Best Western Plus Park Place Inn Review
Best Western Plus Park Place Inn is the closest hotel to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, directly across the street from the parks. This hotel review features room photos, thoughts on amenities, and pros & cons of staying at the Best Western, particularly as compared to other hotels adjacent to it on Harbor Boulevard.
Best Western Plus Park Place Inn really touts its proximity to Disneyland. Its website touts it as “the Closest Hotel to Disneyland,” it’s found on info inside the lobby, and when you turn on the in-room television, it’s a large graphic emblazoned on the screen.
In our Park Vue Inn Review, we noted that whether it or Best Western Plus Park Place Inn is a shorter walk to Disneyland really depends upon your room. The hotels themselves are nearly equidistant to the main entrance, with perhaps a slight edge going to the Best Western. Really, though, we’re talking about a difference of a dozen steps or so. Both hotels are directly across the street, and both are pretty evenly matched…
Our review of the Best Western Plus Park Place Inn has been a long time coming. Since we’ve started writing about hotels in Anaheim, we’ve had more reader questions about it than any other hotel. Only the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Park is even close in terms of interest level, with the Best Western presumably garnering so many questions due to its location near Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.
The proximity selling point of the Best Western really cannot be understated. It is literally at the Disneyland pedestrian intersection. You walk 60 seconds before passing under the Disneyland Resort archway and being enveloped by the jovial Disney Esplanade background music loop. From room door to park turnstile, the Best Western is at most a 10 minute walk. It’s the next-best thing to actually staying on-property.
There are several hotels in this cluster across the street. Best Western Anaheim Plus Inn (a different Best Western) and Camelot Inn & Suites form the outer perimeter of the cluster, with Del Sol Inn, Anaheim Desert Inn, and Tropicana Inn also being very close options. However, it’s the two hotels in the dead center–Best Western Plus Park Place Inn and Park Vue Inn–that are directly across the street from Disneyland, and feel almost like on-site hotels once you cross the walkway.
Of course, being incredibly close to Disneyland and DCA makes no difference if the hotel is basically looks like Bates Motel Anaheim Inn. You might laugh, but the greater Los Angeles area has a history of shady hotels, and even higher end ones are supposedly haunted.
Only in the last decade has this area of Anaheim really turned a corner with ton of renovations occurring to older motels. Although in looking at the history of Stovall’s Best Western hotels in Anaheim, I think I’d much rather stay in the fantastic Googie style of the “Space Age Lodge at Disneyland” than a fairly generic Best Western. But I digress…
Fortunately, the rooms at Best Western Plus Park Place Inn are quite pleasant. The rooms are newly renovated, and make efforts at appearing chic and stylish. This is definitely welcome, as it makes the accommodations feel more upscale.
There are nice touches throughout the room, from the carpet to the paintings to the headboards. Equally as important, we found the hotel room to be clean and well-maintained. It also didn’t smell like it was freshly carpet-bombed with Febreeze or used copious amounts of cleaner to mask years of decay. Again, you might laugh, but in staying at 40+ Anaheim hotels, I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. 😉
Size-wise, our standard room was about par for the course with other hotels at which we’ve stayed in this area. At some point in the future, we’ll probably return to stay in one of the mini-suites. Those cost a bit more, but they also are larger and have an additional sofa sleeper, meaning that they can sleep 6 adults.
We found the bedding to be comfortable and nice. I’m not sure whether these were pillow top mattresses, but they were incredibly plush either way. The sheets and pillows likewise felt really high quality. Best Western Plus Park Place Inn definitely gets high marks in terms of the room comfort.
Of course, as with almost every Anaheim hotel, the wheels fall off when you get to the bathroom. The consistently-weak bathrooms confounds me. It’s as if the hoteliers of Anaheim all had an underground meeting decades ago, and formed a blood pact that all would keep their bathrooms forever crumby.
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with any of these bathrooms…there’s just nothing right about them, either. They are all consistently undersized and underwhelming. As I’ve written before, I could use a single stock photo for 75% of the hotels in Anaheim, and no one would ever know the difference. (I could not with this one, as Best Western hung a painting over the toilet, so I guess you could say this is an ‘artisanal bathroom.’ Fancy.)
Granted, the Best Western is still a budget motel so this only goes so far, but it’s nice that it’s not stuck in the 1970s.
In fact, I’d go as far as to say that these are the nicest rooms in the cluster of hotels across the street from Disneyland. It’s a close call between this and (wait for it) Park Vue Inn, but I’m going to give Best Western Plus Park Place Inn the nod.
Throughout our stay, I kept noticing similarities to Park Vue Inn. The two are separated only by the international waters of Captain Kidd’s buffet, and that’s where the similarities really hit me the hardest.
While having the Best Western’s free continental breakfast upstairs at Captain Kidd’s, I noticed that the highlight of this buffet was the delicious breakfast potatoes. Just as I noted the highlight of Park Vue Inn’s free breakfast was the potatoes. Coincidence? Eh, maybe…
As for the rest of the continental breakfast at Best Western Plus Park Place Inn, it was fine. I’ve made a number of jokes about Captain Kidd’s, and I would’ve been disappointed if I paid a normal rate for this breakfast, but by Anaheim hotel continental breakfast standards, it was good.
Also like the Park Vue Inn, the pool at Best Western Plus Park Place Inn fails to impress. Pools at these hotels don’t really matter to me since I never use them, but if you have kids and want to take a midday break for pool time, this will leave something to be desired.
In terms of price, for about half the dates I checked, Best Western Plus Park Place Inn was identical in price to Park Vue Inn, and about half the dates, the Best Western was $10 cheaper. (Click here to check Get Away Today for current deals at the Best Western Plus Park Place Inn and compare its pricing to other hotels near Disneyland.)
It might seem like that’s a point to Best Western Plus Park Place Inn, but it charges for parking. Anyone want to guess how much? No surprise: $10/night. Ha.
At this point, I’m convinced the management of these two hotels monitors what the other is doing, and they try to match one another. I don’t think this is too far-fetched of a scenario given the similarities between the two.
As we are in the process of updating our Disneyland-Area Hotel Rankings, I’ve given a lot of thought to the importance of proximity to the parks, price, rooms, and other amenities. After staying here, I was convinced that the Best Western Plus Park Place Inn was my new pick for #1 or #2. It was just a question of which spot it deserved.
The big question was whether the superior rooms and amenities were enough to overcome the added distance from the parks, and push the Residence Inn by Marriott at Anaheim Resort past Best Western Plus Park Place Inn. Spoiler: they are not.
I didn’t have to labor over this too long, as the very next day after our stay at the Best Western, we stayed at a hotel at the Anaheim Convention Center. After walking to and from that hotel a couple of times, including late at night after Mickey’s Halloween Party, I missed being across the street.
Staying at such a close hotel followed immediately after by a more distant one reminded me just how big of a deal the shorter walk is. This reiterated to me that proximity is of the utmost importance in choosing a hotel near Disneyland–and given reader responses to our recent inquiry, I think this is true for most people planning a Disneyland vacation.
Obviously, reasonable minds may vary on this, but being directly across the street is a huge advantage for Best Western Plus Park Place Inn. This makes it easy for a midday nap, pool break, going back for snacks, or even grabbing my tripod and other lenses. The time spent leaving and returning to Disneyland or DCA is minimal from the Best Western, whereas the hotels past the Harbor/Katella intersection are much more of a hassle.
Since ‘reasonable minds may vary’ based upon what your party prioritizes, when I do update our rankings, I’ll include some circumstantial top picks beyond the numerical rankings, as there are at least 5 different hotels that could be #1 depending upon what matters most to you. However, that’s another topic for another day–beyond the scope of this Best Western Plus Park Place Inn review.
Overall, the Best Western Plus Park Place Inn is my new #1 hotel near Disneyland. In my estimation, it strikes the best balance of location, room quality, amenities, and price point to earn it that distinction. With that said, it’s neck and neck with Park Vue Inn in just about every regard, and I’m giving Best Western the nod primarily due to its newly renovated rooms. If you’re less concerned about the balance I’ve noted above–and particularly don’t care about being this close to Disneyland–there might be other, more compelling hotel options for you. For us, the Best Western Plus Park Place Inn is the perfect place to stay for a park-centric vacation, especially one that is likely to include midday breaks, or for those who want to save their feet.
If you’re preparing for a Disneyland trip, check out our other planning posts, including how to save money on Disneyland tickets, our Disney packing tips, tips for booking a hotel (off-site or on-site), where to dine, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide!
Your Thoughts
Have you stayed at the Best Western Park Place Inn? What did you think of the location, rooms, and amenities? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of this hotel? Any questions? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
Do you know if you can leave car in parking lot if checking out and going to park for day?
We just stayed at the Best Western Park Place Inn and Suites. It is now back to offering a full breakfast, while Park Vue has not (may not ever?) bring their breakfast back.
As a family with small children, we loved every aspect of the Best Western. It’s close proximity was a life saver on many occasions.
Thank you for the review and commenting on the sub-par Anaheim hotel bathrooms. I agree. Are there any Anaheim hotels at all with nice bathrooms? After a long day at DL all I want to do is soak and relax in my room’s tub but they’re never nice. Some nicer hotels only have showers.
I absolutely LOVED All your Reviews, this is so helpful , I’ve been stressing about what Hotel to book for our vacation, You’re Awesome!!
How far out can you book this hotel ? I am planning a trip for 2020.
We just got Home from a 4 day stay at the Park Place Inn and were Very pleased with everything. We usually stay at the Grand Californian but just didn’t want to spend the outrageous pirce this time. Park Place Inn didn’t feel any farther away than walking from Disneyland to the Californian. Will definitely stay there again.
We just got Home from a 4 day stay at the Park Place Inn and were Very pleased with everything. We usually stay at the Grand Californian but just didn’t want to spend the outrageous price this time. Park Place Inn didn’t feel any farther away than walking from Disneyland to the Californian. Will definitely stay there again.
We booked about 2 months ahead for a visit in March but for spring-summer you probably need to book much farther ahead.
I started planning our trip for this April last June, so at 10 months out, and I was able to book the hotel then. I booked directly through the hotel (and not the Disney website that also allows you to book Good Neighbor hotels).
Can the fireworks be seen from this hotel???
I am trying to gauge distance – would the distance be similar to walking from Magic Kingdom to BLT? Longer? And are all the rooms accessible from the outside? Thanks!
Concerned about Captain Kidd’s reputation, I spoke to BWPPI staff about their buffet breakfast and they told me that they only “rented the space” above Captain Kidd’s, and that Captain Kidds does not provide the food. This was a few years ago, but I recommend a simple phone call to ask about the buffet’s source, not just its location, and see what they’re saying. I’ve eaten at BWPPI’s breakfast buffets for a total of about 7 breakfasts and have never fallen ill from eating there.
Also having stayed at Best Western Anaheim Inn (a few doors down), we prefer that hotel because it’s still pretty close to the crosswalk, the price is usually a (teeny) bit less, and they have the exact same breakfast items. I’m inclined to believe they get them from the same place, wherever that is… But, what put it ahead for me was that it had a larger breakfast seating area. Sometimes the BWPPI breakfast buffet is a bit tight on space especially during busier times of the year. I preferred the breakfast room at BWAnaheim Inn. It’s way less stressful knowing there will be a table available.
Also we stayed in one of the newly renovated rooms and liked it just as much as BWPPI.
We’ve stayed at both properties in the last 18 months or so, and Park Vue gets our vote.
The reason is entirely due to parking. Best Western wouldn’t allow us to park on the property before our check in time at the hotel (we arrived approximately 2 hours early). That meant we had to drive over to Downtown Disney and waste time before going to the park. Park Vue on the other hand was more than happy to allow us to check our car in early, enjoy the park, and do the actual room check in later that night.
We are here right now and we are loving the convenience of being right across the street! The free breakfast at Captain Kidd’s is perfectly fine!
I would love to stay here, but on their webpage, it says parking is available at 1:00 p.m. on the day of arrival. We live about 6 hours away, and we leave very early in the morning, so we usually get into Anaheim around 11:00 a.m. Everywhere I have stayed in the past, they have allowed us to park and check in (though the room is not available) when we arrive.
I cannot say so definitively, but I *highly* doubt that’s enforced. When we arrived, we took a parking ticket from the gate, and when we checked in, they gave us a new ticket (but didn’t ask for the first one). I don’t recall what time we showed up, but we definitely could’ve arrived at 11 am, done that, and just checked in later.
Awesome review! Thanks.
I have 2 questions for you.
1. Is the motel breakfast provided by Captain Kidd’s? If yes, is that really worth the risk of food poisoning?!;)
2. I am debating between Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Theme Park and Best Western Plus Park Place Inn. Which of your determining factors would be in play here (proximity, value, quality of room, price)?
Thanks for helping make Disney trips great! My favorites are your Anaheim hotel rankings, your best viewing locations, and your gear recommendations! You are one cool cat;).
1. I never ask questions to which I cannot handle the possible answer. 😉 (I did not get sick and I ate multiple breakfast sandwiches and a huge pile of potatoes, though.)
2. Price (90%) and distance (10%). In all of my recent searches, the rates for the Courtyard has been coming back absurdly high. If I could book it for even +$25/night what the Best Western costs, I’d absolutely do it. Unfortunately, it’s often more like +$50/night or even more than that.
I’m not sure if I’m as gastronomically brave as you are, but if you survived, I may summon up my courage and give it a try. Thanks for your insight between the Courtyard and Best Western. The BW mini suite seems more comparable in price to the Courtyard (through Get Away Today) than a regular double bed room. Possible a better option for a larger group rather than a couple?
I laughed twice while reading this post (“international waters of Captain Kidd’s buffet” and “you could say this is an ‘artisanal bathroom.’ Fancy”). And then had to explain to my husband why a Best Western review was so funny.
I most definitely have been waiting for your review:). Based on your positive assessment, I will be booking it for our next Disneyland vacation. Thank you for braving the motels/hotels of Anaheim to help us non-locals pick a safe and clean place to vacation.
Thank you. Laughter from strangers on the internet is the only thing keeping me going. 😉
“When I do update our rankings, I’ll include some circumstantial top picks beyond the numerical rankings, as there are at least 5 different hotels that could be #1 depending upon what matters most to you.”
When you do, please put in a selection for “best for couples.” I know 99% of your readers are looking for advice for their families, but my husband and I are a childless couple and I am trying to narrow my selection for our 20th anniversary trip next spring.
My fiance and I stayed in the Best Western Plus Anaheim Inn this past February. It’s about 4 buildings down from the BW Park Place and was very nice. We sat out on a terrace for breakfast before the parks and the rooms themselves were as a standard BW is around the country. My brother and I the previous year had stayed at another BW off Katella which was quite a walk. I’d say from staying in the area quite a bit the last 4 years, the convenience that the hotels across from the Esplanade provide is unrivaled. Having to walk that extra 20+ minutes vs the 5-10 minutes to be inside the park makes quite a difference when you’re on your feet all day or want to take a break at your hotel.
Thank you so much for the feedback. The one and only time I ever stayed near the park was at the Tropicana and that was over 20 years ago. I loved the convenience of being nearby, but considering I was recovering from mono at the time having a place to rest close was a necessity. I would really love to be able to get a room across the street next spring and I will take a look at Anaheim Inn.
Tom have you ever stayed at the Clarion Hotel Anaheim Resort? Our travel agent has recommended this hotel and just wondered what you thought
That’s the hotel we stayed at immediately after this. I’ll have a full review coming soon, but I would *not* recommend the Clarion unless you’re on a tight budget and they have a <$100/night rate.
We stayed at the other Best Western across the street – it was a farther walk but had free parking (and Park Plus was sold out). Your pictures of the Park Plus make it look substantially nicer than the BW Anaheim Inn.
Since they’re both owned by the Stovall family, I wonder if Best Western Anaheim Inn will get a refurbishment soon, too? I’ve been holding off on reviewing that one as the rooms look fairly dated (and I hate spending money to stay at a hotel we don’t really need only to have it change shortly thereafter), but at some point soon, we’ll probably end up staying there.
I wish Disney will buy up all the hotels directly on Harbor north of Katella and incorporate the land into the resort. Despite upgrading California Adventure into a world class theme park, they neglected the Disneyland Resort. In comparison to Universal Orlando, Disneyland is awfully cheap. Short on parking and hotels, people have few options. They can easily add 2 or 3 additional resorts at the Downtown Disney parking lots and another 5,000 parking spaces next to Mickey & Friends Parking Structure. They even allowed the former strawberry fields (Toy Story Lot) to become segmented with new hotels south of Katella to be built by competing hotel companies. Not doing anything and just coasting is a bad plan.
I stay at the Best Western Plus Park Place every time I go to Disneyland. We have been staying there for years beginning when our kids were young. And that is because it is the closest hotel to Disney. We always get a mini-suite which could comfortably sleep us and our five children (one in a crib). There’s a fridge and a microwave which saved us with small children and lots of space for luggage and things with three beds. We definitely use the close proximity to our advantage with taking naps during the day, taking a swim, and chilling out when the crowds and heat are unbearable in the parks. I’ve stayed at a few other hotels over the years, and every time we kick ourselves that we didn’t stay at Park Place to save our feet. The recently renovated rooms were noticed in our last visit there and they are definitely nicer than they were before. I’m not crazy about the breakfast either, but at least they do offer a free breakfast. My hubby and kids don’t mind it. My kids are all grown now and we still stay at Park Place and nap during the days. It’s the best place to stay without being at a resort hotel!
Thanks for sharing your feedback!
If it’s any consolation, none of the hotels that offer a free breakfast actually have a good breakfast. The Hyatts and Residence Inn are slightly better than this, but what the Best Western offers is about as good as it gets.