It was a bright, sunny morning in Carlsbad, CA today, when LEGOLAND
California held a brief presentation outlining the upcoming plans for
the resort in the next year, including a new 4-D experience based on
their new Chima series & toys and the opening of the first LEGOLAND
Hotel in the United States. General Manager Peter Ronchetti spoke, outlining the
successes of the past year and unveiling the new attraction, which will
open to the public March 7 at LEGOLAND California and the LEGO Discovery Centers
in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City
and Westchester NY. The 12-minute long attraction follows the
adventures of different animal warriors as they race speeders to win the
mystical Chi.
Legoland California General Manager Peter Ronchetti welcomes
guests to yesterday's Legoland Hotel preview event. Copyright
The LEGO Group. All rights reserved
Ronchetti
also teased an upcoming LEGO Star Wars announcement. "Watch this space
in June!" He revealed, however, that this secret is a BIG addition to
Legoland! With the new hotel, SEA LIFE Aquarium and the LEGO Water
Park, LEGOLAND California will become a solid, multi-day attraction.
The hotel construction is actually ahead of schedule, now set to open
April 5th. The hotel will bring in 250 more jobs to the area, plus the
growth for the parks, which has been at around 5% every year
since 2004.
Construction crews continue to work in preparation of the Legoland Hotel's April 5th
grand opening. Photo by Shelly Valladolid
They're
looking for 6 new people to work in the Model Shop and LEGOLAND Studios
(the other model shop the public doesn't see, where most of the Lego
creations for the resort are built). They're also looking for six
children, ages 8-12, to become Junior Concierges. The lucky kids will
receive a free weekend at the hotel with their families, park hoppers,
and, as Ronchetti says, "TONS of LEGO products!" They
will receive full job training and an orientation of the entire hotel,
then, throughout the year, they will "serve their terms" one at a time
at the LEGOLAND Hotel. Apply online at LEGOLAND.com. Winners will be announced February 28th.
The friendly dragon gets ready to greet guests at the still-under-construction Legoland
Hotel, Copyright The LEGO Group. All right reserved
Frank Idris, the new General Manager of the hotel, talked about how it was
all about kids, and walked us through the hotel. The lobby will have a
teardrop-shaped Lego free play area, a friendly dragon greeting guests,
and a huge LEGO play castle, with lounge next to it for parents to relax
and enjoy watching their kids play. There's a large, zero-entry
swimming pool within view of the entrance, which Idris told us has lots
of room for expansion. There are three themes to the rooms: Kingdom,
Adventure and Pirate – there are two levels of regular rooms and about
10% of the hotel's 250 rooms
are suites. LEGO characters – male and female – decorate the long
hallways of the three-story building. As you enter the rooms, there is a
special alcove just for kids, with a trundle/bunk bed combo that sleeps
three and a small video screen and play area. There is a safe in each
room that's not meant for valuables – the children have to decipher a
puzzle (I'm not going to spoil it, sorry) and if they enter the correct
code into the safe, they get a special surprise inside.
Look for all sorts of Lego-themed detailing to be found in each of the Guest rooms …
Photo by Shelly Valladolid
There are two levels of decor in the room, some are fully decorated on all
four walls and some are decorated on two, providing both a higher-value
experience for families on a
budget and reduced sensory input for people with autism and other
sensory sensitivities. The restaurant downstairs is a buffet. The
smaller kids' buffet, which will feature both familiar comfort foods and
a challenge or two, is surrounded by the larger adult buffet. Across
the hall is a place to get snacks and light meals during the day, as
well as drinks and a full bar. This cafe will also serve as the pool
bar, with service windows that open directly into the pool area.
…right down to the pillows and the bedding. Photo by Shelly Valladolid
None
of the rooms look directly into LEGOLAND Park, but offer views of the
LEGOLAND nursery on one side, and the Pacific Ocean and the swimming
pool on most rooms on the other.
LEGOLAND Hotel is now taking early reservations for hotel packages
which include early entry into LEGOLAND Park. If you are a LEGOLAND
Passholder, you will receive a $50 LEGOLAND gift card upon check in.
A Lego Bellman welcomes visitors to the still under-construction Legoland Hotel.
Copyright The LEGO Group. All rights reserved
