4 Things I Love About The Westin Anaheim Resort Near Disneyland

The Westin Anaheim Resort is one of the closest hotels to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Its proximity to the front entrance makes it a fan favorite for regular Disney visitors, but this hotel is one of the nicest Westin properties. Even without being steps from Mickey Mouse, it’s a well-rated hotel with a high-end feel and is one of the best hotels in Anaheim.

I’ve stayed at this property several times when visiting Disneyland and have narrowed down the best reasons to stay at this hotel.

1. Proximity to Disneyland

One of the best features of The Westin Anaheim Resort is its proximity to Disneyland — it’s literally right across the street!

Even though it’s across the street, it’ll still take you about 15 minutes to walk to either Downtown Disney or through the Grand Californian Hotel and its private entrance into California Adventure. If you’re walking to Downtown Disney, you’ll head through security before you pass the shops, and then you’ll have about another 5 to 10-minute walk to the park entrances. It’s a straightforward process.

Short of being at the Disneyland Hotel or Grand Californian, the 2 Disney-owned hotels, The Westin Anaheim Resort is one of the closest off-property hotels. You could quickly go back for a midday nap and then return to the park later in the afternoon.

If you have a theme park view room or access to the Westin Club on the roof, you can go there to view the nightly fireworks show across the street. Because the hotel is so close to Disneyland, it’s a prime spot to view the evening’s fireworks displays, though you can’t hear any of the music or other fanfare. Still, it’s a great, quiet spot to see the show.

2. Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts

One of the great things about The Westin Anaheim Resort is that it participates in the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts program, which you access with The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

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The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

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Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

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When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges (enrollment required), Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
• 5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
• 5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
• Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

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Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
• $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel using your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
• $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
• With American Express Global Lounge Collection^® you can enjoy access to over 1,400 airport lounges globally, including The Centurion^® Lounge, Unlimited Delta Sky Club^® Access when flying an eligible Delta flight, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass™ Select Lounges, & Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges subject to visit limitations. Lounges may have their own rules, like additional access rules and guest fees, and for Priority Pass Select, you need to enroll and there are unlimited airport lounge visits for Card Members. With Delta Sky Club Access, Card Members will receive 10 Visits to the Delta Sky Club to be used from February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year and can unlock Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access by spending $75,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in a calendar year. To find a lounge, visit the membership section in the American Express^® App or visit http://www.americanexpress.com/findalounge#/loungefinder.
• $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
• $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^®.
• $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card^® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $199 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
• Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
• Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile.
• $695 annual fee.
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American Express Membership Rewards

To use this program, you log in to your Amex account and search for hotels at AmexTravel.com. You can narrow down your hotels by only those participating in the Fine Hotels + Resorts program. These hotels are generally considered some of the nicest in the world, and by booking through American Express, you get access to several cool perks, including:

• Complimentary breakfast for 2 people
• Early check-in
• Late checkout
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Room upgrades, subject to availability
• A credit or amenity at the hotel, which at The Westin Anaheim Resort is a $100 food and beverage credit

Booking through Amex can be more expensive than publicly available rates, so be sure to check what is the best deal for your stay. You’ll also need to factor in the perks you receive. While this is a luxury hotel in the Disneyland area, rates tend not to go above $400 or so a night, so it’s not terribly expensive for what will otherwise be a great stay.

Amex Platinum cardholders can enroll in Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, and the Fine Hotels + Resorts perks are similar. However, the real value is complimentary breakfast and the hotel credit/amenity.

I’ve booked with Amex at this hotel and received a nice upgrade to a corner deluxe room, complimentary lounge access for breakfast, and a nice steak dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.

3. Great Club Lounge

If you’re a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite or Titanium Elite member or purchase a club room, you can use the Westin Club, a great lounge space on the top floor overlooking California Adventure. The lounge has 2 main indoor seating areas — the first as you walk in the main doors and then a second annex area, primarily intended for families, that overflows into a room next door. There’s also a huge outdoor patio with plenty of tables and chairs where you can relax and grab a bite to eat.

The club lounge offers a continental breakfast in the morning. It features bagels, spreads, cheeses, meats, pastries, and a small selection of hot items, including eggs, sausages, and oatmeal. The selection is decent and will start your day off right.

In the evening, there’s a selection of heavy appetizers featuring cheeses, meats, olives, nuts, vegetables, fruits, and a rotating selection of hot items, including empanadas, spanakopita, and other mini-bites.

Throughout the day, coffee and other non-alcoholic drinks are on offer, as well as cookies.

It’s nice to retreat to the club lounge to grab some free snacks and drinks in what’s otherwise a costly area. This helps save money since you’ll likely be spending much of your budget at Disneyland.

Every time I visited, there was a helpful staff member at the front desk. They always encouraged me to grab more food or get anything I needed. Unlike many lounges, this lounge was staffed, and the staff seemed proactive in assisting me.

4. Suites Good for Families

If you’re visiting the hotel and heading to Disneyland, you’re likely traveling with your family. This hotel has a great suite setup if you’re traveling with more than 2 people. At this hotel, the 1-bedroom suites have a full living and dining area, complete with a pullout sofa. This room is completely separate from the master bedroom, so it’s a place where the kids can hang out and rest, and there’s even a separate powder room bathroom.

The dining area has a huge round table with chairs around it, which you’ll likely use a lot if you’re traveling with kids. Behind this is a large mini-kitchen of sorts.

The master bedroom is very large, with 2 full closets and an enormous bathroom. While the bathroom has a separate toilet area and shower, it’s not designed for multiple people to use at once, so if you have a large family, you’ll need to plan for extra time when getting ready.

All things considered, the space these suites provide is great for families, and if you’re a Marriott Bonvoy elite member, you can use a Nightly Upgrade Award.

Final Thoughts

The Westin Anaheim Resort has become my go-to hotel when I visit Disneyland. The location is simply unbeatable, and I find this property a cut above most Westin hotels I’ve stayed at. While this hotel will generally be a bit more expensive than neighboring hotels, it’s likely worth it. The club lounge provides an excellent breakfast and evening spread, and the rooms are well-appointed, making this the perfect place to stay for a Disneyland trip!