Ok, so I arrived yesterday morning and here are my first impressions:
You can still smell the newness of the hotel. Everything is so clean. The staff are lovely and so friendly. Because of this, you still feel like you are in the parks when you get back to the hotel.
I arrived at around 8am and they let me have a room then. They did offer me an upgrade to a suite as they had overbooked the firework view rooms but I declined as the suite didn't have a balcony. The room is fairly large and would be great for a family of four. There are bunk beds in a separate area to the main bed. No separating door but the layout works so that the kids can sleep, even when the adults are awake.
Lots of storage space in here, a corner sofa and table, coffee machine, fridge, microwave and large screen tv. Views of the fireworks are perfect - can't believe how great it is, considering this is an off-site property. Only downside is that the balconies don't have furniture as yet. There is only one moveable chair, so I wheeled that out onto the balcony to watch the fireworks. The bed is comfortable, and I slept very well. I didn't notice traffic noise, despite being so close to the main road.
I found the room to be a bit expensive for my needs. It cost me the same per night as the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica. But it might be a great option for a family of four. For me, the fireworks view made up for the cost.
Didn't use the pool area yet, but there is a small lap pool which is open until 10pm. The two larger slides aren't huge but they look like they would be fun for younger kids to early teens. There is also a small waterpark area for very small children.
There is a bistro which offers nice options - many healthy, for breakfast and dinner. It gets a bit busy in the morning as there are only two staff and too many people wanting breakfast at the same time. The staff were very apologetic about the fact that service was a little slow.
There is a 24 hour store offering snacks and drinks and a larger store open from 7am to 11pm offering a larger selection and souvenirs. The walk to the parks is short - maybe 15 minutes, I didn't time it because it was pouring down.
It is a really nice hotel but not an inexpensive option. Maybe the rates will come down after the newness has worn off?