Ayres Inn: Comfortable and Family Friendly Accommodations While Visiting Disneyland

We love to visit Disneyland, as most families do, and because it seems as if we head that way every year, we like to stay in ‘bang for your buck,’ hotels. The Ayres Inn located in Anaheim is such a place. After utilizing the services of other hotels, we have found our home away from home, and no longer seek other accommodations.

Ayres Hotels has several locations, including two near Disneyland, San Diego, and Paso Robles. Some of the sites are pet-friendly and charge a non-refundable $45 cleaning fee.

Service at the Ayres Inn is always with a smile, and they are very attentive without being intrusive.

Every evening the hotel offers free cookies at the front desk and there is a coffee cart nearby with supplies to enjoy a fresh cup of java, tea, or hot chocolate.

In the comfortable and welcoming lobby, there is always a large glass dispenser of iced lemon water and beverage cups for the refreshment of guests. It may not seem like a perk worth mentioning, but after an eight hour drive, grabbing a quick swig of icy lemon water can be very nice. Sometimes the act of getting a drink and using the facilities can be enough distraction for small children that check-ins go much more smoothly.

One reason my family and I stay at the Ayres Inn is for the free breakfast.  Free breakfasts while on vacation can save a family $50 per day or more.  The most important meal of the day is served each morning in the on-site restaurant.  Offerings include scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, sausage, cold cereals, milk, juice, coffee, breads for toasting, bagels, muffins, cut fruit, and coffee cake.  Those with dairy restrictions may prefer to utilize the in-room refrigerators for nondairy coffee creamers and nondairy milks and just bring them to the dining room.

Dining near the E. Katella Avenue location includes many chain restaurants within walking distance.  Walking to get food is very practical because the Ayres is near the Honda Center and Angels Stadium, which means it can take upwards of 40 minutes to drive two miles during events.  Next door to the Ayres are a Wendy’s and Starbucks.  Within .03 to .08 miles are more offerings including sandwiches, pizza, a Mexican grill, seafood, and donuts.  The hotel itself is home to a Mexican-French fusion café.

Thirty minutes after eating, if anyone would like to take a dip, this location has a swimming pool that seemed in good repair during our last visit, however, we did not use it, as we did not have time.  Pool towels are located at the front desk.

The Ayres web site says microwave ovens are in each room, which is not true, but we found one on the second floor near the ice and vending machines, should a visitor need to make some popcorn or heat leftovers.

Getting to and from the Disneyland Resort is easy with the ART bus.  It arrives at 20 minutes after the hour and 10 minutes to the hour all day long and drops passengers at the park’s front gate.  It is not a free service but travel companies such as Getaway Today, which offer very affordable hotel and park ticket packages, frequently have deals where the cost of using the shuttle is discounted.  During one trip, my family of four used the shuttle, unlimited rides to and from the park, all week long, for $20.  Parking at Disneyland for a single day was $15 that year.

If the Disney parks are not on the agenda, the East Katella Avenue site is near the aforementioned Honda Center and Angels Stadium, also the Richard M. Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation, Laguna Beach, shopping at Irvine Spectrum and The Block at Orange, Orange County Fairgrounds, and Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

Rooms at the Ayres are comfortable.  Some of them have wardrobes for storing jackets and suits, others have built-in shelving for storing snacks and other essentials, and all rooms are tastefully decorated.

A few of the rooms have a sleeper sofa, but they are typical of most sleepers and not very comfortable.  If possible, book a room that has two beds.  Speaking of the beds, one other reason my family and I stay at the Ayres Inn is because the beds are the most comfortable hotel beds we have ever slept in.  I never sleep well, even at home, so it’s nice to do battle with my chronic insomnia on a mattress that is extremely comfortable.  There are no springs popping and poking every which way, there are no creaks when getting situated under the covers, there are no lumps, bumps, peas, or anything else to ruin that ever so important vacation shuteye.

Each room has a 32” flat screen television, satellite TV, free in-room Wi-Fi (get the code from the front desk), and data ports, which is handy for those who might need to do just a little bit of work while on vacation.

With so many great locations near the hotel and exceedingly comfortable and friendly accommodations, there simply is no other place for us to stay.  Should you give the Ayres chain a try, I hope you find them as enjoyable as we do.

Disclaimer: The Travel Moms have not received any payment or consideration as a result of this post.  All opinions are those of the author.