If you are looking for an enjoyable, relaxing stay with a theme park, water park and aquarium nearby – the Legoland Castle Hotel is the answer.
Located in Carlsbad, California this is a destination worth visiting and staying in. We have written about Legoland for under two before but this hotel appeals to those of all ages. While this hotel appeals to the younger crowd with its decorations, slide in the lobby, and Lego bricks play stations, the design is really for the parents. The designers of the Legoland Castle Hotel are the real MVP.
Arrival
Following the castle theme, a wizard structure greets you in the lobby. There is a button at the structure that when pushed causes music and lights to appear. Of course, Lego bricks are on offer beneath the structure to engage your children. The Lego bricks are standard Lego bricks, so do watch children under the age of 4 if they are not used to building with these size bricks. Within the lobby, there is a Lego throne and “jail” scene where your children are welcome to play while you await check-in. Make sure to knock on the knock, knock door and be sure to listen!
Checking in is an easy process. The front desk staff are friendly and courteous, and provide a schedule of events for the day including nightly entertainment within the hotel. Every evening there are two to three shows on offer from a puppet show to a dance party. Nightly there are movies shown on the lawn on offer.
Rooms
The rooms are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. We stayed in a Wizard theme room, which was awesome. No matter the theme, the kid-friendly touches are paramount for making every child and parent comfortable and relaxed during their stay. The theming of the room is on point from the carpets to the ceiling. There is a separate room for kids where up to three littles can sleep in bunk beds. Two Lego building stations are on offer in addition to a tv in the bunk room. At night, a starry night nightlight entertains and soothes littles to sleep. Within the bathroom, there is a stool to aide littles to wash their hands and a toddler seat on the toilet. It sounds silly, but those little touches mean a lot to parents of littles who want to be independent but still relax and enjoy the vacation. Every day of your stay, a scavenger hunt sheet is available for pick up at the front desk to figure out a code to the safe in the room where a Lego treasure awaits.
The separated bedroom for the adults provides a space to relax because the kids are thoroughly enjoying their kid-friendly space.
There is a small fridge where you can store a few drinks and snacks. Daily, two bottles of water and two juice pouches were left in our room. They can be restocked for a fee during the day. A Keurig coffee pot as well as coffee and hot cocoa pods are available for caffeinating needs.
Perks
“Early entrance” to Legoland is on offer for certain days– an hour before the park opens. For this, your children will be given a “guest of honor” bracelet. During that hour, four to five rides are available. If you get the chance to go, use it as an opportunity to enjoy these attractions.
Outside the rooms, two park areas are on offer – one for little ones with Duplo bricks and one larger and extensive park for older children to climb. The pool is large and has giant floating bricks to build while in the water.
Breakfast is included in the stay and the buffet is vast and varied. There is a bit of a wait if you arrive during the busy hours of 9 and 10, so if you are able to get to breakfast early, it is highly recommended. We arrived during the busy time and didn’t wait longer than 15 minutes. Within the front of the restaurant there are many areas that Lego bricks can be used to build structures or pictures that will occupy your children during the wait. The buffet offerings include the standard of eggs, bacon, sausage and pancakes but also include items like chocolate chip pancakes, various smoothies, salads and items like bagels and lox to appeal to those with a more mature crowd. Coffee, juice and water is included. Lattes or cocktails are on offer for an extra charge.
The Dragon’s Den restaurant is where you eat breakfast, and it is also open for lunch and dinner. We went for dinner one evening. I was very impressed at the menu. The children’s menu offers both standard fare like mac and cheese and healthy ones like salmon, rice and broccoli. After 5 pm, Surf and Turf is available. Otherwise, there are appetizers, salads, soups, sandwhiches and burgers. We opted for a cheese plate and wedge salad. The cheese plate offers diverse cheese offerings, jam, fruit and crackers options for the cost. The salad was filling and delicious. If you are looking to enjoy an adult beverage, the menu offered both local and big name brews and wines by the glass or bottle. This is the kind of menu I would expect at a date night place and it was available and delicious.
For Adults and Children
If you look at Yelp, there will be reviews mentioning that the Legoland Castle Hotel is not a place for adults. I beg to differ. While it isn’t posh (and thankfully the price isn’t either!), by catering to and entertaining younger children, it provides an opportunity for those parents of young children a moment to relax. The hotel, being built around children, allows for their imagination to run while they explore, climb and build; and while doing that, the parents can have fun as well.
If you are moving to (or from) the San Diego area and looking for a relaxing getaway before or after the movers arrive – this is a local place for a staycation that is needed. Military, Department of Defense and veterans can get a 25% discount on their hotel stay here. AAA can book a discounted stay here.
Will you take on the challenge to stay at the Legoland Castle Hotel?
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