Everything in them seemed dated and worn down. So that part of the refurbishment was badly needed and I’m glad to see they look nice again. Though they needed it less, the lobby, lounge, etc. pictures look nice too. I might give it another shot one of these trips.