Legoland has officially opened its new hotel at its California resort in Carlsbad.

The 250-room, three-storey hotel has been developed in response to guest feedback that it takes more than one day to explore the resort.

Construction began in 2011 and the hotel opened on 5 April ahead of its summer 2013 schedule.

The hotel, which caters to children aged two to 12 and their families, offers kingdom, adventure and pirate room themes.

Throughout the hotel there are more than 3,500 Lego models made from more than 3m bricks.

Facilities at the hotel include a café, buffet restaurant and lounge bar, and a swimming pool surrounded by Lego palm trees.

The hotel caters to children with the Castle Play area, a Lego play pit, in room treasure hunt, nightly entertainment before bedtime and toilet training seats in each bathroom.

Buffet stations are designed at a height children can reach easily, as are peepholes in guestroom doors.

General manager of Legoland California Peter Ronchetti said: "Everything we do here is done to enhance the guest experience and help them create memories that will last a lifetime.

"Now they can extend their experience even further by staying and playing an entire hotel that builds on fun."