I actually started my travel review adventures right here at the Disneyland Resort over two decades ago - as proven by the age of this account. Since that time, I've stayed at hotels from all levels of service - basic/no-frills, to select-service, to luxury. So it's always nice to come back to the immediate area and check out one of the newer hotels.
Normally for my birthday, I head up North on a roadtrip and stay at my favorite hotel - the Intercontinental Monterey. Since I had to stay locally this year for work, I figured I might as well stay some place decent as a birthday staycation. It was between this, or the JW Marriott - a few blocks away on Katella.
Built upon the former site of the Anabella Hotel, is the Westin Anaheim. No, it's not a Disneyland hotel (there's three of those properties), it's not a Convention Center hotel. It's a luxury hotel that just happens to be next to these two notable points of interest.
On the surface, it's a luxury hotel built from the ground up - and is a little over 5 years old - opened in the middle of the pandemic. Using my favorite hotel as a benchmark, the Westin Anaheim is a faux-luxury hotel — it doesn't come close to the Intercontinental Monterey, and the multiple flaws and a major service failure set the overall tone for my first stay at this property.
First flaw: The Pre-arrival experience could definitely be better. Despite having Platinum Elite status (from actual nights stayed not through a credit card) and it being my birthday, requests for a decent view and early check-in went unanswered - instead, I was emailed and texted no less than four separate times with a priced menu of upgrades. Half of the paid upgrades were room views, the other half were things like early check-in or late check-out - some benefits that overlap Platinum elite.
I knew the hotel couldn't be booked solid - a massive convention had abruptly cancelled the same week I was checking in - and my room rate actually dropped twice - since the day I booked it.
Second flaw: While the daily parking rate is reasonable considering the Disneyland Resort area, what wasn't great was that self-parking guests had to drive all the way up to the 4th floor of a 6-story parking structure. 2nd and 3rd floors were reserved for valet. I drove past the 3rd floor - with spaces marked for Valet only - and probably less than 1% of the spaces taken. Reminds me of those grocery stores with EV-only spaces up front so the lesser folks driving gas-powered cars have to park farther. Other reviews have pointed out issues with valet including damage and timeliness.
Third flaw & what I consider MAJOR Service Failure: I selected the breakfast option at the hotel's Tangerine Room restaurant as part of my Platinum elite welcome amenity. This is normally a $35 cost. Service was unbelievable horrible despite coming at what was supposedly a slower time - around 0930. I requested a table in one of the more quiet rooms - as I noticed there was a room with several tables placed apart for 1 or 2 diners. It was not a private dining room. The hostess told me that was for reservations only - despite no one else in line. She directed me to a table for four outside - and did not bother to remove the extra place settings.
My server never checked in, so I asked another server for coffee - who told me that she wasn't my server and rolled her eyes. The only time I saw my server was when he brought me my check - and that was after I asked the hostess for the check ("okay I'll go tell your server"). Dirty plates were never removed from my table. While dinner at Tangerine Room was much better - had I known how bad breakfast would be, I would've gone with the points welcome amenity, and ate breakfast at the club lounge upstairs.
Fourth flaw: This hotel charges a smoking fee if you smoke in your room. Okay, not a big deal because I've never touched a cigarette - not even as a curiosity. The problem though is that the balcony doors - even when closed - are not completely air-tight. How do I know this? Cigarette smoke from a neighboring balcony intruded my room several times during my stay. I realize that the hotel can't stop guests from smoking on their balcony - but it's a bit frustrating when you might be charged for something you had no part in doing. I did find that shutting the blackout curtains did a good job "trapping" the smoke smell from getting into my room - that of course, meant no view until the smoke smell dissipated.
Onto the plusses: Check-in with Georgette was prompt and efficient. She was training someone - it was her trainee that noticed it was my birthday and exchanged warm greetings. The room was spacious, bright, and had a great mix of practicality and high-tech controls such as lighting and HVAC controlled by a touchpanel. My upgraded room provided a view of Disney's California Adventure with a balcony. Plenty of storage including drawers, a closet, hangers. The room has a Keurig with a decently stocked coffee pantry - bring your own K-cups if you prefer something other than Starbucks Pike Place. Filtered water and ice is steps away on each floor. My first night on the "Heavenly Bed" was uncomfortable - the bed felt more firm than fluffy - and I spent several hours tossing and turning before getting up. Second night was more pleasant - somehow, the bed felt softer.
Bathroom was spacious - but sadly, only had a shower - I was looking forward to soaking in a bathtub as the room details on the booking page indicated this room type had a tub/shower combination - something that's common in hotels of this caliber. My favorite hotel for instance - the IC Monterey - has tub/shower combos in their bathrooms.
The Club Lounge was great - breakfast in the morning, midday snacks, evening hors d'ouerves, grab & go snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, coffee all day from 0630 to 2200. Curlessa and Jen - ran the lounge both evenings that I stopped by - and were wonderful hostesses! Curlessa cheerfully greeted me everytime I stopped by, while Jen ensured snacks and treats were well-stocked and never made me feel bad for wanting to take a soda or two back to my room. The outdoor terrace connected to the club lounge provided a great view of the Disneyland fireworks - minus the soundtrack. Champagne and S'mores (in a cup) were served during the last hour of the evening - coincides with the fireworks.
Other staff interactions (other than the morning Tangerine Room staff) were pleasant: Bella (Front Desk) patiently answered my questions about the hotel, reservations, restaurant options. Gabriel (Concierge) provided useful information and placed notes on my reservation in pre-arrival communications. Jacob (Maintenance) was asked by Curlessa to show me how to use my room's thermostat touchpanel controls. Evening Tangerine Room staff Juan & Ralph were wonderful my first night dining at the restuarant. Juan remembered me when I returned for my second night dinner.
3 stars. Awesome club lounge staff, but major operational failures that keep it firmly in "faux-luxury" territory.
