Overview
Located about a 3-minute drive from Interstate 5 and a 6-minute drive (or 10-minute walk) from Disneyland, the Holiday Inn Express Anaheim Maingate is geared towards road travellers who require a hotel with a free breakfast and easy highway access near Disneyland.
This non-smoking hotel has 104 air-conditioned guest rooms and suites, each offering one king or two queen beds, free Wi-Fi, cable TV, a coffeemaker, a mini-fridge, a desk, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer. Rooms with a microwave, a separate bedroom, a jetted tub and a seating area with a sofabed are also available.
The hotel also offers an outdoor pool, hot tub, a sauna, a business centre, meeting/conference facilities, guest laundry, a free continental breakfast and free parking. Pets are not permitted and wheelchair-accessible rooms are available upon request. This hotel does not have an on-site fitness room.
As per the hotel's website, please note the hotel's pool, lobby and exterior areas are undergoing renovations (as of June 2013), which they expect to be done by the end of July 2013. All rooms at the hotel have been renovated as of June 2013.
Public transit access is less than a 1-minute walk away, as is Bubba Gump Shrimp, which is next door to the hotel. Downtown Disney District can be found about 3 minutes away by car. The Shops at Anaheim Garden Walk are located across the street, and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is roughly a 40-minute drive northwestward. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, free parking, pets not permitted, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: June 11, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's rooms, location, staff and breakfast.
Many guests praised their rooms at the hotel. They described them as clean, modern, spacious, well equipped and nicely decorated with comfortable beds.
Numerous reviewers were pleased with the hotel's location. They found it to be close to Disneyland, restaurants, shopping and Garden Walk Mall.
The hotel's staff were complimented by several lodgers, who characterized them as friendly, helpful and accommodating.
Several guests also praised the hotel's complimentary breakfast, describing it as fresh, well stocked and great, with a variety of hot and cold items.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few common complaints about the construction and noise transfer.
This hotel is undergoing renovations to its lobby and pool area (from 8 am to 5:30 pm daily), as of June 2013, expecting to be finished by the end of July 2013. While the majority of guests were not bothered by the construction, a few guests were disappointed the pool was not available, and that the exterior of the hotel looked like a construction site.
Noise transfer was reported by a few guests of the hotel. They complained of hearing guests in adjacent rooms, rooms overhead and in the hallways.
Expedia.com guest reviews rated the hotel 4.2 out of 5 with an 89% recommendation rate from 291 reviews.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #15 out of 106 Anaheim hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 285 reviews.
Hotels.com guest reviews rated the hotel 4 out of 5 from 220 reviews.
The author called the hotel on June 11, 2013 to verify some information.
