I currently have a reservation at Anaheim Desert Inn for a 5 night stay at $1065. I can get tickets through work with a slight discount for $1586, so total $2652. OR I can do a package at the Fairfield Inn (we are Marriott regulars) for $3082. Is there more of a benefit for the Good Neighbor package vs. independent bookings? Anyone have any other insights on these two hotels?
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Desert Inn is quite dated. I feel like it’s clean and so close, but probably the Fairfield is “nicer”. although, I haven’t stayed there in a long time.
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I couldn’t remember if Desert Inn has had a refurbishment or not because we personally avoid it. It’s a perfectly safe & close option. We did stay in it once in 2015-16ish and it did feel dated then and the pillows/bedding leave the most to be desired out of all the hotels along Harbor. But it was perfectly fine for a safe and moderately comfortable place to sleep & shower.
We stay away though because they lied to us (that they’d already charged our card the nonrefundable deposit) & point-blank refused to actually cancel our reservation in an attempt to strong-arm us into keeping said reservation when we called (within their cancellation terms) to cancel it the morning of the day their terms said it could be cancelled by. If you look at the Travel Advisor and maybe also Google reviews, we aren’t the only one they’ve tried to do that to, so we personally steer clear & steer any friends and family who ask us our opinion for their DL trips clear of it.
The Fairfield on the other hand is great. All the rooms have a vinyl flooring & you’ll get the Marriott feel you’re used to. There are some good food options that way with both Panera and the McD’s on your way to the parks. Going the opposite way of the parks (but less than 1 block) is a Mimi’s Cafe. The hotel itself also has a Pizza Hut express on the 2nd or 3rd floor with a game room/arcade/lounge area setup in the same space.
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I’ve stayed in Fairfield and it was clean, safe, and comfortable. I haven’t tried Desert Inn but I trust @lolabear_la’s reviews cause she has the most first hand experience with all the hotels on Harbor!
You don’t necessarily need to do a package though — there’s no benefit unless they are offering a discount. Price it with or without and choose the cheaper option.
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Thanks everyone! I going to try and cancel the Anaheim Desert Inn (we’re months away, so hopefully they don’t give us any slack) and try the Fairfield Inn. DH would rather do the Disneyland hotel, but it is twice the cost, so that’s a no-go
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Oh I think we would all rather definitely do the Disneyland hotel than the Fairfield LOL. But yes, that price is a killer. We personally choose to go more often and be off-site vs. go less but stay on-site.
The Desert Inn shouldn’t give you grief months away. The day after all the shenanigans, I called back and cancelled the 2 other reservations I had with them for later that same year and there was no pushback or strong-arming. So they’ll do it.
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I’ve cancelled several reservations at the Desert Inn and Suites with no issues. I just cancelled one on August 15, for August 20-22! They’ve never given me an issue. I hope that problem you experienced is in the past.
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I hope so too! I’ll let others experiment on it though 
We do ask ourselves, are we ready to throw them back in the rotation to check for our trips (their price & location are great)? But then we remember the whole ordeal, and are all put-off again so we don’t check them.
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I have stayed at the Fairfield once and will be there again in a week and a half, and the Desert Inn several times. Also have cancelled the Desert Inn many times. You don’t even have to call them, here is the online link to cancel. I always use this link, never an issue.
https://www.secure-res.com/res/vn4/modify.aspx?hotelid=1388
The Fairfield is a bit nicer, but the Desert Inn has the better location. My favorite in that area is the Grand Legacy at the Park. I have stayed there more times than I can count. Their front tower has gorgeous rooms, you should check them out. Don’t do a package wherever you stay, there are no benefits to that. I always book directly on the hotel websites.
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Any thoughts on the suites? I’ve heard the nightclub is loud at night and those rooms are on the higher floors
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I have only stayed in the front tower once, and that was before the night entertainment started. I have friends who have stayed in them quite a few times though, and aren’t bothered by the noise. It’s more like you can hear the bass than the actual music. We are also night owls so aren’t (usually) trying to sleep before it ends for the night.
I usually stay at the back of the property as I am a light sleeper and don’t want to risk noise.
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