Inside the Middle East’s first Legoland Hotel in Dubai: 4.5 million bricks, 2,146 models

Legoland Hotel , the Middle East’s first Lego-themed resort, has opened its doors in Dubai. On Tuesday, the hotel at Dubai Parks and Resorts hosted an opening ceremony with guests invited to explore the new property ahead of the first overnight guests checking in on Friday. Replete with Lego characters, models, bricks and more, the hotel is geared towards families with younger children and is located only 130 child-sized steps from the entrance of Legoland Dubai Theme Park and Water Park. Driving into Dubai Parks and Resorts, be on the lookout for the hotel's brightly coloured turreted flags which top the roof of the colourful green, blue, white, red and yellow hotel. Guests pass through a clock tower guarded by Lego models and under a smoke-breathing Lego dragon before reaching reception, where there’s a check-in desk at child's height, so youngsters can be involved every step of the way. A Lego-patterned carpet runs along the floor and the focal point of the lobby is a giant Lego pond filled with countless bricks in every colour available. The hotel features more than 2,000 Lego models and has been constructed out of more than 4.5 million bricks weighing over 9,128 kilograms. Lego-filled imitation construction pipes run along the ceiling and, beyond the lobby, there is a turreted castle soft play area with ropes, slides, climbing frames and more. The hotel is also home to the first Legoland Hotel Creative Workshop. Located on the ground floor, it's a place where little builders can get busy with what the Danish toy company calls "creative learning" sessions. Here, children will be supervised and guided as they build their own Lego models and, right next door, a master model-maker will be hard at work constructing unique, one-off Lego models, with guests able to watch him or her at work. There are 250 fully-themed rooms in the hotel, spread across four levels and each has a different theme. Choose to book a stay in a Pirate, Adventure, Friends, Ninjago or Kingdom room, even the smallest of which sleep five people. If you're a bigger group, the larger suites sleep up to eight guests and the rooms can be interconnected on more than one side, meaning groups of up to 26 people could essentially have their own mammoth-sized suite. Each room in the hotel has a separate area for children, with bunk beds, "no adults" signs and a television of their own to watch their favourite Lego movies. Like Legoland's theme park and water park, the hotel caters mainly for children aged 2 to 12, and there’s no doubt that every inch of it is kid-friendly, with the Lego theme plastered across carpets, corridors, walls, doors, elevators and furniture. Colourful Lego models decorate each room, and there's also a Duplo station where children can get creative in their own time. An honesty box at the front door encourages children who may have become over-attached to any particular bricks, during their stay, to return the blocks to the hotel so that the next guests still have some to play with, too. There’s also a scavenger hunt for children in every room, and the puzzle changes regularly so that there's something new to keep children busy every time they stay. The ground floor is where guests will find Bricks Family Restaurant. Breakfast is served here, something that is included complimentary with every stay. Lego models of chefs greet diners in the buffet-style restaurant where there’s an entire section designed at children's height, meaning mum and dad no longer need to always be on hand to help children pick out their food from the buffet. This all-day eatery is also open for lunch and dinner. The Skyline Lounge - set to open soon - is where adults can enjoy a beverage while their children are busy in the creative workshop or the castle playground and features a Lego skyline, built by master model makers. Children will also enjoy spotting all the models dotted around the hotel and keep an eye out for the giant Lego camel. Outside, there is a large temperature-controlled swimming pool with Lego brick floats and more. And, of course, Legoland Dubai and Legoland Water Park are right on the doorstep, with Motiongate, Riverland and Bollywood Parks Dubai also a short ride away. The hotel is all about quality family staycations. "We prioritise children as our VIP guests and that alone is a unique experience," said Ramesh Ganeson, general manager at Legoland Dubai Resort. "Parents and children can check in together as we have child-size check in counters, our Bricks Family Restaurant will also come with child-sized buffet counters, there is a Lego themed castle in the center of lobby, along with a creative workshop for children keen in exploring their creativity and scavenger hunt in the room. The list doesn’t stop here, we have various costume character visits throughout the stay period and children’s activities at selected hours of the day." Reservations are open now for stays from January 21. Rooms from Dh1,170 in a pirate room, including breakfast and entry to one park at Legoland Dubai Resort (choice of Legoland Dubai or Legoland Water Park); www.legoland.com

Inside the Middle East’s first Legoland Hotel in Dubai: 4.5 million bricks, 2,146 models

With a smoke-breathing Lego dragon, scavenger hunts, a brick-building workshop and free entry to Legoland Dubai, children will never be bored at the city's newest hotel