Paradise Pier Hotel Review
Paradise Pier Hotel is an official Disney hotel at Disneyland Resort with a 4-star rating, themed to a beachside boardwalk of the 1920s. It’s typically the least-expensive of the three official Disneyland Resort hotels, but it’s also the farthest from the park, and offers the least in terms of style and amenities. This review features photos of the Paradise Pier Hotel guest rooms and common areas, plus my thoughts on the hotel, and whether I’d recommend it.
Some people are fans of Paradise Pier Hotel. I am not one of those people. In fact, I honestly figured we’d never have a review of the hotel because I refused to pay anywhere near rack rate at this hotel and the type of insane deal necessary to convince me to stay here seemed unlikely. By stroke of luck, a family member of ours happened to get bumped from Disneyland Hotel for a recent convention and ended up at Paradise Pier Hotel, so we joined her for part of the stay. Hence this review.
The good news is that the experience at Paradise Pier Hotel was better than I expected. The bad news is that my expectations were incredibly low, and I still don’t recommend the place. It’s a nice-enough hotel, but it simply doesn’t offer good value.
Why is my opinion of Paradise Pier Hotel low? Well…how much time do you have? 😉
For starters, Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel is farther from Disneyland and Disney California Adventure than at least a half-dozen hotels located on Harbor Boulevard. Right off the bat, this removes any “convenience” advantage you might assume of a Disney hotel. If Paradise Pier Hotel still had the private entry into Paradise Pier, that alone would probably negate some of my complaints.
Speaking of it being a Disney hotel, it barely is. Up until it was purchased by Disney in the mid-1990s, it was actually operated by a third party, just like any ole ordinary off-site hotel in the Anaheim Resort District. As the Los Angeles Times reported at the time, rates would jump from $85 to $125 just by virtue of association with Disney.
Therein lies the crux of the problem for me: Paradise Pier is an off-site hotel masquerading as a Disney hotel. Yes, the Disney name is on the marquee, and there is a minimal amount of theming.
At its core, Paradise Pier Hotel feels no different than one of the nicer Good Neighbor Hotels near Disneyland, except at a much higher price point. Essentially, you are paying a premium for that “Disney’s” in front of the name, and that premium is a costly one.
For a standard view room, rates at Paradise Pier Hotel start at $259 (before tax) and quickly go above the $300/night mark. By contrast, a hotel of comparable quality in the area costs about $175/night. That’s what I’m guessing the rates would be if Pan Pacific still owned the hotel, and given the location, amenities, and room quality, I think that’s about a fair price.
That’s my big problem with the hotel. Price removed from the equation, it’s an okay little hotel, and I do enjoy the pier-side vibe and the art (including concept art for versions of Paradise Pier that never came to fruition) throughout the hotel. However, when thinking about price, I can’t help but think that you could pay a little more for the wonderful Disneyland Hotel, a lot more for the grandiose, flagship Grand Californian, or less for a comparable Good Neighbor Hotel. I just don’t see where Paradise Pier Hotel “fits” in terms of what it offers versus what it costs.
Now, some may argue that Disney has renovated the hotel and made it nicer than it was under Pan Pacific’s ownership. It probably is a nicer hotel than it was in 1995 when Disney purchased it, but the inference there is that Pan Pacific wouldn’t have renovated the hotel in the intervening 20 years, which is a pretty bold assumption.
I’d hazard a guess that 95% of hotels near Disneyland are nicer now than they were in 1995. If Pan Pacific’s only other hotel in the United States, the Pan Pacific Seattle, is any indication, the hotel would be as well–or better–off had it remained under Pan Pacific ownership.
This is where my other major issue with the Paradise Pier Hotel lies. The hotel is charging premium prices, yet it still retains the feel of Disney California Adventure 1.0, circa 2001.
Granted, some of the art around the lobby has been updated to remove the Orange Stinger and Maliboomer references (both can still be found on in-room paper materials), but it still feels a lot like old Disney’s California Adventure. This is cool for people like me who enjoy seeing remnants of DCA pre-overhaul, but it’s unfortunate for those paying ~$300/night that Disney hasn’t given the hotel a needed top-to-bottom refresh in the last few years.
Okay, now that I have all of my grievances with the hotel out of the way, let’s take a look inside the rooms.
Here’s a wide look at the room. Actually not too bad. Clean and contemporary in appearance, with a light, beach-y look and feel.
The bedding is comfortable, albeit not quite on par with the big name Anaheim Convention Center-area hotels. Still, by no means bad, and definitely better than what you’ll find on Harbor Boulevard (but with many of the Harbor Blvd hotels upgrading their bedding as of late, the gap isn’t as large as it was 2 years ago).
There are definitely some nice touches to the room, from the seaside designs of some of the fixtures to the vintage framed Disney cartoon art.
The bathroom is fine, but nothing special.
It’s clean and doesn’t look overly dated (besides perhaps the shower curtain).
The rooms also offer couches, flat-screen televisions, mini-fridges, and safes. By themselves, the guest rooms are actually reasonable nice. It’s the rest of the amenities at the hotel that don’t carry their own weight.
In terms of other amenities, Paradise Pier Hotel is solid, but not great. It has a fitness center, business center, and pool, all of which are fine. The pool is located outdoors on the third floor, and is pretty basic. The water slide is something you won’t find at most other off-site hotels, so that’s a plus. There’s also the PCH Grill on-site, which is a totally forgettable restaurants (besides the awesome straws they give you), and the lounge is basically just a quartered off section of the lobby.
The biggest amenity for most people is probably going to be the morning Early Entry/Extra Magic Hour, which allows early entry into Disney California Adventure or Disneyland an hour before the general public. This can be nice for experiencing Fantasyland in Disneyland or some of the headliners in DCA during busier times of year, but you can just as easily go to the park that is not offering Early Entry at rope drop for similar results. You also have to determine what this perk is worth to you. Is it really worth $100/day?
Overall, Paradise Pier Hotel is an okay hotel if you really want a Disney-branded hotel and can’t get into the vastly superior Disneyland Hotel or Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which are two of my favorite Disney hotels anywhere. Paradise Pier Hotel actually does have some charm to it, but we just do not think it’s worth the money. If I were totally oblivious to its price, I would probably enjoy it a bit more. In terms of value for money, I think it’s an incredibly poor option, especially if you’re paying rack rate. Honestly, we’d rather stay off-site and save the money or spend a bit more and stay at Grand Californian or Disneyland Hotel.
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Your Thoughts…
Have you stayed at the Paradise Pier Hotel? Do you think I’m being too hard on it, or do you agree that it doesn’t have the same vibe and thematic touches found at most other Disney hotels? Considering this hotel? If you’re a Disneyland regular, do you prefer staying here, Disneyland Hotel, or the Grand Californian? Please share your thoughts or questions in the comments section below!
We stayed at Paradise Pier in December 2012. We got a park view, concierge level room for less than the price of a standard room with no view at the much fancier lodge across the street. As a result, we had access to a plentiful breakfast and excellent Coffee every morning, as well as snacks and beverages. We had a great view of Paradise Pier and the nightly light show. My son loved the beach ball pillows on the beds. We had turndown service with chocolates nightly. We also got some surprise treats. I’m a hotel snob–never stay at anything lower than 3 stars (Hampton) when traveling, which I do a lot for business. I would not hesitate to stay here again.
We have always stayed off site when we visit Disneyland. For our upcoming visit in October we briefly considered staying at PPH but in the end got a fantastic deal through my hubands’ company for a nearby offsite hotel which was too good to pass up. After reading your review I feel very confident that we made the right decision and just cements my view that an onsite hotel (whichever one it happens to be) is a waste of money (for us at least). Thanks for an honest review!
I just returned from a week at DLH and absolutley loved it (except Wifi)
On a morning walk to PPH I was put off simply walking through the lobby
I’m assuming I would compare this to a value resort at Disney World.
The value resorts at Disney World are unbelievable in decor compared to this place.
Plus I like to be ‘immersed’ in Disney when I’m there and I get the feeling that being beside the giant Parking lots and outside world would take away from this.
I have to disagree with some of your review. Our family of 4 stayed at PP last Christmas and thought it was fine. In fact, our kids (8 & 6) said it was their favorite of all the Disneyland Resort hotels (we have stayed at all of them). We are going again this June and are staying there this trip too. We got a very good price for a concierge room and are excited to try that service out.
The walk to either park is quite fast (thru GC) and seems closer than the Disneyland Hotel. We stay on site because of the early morning entry and find it very worth the cost. Not having to wait in long lines for certain rides is a big plus. We also found the staff to be very pleasant. Our kids collect pins and the front desk people very giving them pin after pin. They tracked my daughter down before we left to give her a handful of Alice in Wonderland pins (her favorite). It is not the fanciest hotel, but it is clean and convenient with a friendly staff. If you want to spend more money, stay at the Disneyland Hotel. Their pool is bigger and better. We found the GC room need an upgrade for what they charge.
Well this is discouraging. I have a reservation for here in July and it sounds like I’ll be complaining a lot. The only reason I’m staying at a Disney hotel is for EMH as this is my guest’s first ever visit to Disneyland and I’d like to get some of the rides out of the way with minimal waits before they jump up after opening.
This will be my 3rd and final of the Disneyland Resort hotels to stay at, changing to one of the other locations just isn’t an option due to the increased cost (Over $1k for the duration of my stay.)
We’ll see how service goes when my special requests are made at check-in time. (I’m disabled and agoraphobic so no elevator or stairs if possible.)
I think you are missing the value of staying on a Disney property. It is a LOT nicer to walk through Downtown Disney at the end of the night, as opposed to Harbor Boulevard. It helps keep you in the magic. One time when we stayed at the Marriott, we returned to our hotel to find that an AA conference was being held on the property. Some of the “characters” we saw at the hotel were definitely less than magical.
In addition, I have always found the hotel cast members to be much more friendly than the employees at the Harbor hotels. One time they even gave my wife and I a free upgrade package to our room. Without telling us, the cast members at the desk ordered rose pedals in the shape of a heart on our bed and gave us Mickey shaped rice crispy treats dipped in chocolate. We found all of this waiting for us when we returned to our room one night. How often will that happen at a Harbor hotel or a Convention Center hotel?
My family also LOVES the character breakfast at the Paradise Pier. It is awesome because the kids get very personal interaction with the characters and I think the food is better than Goofy’s Kitchen. Although the cost is high, you are still on a Disney property which is nice and the cost difference from the other Disneyland hotels can be significant when added over a five day trip.
One plus for PP is that although the walk to the parks is more than if you stayed at the hotels across from the main entrance on Harbor, the walk is actually in the Disney resort which I think makes for a much nicer walk and overall experience. Like others have said, DH and GC are way above PP but also usually much more expensive too. I’ve stayed there but it’s been probably 12 years!
Does anyone know if the tram still picks people up at the hotel and then drop off at DD? think it used to but I definitely might be mistaken on that.
Couldn’t agree more, Tom. The Disneyland Hotel is our hands-down favorite there. I think the Grand Californian is over-rated, over-priced, and a bit tired looking. And Paradise Pier, while the rooms are pleasant, has nothing else going for it.
Oh wow, that’s pretty harsh towards GCH! While I agree that the rooms could use a bit of a refresh, I think it’s a truly beautiful hotel. The trouble is that, to some degree, the Arts & Crafts style has an inherently dated look. It’s a “period” style, and it kind of shows.
The review is spot on.
I do consider Paradise Pier to be my 3rd favorite DLR hotel (just a slight bit ahead of the Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt & Sheraton) thanks to location.
But it is a huge, huge distance behind the Grand Californian & Disneyland Hotel. Those 2 are both amazing properties in a completely different league than PP.
Great review Tom, although I have to say the rooms are definitely fresher than when we stayed in 2010! Same wallpaper in the bathroom, though. While we enjoyed our stay, I’m in total agreement with you that there are other better cheaper hotels within the same distance. At the time we were AP holders, so we got a discounted rate of $154, but decided to splurge for club level for additional $71. We probably just barely got our money’s worth, but the offerings were nice/decent and we stocked up on bottled water, which was great since they were $3 in the vending machine. We were bummed that we didn’t get any of the Disney “magic” that we had heard about, though, like special treats in the room for the kids. And back then they charged a resort fee to cover self-parking, internet, newspaper, etc., but now parking is a separate (higher) charge and the other amenities included in room charge. Yes, the elevators are slow, but it wasn’t a deal breaker for us. However, if Disneyland Hotel is $70-100 more than PP, then I’d totally go for DH just for those pools!
Pretty spot on review Tom though I’m going to have to disagree with you on two points. While the PCH Grill is nothing memorable by itself, it does have the best run and the best themed character breakfast of the three resorts. While the food options may be slightly better at Storytellers. The characters are second rate there. The character breakfast at the Disneyland Hotel is awful. The PPH is not the furthest Disney hotel from the parks…and it’s not even close. The only way it might be is if you avoid cutting throug the GCH. The Disneyland Hotel at its closest point is farther away.
To be fair the Disneyland Hotel is nearly $1,000 more for a five-night stay and that’s make or break for some people (hem hem). The Disneyland Hotel is by far my favorite (mostly because I’m pretty sure I’d have to sell my children to stay at the Grand Californian) but it’s pretty pricey and it’s actually a pretty sturdy walk to the parks from there as well.
I’m torn now because we’re doing a trip to DL in October and we are considering staying offsite but I’m slightly terrified it won’t be as fun… lol. We were planning on staying at PP since it’s cheaper but now I’m second guessing our choice…
We have stayed at the DL hotel and really enjoyed it. I would do it again in a heart beat if I could get a good price. But most of the time we opt to stay at The Best Western Park Place. The hotel doesn’t change the fun factor for us…we spend most of our time at the parks anyway.
Disneyland Hotel isn’t always more expensive than Paradise Pier Hotel, let alone $200 more per night.
I’ve seen Disneyland Hotel ~$50/night cheaper than Paradise Pier Hotel with AP or CM ‘Friends & Family’ discounts, so it all just depends on when you’re going and what discounts are offered.
I would agree with you that Disneyland Hotel is not worth that much more per night, though.
I stayed at the PPH ~2 years ago with a family member who got a military discount (I think we paid $250/night). As a family of 5, the ability to sleep 5 is a big plus. The kids enjoyed the pool. We did use the EMH. I thought the hotel was fine, but I’ve never been to Disney World or stayed in any other Disney property. The next summer, we stayed at the Tropicana and had just as good a time for $119 a night.
We stayed here for a week last May and except for the elevators would happily stay again. The slow elevators is a huge issue if you have a stroller.
The price difference between Disneyland Hotel (around $700 for the week) and Grand California (double) made it worth it to us. It’s across the street from the Grand Californian. That extra 3 minutes of walking time is well worth saving $$$$. We cut through GC every morning into DTD and the esplanade and think that was as close as Disneyland Hotel’s walk would have been. It’s all so close versus what we see/do at WDW that I don’t think you can even factor in the walk time/distance as an issue between the three Disney properties.
To us staying on property was worth it to ride Radiator Springs Racers six times. 🙂 I actually liked the modest theming. I don’t love the over the top hotels. And you’re discounting the value of the large room to a family. We are only three but 5 could stay there with the two beds and the futon.
We stayed there recently in March 2015. They can make the couch up into a twin bed. We only have two kids, but it was great to have them sleeping separately because they both roll/kick in their sleep. My 4 year old loved having his own bed!
We waited quite awhile for Housekeeping to come make the bed up when we called. But when we called back and complained, the Front Desk was very helpful and nice, and got Housekeeping to come make the bed up for us and gave us a line-cutting coupon (I can’t remember what it was called). There were some restrictions on using the coupon (no Cars Land, I can’t remember what else), but we found it valuable.
You didn’t mention what I consider the biggest (of many) negatives of staying there — the elevators! One bank of three elevators to serve the entire hotel. It doesn’t sound bad at first, until you try to go down for a EMH and have to wait 15-20 minutes for an elevator that has room for your party. Awful, awful, awful, and alone is a reason not to stay there, especially for the price.
I agree about the elevators. Stayed there in 2009 and could hardly get to our rooms within a half hour after we got back to the hotel. Sometimes if someone was already in the room we would call them to send the glass elevator down and call it back up for us. It only went down in 2009 don’t know if they changed it…. and the stairs only went to the second floor. Bad design.
The PCH Grill probably has the best character breakfast, what with Stitch, the least crowded and easy to get into without a reservation.
You also get to use the GC entrance, which is nice. You also get AP discounts here.
The hotel does have the Disney Magic, however, which makes it worth more than other, non-Disney hotels. Having used almost every hotel within walking distance of DL, I can tell you the staff is often surly, ignorant, or simply not here. Checking in, even when 100% prepaid, can be a hassle.
Whatever you do Tom, do NOT stay at the very cheapest hotels within walking distance. They are dirty, with bugs- and bedbugs.
I view “Disney magic” as a throwaway phrase unless backed up with something substantive as to why it has that ‘X factor.’
I’ve stayed at 14 hotels near Disneyland in the last 2 years and only had poor service at one. I’ve only had exemplary service at 3: Grand Californian, Hyatt, and Marriott. I found the service at the PPH to be no better or worse than your average hotel on Harbor.
YMMV, I suppose.
Agree about PCH Grill. It was our favorite character breakfast and I thought the food was pretty good.
I’ve been waiting for this review for awhile now – and while I can’t say whether I agree with it or not, it’s kinda what I expected. I can’t say whether I agree or not because I’ve never been to any of the Disneyland-area hotels (Disney-owned, or other) except for the Motel 6 by Angels Stadium, which may not even be there anymore – I was there in 1997. But you’ve alluded to the fact that this is NOT one of your favorite places in various posts.
What I find interesting is that I’m highly looking forward to my stay there in November, on what will be my first real trip to Disneyland (those couple of hours in 1997 don’t count). Is it pricier than Good Neighbor hotels? Sure. But my travel buddy and I both (and separately, I might add) looked at reviews and photos of the 3 Disney-owned hotels, and chose Paradise Pier over the others. For him, I think it’s the decor – surf/beach themes. For me, it was a combination of the theme, and the knowledge that I would feel woefully out-of-place at the Grand Californian, and that I just don’t know that I would like the Disneyland Hotel enough for the difference in cost. I should note here that we got PP for under $300/night.
This trip is liable to be a once-in-a-lifetime for both of us, and we decided that a splurge was in order. We plan to milk every second of time out of the parks, so we’ll be taking advantage of early entry. That in itself was worth a slight increase in price, as was the knowledge that I am actually staying on property. Factor that in, and then look at the difference, split the difference in two (my friend and I are splitting the cost of the trip)…and the choice to switch to PP from a Good Neighbor hotel wasn’t much of a choice.
I should add here that a have a WDW AP, and yet I’ve never stayed at anything nicer than a value resort, and usually tend to camp at Fort Wilderness. I’ve traveled the US fairly extensively, and I considered myself lucky if I got to stay in something as “fancy” as a Motel 6 (let’s not talk about the hostels in AZ and NM – those were an experience for a fresh-out-of-high-school teenager back in the 90s). Compared to my history, PP IS fancy, no quotation marks needed!
But as usual, I always find your opinions and reviews insightful – even if I don’t understand or agree with your opinion. I figure that’s what makes opinions interesting.
I look forward to my visit, and being able to explore all 3 hotels on property at Disneyland Resort. Maybe I’ll get out there, and wish I’d stayed someplace different. I leave 6 months from tomorrow.
It sounds like you know exactly what you want: if you like the style of the hotel and are really looking forward to EMH, I’m sure you’ll have a great stay.
Enjoy your trip! 🙂
You hit the nail right on the head, Tom! PPH is basically like a Ramada Inn anywhere in middle America. In my mind, the only way it could truly become a Disney hotel is if they took it down to the beams and rebuilt it, not unlike what they did next door at the Disneyland Hotel. It wouldn’t hurt to also extend the monorail there or something. Otherwise it’s simply not worth it. And although they’ve spruced it up a bit, the inside just looks depressing.
I agree, but that’ll never happen as long as the 3 hotels have high occupancy rates.
Did you notice late night room noise?
We stayed there late last summer (mid September) and our neighbors decided that from 10:30 to almost 1:00am we needed to hear their music.
Multiple calls to the desk got nothing done and the next day we checked out and went to the Disneyland Hotel where is was much quieter…
I suspect you were just unlucky. I don’t feel the walls are thin here–even hotels with good insulation can’t keep noise out when you have especially obnoxious neighbors. Sad that the front desk didn’t do anything, though.
This is spot on Tom. When I stay on property whether DLR or WDW the idea is that I am paying a premium for the amenities and value of the hotel/resort. The Pier just doesn’t stack up well against the other two and for obvious reasons. DLR could benefit from a moderate type resort sadly they have no room. I think rooms there sould run in the $150-$200 range and thats about it. If I had never stayed at the DLR and only WDW and I went with the Paradise Pier, I would have been very upset when I arrived. Just not the quality that I’m used to.