I recently had the honor of staying at the Hilton Anaheim for our second annual Magical Media Retreat and can’t wait to tell you all about it!! As one of the event hosts for the retreat, we were hosted by the hotel, but I’m going to give you my honest feedback and special pro tips. As a long time Hilton Honors member, I have stayed at the Hilton Anaheim many times over the years. I have never had a bad experience but staying this time was definitely next level! We were truly grateful for the hotel’s hospitality and their staff couldn’t have been more helpful and kind. Also, their attention to detail and all the thought and effort that went into the weekend surpassed our expectations! They truly made our weekend magical in every way possible!
The Location
You can’t beat the location of the Hilton Anaheim. It’s less than a mile from Disneyland and is considered a Disneyland Good Neighbor Hotel and therefore offer Disneyland tickets and vacation packages! And right now, they are offering a guest room plus 5% off Disneyland Resort single/multiday park hopper tickets and Disney Genie+. Just click here for the offer! There is also plenty of restaurants and shops nearby! It’s only minutes to Downtown Disney, Packing District, Anaheim Garden Walk, House of Blues, and local places to eat like Joe’s Italian ice, which has the best ice cream!!!!
Pro tip: Take the “Art bus” for a nominal fee to get to the parks and around town to all of these places if they are too far to walk!
The Property
The property is very big. If you like a small boutique hotel, the Hilton Anaheim is not going to be your preferred place to travel, but because they are so big, they are able to offer a lot to their guests like an on site beauty bar, fitness center, pool and splash pad, food court, lounges, restaurant, and even a Starbucks! They also host a lot of conferences so there is plenty of conference space (which was a bonus for our retreat) and are also conveniently next door to the Anaheim Convention Center!
Pro tip: Before you stay, if you have flexible travel dates, ask ahead if the hotel is hosting a big conference during your stay. Sometimes the property can get very loud and busy if they are, so I would recommend staying on a slower weekend for the best experience. But if you are going to Disneyland or coming in for a conference, you can’t beat the location!
The Rooms
The rooms are very spacious! I stayed in a premium suite when I was there for the retreat, but I saw the other standard rooms that some of the attendees stayed in, and they were quite lovely and spacious!! The room I stayed in would be perfect for a family or someone wanting additional space for business meetings. One one side of the adjoining room was a standard bedroom and the other side had a pull down bed (perfect for kids while parents sleep next door)! The living area space had couches and chairs and also a dining room table!
Pro tip: Stay on the 5th floor to be on the same level as the pool or stay up high and ask for a theme park view so you can see the fireworks!
The Food
There wasn’t anything we ate that weekend that wasn’t incredible! For a hotel, especially a corporate hotel, I was pleasantly surprised how delicious the food was!! Of course, we ordered off of the group catering menu, I can only imagine the food a the Mix restaurant was just as good! And I even met the head chef!!! The hotel also offers a full sit down restaurant and a food court!
Pro tip: If you have the opportunity, make sure to order fresh fish, shrimp, and scallops – they are phenomenal at this hotel!
The Pool and Splash Pad
I only had a few minutes to enjoy the back pool area while I was in town. We were so busy with the retreat, I didn’t get to lay poolside like I usually like to do when traveling, but the pool had lounge space, two jacuzzi spas, and a fun splash pad for the kids with a small waterslide! There is also a seasonal restaurant by the pool and plenty of space to just sit and relax or read a book at one of the tables in the courtyard!
Pro tip: There isn’t a ton of lounge chairs around the pool, so if it’s a hot busy day, get there early to get a preferred spot!
Special Areas of the Hotel
As I briefly mentioned earlier in this blog, there is an on site beauty bar and fitness center! I highly recommend visiting both while you are visiting. The property also has a big gift shop with lots of everyday essentials and Disney merchandise!
Pro tip: The Hilton seasonally has Disney princesses visit the hotel, so make sure you look out for one in the lobby during your stay!
Thank you so much to the Hilton Anaheim for hosting us for the weekend and partnering with us in hosting our second annual Magical Media Retreat! Stay tuned for a new blog soon with more about the conference space we used as well as the welcome reception the Hilton helped us host and more about the retreat!
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