A Family Break at Hotel LEGOLAND, Billund, Denmark

My 10 year old is bonkers about LEGO. So when I said we were going to stay in Hotel LEGOLAND in Billund, Denmark, he thought he had a ticket to 10-year-old boy heaven. 

Everything at LEGOLAND Billund is brick-shaped. We stayed in an Adventure Room, decorated like an Ancient Egyptian tomb. There were creepy crawlies everywhere – larger than the real-life ones – all made of LEGO. A parrot perched above the mirror and a life-sized monkey sat on top of a tea chest, both made of LEGO. The table was a pile of leather packing cases, just like a 19th-century explorer might have used, the floor was littered with fake tiger skins, and there were treasure maps pinned to the walls.

A mosquito net hung over my bed, just as if we were Indiana Jones in the jungle and not guests in a comfortable two-storey 1960s hotel in a small Danish town. It was like going on safari without any of the annoyances or dangers – the giant insects didn’t bite and the man-sized models of pirates in the hotel corridors didn’t threaten to decapitate us with their cutlass.

The park itself was wonderfully tame and even the most energetic rides were not too scary for me. The hotel exited straight on to the 'Star Wars' section of Miniland, my favourite part. I also liked all the models of Danish towns and villages, with their rows of solar panels and neat lines of cyclists pedalling along each street.

When the weather turned, we were able to retreat to the hotel, where it was incredibly quiet and restful – all the other families were still resolutely boarding the Duplo Express or braving the X Treme racers in the showers.

Supper was scrumptious – chosen from a buffet high with fresh fish, herby creamy potatoes and chips shaped like LEGO bricks. The bar was very grown-up, with large glasses of locally brewed Danish beer and an open log-fire. We knew we were abroad, even if it felt like Egypt in our room and Denmark in the restaurant.

See also our feature on a family break at LEGOLAND Billund staying at the neighbouring Lalandia holiday village, and read more about family holidays and breaks in Denmark.