The flagship 5-star Disneyland Hotel has been undergoing an extensive top-to-bottom overhaul for the last 3 years at Disneyland Paris, and will finally emerge from the reimagining in early 2024. This shares the opening date and extensive details about the new rooms, restaurants, Castle Club level, and much more. (Seriously, this was among the longest press releases we’ve ever seen.)
As you may know, Disneyland Paris has been undergoing an unprecedented transformation since the Walt Disney Company took control of the resort complex, restoring park icons and classic rides as well as working on exciting experiences like the recently opened Marvel Avengers Campus and the upcoming Frozen-themed Land.
This has also entailed updates to the 7 on-site hotels at Disneyland Paris. Several of them have been enhanced in recent years with modernized décor, upgraded amenities and services, entertainment, and infusions of characters and intellectual property from Disney, Pixar and Marvel movies. The best example of this is Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel, which previously had nothing to do with super heroes. Now, it has hero-themed rooms, displays one of the largest collections of Marvel artwork in the world, Marvel Design Studio and the Hero Training Zone, an outdoor field with dedicated areas for a variety of sports activities.
Built for the resort’s grand opening in 1992, Disneyland Hotel has overlooked the entrance of Disneyland Paris from the beginning, greeting visitors from around the globe with its elegant Victorian façade and the promise of the magic awaiting them inside. Located at the front entrance of Disneyland Paris and affording breathtaking views of Sleeping Beauty Castle or Fantasia Gardens, easy access to the park, and impeccable service, the hotel has remained one of the resort’s most emblematic venues, extending the unforgettable Disney experience from day into night.
According to the company, Disneyland Hotel in Paris is set to raise the bar yet again. Following a complete reconstruction from its monumental lobby to its lush interiors, the Disneyland Hotel will offer world-class hospitality and take guests on a regal journey from the moment they step inside. The transformation is best dubbed a “royal reimagining,” as it seemingly has focused on infusing the space with characters around every corner.
Every centimeter of the interior is undergoing a complete reimagination, from the spectacular grand lobby to the rooms and suites, to offer guests a new luxury concept interwoven with beloved regal Disney characters and princesses, both classic and new. With the overhaul nearly completed, Disneyland Paris has announced that the renowned, five-star Disneyland Hotel will open on January 25, 2024.
“This marks a new chapter for Disneyland Paris, as we continue to be one of the leaders of the European tourism industry with our unique blend of immersive storytelling and world-class hospitality,” said Natacha Rafalski, Présidente of Disneyland Paris.
“We are thrilled to unveil the newly reimagined Disneyland Hotel, a one-of-a-kind five-star property celebrating Disney’s beloved royalty and storytelling. Our commitment to innovation and unparalleled guest experiences remains unwavering, and we look forward to welcoming guests to one of the most immersive hotels in Europe.”
Disneyland Hotel is the first Disney Hotel to propose a five-star journey celebrating Disney royalty in all its expressions. From Cinderella to Frozen, The Sword in the Stone, and The Princess and the Frog to Moana, guests will be given the lead to become part of the story and create their own magical moments.
Combining their creativity with the expertise of European suppliers and craftspeople, the Walt Disney Imagineering Paris team has developed a singular, immersive experience that pays vibrant homage to both Disney royal stories and celebrated European landmarks such as Le Château de Versailles or Neuschwanstein Castle.
The hotel’s new refined design includes regal-themed lobby, restaurants, bar and lounges and will also offer its guests a unique entertainment program that touches heart and creates memories alongside beloved royal Disney Characters, or Mickey, Minnie and their friends in new exclusive regal attire and even an exclusive La Troupe Royale Disney.
The redesigned Disneyland Hotel will take guests on a captivating stay celebrating royal and iconic Disney stories and Characters, such as Sleeping Beauty, Sword in the Stone, Moana, Frozen and Raya and the Last Dragon, in a setting of refined décor and luxurious comfort.
Walt Disney Imagineering Paris teams in partnership with in-house construction management teams as well as European suppliers and artisans, have crafted a regal journey through the history of French and European cultures, combining unparalleled creative imagination with technical expertise.
Whether it is by exploring the subtle, hidden nods to Disney royalty artfully woven into the décor or taking a fully immersive, deep dive into the royal tale of their choice, guests at Disneyland Hotel will have many choices when it comes to customizing their ideal royal stay, becoming part of their most beloved stories or even writing their own.
All 487 rooms and suites – 346 Superior Rooms, 82 Deluxe Rooms, 41 Castle Club Rooms, 16 Signature Suites, 1 Princely Suite and 1 Royal Suite – are entirely redesigned with an elegant atmosphere as well as modern comfort and luxury amenities.
The tradition of Disney storytelling can be found inside all rooms and suites, from artwork and subtle touches that celebrate iconic elements of Walt Disney Animation Studios royal stories down to the last décor details.
Guests staying in The Castle Club Level – an exclusive hotel within the hotel – will enjoy a range of VIP benefits and services, including extra privacy with a dedicated private elevator and check-in area as well as a breakfast with Disney Princess Characters in the Castle Club Level Lounge. Suites will offer unprecedented levels of immersion into royal Disney stories.
Located on the top two floors, it provides the discretion of a private elevator and a dedicated check-in area and all new and upgraded luxury amenities. When staying in one of the Castle Club Rooms, guests will embark upon a celebration of the 11 featured Disney royal stories while the magical bedtime ritual experience adds an enchanted atmosphere to the room. Decorated with gold-standard elegance and royal refinement, these rooms offer an exclusive access to the Castle Club.
As part of the large-scale royal transformation, all Disneyland Hotel restaurants, bar, and lounges have been reimagined to spotlight the rich diversity of Disney Animation royal stories. Steeped in the same powerful storytelling enjoyed in other parts of the hotel, these spaces will offer a unique gourmet dining experience infused with a French savoir-faire and the spirit of creativity inherent to all things Disney.
Steeped in the same powerful storytelling enjoyed in other parts of the hotel, both The Royal Banquet and La Table de Lumière restaurants will offer a unique gourmet dining experience infused with a French savoir-faire and the spirit of creativity inherent to all things Disney.
(Unless I missed something, it looks like even the fine dining at La Table de Lumière will be a character experience. Great for fans of meeting royal couples, but somewhat surprising given that the restaurant promises gourmet French cuisine and the press release touts the menu and the caliber of the culinary experience.)
Children will be welcomed like princesses and princes during their stay. There will even be spaces tailored just to them such as the Royal Kids Club, where they will be immersed in augmented reality magic and unforgettable encounters. Or My Royal Dream experience, where young guests will be able to transform into their favorite Disney royalty with the help of regal hairstyles, special outfits, accessories and a little pixie dust.
After a full day creating magical memories at the parks, families will have the opportunity to enjoy together a spa experience at Disneyland Hotel Spa by Clarins or a relaxation session in a dedicated space. Additionally, all the hotel’s restaurants, bars and lounges will offer kid-friendly treats and exquisite themed pastries.
The heartbeat of this enchanting experience, a team of impeccably trained Cast Members have been carefully selected from across the resort and beyond, will provide personalized service ensuring every guest receives royal treatment – from a Royal Greeter who will greet them from the moment they step inside the hotel to a Concierge devoted to anticipating their every need. For those seeking more insights about the hotel, “Story Keepers” will be on hand to walk guests through all the incredible details and hidden gems of the hotel.
The meticulously crafted, personalized experiences that awaits Disneyland Hotel guests is made possible by the invaluable Cast Members of Disneyland Paris for which 27,777 costume pieces are currently being created, some of them including incredible work by Dutel, a Lyon-based company that specializes in making jacquard fabric.
In addition to the immersive journey through Disney’s iconic royal tales, luxurious decor, and fine dining, a full range of royal experiences awaits guests designed to provide next-level hospitality. Disneyland Hotel guests will enjoy gold-standard personalized services along with existing Disney Hotels benefits such as early access to the Disney Parks (Extra Magic Time) and countless other delights that constitute a new kind of excellence à la Disney.
Disneyland Hotel will set new standards in five-star hotel immersion with special attention to children. With this transformation, Disneyland Paris continues to redefine the hospitality industry, solidifying its position as Europe’s number one tourist destination, with seven hotels and more than 5,700 rooms.
Reservations are now open at DisneylandParis.com. Before heading over there, you might want to sit down, as you’re truly going to pay “princess premium” pricing at the new-look Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris. Opening season prices start €901/£818/$968 per night in the January off-season and increase to €1182/£1074/$1275 per night during busier dates in February 2024. (Update: that includes 2-day park tickets for 2 adults, so not quite as pricey as first though–but still not cheap!)
If you want more details about the royal reimagining of Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris, consider watching the full press conference:
As noted at the top, Disney has released a lot of info about this royal reimagining–the press kit is 27 pages, which I’m pretty sure is longer than anything else we’ve received for a new Disneyland land, attraction, restaurant, resort, etc. in at least the last few years.
We included the main details above, but there’s a ton more concept art and specifics in the full briefing. Worth watching if you’re on the fence about dropping a few thousand dollars or euro to stay in the royally reimagined resort!
In terms of commentary, I would say I’m conflicted. Disneyland Hotel is an absolutely stunning property, with beautiful Victorian architecture and stunning original artwork. It truly is/was an exemplar of Imagineering, and one of the thematic high notes of a place filled with thematic high notes. Like so much of Disneyland Paris, it was designed with meticulous attention to detail that puts it a league above its counterparts.
However, (you knew that was coming, right?), also as with all things Disneyland Paris, maintenance and updates have been a nagging issue over the years. So when we first visited Disneyland Paris and stepped foot in Disneyland Hotel during the 20th Anniversary, it was both beautiful and woefully dated. The hotel charged luxury prices (although a downright bargain compared to the 2024 rates) and didn’t deliver a commensurate product.
So on the one hand, I am very glad to see Disneyland Paris finally overhaul Disneyland Hotel. It’s very much needed, and has been for at least the last decade. Even if the the resort’s bones and core design were beautiful, time had done it no favors, with a refresh and modernization long overdue.
On the other hand, this looks like it leans away from the Victorian style and towards all things regal, characters and princesses. Just from the concept art, I can see that a lot of the incredible original art in the lobby and elsewhere is gone. So that definitely is disappointing, especially since much of that simply could’ve been restored rather than replaced. The art wasn’t the issue that made the hotel look dated, it was the 1990s treatments.
Although I’ll withhold final judgment until seeing it in person, the style of the royal reimagining of Disneyland Hotel in Paris reminds me more than a little of Shanghai Disneyland–both inside that park’s castle (Royal Banquet Hall restaurant pictured above) and elements of its flagship resort. That offers a lot of opulence for opulence’s sake, with lavishness and luxury that strike me as very surface level–screaming ‘sophistication’ rather reinforcing it in subtle ways.
Don’t get me wrong–I think there’s a lot to like about what’s shown of Disneyland Hotel in the concept art. But there are also areas where the new design looks a bit outwardly ostentatious but unable to match the actual craftsmanship and ornate detail of the original Disneyland Hotel. But to each their own on all of that. At these prices, I’m not the target guest of Disneyland Hotel in Paris, so what I think matters a lot less than guests willing to fork over $1k per night to stay here. Which is probably the point.
On an unequivocally positive note, I’m optimistic about the new rooms. Unlike the lobby and common areas that were beautiful even a decade ago, time had been unkind to the guest rooms at Disneyland Hotel in Paris. At least judging by the concept art, the royal reimagining looks like a huge upgrade for the guest rooms. The style seems to perfectly meld intellectual property with thematically-appropriate design. It’s reminiscent of the standard rooms at Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, which are exquisite.
Honestly, these rooms have nowhere to go but up. The Paris Disneyland Hotel rooms have always been a disappointment as compared to the other Disneyland Hotels in Tokyo and California, and now the new-look Grand Floridian rooms. The last time we stepped foot in the regular rooms at Disneyland Hotel in Paris, they looked woefully outdated and spartan. That was ~10 years ago, and to my knowledge, they were not updated between then and this royal reimagining.
We’ve been impressed with the other room redesigns at Disneyland Paris, with Newport Bay in particular being a nice upgrade that offers more comfort, modern amenities, and Disney design flourishes. The only quibble we had there, which we’ve noticed with other rooms at Disneyland Paris, is they already had a lot of wear and tear. Hopefully, Imagineering chose more robust materials for this project, and the rooms end up being something worthy of Disneyland Hotel’s iconic, flagship status…and help justify those aforementioned astronomical price points!
For the basics of planning a visit to Disneyland Paris, check out our Disneyland Paris Trip Planning Guide. Find the best place to stay in Disneyland Paris Hotel Reviews. Check out 101 Disneyland Paris Tips for some (101, to be exact) of our best random tips for doing DLP like a pro. See Disney Park Tickets Tips & Tricks for ways to save on tickets. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. Finally, for advice beyond Disney, check out our Ultimate Travel Guide to Paris, France.
YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you excited for Disneyland Hotel to reopen on January 25, 2024 after the multi-year overhaul? What’s your take on the royal reimagining of Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris? Thoughts on the infusion of princesses and princes into the Victorian resort? Will you miss the original artwork and other elements of the circa 1992 Disneyland Hotel, or think this modernization was long overdue? Do you agree with our assessment that the rooms were really tired and not befitting of the prices or hotel tier? Any other thoughts about this news? Any questions? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
