Chances are, if you love Disneyland and follow any Disneyland content creators, you have probably heard a lot about the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground. I’m excited to share this HoJo Anaheim review with you today! We stayed here a few years ago and it was great to be back! This article is in partnership with the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground. Some links contain affiliates, all opinions are my own.

HoJo Anaheim Review

Our family was so excited to be back at the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground. We last stayed at this property in the fall of 2018. That time we stayed in Building 1 and had a fantastic view of the Disneyland fireworks. This time we stayed on the fourth floor of Building 2 and again, we had a great view of the Disneyland fireworks.

proximity to attractions

The Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground has a great location less than a 10 minute walk to the Disneyland Esplanade. It’s also conveniently located near the 5 freeway if you’re headed to the airport, beach, or any other southern California destination. We also appreciated the food choices nearby, and the front desk will even give you a dining guide with coupons when you check in.

| Read: Must-dos at the Disneyland Resort |

Distance of Howard Johnson from:

• Disneyland Esplanade: .5 mile
• Anaheim Garden Walk: .8 mile
• Knott’s Berry Farm: 6.5 miles
• Seal Beach: 20 miles
• SNA (Orange County Airport): 12.6 miles
• LAX (Los Angeles Airport): 34 miles

family-friendly amenities

The front desk staff was great and the family fun begins at check-in! There are pirate hats and balloon swords for children and there’s even complimentary face painting on Saturdays from 8:30 am to 10:30 am. Since we were there at Christmastime they had a spot to mail Santa letters and the senders received a letter back along with a candy cane and festive rubber ducky!

A big perk of the HoJo Anaheim is also the Castaway Cove Water Playground. It features small waterslides, a kiddie pool, and water cannons and play features. The water is kept heated year round so my kids had a blast taking park breaks during the day even in December! There’s even a hot tub for mom and dad to hang out in while the kids play!

| Read: Goofy’s Kitchen vs. Storyteller’s Café Review |

Don’t miss this: I want to make sure to mention in this HoJo Anaheim review that there are TWO water areas at the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel. There is a Garden Pool by Building 2, and the Castaway Cove Water Playground and hot tub near the lobby. The water areas are heated year round!

room details

For this trip we booked two, Two Queen Deluxe Rooms and it was really nice having the extra space. We were even able to get adjoining rooms which was very convenient! The Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel has several room and suite types spread across six buildings. Be sure when booking online you’re getting the room you want. You can also call the front desk and have someone assist or double check on your booking!

Building 2 was renovated in 2020 and all the rooms are in great shape. Our Two Queen Deluxe Rooms had two queen beds, a small table with two chairs, a desk area plenty of drawer and closet storage, and spacious bathroom. The rooms had Alexa devices and Keurig machines which were perfect for hot cocoa on the chilly December nights ( we always bring our own hot cocoa pods!).

| Read: Minnie & Friends Character Breakfast Review |

other things to mention

Make sure you stop at the Mid-Mod Market located on the first floor of Building 1. Not only can you stock up on essentials you might need for your trip, but you can also find tons of fun Disney items and retro HoJo-themed souvenirs to take home!

Don’t miss this: Save big on your stay at the HoJo Anaheim with my affiliate discount code! Use 1000079223 when booking for a great deal!

Would your kids rather play in the Garden Pool or the Water Playground?

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