Buena Park Grand Hotel & Suites

“Classic Luxury Suites Open During Construction”

Pardon the dust at this inn and you'll enjoy some classic luxury suite hospitality. The Buena Park Grand Hotel & Suites was once an iconic Embassy Suites destination spot followed by Radisson Hotels holding the keys to this majestic mission-style place just a 1/4 mile walk from Knott's Berry Farm.… more

Pardon the dust at this inn and you'll enjoy some classic luxury suite hospitality. The Buena Park Grand Hotel & Suites was once an iconic Embassy Suites destination spot followed by Radisson Hotels holding the keys to this majestic mission-style place just a 1/4 mile walk from Knott's Berry Farm. I found crews hard at work doing some much needed and overdue facility renovations to this old building. If you don't mind the dust, you and your kids might like this place during your visit to the Entertainment Zone...And yes, the hot water line works! Booking and Reservation...I booked third-party via my airline thanks to a generous 2,000 point rewards bonus and a $139 base room rate offer with free cancelation with $158.74 total for a Friday night's stay at a tourist location...not a bad deal! To compare, several of the other destination hotels were pricing well over $200-$250 for the same night. The airline's rewards bonus payback was also worth almost 19% of the total bill in value that I can use toward future flights...Another great deal! Arrival...The Grand is located in the heart of Buena Park's Entertainment Zone along Beach Boulevard with easy access to/from State Highway 91. There is a wide selection of restaurants within walking distance including family-friendly spots like McDonald's, IHOP, Outback Steakhouse, and Claim Jumper. Subway Sandwiches too if want to take some grub back to the room. Numerous public transit bus routes also pass through this area including LA Metro's Route 460 that links travelers to Downtown Los Angeles to the north and the Disneyland Resort area to the south. I arrived via a public bus and the iconic mission structure provided an inviting greeting. The structure also has a mission-style clock tower that appeared to not be functioning; however the rest of the exterior and landscaping appeared to emulate the glory of the Embassy Suites days. The Lobby...The open air, high ceiling Spanish-theme lobby appeared to have remained untouched and preserves the hotel's classic theme. From the lobby, one can ascend to their hotel floor via one of two hydraulic elevators. The hotel's outdoor atrium can be accessed across the lobby. On the glass doors leading into the meeting room areas from the lobby, building permit signs depict that facility renovations are well under way...one project involving a replacement of their HVAC system. Check-in...Went smoothly and the young man who checked me was very friendly. They located my reservation and checked my ID. The Grand held a $150 incidentals deposit, payable at check-in. No resort fee. Another incentive was free guest parking for one car with additional cars at only $15/night. As one can easily walk to Knott's from the hotel, compare that to $50 preferred parking at the amusement park! The hotel enforced its guest parking via a printed parking voucher; they also documented the description and license plate of the vehicle to be parked. As I've mentioned, I took the bus; thus this didn't matter to me. As far as keys, the Grand uses modern RFID room key cards and door locks. The Atrium, Corridors, and Hallways...Those who have stayed at the Embassy Suites in the past know its unique layout. Entry doors for the hotel rooms all face the open air atrium complete with a decorative fountain, pool and sit-down amenities. At the Grand, the atrium is 100% outdoor with natural green landscaping. Brown French doors and windows to the rooms line the corridors. Evidence of construction and renovations was widespread. Support scaffolding poles can be found throughout some of the corridors. Some of the interior hallways also had some faux wood flooring that was showing visible signs of aging; I assume the flooring will eventually be replaced. Two additional exterior elevators can also be found on the opposite side of the atrium; one of which appeared to be undergoing modernization upgrades. The Room...Classic Embassy Suites layout...Upon walking through the front French entry door, one is greeted to a front 'living room' space with a small kitchenette with a mini refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot, and sink. The front room had a separate TV and sofa...Great hangout spot for the kids. Large wooden tan blinds provided the window coverings for the front. Upon passing through this area, one enters the actual hotel room. The room's furniture and bed was recently modernized; the back window used standard hotel curtains. Much like the interior hallways, the faux wood floor had some signs of aging as some of the panels appeared to be not connected with each other. That being said, I believe crews are in the process of replacing the flooring as I saw some of the 'out of service' rooms with their flooring gutted out. The room's bathroom was pretty standard: Functioning toilet, shower, and sink. The tub had some nice Spanish decor on its wall tiles. As far as hot running water...yes, I saw all the reviews about the unfortunate hot water pipe breakage from September. Fortunately, the hotel got this fixed as I had hot water! The hotel's free Wi-Fi was also very easy to log into. Simple Wi-Fi username and passcode issued at check-in is entered into the sign-on page, and you're in. Good speeds too! The Amenities...The Grand's pool is open 'til 10pm each night and located in the heart of the atrium together with a jacuzzi. Separate pool towels were available. I was able to experience this pool given that it was a hot day in the area and I was all settled in well before closing. Families were also present and the kids appeared to be having much fun jumping into its refreshing waters. Since the hotel buildings surround the pool area, the environment was absolutely tranquil and quiet. A separate building within the atrium that also connects the 2nd floor hotel rooms appeared to be a former hotel restaurant with a small banquet hall. That building appeared to be under renovations and was closed at the time of the stay. The hotel at present also does not offer breakfast. Overall...This place is undergoing some much needed repairs and renovations. However this inconvenience did not bother me nor should it for singles simply looking for a place to rest their head for the night. The fact that I saw the kids having fun in the pool area showed me that families too looking to cash in on a great deal on a weekend suite may find the Buena Park Grand Hotel to cater to their needs, especially if the little ones like construction. Having a separate room space for the kids to play in and watch their tv shows adds a huge convenience. That being said, if you do decide to bring the kids, I would make sure that they are supervised at all times especially when going through the atrium areas. However, if you're looking to bring that special loved one to a destination location for the stay of their dreams, I would hold off on this hotel until the renovations are finished and the atrium restaurant is reopened. The Buena Park Grand Hotel certainly has the hope of being a true destination in the future. I think that will happen as the hard working crews work tirelessly to renovate the property and bring back the glory this old mission inn had to offer back in the days. In the meantime, if you can pardon the dust, this gem of the Buena Park Entertainment zone is open for your business.

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