Ayres Hotel Anaheim

The Ayres has a homey, European appeal, furnished with dark cherry wood tables and desks along with plush velvet couches and chairs. The walls are adorned with original paintings and there is a fireplace in the lobby. Many find the look cozy, but some think the rich-colored fabrics and dark wood looks more dated than upscale.

The breakfast area is also equipped with old-style, high-backed cushion chairs and oil paintings. In spite of the mature, classy furnishings, there are several families around and no bar area, so the overall feel –- besides that of the outdoor pool –- is somewhat like a family living room, except things get lively and social during happy hour every Monday through Thursday evening when guests mingle over beer, wine, snacks, and cookies.

The Honda Center is literally across the street and Angels Stadium is within a 10-minute walk. There is a Starbucks on one side of the hotel and a brewery on the other. Besides these short jaunts, East Katella Boulevard is not a very pedestrian-friendly road, and the neighborhood is not particularly pedestrian-friendly either, but it's otherwise a convenient location for families, tourists, and business travelers, alike. The ART –- Anaheim public transit system -- is within a five-minute walk, offering rides to Disneyland, the airports, or any other city hotspot. The hotel also has an inexpensive shuttle to Disneyland (which is two miles down the road) or anywhere else within a three-mile radius.

There are 133 rooms and suites at the Ayres, and all have a homey and comfortable, upscale, estate feel about them. With heavy curtains and antique furniture –- a sofa, coffee table, dresser and lamps, and old fashion wooden headboards -- you sort of feel like you’re staying in a traditionally elegant room at a relative's home (although some find the look a bit dated). Feather pillows are extremely soft. There are also suites with separate bedrooms (accommodating groups of four to six guests), a convenient option for large families and groups traveling together. In spite of the antiquated furnishings, the appliances in every room –- flat-screen TVs, microwaves, mini-fridges, and single-serving coffeemakers -- are all new and modern.

There is an affordable shuttle to and from Disneyland twice an hour. On weekday evenings, there are social gatherings with free beer, wine, and cookies and the chance to meet and mingle with other guests. There is also ample affordable parking, a decent-sized outdoor pool and hot tub, a small store with snacks, medicine, and necessities, a tiny but functional fitness studio, coin laundry, large meeting/presentation room and business center, and free hot buffet breakfast every morning.