At Disneyland Paris, located about 30 minutes east of central Paris, the most photographed building by far is Sleeping Beauty’s castle, with its bubblegum-hued facade, 16 towers and turrets, and resident dragon fitfully sleeping in the dark subterranean den.
But Disney fans can savor another taste of castle life at the park’s other pink palace: the recently reopened, 487-room Disneyland Hotel, which sprawls across the park’s entrance and creates quite the photo backdrop of its own.
The facade of the Disneyland Hotel is a photo-worthy showstopper.
Courtesy of Disneyland Paris
The five-star property, which began welcoming guests again in late January following a three-year renovation, brings unprecedented luxury to the Disney experience, executing its theme—Disney royalty—to perfection. It’s the most unabashedly upscale of all seven properties on the French park premises, with its grand lobby and elegant rooms inspired by Disney classic and contemporary films, a Royal Kids Club, a Clarins spa, and a fine-dining restaurant, among other high-end touches.
Disney media-relations staffers declined to provide a cost for the renovations, which included commissioning 27,777 costume pieces for the hotel’s 800 staff members. But according to a press release, the project “represents a significant milestone in the resort’s ongoing investment and development.”
Put another way: The property is a dream come true for little princesses, princes, and die-hard Disney fans—and a welcome option for parents who don’t mind splurging on a place that pampers them as much as their kids while offering unbeatable proximity to both Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios, the two theme parks within Disneyland Paris.
The grandiose lobby at the Disneyland Hotel sets the stage for a royal stay.
Courtesy of Disneyland Paris
A hotel fit for royalty
At the Disneyland Hotel, the lowest room category is Superior, with 346 rooms (rates vary but start at about $700 per night per person, including park tickets, as of this spring). Guests wanting to level up the royal treatment can check out the Castle Club, a hotel within a hotel featuring exclusive extras such as a private lounge with views of the nightly fireworks show (in a recent quote, the nightly rate was about $2,800 for two adults and one child for early April). The Castle Club also has 16 suites, such as the Frozen-inspired Queen Elsa’s Ice Palace and three Cinderella Suites.
For all the goodies awaiting guests inside, the hotel’s unassuming entrance, located to the right of the park’s main entrance, is easy to miss. When my son and I arrived for our recent weekend getaway at the property, the magnificent lobby—whose pièce de résistance is the 12,000-piece, custom-made glass chandelier with a crystal castle at its center—was swarmed with mouse-ears–wearing adults and tiny princesses. Check-in took a while, and since our room wouldn’t be ready for a few hours, we headed straight for the park—it’s just a few steps to the special entrance for hotel guests.
Later that day, entering our home away from home for the first time didn’t disappoint. At approximately 430 square feet, our Superior room was spacious and enchanting, with Beauty and the Beast–themed portraits above the beds (10 other Disney films, including Cinderella, Aladdin, and Moana, also are featured in room decor), an elegant mirror-framed TV, and a jewelry box containing the makings for coffee and tea.
Eagle-eyed Disney fans also will spot delightful Easter eggs everywhere: Snow White’s apple and Jasmine’s lamp in the carpet pattern, rose-shaped knobs, nodding to the magical flower in Sleeping Beauty, adorning furniture. The mirror on the wall was inspired by Rapunzel’s flowing locks, and in the bathroom, the bottle of body lotion resembles a perfume spritzer, while bars of soap are shaped like jewels.
Other in-room perks: complimentary soft drinks in the minibar, plush robes and slippers (also in kids’ sizes), and turndown service, complete with mint tea and your choice of pillow; it’s especially lovely after a long day in the park.
Guests won’t be lacking in delicacies when dining at the Royal Banquet.
Courtesy of Disneyland Paris
Superior service and staff
The cuisine was a bit hit-or-miss at on-site restaurants. At the fine-dining La Table de Lumière, French-inspired dishes, even those on the kids’ menu, were over-the-top and sauce-heavy. The buffets at the Royal Banquet, meanwhile, offered plenty of variety, with a stunning seafood section—complete with crab claws and lobster—stealing the show at dinner. At all establishments, the Disney-inspired desserts, service, and ambience—especially Lumière’s regal dining room, which looks lifted directly from Beauty and the Beast, right down to the glass-encased rose on each table—were outstanding. At each dinner, staffers checked to make sure we’d met all of the characters and that we snapped photos with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto. Our waiter at Lumière, Salvatore, also entertained us with insider intel about the park, including the spooky backstory of Phantom Manor, one of my son’s favorite rides in Frontierland at the Disneyland Park (spoiler alert: it involves a cursed mine and several mysterious deaths).
The next day, after our final ride on Phantom Manor, my son and I followed Salvatore’s advice to check out the graveyard that many guests miss. Sure enough, just as he’d promised, a faint heartbeat emanated from one of the tombs—an eerily delicious way to wrap up our time at the park.
Back at the hotel to grab our suitcases (which staffers had kindly moved for us from our room to the baggage area), my son asked, “Mama, can you book us five more days here?”
Laughing, I reminded him that, sorry, he had school the next day. But I couldn’t resist adding that maybe for next time, we could wish upon a star for a longer stay.
