Legoland Hotel Is Plastic Paradise
When it comes to childhood bucket lists, there’s one place every kid from Anchorage to Abuja dreams of visiting: Legoland.
Over 40 million of the iconic plastic building blocks were assembled to help bring Legoland California to life for its 1999 opening. Today, the resort boasts 10 theme areas, 60 rides and attractions, oodles of restaurants, and even a water park. But the paradise of all things Lego was missing something, until now: its own Lego-themed hotel.
That all changed on April 5, when America’s first Legoland Hotel opened its doors. With three stories, 250 rooms, and 3,422 Lego models containing over three million bricks, there is little doubt the resort never entered the wildest dreams of late Lego founder Ole Kirk Christiansen when he established the company in Billund, Denmark in 1932.
Designed for families with young children, every room is centered around one of the most popular theme areas of Legoland: Pirate, Kingdom and Adventure. Guests can choose between themed or premium themed rooms, which have additional Lego models and décor such as (what else?) Lego-centric wallpaper. Every room includes a separate sleeping area for up to three children complete with bunk beds and a pull-out trundle bed, two televisions and at least eight Lego models. No more packing an extra suitcase just for the kids’ Legos! Adults can take comfort in a Queen bed, hairdryer, and shower that not only produces water instead of plastic bricks (a relief some parents may feel given the ubiquity of Legos on practically everything), but hot water at that — an amenity that may seem somewhat standard in First World hotels, but in other parts of the globe it is downright luxurious.
To add to the excitement, each room has a treasure chest younger guests can unlock once they complete a special treasure hunt activity finding clues throughout their room, such as how many spiders are on the floor, explains public relations representative Jake Gonzales. It’s all part of a family focus, he says, with the goal of being an enrichment of the experience families have at Legoland itself.
“Legoland California Resort is definitely a multi-day destination,” explains Gonzales. “Guests asked to extend the interactive experience overnight, giving the perfect opportunity for Legoland Hotel. Legoland Denmark has a hotel with Lego theming, but then Legoland Windsor opened its amazingly themed Legoland Hotel in 2012 and we are building off that model — but ours is bigger, with more Lego models and some rooms have an ocean view!”
An oceanfront view is indeed a perk at any hotel, but there’s one ingredient any good vacation spot requires, no matter the guest’s age: food. The simplest of human needs can make or break a trip, and while some theme park hotels have a notorious reputation for abhorrent cuisine that would only be palatable in a galaxy far, far away, the Legoland Hotel, fortunately, offers dining choices that do not taste like plastic building blocks — despite the décor. No less than three restaurants are located within the hotel, offering a variety of cuisines that cater to many different tastes and preferences.
“The philosophy for Legoland Resort is to provide guests with great tasting, high quality, healthy, fresh, made to order food options,” says Gonzales. “Bricks Restaurant in the Hotel will have a dedicated buffet area just for kids at their level so they can serve themselves.”
True to its Californian roots, the menu at Bricks ranges from classic American to Mexican. It’s a tad pricey, however, as breakfast for adults is $16.95 and $8.50 for children 12 and under, while dinner for adults is $19.95 and $10.00 for children. Children three-years-old and younger always eat for free. And Bricks is not the only restaurant the ambitious hotel boasts. Enter twin cafes: Skyline and Mini.
“Skyline Café offers a sit down experience where families can enjoy one of our dedicated staff members to wait on them,” Gonzales explains. “Mini’s café will offer some favorite kids food options for them to enjoy for a quick grab-and-go before entering the Resort in the morning, or for adults to grab while watching their kids have fun in the Castle Play Area.”
Translation: A plethora of dining options offering plenty of food to refuel families for more adventures.
And adventure the Legoland Hotel is. Sure, it may be a tad kid-centric, but adult activities like a swimming pool, fitness center and in-room Wi-Fi allow grown-ups to do grown-up things while the little ones are busy. But, really, the focus is squarely on families, and amenities such as what may be the world’s first disco elevator (top that, Dubai!) that reinforce the concept in a way that only Lego can.
Pirates, dragons and rocket ships: welcome to the Legoland Hotel. Please leave your disbelief at the door.
Featured image: Pirate Premium Themed Room at the Legoland Hotel in California. Photo Courtesy of: Legoland California Resort.
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Address: Legoland Hotel at Legoland California Resort
5885 The Crossings Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Room rate: Varies by day, sample stay for two adults and two children from Aug. 31-Sept. 3 (Labor Day weekend), $269 per night.
Check-in/check-out: Check-in 4:00 p.m.; check-out 11:00 a.m.
Web site: http://california.legoland.com/en/LEGOLAND-Hotel/
Phone: 1-877 LEGOLAND (1-877-534-6526)
Bonus: Some second and third floor rooms facing west have views of the Pacific Ocean.
Pros: More Legos than you can possibly imagine, and then some.
Cons: You better like Lego.