Ayres Fountain Valley Hotel in Fountain Valley, CA – Suburban Retreat from So Cal Craziness

Complimentary stay provided for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Price: $-$$ For: Families Cleanliness: 5/5 Comfort: 4.5/5 Recommended: Yes

Features: Room divider, breakfast included, free wi-fi, free parking, quiet, near attractions and conveniences Links: Official site, Facebook, Twitter at @Ayres_Hotels

My first experience with the Ayres Hotel properties was a couple of years ago during a family vacation we took to Disneyland. We enjoyed the Anaheim hotel so much that we looked them up again for our most recent trip down south. Instead of staying at the Anaheim location we were at last time, we opted to reserve a room at the brand new Ayres Fountain Valley Hotel.

Ayres Fountain Valley Hotel is about a 15-minute drive to Disneyland. However, we didn’t experience any traffic there or back and it was a nice change of pace to drive to another city to stay. The area around Disneyland is actually kind of barren so it was nice to head back to Fountain Valley for all the suburban conveniences we’re so accustomed to. Starbucks, Sam’s Club, Costco, KFC, Target, CVS – they had everything we needed and more within a few blocks or only a short distance down the street. There was even a gluten-free bakery nearby but, unfortunately, we never got a chance to pop in there.

Staying at the Ayres Fountain Valley Hotel

The hotel is beautiful, as expected of a new property. Rooms are bright, clean, and roomy. Just like the other property, we also had an awkward room divider with shutters between the beds. Funny how this mini-wall gives such a nice feeling of privacy even when sharing the room. The decor was refreshing and modern (I wrote this before I noticed that’s how the design is described on their website). There were plenty of outlets, something most tech savvy families appreciate.

All of us slept comfortably and, even with a fourth person with us this time, we had plenty of space to get ready. Having a sink outside the shower area was a plus as well as the shower / tub that was nice and wide. The refrigerator was monstrous! It fit everything we had in our cooler and had room to spare WITH a freezer portion for our ice packs.

We didn’t get to try the on-site restaurant and  had no time for swimming (the pool is pretty, uhm, modest). The sitting area outside did look inviting so we’ll have to spend some time relaxing pool side the next time we visit.

It’s great that breakfast is included with each stay but it was pretty sad that they didn’t have ANY gluten-free options. Usually my husband can find some packaged yogurt, boiled eggs, and the such to get some kind of meal to sustain him. Here, we had to pull out the gluten-free bread we brought with us and rely on the little packages of jam. It’s very rare these days that those in the food/hospitality business don’t cater even a little bit to those with food allergies.

Ayres Fountain Valley Hotel For So Cal Visitors

If you’re going to be sightseeing in the area and plan on doing more than just visiting Disneyland, this is a great property. It’s nearby many conveniences and is close to the freeway. The rooms are quiet, though, and the area feels safe (from what we could tell during our stay). Staff is friendly and free parking is a great incentive for those with a car on their vacation. I only wish that they’d were more attentive to those with food allergies as more and more families have one or more members suffering from them. I did tell the manager about this so I hope this changes soon.