Hear ye, hear ye! Are you looking for a medieval LEGO adventure? Don’t miss staying at the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel on your next LEGOLAND California trip!
We just go back from the grand opening of the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel in California and I am so excited to share all the reasons you will want stay there, even if it’s just splurging for one night. From room options, food and entertainment, there is LEGO fun around every corner of this castle!
We were invited to the media preview event which means we were one of the first royal guests to stay at the LEGOLAND California Caste Hotel.
LEGOLAND California Hotel
With the opening of the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel, there are now two official LEGOLAND California Hotels to choose from. We stayed at the original LEGOLAND California Hotel a few years ago with the boys and had a blast.
The LEGOLAND Castle hotel is the second hotel at LEGOLAND Calfifornia and so we jumped at the chance to check out the new hotel before it opened to the public. As you’d expect from the name and pictures in this post, the hotel has a castle theme.
LEGOLAND Hotel Benefits
Both the original LEGOLAND and LEGOLAND Castle hotels offer a variety of benefits to guests staying at an official hotel. As a parent, the location and early entry benefit are my two personal favorites reasons why families will want to stay at a LEGOLAND Hotel.
Both LEGOLAND hotels are located steps away from the main entrance of LEGOLAND California Resort. In fact, LEGOLAND park visitors have to walk up past the hotels on their way from the parking lot to enter the theme park.
The LEGOLAND hotels are also steps from the Sea Life Aquarium park entrance. Close proximity is also great when visiting the LEGOLAND water park, especially when returning to your room with tired young children.
LEGOLAND Early Entry
In our experience, LEGOLAND Hotel guests are granted access to select rides and attractions, 30-60 minutes before it opens to the public. The early entry time varies seasonally, so check with the front desk at check-in for specific details.
You can take advantage of early entry on both your check in and check out dates, so if you are only splurging on one night at a LEGOLAND hotel, you can still get early entry on two days (assuming you have park tickets for both days). Early access to LEGOLAND is available to all guests with valid park admission and an active room key.
LEGOLAND Early Entry Attractions
We’ve experienced Coastersaurus, Safari Trek, and LEGO Ninjago World during early entry in the past. Once the rest of the park opens up, it’s best to head over to your top ride priorities before lines get too long.
The Big Shop with the biggest selection of LEGO sets, clothes and souvenirs is also open early. Shopping earlier rather than later is important because lines in that store can be very long when the park is closing.
LEGOLAND Castle Hotel
The LEGOLAND Castle Hotel opened officially to the public on April 27, 2018. From our past experience at the original, I expected extreme LEGO and Castle theming and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s an extremely well themed hotel, full of LEGO surprises throughout the property.
I’d say it’s the best LEGO group hotel in the United States but since we haven’t stayed at the Florida resort yet, I am a little biased. 😉
Fun Features at the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel
Don’t miss these fun LEGO features that everyone can experience. These features are located in the hotel lobby, restaurant and other public spaces within the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel. Even if you aren’t staying at the hotel, you can pop in and take a look at these fun play areas, LEGO models and surprises.
- LEGO Wizard and Magical Chandelier
- Knock-Knock Joke Door
- Lenticular LEGO Pictures
- A dungeon with a secret opening
- LEGO Throne
- LEGO Character Meet & Greets
- Snoring Knight and many more LEGO Models throughout (2,100)
- Slide into Grand Hall
- LEGO building Activities and more fun in Dragon’s Den Restaurant
Guests are greeted by a Wizard and a magical chandelier as soon as they enter the lobby. Below him is a LEGO pit kids can play in while their parents check in. You’ll also find a slide and dungeon in the lobby area for kids to entertain themselves.
Head towards the elevator in the lobby and you will find a fun LEGO throne you can sit on, Lenticular LEGO pictures, and the knock-knock joke door.
LEGO Models Everywhere
There are 2,100 LEGO models throughout the hotel. Most of the LEGO models are located within the 250 hotel rooms but quite a few are available in public spaces. In fact, the Queen greets you from her balcony as you enter the lobby and head up to the 2nd floor to find a snoring knight LEGO model.
Head towards the Dragon’s Den Restaurant and find more lenticular LEGO Pictures and fun LEGO building activities inside the waiting area of the restaurant. You will also find LEGO models in the courtyard, pool area and near the hotel entrances.
LEGOLAND Castle Hotel Amenities
I’m happy to report that the LEGOLAND Castle offers a laundry room on site. The lack of a laundry room was one of my pet peeves about the original LEGOLAND hotel when we stayed there 5 years ago. I guess I wasn’t the only guest who felt they should have a laundry facility available for crazy kid mishaps.
The hotel also offers a gift shop, a concierge desk, room service, valet and self-parking, fitness center, daily housekeeping and electric car-charging stations.
Free Breakfast at LEGOLAND Castle Hotel
I am also thrilled that the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel offers a free breakfast just like the original LEGOLAND hotel. A free breakfast is something I typically look for when booking a hotel, although I wouldn’t usually expect a free breakfast at an official theme park hotel.
The LEGOLAND Castle Hotel free breakfast is not a skimpy continental breakfast either. A complimentary breakfast buffet with custom omelets is served at the Dragon’s Den restaurant. My favorite, and most unexpected option was sliced avocados.
LEGOLAND Castle Hotel Rooms
The entire hotel is extremely LEGO themed with LEGO models and fun surprises around every corner. The LEGOLAND Castle Hotel offers three themed room options: Knights & Dragons, Royal Princess, and Magic Wizard.
My boys loved the Knights & Dragons room we stayed in but I toured all the room options and any of them would be fun to stay in.
All rooms include a separate area for kids with bunk beds and pull out trundle and an entertainment center. Adults get their own flat panel TV and a King size bed. Each room includes a mini-fridge and coffee maker as well. Bigger families with children can opt for one of the larger room types. Suites with a pull-out sofa sleeper are available and accommodate up to 7 people.
LEGOLAND Hotel Room Treasure Hunt
Just like at the original LEGOLAND California Hotel, kids enjoy a treasure hunt in their room complete with LEGO surprises. Complete the scavenger hunt (provided at check-in) and you will learn the code to unlock the treasure chest in your room.
The scavenger hunt resets every night, so if you stay for more than one night, you can find a new treasure each night!
Knights and Dragons Room
Guests will defend the King’s Castle and help protect the King’s treasure form the approaching bad Dragon Knights and their fire-breathing dragons.
The illuminated stained glass picture above the king bed was my favorite feature in our room. The dragon lego model standing guard over the king bed was a close runner-up. The kid’s area has a shooting star feature on the ceiling, so the kids get a special light show too.
Royal Princess Room
Little princesses may demand to sleep in the adult bed when they see how beautiful it twinkles in the dark!
The Princess is no damsel in distress and she uses the help of the jester to prepare to sneak into the tournament and compete with the knights!
Magic Wizard Room
The light up headboard is a really fun feature of the Magic Wizard Room.
Full of curious potions, spell books, wants and magic mirrors, kids can use their imagination to believe their help is needed to protect these treasures and keep them safe from bad Wizards or Dragon Knights.
LEGOLAND Castle pool
I was slightly disappointed with the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel pool. It features a zero entry pool, a few water features and floating LEGO bricks so it’s fun enough for most kids. I just expected it to be super themed like the rest of the hotel.
There is also a hot tub for adults to relax in at the end of the day. If you are looking for more LEGO themed water action, spend a day at the LEGOLAND California Water Park.
LEGOLAND Castle Hotel Entertainment
I was most surprised by the Royal Courtyard and entertainment offered nightly. Right outside the Dragon’s Den Restaurant is the Royal Courtyard where guests can spend their evenings at the pool, watching a movie on the large outdoor screen, playing on a huge playground, or watching nightly entertainment like a play, musical or other interactive show.
LEGOLAND Castle Dining
There are two dining options at the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel, the Dragon’s Den Restaurant and Bar and the Castle Pool Bar and Grille. Like I mentioned before, the Dragon’s Den Restaurant offers a free hot breakfast buffet for guests.
We also ate dinner there one night and found it sufficient. I didn’t love the food options at dinner but it’s a fun environment for kids with entertainers and LEGO Models.
The restaurant also open to the public, not just hotel guests. So if you aren’t staying at the hotel, stop by and have a meal and experience some LEGO fun. The Castle Pool Bar & Grille was not open during our stay but will offer signature smoothies, blended drinks, sandwiches, and salads.
LEGOLAND Castle Hotel Review
Overall we really enjoyed our stay at the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel. We usually stay off site which is one way to save money at LEGOLAND but I would splurge again (at least for one night) to take advantage of the hotel benefits and really fun LEGOLAND Castle features like the Royal Courtyard. My kids could have played there all day, plus we didn’t get a chance to swim in the pool yet!
Save On LEGOLAND California Tickets & Packages
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They also sell Southern California City Pass tickets which are perfect if you planning on visiting several Southern California attractions like the Disneyland Resort, LEGOLAND California, and SeaWorld San Diego.
Disclosure: The LEGOLAND Castle Hotel invited us to stay one night during the media preview. As always, all experiences and opinions are my own. This post was originally published in May 2018 and has been updated to add details and improve reader experience.
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Desert Chica is my place to share a peek into our life and the easy and inexpensive costumes, crafts and desserts I like to make.
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