Disney’s Hollywood Hotel Review

Disney’s Hollywood Hotel is a resort at Hong Kong Disneyland with Art Deco design and Los Angeles theming, meant to evoke the golden age of Tinseltown. In this post, we’ll share room photos of Hollywood Hotel, cover its pros & cons, and offer our take on whether it’s worth the money.

Despite having visited Hong Kong Disneyland several times, we had never stayed at Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. Even though we had an excellent stay at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, we had a preconceived notion at Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, and now I’m not even sure why.

Perhaps because it’s the cheapest hotel at Hong Kong Disneyland? Or because the name reminded us of Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Really, we have no good reason for avoiding it for so long. (I think at one point we did try to book it, but there were no worthwhile discounts available.) In any case, Disney’s Hollywood Hotel exceeded our expectations in just about every regard.

This is mainly in terms of the theme and design. The Art Deco stylization is well-done, and in no way does it feel cheap or like tacky decoration.

Part of this is probably a result of my expectations: I was thinking Hollywood Hotel would be comparable to a Moderate Resort at Walt Disney World. It was more like a “Deluxe Lite.”

In terms of dining at Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. First is Chef Mickey, a pricey character breakfast (on weekends it’s also a character lunch/dinner). We debated splurging on this, but after seeing that it’s just a quick photo op with Mickey Mouse as you enter, opted against it.

Then there’s Studio Lounge, the hotel’s lobby bar, which has a low-key ambiance and moody lighting. Finally, Hollywood & Dine, which is a utilitarian counter service option (save for some brilliant ‘Disneyfied’ movie posters).

To be honest, if you don’t mind the walk, you are far better off going next door and eating at Explorers Lodge. Even though the food is good at Hollywood Hotel, it doesn’t hold a candle to the offerings at Explorers Lodge.

The main amenity at Disney’s Hollywood Hotel is the pool. We didn’t use this, but we did appreciate the style, which featured the iconic Hollywood Bowl at one end. I was also pretty excited about the “free play” time at Malibu Games, but it doesn’t have any actual arcade games.

Aside from that, there’s a thorough slate of entertainment (the highlight of which we were there was several appearances by Goofy throughout the day) that changes on a daily basis. The schedules for the other two resorts are also posted in the lobby, and guests are encouraged to resort-hop.

Our room had an ample amount of details that further reinforced the theme. I was particularly keen on the carpeting, which screamed Art Deco to me. I could see this being the kind of thing some people wouldn’t enjoy–or might think is dated–but we loved it.

Another highlight was the mirrors, both the Minnie & Mickey in front of Grauman’s mirror and the stylized mirror above the table and chairs across from the beds. In terms of subtler details, rounded edges and horizontal lines accentuated the style.

The beds were on the slightly firm side of comfortable, which is about as good as you’re going to get at any of the Disney resorts in Asia. Still far better than many hotels at which we’ve stayed in Hong Kong and Japan, and my assumption here is that is intentionally middle of the road as a compromise.

One thing that was not “Deluxe” about our room at Disney’s Hollywood Hotel was its size. It was not necessarily cramped, but it was noticeably smaller than our room the next night at Explorers Lodge (the rooms there are larger than even Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel).

The other thing that left something to be desired was the bathroom. It was small, and took an obvious function over form approach with what little space it had.

At least the shower at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel makes a bit of effort with an elegant tile mural.

Oh, one final note on the guest rooms: be sure to check out the resort television. One of the segments on the main channel had a segment where the punchline to every joke(?) was BLAM! Consequently, one of our catchphrases from the trip became United States of BLAMerica!

It’s a “you have to see it kind of thing” and sadly, YouTube fails me when it comes to locating a clip. (Honestly, seeing this glorious television loop is reason-enough to drop the money to stay at Hollywood Hotel.)

Price-wise, it was a Deluxe Lite during our visit, with our discounted rate being around $250 (this was a weekend during the peak of HKDL’s popular Halloween season). In the past, I know we’ve passed up discounted rates of below $200/night.

With attendance slumping and a surplus of new rooms in Hong Kong Disneyland’s inventory, I’m guessing you could score a solid deal here during the off-season. I’d consider anything under $200/night for this hotel to be a very fair price.

We’ve paid about that amount for off-site hotels near Hong Kong’s airport on Lantau Island, and once you factor in the cost of a taxi or the time wasted via public transit, a strong case can be made for doing a split-stay and spending a night or two at a Hong Kong Disneyland resort. (The MTR is great, but there are no hotels close to HKDL time-wise along the MTR; you might as well just stay in Kowloon if you want a budget hotel–or a luxury hotel.)

One negative about Disney’s Hollywood Hotel that was a bit surprising was the walk. When we stayed at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel, I far preferred walking to the park over taking the bus. It’s a pleasant, leisurely walk and I always skew towards walking if I can. Anyway, I assumed Hollywood Hotel would be about 5 minutes farther away based on eyeballing it.

This was not the case. It was more like 10 minutes. Ten interminable minutes. Hong Kong Disneyland’s footprint is sprawling, and after that, you get to a large vacant lot (the next hotel, if HKDL ever needs one). You think you’re almost there after passing Explorers Lodge, but then there’s a large area of parking. It’s still not a bad walk, but it’s longer than I expected.

Ultimately, we were really pleased with Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. It’s definitely not the nicest hotel at Hong Kong Disneyland or the one with the coolest theme, but it’s arguably the most unique. Fans of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the whole ‘Hollywood that never was and will always be’ atmosphere will definitely enjoy it. Moreover, the resort typically offers solid value for the money and is nicely done given the typical price-point. So long as you don’t mind a slightly smaller room or a longer walk to Hong Kong Disneyland, we view Disney’s Hollywood Hotel as an excellent mid-range option.

For the rest of your planning needs, consult our Hong Kong Disneyland Trip Planning Guide. It covers everything you need to know for a visit to HKDL, including reviews, strategy, packing, traveling in the city, and more! If you want to read about our first visit to the park, check out our Hong Kong Disneyland Trip Report.

YOUR THOUGHTS

Have you stayed at Disney’s Hollywood Hotel or any of the other hotels at Hong Kong Disneyland? What did you think of your hotel stay? Does this hotel interest you? If you have any questions or thoughts to share, please post them in the comments. We love hearing from readers!

15 Responses to “Disney’s Hollywood Hotel Review”
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