Legoland California starts building its second on-site hotel: a castle
Business has been so robust at Legoland California’s first on-site hotel that the park started construction this week on a second. This one will have castle towers; rooms themed with knights, princesses and wizards; and a slide in the lobby.
The Castle Hotel, as it’s being called, will open at the Carlsbad theme park in spring 2018. Like the first hotel, which debuted in 2013, it will be three stories tall and have 250 themed rooms.
Park officials never divulge how much Legoland’s owner, London-based Merlin Entertainment Group, invests in park projects, but at the time the first hotel opened, they said it was the costliest undertaking since the park opened. The newest hotel is expected to cost even more, Legoland California spokeswoman Julie Estrada said.
Located on what is now a surface parking area for employees, the new project is being described by Legoland officials as a step up from the existing hotel in terms of the breadth of its theming, rooms and interactions with costumed staff.
Although other hotels nearby also cater to park visitors, Legoland officials say they have had no difficulty filling rooms in the park’s existing hotel.
“Average occupancy for the whole year is over 80%, and during the summer it’s completely booked, so we’re very confident there’s demand for this kind of product,” Legoland California President Peter Ronchetti said.
Instead of a mix of standard and premium rooms as in the first hotel, the new one will have all upgraded rooms with more detailed and colorful decor tied to the castle experience.
Ronchetti said the room rates will tend to be about 10% higher than in the current hotel.
The thinking behind the hotel project — as is the case with other theme park resort hotels — is that there are enough attractions at the park to justify more than a one-day visit. The design of the hotel not only extends the feel of the park, but also makes it more convenient for families to stay more than one day.
lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com
ALSO
U.S. ends investigation of fatal Tesla crash
What to do if you have a student loan serviced by Navient
Big investor T. Rowe Price challenges Snapchat founders’ power
