First Legoland Hotel in The Middle East Opens in Dubai
Front entrance of the Legoland Hotel in Dubai displaying Lego bricks and dragons. February 19, 2022. Dubai Parks and Resorts, UAE. SANDRA EMAM.
The Middle East’s first Legoland Hotel opened earlier this year in Dubai, welcoming guests with the legendary Lego bricks, themed rooms and access to water parks.
The 250-room resort offers Lego-themed wall graphics and carpets covering each floor of the hotel. There are four room themes including ‘Pirate,’ ‘Adventure,’ ‘Friends Ninjago,’ and ‘Kingdom.’ The hotel has 2,146 models built with 4.5 million Lego bricks.
“We have taken the successful models from Legoland hotels worldwide between California, Europe, and Asia and amended for the Middle East region, which turned into a tremendous success,” said Sven Drewitz, the hotel director. The resort has a ‘‘super-suite’’ made up of two large suites and connecting themed rooms that can accommodate 26 guests.
“We’ve got unique features such as the hidden scavenger hunt in the rooms, and according to the theme of the room, there are different clues hidden on the carpet,” said Drewitz. “They count the clues and unlock the treasure hunt box. There is a Lego gift for every child who stays in the hotel.”
Drewitz said the construction of the resort was challenging given that it happened during the pandemic. “The COVID-19 pandemic hit in the middle of construction, which caused a delay.” The hotel was set to open in 2020.
The price of rooms that can accommodate two adults and two children for one night range between 1,380 and 1,700 dirhams. The rate includes some meals and single access to any park within Legoland Dubai Resort (choice of Legoland Dubai or Legoland Water Park), according to Legoland Hotel’s website.
“The experience in the hotel was enjoyable for my children; each area is designed for the kids to enjoy. The elevators with the disco lights were cool,” said Darcy Stingerie, a guest at the resort. “The price of our stay was a bit costly; maybe it’s because of the half-term break”.
Even though the resort has a specific theme that caters mainly for children, the hotel is not facing challenges in attracting guests. “The hotel is made with the eyes of children, but when you go around, you see parents joining their kids and building Legos,” Drewtiz said. “So it’s also the place where adults become children again.”
“This caters for the children, especially how the check-in or buffet are designed at child’s height; it teaches independence for the children,” said Dwight, a guest at the Legoland Hotel. “But the picture of the room posted online makes it look bigger than it is.”
Legoland has hotels around the world, including in Florida, California, and Malaysia. The first Legoland resort, Legoland Billund Resort, was built in Denmark in 1968.
“The hotel opened one month ago, and we have seen incredible demand from UAE residents and also from people coming from abroad,’’ said Drewtiz. “We are fully booked for one week now. Demand is increasing more and more.”
