Matt4200

Stayed at HR OC back in February which was a Starbucks Credit. However, since in restaurant dining has drastically progressed in California (and especially with Disneyland opening at the end of the month) I would guess that the restaurant should be up and running. Not sure if it’d be buffet or a la carte though due to Covid.

It’s been great for us as they’ve never had an issue upgrading us to a family suite as we travel with little ones in tow. The suites we’ve gotten have always been fairly nice, but yes older. The TV’s are all new though and they’re quite spacious.

As far as parking that would be the one flaw for us as there’s literally no reason to charge for parking. IIRC there’s either a Hilton or Marriott just across the street with free parking. A few times we have disagreed with the $28 nightly parking fee and just parked on the street with no issues. Up until 2/28 we stayed more often on cash rates with the comp parking for Globalists which was nice.

jerry a. laska

It's pretty hard to find a hotel in that HR OC Anaheim area with free parking unless you book a rate with the free parking. The Residence Inn by Marriott across the street is $24/day; the Anaheim Marriott Suites is $20/day; the Hiltons (HS, HGI, HI) are all about $18/day. Street parking is usually an option as you note.

JackE

There are other restaurants that are plus-or-minus the same distance as Benihana's.

MechMachine

Just stayed at this property for the weekend.

Decent stay; here are my thoughts. I talked to the director of rooms. They told me globalists usually get upgraded to the deluxe rooms slightly bigger than the rest on the corners of the building but they didn’t have any available my stay. It seemed like a majority or all of the globalists get put on the 7th floor of the main building (top floor). I saw them going into all the rooms putting plates with apples and candy and cards in the rooms as a welcome amenity for all the arriving guests. Lots on this floor. I Got a standard room high floor city view. Not facing airport runway. The second tower seems like it’s overflow at this time; not many staying there. During my stay the elevators weren’t working in that tower so it was stairs only and you had to ask the desk to unlock the stairs for that area. This is a horrible inconvenience and I’m sure it’s fixed by now.

Globalist breakfast could be taken in the restaurant or room service. Told me it was up to the all American breakfast per person ($20) but I ended up each day getting other stuff and they took it off no problem. So maybe interpret that as a $20 limit per person? I got coffee and juice one of the days and they didn’t care so seems pretty lax.

When I booked this property it was free parking. They had the free parking badge on the Hyatt website but week or so before I arrived I looked and they removed it. Haven’t updated everything yet but they are now charging $20 a night for parking. They never asked me at checkin if I had a car but they were asking other guests. There weren’t any signs in the lot or parking gates other than asking Uber and Lyft drivers not to park due to the proximity of the airport nearby. Seems like they’re rolling this out so be aware… probably a deterrent to people abusing their parking lot unfortunately.

The rooms were modern and “upmarket” as they describe it but expensive for the size and views of what you’re getting. But you’re more paying a premium for the location here which is understandable. The hot tub wasn’t working during my stay and some of the outdoor areas could use some cleanup (found a dead bird on the pool deck). Also the airport shuttle was inconsistent. One time I called the number and they came right away. I tried two other times and I got a disconnect tone and had to pay for an Uber. I personally would pay less next time and stay nearby at the Hyatt Regency OC which is also newly renovated and had lower room rates and bigger rooms; even if further away. Even though parking is paid at that property now it’s paid here too so that benefit of this property is gone. And the rooms are smaller; but location is king so keep that in mind. It’s right across from the JSX hanger and some other private stuff. If you’re only here for a night or two and need the location I can see the benefit. For a longer stay id go elsewhere; spread out into a bigger room.

Wooglin

Stayed here last week-

The lobby is nice, and reminiscent of many another HR, but as others have mentioned- the rooms are disappointing, and it definitely doesn't "feel" like a Hyatt once you've left the lobby.

The standard King rooms are small. The room had a balcony, though the awkward furniture placement in such a small room made it impossible to get to the balcony without moving the floor lamp and sliding the sofa against the side wall. And once I was out there, the view of the Staples parking lot left a lot to be desired, considering I had requested a runway view.

Overall- Not a location I'd choose for leisure, or if I'm traveling long enough to have a rental car on business (considering the cost of parking), but for a quick business trip, or a one-night stay before an early morning departure from SNA, it's fine.

kevinjm

Stayed here over the holiday weekend to attend a wedding.

Was welcomed as a globalist, offered a glass of sparkling while checking in. FD explained the globalist benefits and upgraded me to a high floor room on the 7th floor (which had a view of the parking lot).
Oddly, was told to order the most expensive item on the menu, which was the American breakfast ($20). We ordered whatever entree we wanted, a side, coffee and juice both mornings and it was all removed at checkout, including 20% gratuity.

Basically, the reviews above describe the rooms quite well. Nothing impressive, but I did find their bathrooms nicely sized (especially compared to HR OC), and everything was very clean, in the room and around the hotel.
Amenity was a snack bar, candy, an apple, and water. This was a nice touch. FD texted me on occasion to inquire about our stay. Our chromecast wasn't working, but we didn't have much time for TV anyway, so we didn't bring it up.
Otherwise, this was a pleasant stay, with the exception of the parking fees.

Note, a friend also booked a stay at the hotel, no status, and got a 5th floor airport view. I was jealous.

DELee

How much are they charging for parking now?

David

Kacee

IIRC, most of the full service properties in the area charge for parking, including the Ren across the street and the Marriott Bayview. It's pretty offensive given the vast expanses of empty parking lots.

kevinjm

This is pretty much how I feel.

$20/night, in an uncovered, unsecured lot that's over 50% empty. The charge just seems petty.

Kacee

I remember when the Fairmont (now the Ren) first started charging for parking. They literally just put gates up, blocking access to a previously free parking lot that was rarely even 2/3 full.

JackE

This is like saying that when there are a lot of empty rooms in a property it's offensive to charge for staying.

Kacee

Only if they had let guests stay in those rooms for free for many years previously

jcresq

Is this hotel walkable to and from SNA?

All things being equal (which they probably aren't!)--this hotel or HR Newport Beach?

sfgiants13

ive walked to several hotels in the area. Just cut through the garage pretty much in the middle of everything and it’ll spit you out to the MacArthur entrance. I’d say 10-15 mins depending on how fast you walk and if you’re shlepping luggage.

JBKettle

Just returned from a stay here, and I was blown away by one thing: the people. From the gentleman at the valet stand as I was walking in from the parking lot on the first evening, to the FDC, to housekeeping, and everyone else I passed over three days, not a single one of them failed to acknowledge me in some manner. And with one exception (a housekeeper, understandable,) they all not only acknowledged me, but either thanked me for being there or wished me well in some manner, or both. I had one meal at the bar, and the service was superb. (Food and drink were above-average-to-excellent.) I also had one service request at the front desk and it was attended to cheerfully and attentively, as were check-in and -out. Even an employee who was further down a hall as I was walked out bid me farewell and told be to have a good/nice/great day. I can't recall the last time a hotel did that half of the time, much less 100%.

Yeah, the rooms are small, but certainly functional. (Mine was in tip-top shape, whether from the remodel or good maintenance in the interim.) The 'desk' area could have been just a few inches deeper. And I wish the balcony was large enough for a chair and a side table. But as a solo business traveler who couldn't care less if the parking is free (agreed that it should be, though,) or there are no suites (room size didn't bother me other than it is certainly notable,) I see no reason to not stay here again if I'm in the area.

My last few stays have been at the HR OC, and while the rate up there is a bit cheaper, the locations are equal to me. (I travel a band between Fullerton and Irvine, so it doesn't matter where I stay between the two.) I don't care about suites on a business trip, so it comes down to rate and service. HR OC appears to generally get the nod on rate, but HR SNA wins on service. (HR OC has good, even above-average service, but I would rate HR SNA as excellent.) And bonus points to HR SNA for having a much shorter walk between the parking lot and the room, especially if you're in the south tower @ HR OC.