Inside the Renovations at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel

Apr 25, 2017

Of the three on-site hotels at Disneyland Resort, the 948-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is the only one with direct theme park access through its own entrance right into the heart of Disney California Adventure Park for guests with valid park admission tickets. If that isn’t incentive enough to choose Grand Californian, the hotel is also undergoing the most extensive refurbishment since its 2001 opening.

The first Disney resort hotel in the world to be located inside a theme park, Grand Californian has always provided Disneyland Resort guests with an upscale hotel experience that still reflects California’s relaxed lifestyle.

“We want our guests to feel that they are staying in a Disney hotel that’s distinctly situated in beautiful California,” said Dan Coleman, general manager of Grand Californian.

With that in mind, the main goal of the renovation is to further elevate the premium guest experience while retaining the property’s signature California arts-and-crafts design.

This will include updates to the hotel’s already-impressive six-story Grand Hall lobby and Craftsman’s Club, the concierge-level lounge on the sixth floor. The remodel of the club — a guest favorite for enjoying wine and dessert while watching the fireworks — will take inspiration from the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, an innovative Scottish architect and designer who was a prominent figure in the Glasgow Style arts and crafts movement at the end of the 19th century. The Redwood Pool area will also be redesigned to enhance the arts and crafts theme of the resort, incorporating landscaping elements such as natural stone and native plants

“The renovation adds more luxury to the resort hotel while staying committed to serving guests of all ages,” Coleman said.

One example of this, Coleman notes, is that the hotel’s completely redesigned guestrooms will offer family-friendly amenities as well as a variety of room configurations, upgraded bathrooms and California-inspired artwork created by Disney Imagineers — with a few hidden Disney details that kids will enjoy searching for.

Even with all the exciting changes, Coleman promises that the hotel will continue its commitment to exceptional guest service.

“And, of course, the time-honored Disney magic remains the same,” he said.

The phased renovations will begin this spring, with completion expected by the end of 2017.