CARLSBAD, Calif. (April 5, 2013) – A knight riding in on a horse, an adventurer arriving in a sidecar motorcycle, a pirate repelling down the porte cochere next to a LEGO^® smoke-breathing dragon, and a little girl who figured out how to put a larger-than-life room key together…that’s how the nation’s first LEGOLAND^® Hotel at LEGOLAND^® California Resort officially opened its doors to the public today in Carlsbad, California.

Created to bring children’s imaginations to life, the 250-room, three-story LEGOLAND Hotel opened its doors after a ceremony showcased the three room themes based on the most popular LEGO toy lines inside the family theme park: Kingdom, Adventure and Pirate. Confetti blasts showered the dragon created out of 400,000 LEGO bricks and hundreds of guests and members of the media as they flowed into the Hotel where they were surrounded by an interactive LEGO world designed for children age two to 12 and their families.

“LEGOLAND Hotel is the perfect complement and extension to the experience guests enjoy when they visit LEGOLAND California , SEA LIFE^® Aquarium and LEGOLAND^® Water Park, “ said LEGOLAND Hotel General Manager Frank Idris at the opening ceremony. “I am ready to get this adventure started!”

The adventure began years ago when guest feedback showed it took more than one day to explore all the Resort has to offer.  “Our guest feedback is extremely important to us,” said General Manager of LEGOLAND California Resort Peter Ronchetti. “After all, everything we do here is done to enhance the guest experience and help them create memories that will last a lifetime. Now they can extend their experience even further by staying and playing in an entire Hotel that builds on fun.” Construction began in October, 2011 and every detail was considered when creating the unique Hotel where each room is LEGO themed from the carpeting to the walls and bedding and contains at least eight LEGO models. There are more than 3,500 LEGO models throughout the Hotel using more than three million LEGO bricks. Five thousand minifigures line the wall behind the reception desk as a LEGO model of a bicycle riding surfer highlights the individual figures with his magnified wheels.

LEGOLAND Hotel offers themed and premium themed rooms along with junior and family suites. Premium themed rooms have additional LEGO models and décor such as themed wall paper. Suites include an extra TV and doors that adjoin to the next room. Children have their own sleeping area in every room complete with bunk beds, a trundle bed and their own TV. Special amenities in each room are designed with children in mind, such as the lowered peephole and toilet training seats that can be used with every toilet.

Interactive features include a Castle Play area, a talking and water spraying dragon on the patio, a LEGO play pit in the reception area and a treasure hunt inside the rooms where younger guests search for clues to open a locked safe filled with LEGO treasure! The Castle Play area is the hub for imagination and fun at LEGOLAND Hotel. Based on the LEGO Kingdom, Pirate and Adventure lines, the area features a pirate ship attempting to dock in a LEGO filled moat next to an interactive castle. Young guests can pull on a handle as they enter the castle causing the LEGO ogre above them to roar. Nightly entertainment takes place on the castle stage as a pirate, princess, knight or adventurer interact with young guests to get them ready for bedtime.

A family of four LEGO dragons live within the Hotel: One smoke-breathing dragon at the entrance, a playful young dragon in the lobby sits on top of a handle and slowly spins it to make a LEGO river flow, a baby dragon peers over the ledge of the castle in the Castle Play area and an interactive bubble-blowing dragon named “Bubbles” is taking a bath on the patio as she playfully sprays water and “speaks” to young guests.

In keeping with the high standards of food served within LEGOLAND California Resort, the LEGOLAND Hotel features a variety of healthy and flavorful food options for the whole family. Bricks Family Restaurant serves a breakfast and dinner buffet with a station designed specifically for kids at a height they can reach. Mini’s Lounge is adjacent to the Castle Play area and provides guests an opportunity to sit back, relax and enjoy some beverages and quick snacks. The Skyline Café features a LEGO city skyline with 35 fun scenes including a woman fighting a turkey that came out of her oven, a man swimming in his apartment being chased by a shark and a woman holding a banana to try to entice a monkey off her balcony.

The outdoor pool area, featuring a gradual incline 5-foot-deep swimming pool and a plethora of lounge chairs, gives guests a place to cool off after a day at the Park. Swim Up movies are shown at poolside Friday and Saturday nights during peak season. Surrounded by LEGO palm trees and views of the Hotel, even this pool area is a LEGO fans dream.

Located right at the main entrance of LEGOLAND California, Hotel guests will have exclusive early morning access to the theme park designed for families with children ages 2 – 12. For more information and to book reservations, visit: www.LEGOLANDHotel.com. LEGOLAND^® California Resort includes LEGOLAND California, SEA LIFE™ Aquarium, LEGOLAND Water Park and LEGOLAND Hotel opening April 5 all geared for families with children between the ages of 2 and 12. At LEGOLAND California, you’ll find more than 60 rides, shows and attractions including  LEGO Star Wars™ Miniland Model Display,  Pirate Reef and LEGO Legends of Chima 4-D movie. SEA LIFE incorporates LEGO^® models into a child’s voyage to the depths of the ocean and features play zones, fun facts and quiz trails and the interactive Claws exhibit. For more information, visit  www.LEGOLAND.com or call (760) 918-LEGO (5346).

MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS is the leading name in location-based, family entertainment, and has seen the most successful and dynamic growth of any company in the sector over the last five years. Europe’s Number 1 and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates 94 attractions, eight hotels/two holiday villages in 21 countries and across four continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 50 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and more than 20,000 employees.  Among Merlin’s attractions are  – SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND, The EDF Energy London Eye, Dungeons, Gardaland, LEGOLAND Discovery Centers, Alton Towers Resort, Warwick Castle, THORPE PARK, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Blackpool Tower, Heide Park, WILD LIFE Sydney, Sydney Tower Eye and SKYWALK, Siam Ocean World and Busan Aquarium.  All brands which are distinctive, challenging and innovative – and which have great potential for growth in the future. Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz  for more information.

Merlin currently has seventeen attractions in the USA including  LEGOLAND Florida theme park with its new Water Park; LEGOLAND California theme park with its exciting Water Park, and SEA LIFE Aquarium and LEGOLAND Hotel opening April 5; Madame Tussauds attractions in New York City, Washington DC, Las Vegas and Hollywood; LEGOLAND Discovery  Centers in Chicago, Illinois; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; and Atlanta, Georgia; and SEA LIFE aquariums in Phoenix, Arizona; Kansas City, Missouri; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; the Mall of America in Minneapolis, underlining the company’s position as the world’s biggest global aquarium operator.