Review: Hilton Garden Inn Anaheim Resort

Disneyland has become a consistent part of my life since first taking my significant other to the parks in 2021. Logically, with 2023 being the Disney 100 anniversary, we opted to take another brief trip down to Anaheim to enjoy this special year with a few days at both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure.

The last time we visited, we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Anaheim Resort and enjoyed our stay at this new property so we decided that we would return for a few days this time around before moving to the Anaheim Marriott for a few nights for a change of pace.

Let’s take a look at my Hilton Garden Inn Anaheim Resort review and see if it’s worth staying here for your next Disneyland vacation.

Booking the Hilton Garden Inn Anaheim Resort

The Hilton Garden Inn Anaheim Resort runs around $225 USD or 60,000 Hilton Honors points per night. As always, you can receive the fifth night free when booking five nights in a row on Hilton Honors points.

For our three-night stay, we used a combination of Hilton Honors free night certificates that were close to expiring and redeemed Hilton Honors points for one night. The Hilton free night certificates were earned from welcome offers and spend bonuses on the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass card (US) and the American Express Hilton Honors Business card (US).

Learn More: The Best Hotels to Redeem a Hilton Honors Free Night Certificate

These cards are available in the United States and can be acquired by Canadians who have entered the US credit card market.

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American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card (US)

The American Express Hilton Honors Surpass card (US) earns Hilton Honors points and offers cardholders benefits such as instant Hilton Gold elite status, a quarterly $50 Hilton credit, and ten complimentary airport lounge passes per year.

BONUS
130,000 Hilton Honors

MINSPEND
$3,000

NET VALUE
$630+

ANNUAL FEE
$150

FOREX FEES
No

EXPIRY
–

Further reading: US Credit Cards for Canadians

While this redemption definitely was not the best value you can get out of a Hilton free night certificate, we needed to use them up so it made sense for our needs. Similarly, we only received 0.375 cents per Hilton Honors point which is a bit below the baseline value, but we found ourselves needing to burn a few points as the balances were getting quite high.

Check-in

After flying into John Wayne airport on WestJet Premium, we took a brief Uber to the hotel.

The Hilton Garden Inn Anaheim Resort is located around a 10-15 minute walk to Disneyland, making it a great central option for those guests who are making the theme parks a main part of their vacation.

As a Hilton Gold member, we were entitled to a $10 “My Way Food & Beverage” credit per person, per day. This means we had $20 to spend on property daily, and I’ve listed a few easy ways to take advantage of this credit in the dining section below. Hilton Diamond members receive the same daily credit as Gold members.

Since we had also booked using a few free night certificates and one night on points, they were able to link all of our bookings together so we only needed to stop by the front desk each morning to quickly check out and check back in.

The lobby was modern with a very open design and had a variety of communal seating available.

As an aside, there are a ton of Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton, World of Hyatt, and other hotel chains located nearby to Disneyland so you absolutely have options if there are different brands or loyalty programs you prefer. Not to mention, there are many ways to save money on a Disneyland trip with miles and points.

Room – 1 King Bed

After a quick check-in, we headed up to room 641, a basic 1 king bed room.

Once entering, there is an open-air closet containing a mirror, hangars, as well as an ironing board, and a safe.

Directly beside the “closet” is a small cubby containing a microwave, Keurig coffee machine, and pods.

Below the coffee machine is a mini-fridge.

Past that is the bedroom. Being an entry-level room type at the property, it is exactly what you would expect with a basic layout, but it served the purpose of what was really just a place to crash at night after a long day.

The king bed was located on the right side of the room. Three pillows seemed like an odd choice for a king bed, but it was comfortable.

Each side of the bed had a floating nightstand, complete with electrical sockets and USB plug-ins. Being a newer hotel, I appreciate that they thought ahead and included ample and convenient space for charging devices.

In front of the bed was a flat-screen television which didn’t get much use during our stay.

Directly beside the television was a small desk with a lamp. This also didn’t get much use during our stay, but it would have served the purpose if needed.

There was also a small chair in the corner with a table. I felt like the room had a fair bit of dead space, and maybe a couch would have fit better than a singular chair with this layout.

We had a view of the freeway, but at least there was no noticeable noise to keep us up at night.

This view of the room showcases the dead space a bit better. It just felt a bit awkward, almost like the space was underutilized.

Near the entrance of the room was the bathroom. A walk-in shower with a sliding glass door was on the right-hand side.

A vanity with a single sink, as well as a toilet, was located on the other side of the bathroom.

Restaurants & Bars

The Hilton Garden Inn Anaheim Resort has a number of options when it comes to dining. We prefer to eat at Disneyland on the days that we visit, so we didn’t have much opportunity to try out the different dining options available. 

Luke & Lara Restaurant is located on the 1st floor and is a breakfast-only restaurant, offering a breakfast buffet at a reasonable rate of $17.95 for adults and $9.95 for children aged 3-9. In-room dining is also offered and guests can order directly to their room by scanning a QR code.

While we didn’t eat on property, we did stop at the Manchester Lounge on the 1st floor for a brief drink on the first night of our stay. We were wowed with a tasty old fashioned and mule cocktail and would have absolutely returned here for more cocktails later in our stay if we weren’t so tired from spending all day at the parks.

We also found good value in burning our daily $20 Hilton Gold credit at the Common Grounds Cafe & Marketplace in the lobby as they had a wide selection of snacks and drinks (including alcoholic beverages). This would also be a great spot for a quick morning coffee or snack before heading out to the parks.

Facilities

The Hilton Garden Inn Anaheim Resort has both a pool and fitness center available for guest use.

Pool

The pool is open from 9 AM to 10 PM and there are a number of loungers and umbrellas available for shade. The pool looked gorgeous at night with the lighting, and since it is open late, it definitely would be worth a late-night visit if you don’t end up staying all day at the parks.

Fitness Center

The gym is located on the second floor and didn’t have any posted opening and closing times. There was an array of cardio equipment available in addition to free weights.

While we didn’t take advantage of either of these facilities since we got more than enough exercise at the parks, both seemed more than sufficient for those we are interested in a swim or a workout.

Conclusion

The Hilton Garden Inn Anaheim Resort is a close yet budget-friendly pick for your next Disneyland vacation. Being located close to the parks goes a long way in being able to walk to and from your hotel, or even paying a few dollars for a quick Uber ride at the end of a long theme park day.

I’ve had the opportunity to stay here twice now, and would absolutely return for my next trip as the property is new and well-kept with decent service, which is all I am looking for in a basic Hilton stay.