Review: Westin Anaheim Resort Luxury Hotel Near Disneyland
The Westin Anaheim Resort is a new luxury hotel near Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. It’s one a few AAA Four Diamond hotels within walking distance of the theme parks. This review features room photos & video, thoughts on amenities, and pros & cons of booking at this hotel versus its competitors. (Updated March 24, 2024.)
Let’s start with location, as the Westin Anaheim Resort scores some serious points there. If you visited Disneyland Resort in the last few years, you might’ve seen a large crane behind Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure (DCA). This caused some comically-absurd “rumors” about what was secretly being built that would make even a bus driver blush.
In actuality, that crane was for construction of the Westin Anaheim Resort, which was being built in plain sight on the other side of Katella Avenue, right next door to the Anaheim Convention Center. Amusing anecdote aside, this underscores the Westin Anaheim Resort’s great location–it literally overlooks DCA, meaning some guest rooms and the rooftop have great views.
Unfortunately, that does not translate to proximity to the parks in practical terms. Meaning that if you want to walk to Disneyland or Disney California Adventure, you’re looking at about a 15-17 minute walk. Even though Pixar Pier is right there, the walk to the parks is longer than you might expect.
Aside from the Katella and Harbor Boulevard intersection, it’s a relatively easy walk. (Unfortunately, the Westin is on the “wrong” side of Katella–but not by much.) Walking is far faster than driving or waiting on a bus or Uber/Lyft from the Westin to Disneyland. You can also walk to Downtown Disney in about the same amount of time by heading the other direction.
As of Spring 2024, we’ve now stayed at the Westin Anaheim on 4 different occasions–for a normal stay, as well as Halloween, Christmas, and the Disneyland Half Marathon. We’re hoping to stay here again for the D23 Expo, too.
Suffice to say, the Westin Anaheim has become one of our go-to hotels near Disneyland for a number of reasons and our opinion of the luxury hotel has evolved over that time as well. Accordingly, we wanted to come back to refresh this review.
The biggest change since our first stay at the Westin Anaheim is that we’ve now done a theme park view room. As compared to our ‘dumpster view’ room (see below), this was a night and day improvement.
While we definitely wouldn’t always pay the premium pricing for a theme park view room as it can cost over $100 per night extra on certain dates, it’s definitely nice for laid-back trips where you’re not spending all of your time in the parks.
The rooms with the balconies are especially nice–there’s nothing quite like enjoying your morning coffee in the crisp California air or having a nightcap while watching the lights on Pixar Pier. Even nicer still is being upgraded to one of these rooms as a result of having Marriott Bonvoy status! (Definitely don’t bank on that free upgrade happening–it’s a popular hotel that does book up.)
Of course, not every view has a great view of Pixar Pier and Disney California Adventure. During our first stay, our room was on the opposite side of the hotel and overlooked a parking garage, backstage access to the Anaheim Convention Center, and some dumpsters.
We also didn’t have a balcony, which was honestly fine given the view. To each their own, but I don’t typically like to savor the scene of dumpsters and parking structures for hours on end. Since then, not every stay has had a theme park view…but they’ve all been better than this!
Another thing we’ve come to appreciate is the walk from the Westin to Disneyland Resort. As noted above, you cannot get to the parks through Pixar Pier. However, you can exit Disney California Adventure through the the new Pixar Place Hotel pathway, which shaves a good chunk of time off the walk and makes it about 10 minutes. But that’s leaving only since this pathway is gated and requires a Disneyland Resort room key to enter (ditto the Grand Californian).
We’ve likewise come to appreciate the walk down Disneyland Drive and through Downtown Disney. Even though it’s roughly the same distance as Katella and Harbor, this route is always more pleasant. It also has a fewer other upsides–typically shorter bag check lines, it feels safer at night, and more of the walk is through Disney property.
None of this used to matter as much to us, but now that we have a baby, we’re definitely more cognizant of it all. Sarah says she would prefer a 15-20 minute walk from here through Downtown Disney than a 10 minute walk along Katella and Harbor at night. (This gives the Westin a significant advantage over the otherwise similar JW Marriott for us.)
The Westin Anaheim Resort is clearly aimed at conventioneers and special events guests. That much is clear from its location, but also the clientele, amenities, and spaces. Without fail, we also always see weddings–plural–happening each time we stay here. We actually like that about the Westin, it imbues it with a palpable sense of happiness. Much better than corporate leaders in lanyards!
There are also tourists visiting Disneyland staying here, but the Westin definitely doesn’t have the same vibe as other hotels near Disneyland.
The different target audience can also be felt throughout the Westin Anaheim Resort.
Family-friendly hotels in Anaheim opt for more “durable” furniture and finishings, and often are more utilitarian and functional in nature. By contrast, the Westin is high end through and through, with sophistication and extra attention to detail everywhere you look.
This is not to say that the Westin Anaheim Resort is a poor choice for families or kid-unfriendly. That’s not the case–there were plenty of families with small children here during our stay. The target audience is just different, and with that comes a different atmosphere.
In other words, the Westin is perfectly suitable for families, even if it’s not catering directly to them. This hotel is good for families wanting posh accommodations, not ones aimed at children. It’s one of only a handful of hotels in Anaheim that puts adults first, rather than kids. If you want the opposite, almost anywhere else will be a better option.
About the only hotel near Disneyland that’s comparable to the Westin is the JW Marriott Anaheim Resort (pictured above), which is another AAA Four Diamond property. Even the Grand Californian and Disneyland hotel are very different than the Westin.
You can get an idea of how the Westin stacks up to the competition in our Disneyland Hotels Reviews & Rankings post, which covers the 50+ hotels at which we’ve stayed in Anaheim. A more concise resource is Where to Stay at Disneyland–that also weighs staying off-site versus on-site.
In one regard, the Westin Anaheim Resort outshines every other hotel near Disneyland: dining. There’s no fewer than a half-dozen stand out restaurants at the Westin, each bringing something unique to the table.
For atmosphere and big views into Disney California Adventure, there’s RISE Rooftop Lounge. This bar has a variety of seating options around fire pits overlooking Incredicoaster and Pixar Pier. You can also catch vague views of World of Color or Disneyland’s fireworks from afar.
On the lobby level is the Westin’s signature restaurant, the Tangerine Room. This location toes the line between trendy and casual, with a menu of modern Californian dishes celebrating local, seasonal ingredients from Anaheim-area providers and an extensive global wine list.
The modern lobby lounge at The Westin Anaheim is Bar 1030. This features cocktails, specialty teas, small bites, and light Californian fare. If there’s an event in Anaheim or at the hotel–which is pretty much always–you can count on Bar 1030 being packed with attendees.
If you want to dine poolside, there’s Bella’s Splash Pool Bar. Another option is Blossom Market & Cafe, which serves up coffee, juices, and smoothies along with grab and go items like sandwiches and salads.
The Westin Anaheim is something of a mixed-use facility, with a couple of additional restaurants flanking its front entrance. Whether these are part of the hotel or not is a matter of perspective. Regardless, these are Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and Puesto Mexican Restaurant. We’ve yet to dine at either, but both have garnered rave reviews from friends. (Fleming’s is a chain, so perhaps you’ve dined there in another city.)
There’s also a poolside bar which, obviously, means that there’s a pool.
The pool itself is unremarkable, which is consistent with other hotels in the area. Perhaps there’s an Anaheim ordinance of which I’m unaware that pool areas at hotels in the city must be a disappointment. (I’m joking–there are a handful of hotels with more ambitious pool areas.)
The pool seating area is considerably more impressive, with a variety of comfortable lounge chairs and other seats.
There are also private cabanas that you can rent for $250 per day. I’m sure these will be popular at some point, but it was mildly amusing to see these when there was literally not a single other person around. Literally the entire pool was our “private” space, no $250 upcharge necessary.
Another amenity is the excellent fitness center with (literally) dozens of brand-new workout machines, which is among the best in Anaheim. We used this for about an hour each day of our stay, and there were a grand total of ~4 other people in there during this time. I suspect that when conventions are in town, the utilization rate is a bit higher.
The hotel also attempts to appeal more to families with its Westin Family program. There are little extras given to kids, and the hotel has a self-guided scavenger hunt as well as a daily schedule of family-friendly activities (we saw a pool party–I’m not sure what else there is).
On balance, I’d say that the Westin Anaheim does a better job of appealing to families than the JW Marriott. Both are still primarily higher-end convention center hotels, but the Westin smartly tries to cater to multiple demographics, not just business travelers.
Marriott eliminated its fixed point charts in favor of a dynamic award pricing model, but the Westin Anaheim Resort was previously a Category 7 property. Using Marriott points, it’s roughly on par with the oceanfront Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, which we’d consider a far superior use of points. It’s higher than the JW Marriott Los Angeles, which is much farther from Disneyland.
The Westin Anaheim is in line with the JW Marriott Anaheim Resort. As compared to its counterparts at Walt Disney World, it’s typically above the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort, Swan & Dolphin, and Swan Reserve.
We first stayed at the Westin during the fall off-season, at which time the cash rate made more sense than using points. I’m slightly hesitant to even post the nightly rate ($240) for the Westin during our stay, since anyone reading this a year from now…or even in a week during the peak of Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons…or pretty much any time when conventions are happening…could pay considerably more.
With that said, prices are still reasonable so long as you book an off-season date when there are no events in town at the adjacent Anaheim Convention Center. If you’re considering the Westin Anaheim as part of a Disneyland vacation, you can book a hotel + ticket vacation package via Get Away Today to save more money. In addition to the package discount, some hotels have ‘4th night free’ promos. In addition to their normal discounts and special packages, you can save an extra $10 by using code TOURIST at checkout.
The Westin Anaheim Resort has a variety of standard guest room options and suites.
The Westin Heavenly bedding is top notch, with a plush pillowtop mattress and head-absorbing pillows. Without question, we found this to be the highlight of our guest room at the Westin.
Beyond the beds, other in-room amenities at the Westin Anaheim include Keurig machines with Starbucks coffee, a mini-fridge, robes & slippers, iron & ironing board, safe, 55″ television, Plug-In High Tech room (not sure what this is), and radio.
Bathrooms offer a hairdryer and individual toiletries, including soap, lotion, mouthwash, shower cap, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
Aesthetically, the rooms are otherwise fine.
Don’t get me wrong–these rooms come across as higher end. There are also nice little touches, but the Westin rooms don’t reach quite the same level as those at the JW Marriott. Perhaps the sophistication here is a bit too subtle for my tastes.
With that said, my perspective on the room was much more positive once we got one with a balcony overlooking Pixar Pier. Who could’ve guessed that makes for a more luxurious experience than looking at some dumpsters?!
The rooms with balconies at the Westin Anaheim Resort, as those are incredibly unique and unlike anything else near Disneyland.
On a positive note, the bathroom is spacious and features a walk-in rain shower as well as a large bathtub. The vanity is large, lighting abundant, and finishings are high end. Along with the Heavenly beds, these bathrooms are another highlight of the Westin Anaheim.
For a better look at the layout, here’s a video tour of our theme park view balcony room at the Westin Anaheim Resort:
Ultimately, there’s a lot to like about the Westin Anaheim Resort, especially if you’re planning on spending a lot of time at the hotel, but not necessarily in your guest room (unless you book one with a view or balcony). The dining slate alone is unrivaled, and other common areas are incredibly nice. Other amenities include a formidable fitness center, nice pool area, and pretty much what you’d expect of luxury accommodations.
Then there are the rooms, which are lovely and offer a variety of views. While the “no view” room leaves a lot to be desired, it’s also fairly affordable by the standard of luxury hotels in Southern California. Then there are all of the other upgraded room views, which are fantastic and far better than anything at the JW Marriott.
Finally and perhaps most significantly for us, the walk is much more pleasant from the Westin Anaheim to Disneyland as going through Downtown Disney beats walking along Harbor and Katella. And then there’s the walk from Disney California Adventure through Pixar Pier, which is flat-out fantastic. All things considered, we love the Westin Anaheim Resort and rank it very highly on our list of the best hotels not just in Anaheim, but in all of Southern California.
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of other places!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you stayed at the Westin Anaheim Resort? What did you think of the hotel? Highlights and/or lowlights? Doe the accommodations look appealing to you, or is this not to your tastes, preferences, or needs? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Tom was not kidding! On the Westin Anaheim’s website, you’ve got regular rooms, “Park View” rooms, “Pool View” rooms … and “No View” rooms!
(I’m guessing the regular rooms look out onto the courtyard rather than the alleyways where dumpsters dwell.)
We just came back from a stay at the Westin Anaheim and it’s a lovely hotel. The rooms are really nice and good sized . The breakfast option was so so. We were upgraded to club level room so we took advantage of the free continental breakfast and snacks in the club room . We walked to the parks one day and drove the other and it really was so much better walking time wise.
The hotel was lovely, the rooms spacious, and the staff was friendly. In saying all this, I was extremely disappointed at the level of greed while a guest was dealing with an emergency. While staying at the Westin Anaheim Hotel, I received a call from my daughter, who has been away at college. She was being transported to the ER, so I asked the staff if I could stay in the room for an extra 2 hours so I could have privacy and not be seen crying in public. They told me it was possible, but they would have to charge me $400 for a night’s stay! The hotel was not full, so it’s very disappointing to see this money grab while one of their guests was in the middle of a stressful family medical emergency.
We stayed across the street on West St. for a conference in a 3 BR, 3 BA home with a private pool! It was great & likely less money!
Thanks for this review! We’re looking forward to staying here summer 2023. For our last trip, we stayed at the J.W. Marriott and thought it was lovely, but want to try the other “Four Diamond” option. This is one of the many reasons why my family is beginning to strongly prefer Disneyland vs. Disney World – actual luxury resorts (vs. Disney “deluxe” ) within walking distance of the park – YES please!
We are also considering doing a split stay at the Grand California for the early entry benefit for a few of the days. I’m definitely torn though, it’s only 30 minutes early and the Grand rate is so much higher per night than Westin. Perhaps it would be more advantages to put that money towards upgrading to a view / balcony at the Westin?
Tom – I’d be very interested to read any recent experiences you’ve had with early entry at Disneyland.
We stayed here in July, and if you can book one of the Park View rooms with balcony and view of DCA, it makes a big difference in, as Tom stated, “perceived quality”. Those rooms can jump in price quite a bit over the rates mentioned in the review however, so your mileage may vary depending on when you visit. Fleming’s provided a very nice meal, and walking up Disneyland Drive and cutting through the Grand Californian is a huge timesaver. As mentioned, you might not be able to catch the hotel gate on the way in, but you can definitely come back that way on your return trip to the Westin.
We’ve also stayed at the JW Marriott, and I prefer the Westin’s hotel layout a lot more. There’s just something I don’t like about the multi-level escalator entrance / lobby at the JW. I will say though, that our basic room at the JW did have a separate standalone bath tub (with standalone shower) while the Westin only had a shower.
Stayed here Nov 13-15 for Disneyland. Too tired to try the extras but the room was nice and we loved the shower. At check in I asked about walking routes and was told not to go through the GC. We ended up just using Uber, never waited more than a minute for a ride and it cost about $6 a ride, worth it for us with 2 kids. Another plus was the EV charger, only available with valet parking. Paid about 240 a night plus parking and it was one of the only hotels available for our somewhat last minute trip.
We stayed there Nov. 5th – using Amex fine hotels. We were upgraded to the balcony view ( nice!) and rec’d buffet breakfast for 2 ( normally $70 for 2)(It was outstanding!); and a $100 food credit ( used to buy sandwiches for lunch and a couple drinks at the rooftop bar). The rate was higher, but I think it ended up being quite the bargain ( do the math for your own situation). The hotel also brought us a welcome amenity of a couple tangerines, tangerine macarons, and a couple tangerine bubly’s ( they definitely had a theme). My husband said the workout room was one of the best he’s ever used at any hotel – it was huge and had far more than the usual workout equipment. My husband commented that it was the most relaxing hotel he’d stayed at in quite some time.
We walked down Disneyland drive to the parks, and went thru the Grand Californian gate which is the slowest closing gate I have ever seen, and super easy to get thru ( which we knew as we had just finished a 4-night stay at the GC) (about 10″)- but if it’s manned during busier times, then it’s easy to walk down Disneyland drive, cross the street towards the Disneyland hotel and enter Downtown Disney that way ( they have signs posted with arrows). Either way, you can come out of California Adventure via their “secret” pixar pier gate next to the Corn Dog Castle. BTW- I didn’t see one homeless person along Disneyland Drive.
We highly recommend it for a more upscale experience!
Hi there, I see the other comment about walking through the grand instead of down to harbor. Couldn’t you go through the Grand’s lobby to downtown Disney and then to the entrance to the parks? Would that be significantly longer than going to harbor?
I enjoyed this review, and also the TV in one of the room photos that ironically encourages viewers to “Stay home.”
But seriously- I appreciate the review, it’ll be nice to have a new lodging option to consider when visiting the area.
I stayed here last month and really loved it. They have some pretty good Magic Key discounts. The one I got was for a deluxe room and I had a great courtyard view and could see DCA from the balcony. That view and balcony do make a difference. The Magic Key holder rate also included half price parking and I was able to book again using the same discount for December. The rate I got was $254. Also, I highly recommend people do not go around to Harbor Blvd. I won’t even step foot on Harbor anymore with the homeless problems and people trying to sell all manner of junk. I went up Disneyland Dr and then cut through the Grand Californian lobby. I’m a single woman and tend to travel alone and I felt very safe walking back to the hotel alone at a late hour.
That’s a good route recommendation, but one thing to note is that it won’t always work for entering DLR. The gate to GCH is often locked and during busier times, there’s also an attendant there turning away guests not staying at GCH.
Going home at night always works via that route, though.
Thank you for the review, I always appreciate when you are able to fit in Disneyland coverage.
Looking at the map, the view from the back is about what I expected. Definitely not what I want to see when paying over $200/night. Since the dining seems to be the best amenity, staying at a nearby hotel would have many of the same advantages.