Are you planning a trip to LEGOLAND California, in 2025? Youāll want to read this LEGOLAND Castle Hotel review before you book your trip!
This LEGOLAND Castle Hotel Review was written by family travel expert Marcie Cheung and may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.
Are you wondering whether or not to book the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel?
My family stayed in the Wizard Suite at the LEGOLAND California Castle Hotel, and my kids had many opinions about this hotel.
Keep scrolling to read an honest review of the LEGOLAND California Castle Hotel to see if it’s the best place to stay at LEGOLAND CA.
If you’re on your way there soon or just want some ideas for your next trip, keep reading! We’ve got everything covered, from food options to activities that are perfect for families with young children like ours.
You can also find out what we thought was great, what wasn’t so great, and how much it cost us for our trip!
I hope this article helps you decide if staying here is also right for your family.
Where to Stay at LEGOLAND California FAQs
100% yes. They are really set up for families. Each room can sleep up to 5 people, they have free kids activities, a free breakfast buffet, indoor and outdoor play areas (with cocktails nearby), and you can enter the park early.
You’ll want to stay in Carlsbad, where LEGOLAND California is located. Several hotels are within walking distance of LEGOLAND.
You just need 1-2 nights at LEGOLAND California. That’s enough time to spend 2 days exploring LEGOLAND, play in the hotel pool, and rest and relax.
Where is the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel?
The LEGOLAND Castle Hotel is just a few steps from the main entrance to LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad. It’s seriously between the LEGOLAND parking lot and the park entrance. You can’t miss it.
There are tons of LEGO sculptures outside the hotel, which look like a giant LEGO castle. It’s pretty epic!
Honest LEGOLAND California Castle Hotel Review
This was our first time staying at the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel, so we booked two nights. We arrived in the afternoon, so we had time to explore the hotel a bit, get a room service dinner, and then rest up for our first day in the park.
Lobby Area
When you enter the hotel from the parking lot, you will immediately be on the Lobby level. It’s actually pretty small and it does get crowded with people checking in. However, you can go to the 1st Floor and use a touch screen if you’ve checked in online.
The lobby area has a little LEGO pit where kids can play while grown-ups check in or talk to the front desk. There’s also a slide next to the stairs and a pretend dungeon that kids can go inside.
And if you head toward the elevators, kids can sit on a LEGO throne!
LEGOLAND Castle Hotel Rooms
The LEGOLAND Castle Hotel has three different themed rooms: Knights & Dragons, Royal Princess, and Magic Wizard. We stayed in the Magic Wizard room primarily because my boys are obsessed with Harry Potter.
LEGOLAND Wizard Room Tour
Kids Sleeping Area
The first room you’ll see when you enter the Wizard Room is the kid’s sleeping area. It has a curtain to close it from the rest of the hotel room.
It has a standard bunk bed, but there’s also a trundle at the bottom, so it can sleep 3 kids. There’s a nightlight you can turn on to get constellations on the ceiling.
There’s also a LEGO wall where you can use the LEGO bricks in your room to make creations during your stay. And there’s a TV with kids’ shows on it.
Entry
The hallway/entryway to the hotel room is after the kids’ room. There’s a Keurig coffee machine and a mini fridge, and complimentary water bottles and juice boxes are provided.
Right next to this is an open closet where you can put your luggage, hang things up, or use the ironing board. This is all across from the bathroom.
Spacious Bathroom
I LOVE large bathrooms in hotel rooms, especially when we travel with little kids who need assistance. The LEGOLAND Castle Hotel has a fantastic bathroom.
There is a step stool near the sink so toddlers and preschoolers can easily wash their hands and brush their teeth. There’s also a seat reducer on the toilet, perfect for little ones.
And there’s even a shower with a bath tub! This is extra awesome for washing kids off after playing in the hotel pool or at the water park.
Master Bedroom
Finally, at the end of the hallway is the master bedroom. Here, you’ll find a king-size bed, table and chairs, and a TV.
The room has a lot of cool LEGO decor. Oh, and there’s a Google Home on the table. My 5-year-old chatted with it most mornings and heard a lot of funny jokes that way.
LEGOLAND Castle Hotel Restaurant
There’s a restaurant called the Dragon’s Den on the 1st floor of the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel. As of February 2022, reservations are needed for breakfast or dinner.
LEGOLAND Castle Hotel Breakfast
We ate at the Dragon’s Den twice for breakfast, and it was a great experience! It has one of the most extensive breakfast buffets I’ve ever seen at a hotel.
The food was very similar to what we had at the LEGOLAND Hotel. There were French toast sticks, Fruity Pebble pancakes, yogurt parfaits, scrambled eggs, breakfast meats, cereal, oatmeal, and just so much more.
They also had juice, milk, coffee, tea, and smoothies (although I couldn’t find them).
Room Service
We ended up ordering room service for dinner on both nights at the hotel. It’s the same menu as Dragon’s Den. They charge $8 to bring it to your room, but you can also pick it up yourself to save money.
The food was okay. I had a steak one night (they only cook it medium or well) and a chicken Caesar salad the next night. The kids had burgers, pizza, and mac and cheese.
Vending Machines
If you need a quick snack or something to drink, there are vending machines in the hotel hallway. This is a great place to get items to bring into the park to save a little money.
This is also where you’ll find the ice machine and a microwave.
Things to do at the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel
Part of the reason it’s worth staying at the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel is because they have a lot of cool amenities for families.
LEGOLAND Castle Hotel Pool
It was too cold during our February trip for my kids to use the pool (although some families did), but it looked super fun! I didn’t take any photos because I didn’t want to be a creeper.
It is a heated pool, and you can play with foam LEGO bricks in the water. During the warmer months, you can rent cabanas and enjoy pool-side food and drinks.
Outdoor Movies
Another fun thing to do at the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel is to watch an outdoor movie! They had comfy couches set up, and it was easy to pick up food to eat while watching the movie.
When we were there, they played the LEGO Movie and the LEGO Batman movie. The screen was easy to see even when the sun was still out.
I thought this was a nice touch to add to nightly children’s entertainment in the hotel grounds.
Playground
One of the best perks of staying at the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel is the really nice playground in the center of the hotel. I think the ground-floor rooms even have gates where you can walk directly out there.
It’s all on cushioned foam flooring, so you don’t really have to worry about kids falling and hurting themselves. The playground is right next to a little grassy area where they do kids programming and the outdoor movie is on the other side.
It’s easy to grab adult beverages at Dragon’s Den and then watch your kids run around this area.
Treasure Hunt
Finally, my kids were eager to return to a LEGOLAND hotel mainly because of the Treasure Chest.
Basically, you answer clues about the hotel to get a code that opens a treasure chest in the room with LEGO surprises for your kids.
I think you’re supposed to get new ones each day, but we just got one set. Housekeeping didn’t come during our stay.
LEGOLAND California Hotel vs LEGOLAND Castle Hotel
Our family has stayed at both hotels, and they are both really fun experiences. When I asked my kids, they said they preferred the Castle Hotel because they can pretend they are at Hogwarts, and the whole hotel has a wizard vibe.
The Castle Hotel’s free breakfast buffet area feels a bit cramped compared to the LEGOLAND Hotel’s, but the restaurant has a nice little play area.
The LEGOLAND Hotel has an excellent indoor play area with a bar attached so parents can drink while their kids play. The Castle Hotel has a fantastic outdoor play area and movie; parents can bring drinks from the bar and watch their kids play.
Both hotels have fabulous entertainment, play areas in the lobbies, treasure chests in the rooms, and tons of perks.
What are the Perks of Staying at a LEGOLAND Hotel?
Free Breakfast Buffet
A really nice perk of staying at a LEGOLAND hotel is that you can take advantage of their free breakfast. It’s a massive buffet with kid-friendly options like pancakes, french toast, french toast sticks, yogurt parfaits, cereal, muffins, pastries, etc.
They also offer scrambled eggs, breakfast meats, oatmeal, salad, fried rice, and many other breakfast items.
Grown-ups will appreciate the large selection of coffee and tea. There is usually also a smoothie machine (but I didn’t see it in February 2022).
Early Entrance into the Park
Another great LEGOLAND perk is getting early access to the park. You can enter 30 minutes before it opens. During this time, four rides are usually open, so it’s a great time to knock a couple of them off your list.
It also puts you in the park so you can line up for Emmet’s Flying Adventure before the park opens.
Free LEGO Programming and Events
The biggest underrated perk of staying at a LEGOLAND California hotel is taking advantage of all the free programming. Since the park closes at 5 pm or 6 pm, it can be hard to entertain kids in the evening.
Thankfully, the LEGOLAND hotels (even in LEGOLAND Calfornia Resort and LEGOLAND Hotel) have interactive programming, free outdoor movies, and lots of activities to keep kids’ attention. It’s a great way to extend the LEGO experience.
So, is the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel Worth it?
Absolutely! And we’ll definitely be back. My kids actually asked if we could just live there š
Since the park has somewhat short hours, it’s nice to be able to extend the LEGO fun at the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel. They have some really fun programs for kids, the rooms are incredible, there’s a terrific breakfast buffet, and you get into the park early.
I highly recommend booking a stay at the LEGOLAND Castle Hotel for your next trip to LEGOLAND California!
Looking for more LEGOLAND California resources? Find out 10 things to know about LEGOLAND California, Disneyland vs LEGOLAND, top LEGOLAND California tips, LEGOLAND packing list, LEGOLAND with toddlers, best hotels near LEGOLAND California, 13 Ways to Visit LEGOLAND on a Budget, and my LEGOLAND Hotel review.