Legoland to begin hotel construction in October

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While the new hotel at Legoland in Carlsbad will look like it is made out of the colorful interlocking plastic bricks, rest assured that the structure will be built from solid stuff like wood, steel and mortar.

Legoland officials announced Thursday that construction of the nation’s first Legoland hotel will begin in mid-October, with completion scheduled for 2013.

The three-story, 250-room hotel will incorporate a Legoland theme, including a portico and clock tower that will look like they are made from the colorful bricks, said theme park spokeswoman Julie Estrada.

The hotel will look similar to another Legoland hotel under construction in Legoland Windsor, outside of London, she said.

The hotel will represent the biggest investment by the park since it opened in 1999, according to Estrada. In 2008, Legoland expanded to add a 36,000-square-foot, separate-admission aquarium. Two years later, the park added a 5.5-acre water park.

Legoland is owned by Merlin Entertainments Group, which has declined to discuss the cost of the hotel, Estrada said.

--Hugo Martin

(Photo: Children play with Lego brinks at a press conference at Legoland Carlsbad. Credit: Legoland.)