Legoland Pirate Island Hotel understands what families actually need
There are a few places where families can experience a vacation truly catered to them. And for kids, experiencing a place where they come first feels like discovering their own treasure.
After staying at Legoland Pirate Island Hotel once when it opened and now returning six years later, I can confidently say this place gets it. Beneath the colorful décor, pirate details, and Lego models is a hotel thoughtfully designed around the realities of family travel. And the same is true for Legoland Hotel, too.
Legoland Hotel and Pirate Island Hotel are part of the same building. That means kids have more room to explore throughout the grounds of both hotels. Parents benefit from countless small conveniences that reduce stress and add value to the vacation. It’s not a luxury resort, but it provides the best kid-friendly touches I’ve experienced at any hotel.
Pirate Island Hotel: my second time staying here
In this review, I’ll share all the added touches that make Legoland Hotel and Pirate Island Hotel my favorite family-friendly properties I have experienced. It is important to note that I have stayed at Legoland Hotel once and Pirate Island Hotel twice, and each time was a hosted media experience.
As someone who reports on and explores vacation destinations as a profession, I gladly share what makes this destination worth a look for a family retreat.
Photo by Dani Meyering
As close as you can get
Located just steps from the entrance to Legoland Florida Resort, Pirate Island Hotel is incredibly convenient. The separate security checkpoint reduces wait time and puts hotel guests closest to the main entrance pathway. It’s a small convenience, but one that helps streamline the arrival experience.
Photo by Dani Meyering
The close walk also means returning for an afternoon swim, a nap or a forgotten item isn’t a major production. In fact, on the day we checked in, we headed into the park to visit Sea Life Florida as we arrived at lunchtime and our room was not ready yet (totally understandable). Then we headed further into Legoland park, while at the Ferrari Build & Race attraction, I noticed we had received an email that our room was ready. My son wasn’t ready to depart yet, so I headed back to the hotel while my husband and son remained in the park. It took me six minutes to get back to the front desk.
Bonus tip: The email I received had a check-in code, and I was able to visit a kiosk in the lobby to print my room keys. Since I completed the online check-in the day prior, I was all set, keys in hand, no waiting necessary.
A room that works for the whole family
Family hotel rooms often feel like standard accommodations with a few colorful decorations added, some bunk beds, and a bathtub instead of a shower. Pirate Island Hotel and Legoland Hotel take a different approach.
Parents sleep in a king-size bed while children have their own themed sleeping area with bunk beds, a pull-out trundle, their own television and a Lego building station.
The kids’ area isn’t enclosed by a separate door, but placing the bathroom between the children’s sleeping space and the adult bed creates a natural buffer that adds a little privacy and a dedicated space.
Photo by Dani Meyering
The room also includes a mini refrigerator, iron and ironing board, single-serve coffee maker, safe, complimentary Wi-Fi, and two televisions.
Compared with newer family resorts, the rooms aren’t quite as bright and could use more storage and charging outlets. But the overall layout is intentionally designed around how families actually use a hotel room after a full day in the parks.
WATCH: Our quick video below offers a complete room tour.
Thoughtful touches that parents will notice
Some of Pirate Island Hotel’s best features aren’t the ones you’ll see in advertisements. The bathroom includes a built-in child-sized toilet seat alongside the standard seat, plus a step stool that allows younger guests to reach the sink independently.
The curtains close with magnets and are blackout style in case you get to have the luxury of sleeping in, or to help with midday naps. The in-room single-serve coffee maker means parents don’t have to leave the room searching for caffeine first thing in the morning, while the mini refrigerator makes it easy to store milk, snacks, or leftovers.
Together, they make mornings noticeably easier.
Legoland Hotel and Pirate Island Hotel features:
- Breakfast included, family-style hot and cold breakfast
- Separate security entrance steps from Legoland Florida park
- Dedicated kids’ sleeping nook with bunk beds and reading lamps
- Lego building station in-room
- Spacious king bed for parents
- In-room treasure hunt with a complimentary Lego welcome prize
- Mini refrigerator
- In-room coffee maker
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- In-room child-sized toilet seat
- Step stool at the sink
- Two TVs in every room
- Access to both hotel pools
- Water slide at Legoland Hotel pool
- Interactive lobby play areas
A few missing pieces
No hotel is perfect and that is still true for the Legoland properties. A few missing touches prove that every hotel has its pros and cons. In the Legoland hotels I’ve noticed the television programming in the rooms is standard cable-style channels, without much specifically for children.
The adults’ king bed is very comfortable, but it sits comically high up and requires a little effort to get into. There are nightstands on both sides of the bed, but they are small and lower than the high-perched bed.
There is no alarm clock in the room, which is becoming increasingly common since most guests use their phones to tell time and to be their alarms. All told, these missing items are not enough to demote the Legoland properties in my view.
Kids have something to do before you’ve even unpacked
Each room includes an interactive treasure hunt that encourages children to search for clues before unlocking a treasure chest containing a complimentary Lego prize. Instead of asking, “Are we going to the park yet?” kids immediately have an adventure waiting inside the room, so parents can have a few minutes to get settled.
It’s a perfect example of how the hotel solves a common vacation challenge.
Breakfast removes one more thing to plan
Every stay includes breakfast, another feature that helps simplify the vacation.
The family-style platter offers a generous selection of hot and cold items suitable for both adults and children, eliminating the need to budget extra time or money before entering the park. The restaurant can become busy. Arriving shortly after breakfast begins is the best strategy for avoiding long lines and maximizing your day.
Two pools are better than one
Pirate Island Hotel has its own small but themed pool. It is only open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., but guests are also welcome to use the neighboring Legoland Hotel pool, which is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. I love that the pools close at 9 p.m., giving families a reasonable time to wrap up the fun and head to bed so the next day’s adventures aren’t dampened by lack of sleep.
Our verdict
Six years after its opening, Pirate Island Hotel continues to succeed because it understands something many hotels overlook.
Parents need features that make vacationing with young children less of a chore. They need breakfast already included. A room that keeps kids entertained while everyone settles in. A bathroom designed for little ones. A comfortable king bed at the end of a long day.
Pirate Island Hotel isn’t the newest family hotel in Central Florida. The rooms feel a little darker than those of some recently opened competitors, and we’d welcome additional storage and charging outlets. But the theming in every nook of each guest room and the common areas brings undeniable whimsy and nonstop cheer. And I have yet to encounter another hotel that matches the long list of special features that put kids and families first.
Adults looking for a relaxing luxury resort may also find the atmosphere overwhelming. Pirate music, excited children, colorful décor and constant activity are part of the experience.
But that’s exactly the point. It is a child’s wonderland, and parents can let their kids be kids.
By putting children at the center of the experience without making life harder for parents, Legoland Pirate Island Hotel becomes a place where parents can spend less time steering the ship and more time enjoying the adventure alongside their little pirates.
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