Ramada Plaza Anaheim Review
Ramada Plaza Anaheim is near Disneyland and Disney California Adventure that’s nicer than many budget hotels in Anaheim. This hotel review features room photos, thoughts on amenities, and a look at the pros and cons of staying at Ramada Plaza Anaheim. It also covers how you can score a deal on the hotel and its quality as compared to close competitors in the area that are similarly-situated.
The story here is one of squandered potential. Ramada Plaza Anaheim, overall, is a solid hotel and one I would recommend. The unfortunate thing is that it could be near the top of my rankings, but for some missteps. The sad thing is that it stumbles in what I consider to be basic and unexpected ways, while excelling in areas you might not expect. For Disney fans, I think a good analogy is Epic Mickey. The game has flashes of brilliance, is loaded with detail, and has stunning environments, but the camera and controls absolutely suck. (How do you not get these most basic things right?!)
Ramada Plaza Anaheim is not a Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotel, but that’s a meaningless distinction that (I think) is based on paying for the ‘certification’, anyway. If you want to know how Ramada Plaza Anaheim stacks up to the competition in my opinion (which is based on the perspective of someone who has stayed in 30+ hotels near Disneyland), check out our Disneyland Hotels Reviews & Rankings post. You can also read our overall comparison of the benefits of staying off-site versus on-site in our Where to Stay at Disneyland post.
Want to learn more about Ramada Plaza Anaheim and see some room photos? Let’s take a look…
Here’s a wide view of my room. It was quite large, with two queen beds, a sofa sleeper, mini-fridge, desk, television, and dresser. The bedding and furniture looked relatively new, but the overall design of the room felt a bit bland and dated.
This was especially evident in the carpet, which was downright worn, but it was also hinted at through the paintings on the walls, the curtains, and other little touches in the room. Aside from the carpet, it was nothing really noticeable, and even with the carpet wasn’t a huge deal.
More importantly, my bed was downright hard and the sheets felt like they were of incredibly low quality. The pillows were nice, but I was perplexed that the beds would be subpar given that it appears that they were the one thing in the room that had been recently updated.
Now, I know that one person’s hard bed is another’s firm, preferred mattress, so I guess I’ll allow for the possibility that the bed here just wasn’t my “Sleep Number” as the kids say, but I was still disappointed.
The bathroom had the sink, toilet, and shower all in the same area. It was actually a reasonably nice bathroom that was nicely tiled and very well-maintained.
The bed and datedness of the room aside, I actually liked the hotel room. After a day in Disneyland I could sleep like a baby on Tufa Towers, so the bed wasn’t a huge deal to me. What I did like was being able to spread out and use my laptop on the coffee table in front of the couch. It’s tough to articulate, but the room just felt comfortable. I know “feelings” are probably not something a good, serious hotel critic would take into account, but I think we can all agree that I’m neither a good critic nor a serious one.
One thing that did bother me–and I’m almost reluctant to mention this–is how well I could briefly hear the obnoxious guests in the room next to me. “Thin walls” aren’t something I normally discuss in these reviews because I think most people conflate having loud neighbors with a hotel having thin walls. If you don’t have two adjacent rooms to perform your own controlled tests, it’s impossible to be sure whether your neighbors are exceptionally obnoxious, or the walls are actually thin. Conversely, when people mention a hotel having “good soundproofing” they may actually just have gotten lucky with quiet neighbors or unfilled rooms near them.
My guess would be that the majority of motel-style locations in Anaheim have about the same quality of walls, with the same level of average or subpar soundproofing. However, I mention the noise here because this is a hotel with interior hallways, and I could hear my neighbors pretty well. Perhaps they were just really obnoxious (based on their topics of conversation, it’s certainly a possibility), I’m not sure. I still thought it worth mentioning. If others have experience with the Ramada Plaza Anaheim, I’d love to hear your thoughts on “room quietness” in the comments.
The main lobby perfectly encapsulates both the overarching strengths and weaknesses of Ramada Plaza Anaheim. It’s nicely designed and has a certain classy look to it with the high ceiling, chandelier, and table with flowers. Upon closer inspection, though, the furniture is dated, the flooring looks a bit on the old side, and it lacks the contemporary flare found in the more recently remodeled name brand hotels near the Anaheim Convention Center.
In terms of amenities, Ramada Plaza Anaheim has free parking and free WiFi, but no free breakfast (unless you get a rate that includes the hot buffet). This lack of free breakfast is pretty typical once you start moving from the cheap budget motels to the nicer hotels, which seems counter-intuitive, but whatever. It’s right across the street from 7-11 and CVS, next door to the excellent Hotel Indigo Anaheim, and about a 10-12 minute walk to both the Disneyland Esplanade and the Anaheim Convention Center.
Now let’s take a look at some of the other on-site amenities. First up, the pool. It’s hard to tell by the photos, but the pool area is pretty nice (relative to other hotels in the area). The pool itself is large and well-maintained, and the area feels relatively secluded thanks to the trees and greenery–despite overlooking the parking lot.
The hot tub is also nice, albeit pretty small.
Another amenity Ramada Plaza Anaheim has is…a steam room?! I did not use this steam room, as a I have a phobia of large, hairy naked men, and my understanding is that they are the leading demographic found in steam rooms.
The laundry area is really small, with only enough machines for one person at a time to use. Good thing there are 3 slots in the dispenser for detergent, though. 😉
Other amenities include a very small fitness center, room service, business center, and a bunch of convention and meeting space. The on-site restaurant is Gandhi Palace–the Mohatma’s place, a lovely little restaurant where you can dip your head in oil and rub it all over. Actually, that’s just a guess, I didn’t actually eat there.
Out near the parking lot, there is this really pretty fountain that is maybe Asian-inspired? I’m not sure, but it’s lovely. What makes no sense to me is its location. I can’t imagine anyone besides bloggers and hotel reviewers looking for content are going to walk out to the parking lot to enjoy a fountain. But hey, if you’re a parking lot fountain aficionado, this will be right up your alley!
I paid $94/night for my stay at Ramada Plaza Anaheim through the Hotel Tonight app. It’s on there almost every night, and from what I’ve seen, that’s about as low as it goes. I’d consider it to be a good price if you can find it for <$125/night–more during busier seasons. If you are comfortable winging it a bit and don’t mind potentially staying at a different hotel on Harbor Boulevard, I highly recommend waiting and using Hotel Tonight to book.
You can book via Hotel Tonight up to a week in advance and there’s always availability in Anaheim within walking distance of Disneyland. If you are more of a planner/worrier and want a safety net, just book another hotel independently with a loose cancellation policy, and cancel that stay once your Hotel Tonight window opens. Use code TBRICKER1 to save $25 on your first booking via Hotel Tonight.
Overall, Ramada Plaza Anaheim Resort feels like a hotel that was built to be reasonably nice 15 years ago, with minimal updates done since then. This “reasonably nice” still holds up in some places, and the hotel has a certain quality to it that surpasses many of the motel style accommodations. I don’t quite “get” how the one thing that seems to have been recently updated–the beds–are so hard, which I view as the hotel’s biggest misstep. Despite the datedness and the beds, I find myself inexplicably being a fan of Ramada Plaza Anaheim. It is a safe, quality hotel, and does feel nice even if dated. It’s also a fairly short walk to Disneyland, and has a solid location. If the price were right, I would stay here again.
If you’re heading to Disneyland for the Diamond Celebration, check out our Ultimate Guide to the Disneyland 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration. We also have tons of other posts to help you plan, including our Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets, a look at Disneyland Area Hotel Reviews & Rankings, our Unique Packing List for Disney Trips, an index of our Disneyland Resort Restaurant Reviews, and a number of other things in our comprehensive Disneyland Trip Planning Guide!
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Your Thoughts…
Have you stayed at Ramada Plaza Anaheim? Are you a fan of it? Did you find your room to be quiet? Do you prefer staying off-site or on-site at Disneyland? Please share your thoughts or questions in the comments section below!
We stayed here October 2015 and thought it was great! 2 adults and 2 kids. The price was great and since we drove, the free parking (and wifi) was a plus. It was underground parking. Not sure of clearance; we were driving a car. There wasn’t free breakfast, but it didn’t matter to us as we had our breakfast in our room while getting ready with items we brought with us or purchased at CVS. The location was great. We walk fast so it was less than 10 minutes for us. We ate at the restaurant the night we arrived and loved it. Really authentic Indian food, but if that’s not your thing, then skip it. The beds were good for us, but we are “firm” mattress lovers. I don’t remember complaining about the beds and I also don’t recall any significant noise thought the walls. We would definitely stay here again!
I wish that pa king would be mentioned in reviews, beyond cost. Those of us that are road tripping and stopping for a few days at Disneyland need to know what type of parking we are dealing with. Is it open air or a garage? If it is a garage, what is the clearance level for those with vans/SUVS/Travel top luggage carriers? Are parking spots narrow or wide? Is it plentiful or do you need to be lucky to get anything? Is it well lit?
I’m not really sure why I’m picking this review to post on (maybe because I’m finding a great rate here?), but it is something I look for in every review and especially hope to find on specific review articles. These are the things that can cause me to pass by or book a hotel. When you’re driving, you have to know if there is a spot for your vehicle.
I stayed at this hotel about 4 months ago and HATED IT! The floors were absolutely filthy and our deluxe king room DID NOT have a large long bathroom sink. In fact it was a tiny pedestal sink with zero space to even set our tooth brush. The tub had stains (something I can overlook, but I was already annoyed with the sink) and the old outdated tile just seemed dirty to me.
We’re headed to Disneyland next month and my husband said we should look into staying here again. I said absolutely not. Im sorry, but as a woman (who isn’t even high maitenance to begin with) I need decent counter space!
How does this hotel compare to the maingate one? I have a end of november trip booked at the Ramada maingate and online reviews are all over the map. I intend to be in the oarks more anyway and got a good rate at the maingate so i am curious if you have any opinions.
Haven’t stayed at Ramada Maingate yet, but it is currently undergoing a refurbishment. I’ve heard it is the nicer of the two.
We’ve stayed here a number of time when the breakfast was offered for free with every room. It made this hotel really hard to beat.
The walls are thin. The hallway noise is loud, the noise from above us loud. We always ask for a room on the top floor.
But now that they don’t offer the free breakfast, we find there are other hotels in this price range with better walls and beds, with free breakfast.
But otherwise, I totally agree with everything you said in your review.
But, the biggest bonus of this hotel? It’s so close to cheesecake factory, California pizza kitchen, and baba gumps!
Dude. Who cares about the room, how was Gandhi Palace?
I am aware I’m setting you up for a hunger strike joke.
Ok, so I’m not going to make the joke you set me up for, but I feel this opens the door for me to make a reference I left out in a rare exercise of good judgment: “The on-site restaurant is Gandhi Palace–the Mohatma’s place, a lovely little restaurant where you can dip your head in oil and rub it all over. Actually, that’s just a guess, I didn’t actually eat there.”
For those who saw that above and thought ‘what the heck?!’ that’s a Seinfeld reference. I know most people don’t read the comments, so they’ll just walk away from this post thinking this is a really bizarre blog that they no longer want to read. If someone isn’t a Seinfeld fan, I’m not sure I want them reading this blog, though. 😉
Wait a minute, you had an affair with Gandhi?
Nice coverage…
Microwave?
Sorry, yes, right on top of the mini-fridge.