When Legoland Florida opened in 2011 in Winter Haven, it didn't have a hotel. Now it has two.
The Legoland Hotel opened in 2015, and new for this summer is Legoland Beach Retreat.
Which is the better choice? It depends on what you're willing to spend (Legoland Hotel is more expensive) and how much convenience you're willing to sacrifice (Legoland Beach Retreat is a short drive from the theme park, behind the husk of an abandoned Kmart).
Either location includes a free buffet breakfast; the buffet at Legoland Hotel had more options. Both hotels have pools, but Beach Retreat's pool appeared to be larger, with more oversize Lego bricks floating in the water for children to build with.
Legoland Hotel
A raucous atmosphere courses through the lobby of the Legoland Hotel, especially at 8 p.m. when it's time for the nightly pajama party that winds kids up just before bedtime.
But it's a pretty sweet location for Lego-obsessed kids any time of day thanks to giant pits filled with Legos in several lobby locations. Lego characters also show up from time to time to meet and greet guests.
Hotel guests get the opportunity to sign up for a Master Model Builder Workshop (spots are limited; first come, first served), where a Legoland employee walks students through building a small Lego creation they get to keep (on our visit, everyone built a small Lego race car).
The elevator turns into a party zone, too, with a disco ball, light projections and music that activates as the elevator makes its journey to and from guest room floors.