Alamo Inn & Suites Review
Alamo Inn & Suites is a cheap hotel near Disneyland in Anaheim, aimed at budget travelers. It’s a 12 minute walk from Disney California Adventure through Downtown Disney. This review has photos of the hotel, thoughts about our experience of staying here, and our take on why you shouldn’t stay here. If you’re looking for a place to stay near Disneyland, you can get an idea of how it stacks up to the competition, plus our overall comparison of the benefits of staying off-site versus on-site in our Where to Stay at Disneyland post.
Sometimes, I approach a topic here that’s worthy of a blog post but really not all that much needs to be said. I’m not one who values an economy of words, but certain things can benefit from a direct approach. That is undoubtedly true of Alamo Inn: I strongly recommend not staying at Alamo Inn & Suites under any circumstances.
I don’t think Alamo Inn strives to be much more than a cheap crash pad motel, but even at that, it fails. Actually, they might be taking the “crash” part of that a bit too literally, as the ceiling of one of the rooms here literally crashed down onto a guest in bed. The motel is dirty, dated, poorly-maintained, and honestly, a little creepy…
You can’t put a ton of stock into TripAdvisor reviews, but they are worthwhile as a barometer for the consensus among the general public. Currently, Alamo Inn & Suites ranks #104 of 115 hotels in Anaheim, meaning there are only 11 hotels worse than it.
If you’ve never explored Anaheim, you might not realize the significance of this. Anaheim has a seedy side, with stretches of motels that are probably better described as flophouses. The residents of these motels are otherwise homeless and sometimes have various baggage that can make the environment intimidating and/or unsafe to a tourist.
I’m not making light of this situation as it’s frankly sad and Anaheim’s treatment of the homeless is not at all a joking matter. I’m bluntly presenting it as pertinent background to demonstrate the significance of Alamo Inn ranking so poorly. There are more than 11 hotels like this in Anaheim, so I think you can draw your own inferences here.
Here’s the pool. Remember “the tractor story” from Seinfeld? Swim in here and risk getting your own “pool story.” I’m not sure there’s enough chlorine in the world to kill whatever nefarious little stuff might be living in that pool.
Starting with a wide view of the room, it actually doesn’t look too bad. Basic and dated, to be sure, but not necessarily awful at first glance.
The beds themselves aren’t awful. They aren’t comfortable and the sheets are about the cheapest, most basic bedding that you could possibly find, but it was all clean and there were no signs of bed bugs.
The wheels start to fall off once you get past the beds and this chair. The walls are paper thin, meaning that if you have loud neighbors or people wandering outside of your room in the middle of the night (which invariably will happen), you’ll hear it. The air conditioner is old and loud. The WiFi is painfully slow, to the point that even watching a video on YouTube is impossible.
I’m not much of a serious ‘interiors’ photographer, so normally I end up color-correcting for the various light sources in post processing, but I thought I’d leave this one alone. The reason being, while I could write a long essay on why you shouldn’t stay here, pictures speak louder than words.
The dim, amber florescent lighting at the sink is eerily reminiscent of what you’d find in a gas station bathroom on the wrong side of town. You know, the kind that makes you get the key from an attendant and has a dispenser selling all sorts of goodies.
The bathroom was servicable. The shower head is really low and our tub was dirty, but otherwise it was okay. The towels were discolored and scratchy. At least there were towels, I guess.
Most hotels in Anaheim have updated to LCD televisions, but Alamo Inn is still rockin’ the CRT. Likewise, this fridge was actually around on Disneyland’s opening day.
The main reason that will convince people to roll the dice and stay at Alamo Inn is the price. It ranges from around $70/night to $120/night, with prices generally on the lower end of that spectrum, well below $100/night. This makes it–to my knowledge–the cheapest hotel within close walking distance to the parks. It’s a tempting incubus. Personally, I do not think it’s worth it. If you simply cannot afford somewhere nicer, stay farther away and get a nicer hotel for a comparable price. Oh, and before you start looking at nearby alternatives and land on the adjacent Anaheim Discovery Inn & Suites, you might want to do a quick Google search for the hotel name, plus “bed bugs.” Sorry, I won’t be reviewing that one.
Overall, aside from location and price, I see absolutely nothing of redeeming quality at Alamo Inn. I realize money talks and my cautionary tale will be disregarded by some as a result who see enough ‘okay’ reviews elsewhere. Maybe you will get lucky with Alamo Inn. Maybe your room will be clean and “okay”, maybe you will have quiet neighbors, and maybe you will feel safe. All of those things happening is not an unreasonable possibility. Far more likely is that one or many of those things doesn’t happen, and you have a really negative experience. Given the potential for things not going so well, you really have to ask yourself if it’s worth it to tempt fate. There are significantly better options nearby that cost just a bit more, or more distant options that cost about the same amount. It’s not worth it to roll the dice on this place.
As for figuring out the rest of your Disneyland trip–like where you actually should stay, including how to save money on Disneyland tickets, our Disney packing tips, the best restaurants for dining at Disneyland, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland Trip Planning Guide!
Your Thoughts…
Have you stayed at Alamo Inn & Suites in Anaheim? Did you enjoy your stay? What did you think of the guest rooms? Considering this motel? Do you prefer staying off-site or on-site at Disneyland? Please share your thoughts or questions in the comments section below!
We just stayed here and it was clean, hot water more so than the Hilton we stayed at the prior night. The only complaint was the bed is very firm and I prefer a softer bed. The staff were friendly and helpful. We could park the car at the hotel early before room was ready and after check out until 6pm. We only used the room to clean up and sleep. We were by the ice machine and heard some noise but we were up till midnight so it didn’t bother us. We have traveled all over the world this is not the worst.
Hi Brandi,
Thank you for graciously sharing about your stay. Please know that we’re listening to guest feedback regarding the firmness of our beds and will continue to replace our stiffer mattresses with a softer version of Sealy’s throughout 2023 as time and staffing permit. We would love the opportunity to welcome you back to Anaheim, CA!
I’m a long time Southern California local (Palm Springs), and stayed here probably 10 years ago. Similar to how you described, it was a disaster.
I vowed never again.
Fast forward to last weekend and I had a last-minute opportunity to join a friend in Anaheim. I decided to get my own room and Alamo Inn was the only thing under $100 a night that was short walking to Disney Property. I saw the much improved reviews, bit my lip & gave it a shot.
I must say, they have massively improved. The room was much better, and the entire feel of the place was was just fine. Very happily surprised!
There’s plenty of better places to stay around the DLR Resort. But Alamo Inn and Suites is definitely back on my list of rooms I’ll consider staying at if you want something close & inexpensive.
Ugh. If this is a trick to get me back out there to stay and re-review it, I’m holding you personally accountable, Jeff! 😉
(Seriously though, thanks for sharing your feedback. I noticed the better reviews, but always hard to know whether they’re genuine.)
Thank you for taking time to share about your stay Jeff! After experiencing the disaster, we are grateful that you gave us another shot (with some trepidation, understandably), and we are thrilled that you would consider staying with us again. While there are certainly plenty of amazing places to stay around the DLR Resort, our niche is to be a simple and honest property that can offer a wonderful alternative for the budget traveler looking to be in close proximity to the parks and Anaheim Convention Center. As I commented back in 2019, “there is always much room to grow and work to be done” and our drive has not let up, even during these challenging past 2 years. In the last 6 months, we’ve replaced over 10% of our mattresses with brand new Serta’s or Sealy’s. Additionally, we’ve implemented a new guest messaging platform to kick-start 2022 (https://hoteltechreport.com/guest-experience/guest-messaging-platforms/whistle). We look forward to building and maintaining trust, one guest at a time (:
During the previous year, the property has updated the pool and installed an all-new guest WIFI network, while implementing high-standard safety and cleaning protocols during the Covid-19 pandemic. We are happy to report remarkable reviews across the board – Yelp/Tripadvisor/Expedia/Booking.com – in 2020, one of the most challenging years that the hospitality industry has ever faced. In the toughest of times, we take pride in taking care of our employees and guests.
Why is TripAdvisor a bad site?
I’ve stayed at The Alamo Inn twice and I had no problems as a single traveller. Both of my rooms were clean and quiet. I felt safe as well even walking the area after dark to the near by pizza place or coming home from Disneyland. I just booked 4 nights for September for my husband and myself- great price, free parking and walking distance to Disney- works for us ✨
We appreciate your kind feedback and look forward to your next stay when attractions open back up (:
Well, I’ve booked myself in for 5 nights at the Discovery Inn eek. But when looking at the TripAdvisor reviews as a whole most say it’s actually an alright place to stay. Hopefully the bedbugs were just a thing of the past (I’m not fussy on where I stay but my only limits are bed bugs, bodily fluids and mould )
Hi Tom,
Thank you for taking time to thoroughly review our property. Since this review was published, we have spent much energy and resources into revamping the property and our guest experience, especially over the last 2-3 years. While there is always much room to grow and work to be done, I believe we have taken significant steps in a very positive direction. In addition to improving and maintaining the fundamental elements of cleanliness and safety, we are doing our best to vision and craft a great product for the budget traveler. We would love for you to drop by one of these days!
Best regards,
Tony, Front Desk Management
Hi Tony, my husband and another couple are going to visit Disneyland in early November (our first time with no kids!!) and although my husband read some negative reviews, we read your response above and are going to give it a shot. Disneyland is so expensive now that every dollar we save on our hotel makes a big difference, so we appreciate hotels that still give a good deal! Thank You
Hi Cathy!
We look forward to receiving you and your friends. Depending on your exact dates, we may be updating our pool area if that is an issue for you. Please feel free to email us directly at [email protected] if you would like more details or if you have any other questions/concerns. We would also love to follow-up with you and hear your honest thoughts!
Kind regards,
Tony, Front Desk Management
Tony, after reading this, we as well decided to come check out the Alamo Inn in January 2020! We spend a lot of time at Disneyland and are always trying to find ways to save money. This seems like a great option! 🙂
Megan
Hi Megan,
We look forward to having you! As there is always work to be done and things to improve, we will also welcome your honest feedback (:
Kind regards,
Front Desk Management
“At least there were towels, I guess.” I feel like this is the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version of a motel review. Thanks for the laughs. 🙂
Hey! That guy called you a doodlekit! Haha!
Ha, somehow, I think that *might* not be a real human…
Last year. Still, there are frequent complaints about both.
I would be very interested to see if you review Eden Roc Inn & Suites. It’s a little bit closer than Alamo and recently renovated (from the TripAdvisor, Yelp, etc. reviews). We’ll be there in two weeks…I’m cautiously optimistic. Still a little scared we’ve made a huge mistake based on location….
After it’ renovation, Eden Roc is much improved, with an awesome location just a short walk to Downtown Disney through the Grand Cal.
I totally agree with Tom’s review of the Alamo.
Decent curb appeal, but a dump.
Never again for me.
Stay away from Eden Roc. As with Alamo, they both have had bedbug complaints. Google either name and “bedbugs”.
Now sure, any hotel can have a couple bedbugs brought into a room by a recent guest. But both these have infestations, and frequent reports. We woke up to find the bed crawling with them. Horrible.
The manager offered a small discount for our trouble, even after we brought them a live specimen in a plastic baggie.
The cost of getting rid of these little guys from your home is about $1000.
Thanks for the info, Jeff and Dan. When did you stay at Eden Roc?
You had my attention at “hell hole.” If you’re looking for other places not to review, the Motel 6 in Anaheim is not a good spot. We ended up having to stay there one night when our flight plans changed after we had already booked our DVC at the Grand Californian. At first I thought “this is the nicest Motel 6 I’ve ever seen! Sure it’s spartan and the bedding is low quality, but not bad!” Then the sun went down and we saw three….working ladies at various points in the night using this hotel as their office. Two of which were being escorted out by police officers (not two at once, two different occasions that same evening). Needless to say, I would NOT recommend it, especially to families.
gawrsh, even the Hidden Tommy was no fun to find!!
Yeah, I thought the name of this place sounded familiar… It’s the one where the ceiling fell down in the middle of night last December!
Woman injured when drywall ceiling falls on her in bed at Anaheim motel
Oh wow, I had no idea. Haha, hopefully that seals the deal for anyone still considering it after reading this. I’ll add that link to the review once I have a chance. Thanks!
Take a stab at the Stovall’s Best Western – interested to hear your take. I stayed there for the Tink half marathon weekend and thought that it was a great option. The races that weekend started and finished right across the street, and they have a free breakfast and free wifi. I also liked the reasonably priced restaurants within easy walking distance.
We stayed at Stovall’s in 2012 and had a great visit. I really appreciated the hot breakfast, and staff there were very pleasant.
Nope, we went there once and the smell of the office and walkway was enough to send us screaming into the night!
Haha. The thing is, the curb appeal of the place actually isn’t *that* bad, and it’s not in a terrible area (pretty close to the Convention Center), but despite all of that, it’s a really bad option. Good thing you ran away!
Yup, that’s why we went there, it looked pretty good from the street.
We ended up at Anaheim Maingate (last minute trip with no reservations) which did look seedy but was surprisingly good. The rooms were clean and quiet but definitely run down. Their advantage it’s an easy walk to Downtown Disney and to get back you can take a fast shortcut through the parking structure and out through the CM’s parking lot which is right at the entrance of the motel.
http://www.anaheimmaingateinn.com
Warning, it is only for those who will be using the room for sleeping, cleaning up and regrouping.