The opening of the LEGOLAND California Hotel this month marks a significant achievement for one of the city's signature attractions, as well as a noteworthy achievement for the City of Carlsbad.
The new hotel boosts the city's tourism reputation by adding 250 family-oriented rooms, all featuring a LEGO theme, a 20,747-square-foot restaurant, and 11,051 square feet of retail space.
The project also helps further establish the City of Carlsbad as an international family-oriented tourist destination with an alluring list of attractions and activities.
"LEGOLAND California Resort is a big draw for Carlsbad," says Sam Ross, executive director of Visit Carlsbad. "But visitors are realizing there's more to do in Carlsbad than LEGOLAND. Carlsbad is the whole package."
That package includes seven miles of Pacific Ocean beach, the Flower Fields, an attractive downtown Village, championship golf courses, top-flight shopping venues and world-class resorts and restaurants.
"We position Carlsbad as a place to stay and enjoy, and a jumping off point to go north to Disneyland and Los Angeles, or south to attractions in San Diego," Ross said.
The new LEGOLAND California Hotel gives tourists a total of 4,067 hotel rooms in Carlsbad to choose from, ranging from four-star resorts to moderately priced inns.
Carlsbad's hospitality industry experienced a dip when the recession hit in 2009, but the city has since bounced back. Since 2011 tourism has steadily increased, with an estimated 2.7 million people visiting Carlsbad last year.
"Since 2010 we have definitely seen an increase in occupancy rates, in average daily room rates and in revenue per room," Ross said. "That is good for Carlsbad because it translates into more revenue from the Transient Occupancy Tax, which helps pay for things like police service, fire service, and parks."
The Transient Occupancy Tax, the levy on hotel room stays, brought $13.8 million into the city treasury in the 2012 calendar year, matching pre-recession levels.
Tourism also accounts for 10,000 jobs in Carlsbad, and visitors bring their purses and wallets with them, contributing to our local economy. Visitors spend an average of $304 per person, providing the lifeblood for many Carlsbad businesses.
Besides LEGOLAND, several hotel and timeshare projects are in various stages of development in Carlsbad, including:
• Grand Pacific Resorts' MarBrisa, 18 time-share units, under construction
• La Costa Resort and Spa, 32 new commercial dwelling units, awaiting construction
• Fairfield Inn & Suites, a three-story business hotel consisting of 99 rooms, awaiting construction
• Holiday Inn & Suites Express remodel, under way
• DKN/Spring Hill Suites in the downtown Village, 104 hotel rooms, awaiting construction
Ross noted that when the Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort & Spa opened last year, it created a splash for the city. The new Hilton was the first oceanfront hotel in San Diego County in many years and began booking visitors as soon as it opened.
"That hotel has been good because it draws people to south Carlsbad, where there are no hotels past Poinsettia Avenue," Ross said. "We finally have a high-end resort with a spa, an ocean view restaurant and meeting facilities right on the beach."
The new LEGOLAND California Hotel will create another tourism boost for the city. LEGOLAND General Manager Peter Ronchetti said the new hotel positions the park as a multi-day destination, and that is good for Carlsbad.
"Not only has LEGOLAND California Resort grown tremendously since we opened in 1999, but we have truly heightened the economy in the area, providing now up to 1,610 'Model Citizens' (LEGOLAND employees), averaging 5 percent growth annually since 2004," Ronchetti said. "That means our employment numbers have increased 62 percent in the last eight years."
We're very excited for LEGOLAND California Resort, and even more excited for the City of Carlsbad, which is drawing national and international attention as a great place to visit.
The new hotel boosts the city's tourism reputation by adding 250 family-oriented rooms, all featuring a LEGO theme, a 20,747-square-foot restaurant, and 11,051 square feet of retail space.
The project also helps further establish the City of Carlsbad as an international family-oriented tourist destination with an alluring list of attractions and activities.
"LEGOLAND California Resort is a big draw for Carlsbad," says Sam Ross, executive director of Visit Carlsbad. "But visitors are realizing there's more to do in Carlsbad than LEGOLAND. Carlsbad is the whole package."
That package includes seven miles of Pacific Ocean beach, the Flower Fields, an attractive downtown Village, championship golf courses, top-flight shopping venues and world-class resorts and restaurants.
"We position Carlsbad as a place to stay and enjoy, and a jumping off point to go north to Disneyland and Los Angeles, or south to attractions in San Diego," Ross said.
The new LEGOLAND California Hotel gives tourists a total of 4,067 hotel rooms in Carlsbad to choose from, ranging from four-star resorts to moderately priced inns.
Carlsbad's hospitality industry experienced a dip when the recession hit in 2009, but the city has since bounced back. Since 2011 tourism has steadily increased, with an estimated 2.7 million people visiting Carlsbad last year.
"Since 2010 we have definitely seen an increase in occupancy rates, in average daily room rates and in revenue per room," Ross said. "That is good for Carlsbad because it translates into more revenue from the Transient Occupancy Tax, which helps pay for things like police service, fire service, and parks."
The Transient Occupancy Tax, the levy on hotel room stays, brought $13.8 million into the city treasury in the 2012 calendar year, matching pre-recession levels.
Tourism also accounts for 10,000 jobs in Carlsbad, and visitors bring their purses and wallets with them, contributing to our local economy. Visitors spend an average of $304 per person, providing the lifeblood for many Carlsbad businesses.
Besides LEGOLAND, several hotel and timeshare projects are in various stages of development in Carlsbad, including:
• Grand Pacific Resorts' MarBrisa, 18 time-share units, under construction
• La Costa Resort and Spa, 32 new commercial dwelling units, awaiting construction
• Fairfield Inn & Suites, a three-story business hotel consisting of 99 rooms, awaiting construction
• Holiday Inn & Suites Express remodel, under way
• DKN/Spring Hill Suites in the downtown Village, 104 hotel rooms, awaiting construction
Ross noted that when the Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort & Spa opened last year, it created a splash for the city. The new Hilton was the first oceanfront hotel in San Diego County in many years and began booking visitors as soon as it opened.
"That hotel has been good because it draws people to south Carlsbad, where there are no hotels past Poinsettia Avenue," Ross said. "We finally have a high-end resort with a spa, an ocean view restaurant and meeting facilities right on the beach."
The new LEGOLAND California Hotel will create another tourism boost for the city. LEGOLAND General Manager Peter Ronchetti said the new hotel positions the park as a multi-day destination, and that is good for Carlsbad.
"Not only has LEGOLAND California Resort grown tremendously since we opened in 1999, but we have truly heightened the economy in the area, providing now up to 1,610 'Model Citizens' (LEGOLAND employees), averaging 5 percent growth annually since 2004," Ronchetti said. "That means our employment numbers have increased 62 percent in the last eight years."
We're very excited for LEGOLAND California Resort, and even more excited for the City of Carlsbad, which is drawing national and international attention as a great place to visit.