My Honest Review of Clementine Hotel and Suites Anaheim (Bi-Level Loft)

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When searching for hotels near Disneyland, one will be presented a plethora of options. From budget-friendly to luxury level, there’s a hotel for everyone, most of which are within walking distance to Disneyland.

Recently I was planning a trip to the park for my Mother’s birthday. I wanted something where we’d be in the same room but with our own spaces, preferably not overly expensive, and close to the park. Enter, Clementine Hotel and Suites Anaheim.

I’ve known about Clementine for several years, as I’ve stayed at the neighboring budget-friendly Motel 6 Maingate and walked past the property en route to the parks several times. It’s difficult to miss with its brightly colored buildings, similarly patterned to that of an apartment complex.

Designed with long-term stays in mind, this property features an activity complex inclusive of a pool, two hot tubs and tennis court that doubles as a basketball court, self-service laundry room, complimentary buffet-style breakfast, and a range of rooms suitable for couples, families, and groups.

I booked their bi-level loft, which met all of my required criteria above. While there were a couple of drawbacks, overall, I had a good experience at this property. In this review, I’m going to detail my experience with check-in, the property itself, amenities, distance to the park and or course, my room. Let’s get into it!

Clementine Hotel and Suites Anaheim Location - 3/5

As the name would suggest, Clementine Hotel and Suites is located in the city of Anaheim, situated on the corner of South Clementine Street and Disney Way. Additionally, it’s conveniently located just a right turn away from the Interstate-5 exit for Disney Way.

The area surrounding the property appears safe, is well-lit at night and landscaped beautifully, though not to the extent of South Harbor and Katella Avenue. Disney and the city of Anaheim have spruced up the area considerably, though, due to the impending commencement of Disney’s Eastern Gateway Project.

Once that’s complete, the property will be a practical stone’s throw from the soon-to-be pedestrian bridge that’ll traverse South Harbor Boulevard and transfer guests into the new and improved esplanade (and hopefully along with it a slightly less archaic security process).

Clementine Hotel and Suites Anaheim to Disneyland

That’s still several years from reality, though. As it stands, Clementine Hotel and Suites is roughly an eighth of a mile walk to the front gate of Disneyland. Depending on your walking speed, along with time spent at stoplights, that equates to roughly 15-20 minutes of walking along a flat, well-maintained sidewalk.

To get there, you’ll walk west along Disney Way. Including the one just outside of the property and depending on your exact route, you’ll cross up to four cross-walks. You can reduce that to three (two and half, really) by crossing the first to the other side of Disney Way and turning right on South Harbor, before crossing South Harbor to eastern entrance.

If that’s too much for you, or you’re simply too exhausted to walk, the Anaheim Resort Transit (or, ART) shuttles have a stop at this location. It technically serves Clementine Hotel and neighboring Motel 6, but the stop itself is on Clementine’s property.

There are multiple shuttle stops between the hotel and the park which could negate the implied “saved time” from walking. I have, in the past, beaten shuttles, on foot, that left the location at the same time as I, to the park. That’s just conjecture, though. If you need it…it’s there.

Ride share pick-ups are easy from here as well. I utilized Uber quite a few times during this stay as for me, shuttles are a last resort (personal reasons). I often use Uber’s “comfort” service tier and rides ranged from around eight dollars on the low end to twelve at the top.

It isn’t the closest hotel to Disneyland, for sure, but it’s hardly the furthest. It’s a walkable distance for most, but has you covered with the shuttle, just in case. It’s even closer to Garden Walk, which expands your dining options with recognizable brands, and it’s just off of the freeway.

Conversely, one downfall to this location is its proximity to Anaheim Fire Station 3. It’s directly across the street on the west side of the property. Throughout the night, the fire engines, semi-regularly, left the station with lights and sirens belting. It didn’t affect my sleep, nor that of my Mom, but it’s worth mentioning in case you’re a light sleeper.

Parking and Resort Fee

Parking is abundant at this property. So much so that no matter which building you’re placed in, chances are good that you’ll be able to park nearby. Unlike most hotels near Disneyland, Clementine Hotel and Suites builds their parking fee into the resort fee. To my knowledge, they’re the only hotel close to Disneyland that does this.

There’s a one vehicle allowance for guests who’ve booked a studio or one-bedroom suite. Guests who’re staying in a bi-level loft or two-bedroom suite have a two vehicle allowance. Each additional vehicle beyond that is $15 per day.

At the time of this review’s publishing, Clementine’s resort fee is $35.17 per night, inclusive of tax. Many hotels in the area charge a resort fee, but only include common amenities such as WiFi, access to their fitness center, etc. They’ll then charge extra for parking and dining.

At Clementine, both parking and the daily breakfast buffet is included with the resort fee, in addition to the aforementioned common amenities. While I’ve never been a fan of resort fees, I find Clementine’s use of it reasonable, as opposed to predatory.

My Check-In Experience - 4.5/5

As is habit for me, I booked my room at Clementine Hotel through Expedia. The simple bookings and cancellations, along with having all of my bookings stored in one place, is convenient and hassle-free for me. I recommend the same for you.

Alternatively, you can book this property, along with your entire Disneyland vacation package, through Get Away Today. They’re the utmost authority on Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Disney Cruise Line vacations.

Shameless affiliate plugs aside, my experience checking into Clementine Hotel and Suites was a smooth one. I flew into John Wayne airport early, around 11am. They do offer early check in, but I knew that would be pushing it.

Sure enough, there wasn’t a room available when I arrived. I booked the bi-level loft and they were all sold out the night before. We stored our luggage with the front desk and headed off to the Grand Californian Hotel for lunch at GCH Craftsman Grill (highly recommended, by the way).

Around 2:00pm, we went back to Clementine and were able to get checked in. Their normal check-in time is 4:00pm. I’m not sure if they normally charge to check-in early, as it isn’t explicitly stated on their website, but they never charged me for it.

The gentleman at the front desk was incredibly polite and friendly. After providing me with a map of the property and my room key, he gave me clear directions to my room and answered a few of my questions. All in all, checking in was a smooth, painless experience.

My Room (Bi-Level Loft) - 4/5

Downstairs

As previously stated, I booked their bi-level loft and was given one on the second floor. As the name suggests, there are two levels in the room. The bottom level features the living quarters with couch, loveseat, fireplace and TV, a kitchenette with full-size refrigerator, oven, cabinet space, microwave and coffee maker, along with the main bedroom.

In the bedroom are two queen-sized beds, wall-mounted flat screen TV, a space that could be used as a work station or vanity (with mirror), closet space and full bathroom. The west-facing room felt roomy, providing space to sleep up to four.

The bathroom featured a standard tub-style shower, which would be beneficial to those with littles. There’s been a recent trend amongst hotels near Disneyland opting for trendier, walk-in style showers, so this would be a welcoming feature.

Upstairs Loft

At the top of the stairwell is the loft space. To the left is a king-sized bed, flat screen TV and dresser. To the right is the sink (separated from the bathroom) and the bathroom itself, also featuring a bathtub-style shower.

Keep in mind that the upstairs area is a loft. Meaning there are no walls around the “bedroom” area of the space. It’s an open space with high ceilings with little in the way of privacy. If there’s someone downstairs in the common area watching TV, you’ll hear it.

My Mom was in the bedroom downstairs and I took the loft. I asked her if she could hear me walking around, as the loft’s sleeping area is directly above the downstairs bedroom. She said she could, but it wasn’t too bad. That said, I would think twice before putting someone with a heavy foot up there.

Both sets of bedding were the same. The mattress had just enough firmness to not completely sink into it, but enough give as to not cause me to feel like I was sleeping on a board. My body felt supported and comfortable, and not once did I wake up with back or hip sores.

The loft’s bathroom is small, with simply a toilet and bathtub-style shower inside. However, the sink is separated from the bathroom, enabling multiple persons to ready themselves. One drawback I noticed was the lack of space in the shower to place your personal items.

Clementine Hotel supplies full-size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash displayed on the shower wall but aside from the two small corners around the bathtub rim, there’s virtually no space for your own items.

The Good

There’s much to like about the bi-level loft. Being able to be in the same room, yet having our own space was exactly what we were looking for. While we didn’t utilize the kitchenette, it’s a long-term stay essential and could definitely help families save money over buying food in the parks.

The bedding was also a positive, as was the room’s air conditioning. It wasn’t a hotel-regulating unit that I’ve been seeing at more and more properties. I had full control of it. Which is good, because my Mom and I are cold sleepers and the humidity during the week we were there was brutal.

For the most part, the room was spotless. No mystery stains on the bedding or any of the couches/chairs. No random hairs on the pillows or towels. Additionally, all appliances in the kitchenette were clean (even the coffee maker).

The Bad

There isn’t much to report, honestly. It’s definitely an aging property with plenty of room for improvement as it pertains to cosmetic issues. There were outside areas that could use a fresh coat of paint, such as the handrail and building walls. Large clusters of chipped paint was common.

Inside the room, again, paint and spackle could make all the difference. There were cracks in the siding around the bed in the loft, along with apparent water damage along the floor of the bathroom around the tub. A bit more attention to detail, as it pertains to dusting, is called for as well.

The biggest offense came in the bathroom upstairs. I’ll spare you the details but essentially, things were left un-flushed. It appeared to be cleaning supplies (towels) that the housekeeper used to clean the toilet and forgot to flush it.

I say that because the rest of it was perfectly clean. That, or I’m just trying to spare myself the memory of what I possibly saw, but I digress either way. Aside from that, I don’t have much in the way of complaints about the room.

Clementine Hotel Amenities - 3.8/5

Clementine Hotel and Suites offers a decent line up of amenities for guests. There’s the pool, which is located adjacent to the hotel lobby and features several lounge-style chairs and a hot tub. Adjacent to the pool is their “sport court”, appropriate for basketball or tennis play.

Behind the pool area, but still adjacent to the hotel lobby, is a self-service laundry room. The machines seemed to be well taken care of and clean. Bonus - each machine accepts credit/debit cards. No need to worry about bringing quarters.

Inside the lobby and to the left of the front desk is “The Market”. In it is a selection of commonly purchased snacks and drinks, such as Redbull, Monster, an array of sodas, Doritos, beef jerky, protein shakes and more. Price gouging is minimal as it’s all decently priced.

Kids weren’t forgotten about at Clementine Hotel. There is a play center in the main lobby, along with a playground in the back corner of the property. It’s oddly placed along the street, near an I-5 on/off-ramp though, so I’m not sure I would leave kids unattended there.

Additional amenities include a barbecue patio and fire pit, WiFi, dry cleaning service, stroller rentals, free parking (included in resort fee), and complimentary buffet-style breakfast (also included in your resort fee).

The daily breakfast consists of common breakfast fare, including eggs, potatoes, oatmeal, a variety of fruit, orange juice, milk and waffles. It’s far from a five-star dining experience, but it certainly beats shelling out $50 or more for a Disney breakfast.

One omission from their list of amenities is a fitness center. For a property that seemingly has it all and is near-perfect for long-term stays, the lack of a fitness center is astounding. If space is the issue, perhaps the space currently occupied by the sport court would suffice?

Is Clementine Hotel and Suites Pet Friendly?

Clementine Hotel is considered a pet-friendly property and allows up to two pets, up to seventy-five pounds per room, for a fee. The exact amount is unknown as it appears to change frequently but the latest I’ve seen is $250 per stay, in addition to a deposit hold on your credit card.

They also offer a pet package you could include with your room rate. The package includes discounted pet rates, a souvenir water bowl, and welcome snack for the pet. Looking at weekday dates in January, the rate is $318 per night and includes the aforementioned items with a studio room.

Final Thoughts

To summarize, I had a good experience at Clementine Hotel and Suites and would gladly recommend it. Large families or multi-family groups, I feel, would benefit most from their line-up of room types and featured amenities.

It’s disappointing that they’ve omitted a fitness center from the property, as they’re typically a foundational amenity for extended stay properties. That said, given that most folks who will book here are going to Disneyland, the sheer amount of walking around the parks alone could negate that.

Those who prefer to be closer to the parks may find its distance from Disneyland to be too great, as it’s pushing the one-mile mark. Conversely, the on-site shuttle stop creates a good middle-ground to help compensate for its distance.

If you’re interested in staying at Clementine Hotel and Suites for your upcoming trip to Disneyland, you can check rates and book at the links below (I’ll make a small commission if you do, but it won’t affect the rate you pay)

• Book through Expedia (if you just need a hotel and want preferred rates)

• Book through Get Away Today (for hotel + ticket packages, personalized service and magical extras)

Alternatively, you can research other hotel options that I recommend. One of my favorite hotels near Disneyland features the most cloud-like hotel mattress I’ve ever slept on and the other features 24/7 access to its resort-style pool and hot tub!