Lancaster County is best known for its Amish culture and pastoral landscape, but did you know that it’s also home to the country’s first and only Cartoon Network Hotel?
That’s right, sitting amongst the hotels, restaurants, and outlet malls on Route 30 in Lancaster County is an entire hotel themed around the most popular shows on the Cartoon Network. (Check rates here.)
My kids enjoy several shows on the network, so, for my son’s birthday, we stayed a night at the hotel so that he and my daughter could experience this fun spot. Note that we paid for everything ourselves, and no one at the hotel knew we were coming, so everything you read here is entirely my family’s own opinions staying as a normal guest would.
The Cartoon Network Hotel opened to the public in early 2020 after the former Continental Hotel was remodeled extensively. It is located next to Dutch Wonderland, a popular children’s amusement park, and the two properties are owned by the same company.
The theming here is generally very well done on both the inside and the outside. The characters that are present throughout the space definitely represent shows that are currently popular on the channel including Powerpuff Girls, The Amazing World of Gumball, Adventure Time, and Ben 10, among others.
A lot of other shows, including some older ones like Johnny Bravo, make random appearances on some of the fun video screens in the lobby area, but aren’t central to the hotel’s theming.
There are 165 rooms in the Cartoon Network Hotel and each room has a theme from one of several different shows. The theming in the room is nicely done with fun graphics, unique bedding, and bright and colorful paint on the walls.
Some rooms even have bunkbeds in one corner with their own private TVs that allow kids to watch Cartoon Network programming.
The rooms were nicely decorated and clean, but beyond the theming were just normal motel rooms. Not a bad thing, but don’t expect high-end features in the rooms. It’s also worth noting that, despite being called the Cartoon Network Hotel, this is actually a motel in its set up.
Outside of the rooms, there are a lot of fun things to do, and my kids were kept well occupied for the one day that we stayed here. I definitely recommend getting to the hotel as early as you can so that you can really enjoy the amenities here. if you only book one night.
The most notable features at the hotel are the outdoor pool, the indoor pool, and the splash pad.
The splash pad has a really neat Powerpuff Girls’ theme and is very well done and a ton of fun, especially for smaller kids. Unfortunately, the pools are surprisingly lacking in the theming.
In fact, aside from some bright colors and a sign at the entrance to the outdoor pool, there isn’t any. Seems like a missed opportunity when they could really easily add some more character images to the fencing or even in the pool itself.
The pools are also a bit on the small side, but they are well maintained and both offer hot tubs for adults and have lifeguards, so they are really fun spots to swim.
Outside, you’ll also find some fire pits that are lit nightly, and some outdoor games like cornhole and ladder ball. They provide some fun entertainment for both kids and adults, and it’s really nice to have some outdoor activities other than the pools that you can enjoy during your stay.
There are also some easy-to-miss attractions located inside in the lobby area. These include a small arcade, the Toon Room, and a gift shop. There are also two restaurants there that offer some neat theming via the decorations and TV screens on the walls.
The Toon Room features some fun drawing activities, games projected on the walls, and nightly movies. There is also a fun little scavenger hunt available here that awards a prize once you find the icons around the lobby area.
The lobby is also where you’re most likely to see costumed characters from Cartoon Network several times throughout the day. If that interests you and your group, ask at the front desk for the times that they’ll be appearing.
You can even make special requests for certain characters. While there’s no guarantees, we were able to request characters that we wanted to see, and they showed up later in the day. So, if there’s someone in particular you want to see, you can always ask the front desk, and they might be able to accommodate.
There are a total of three dining spots within the Cartoon Network Hotel: the Cartoon Kitchen, the Bearista Cafe, and the Land of P’Oool Concession Stand. Of the three, the only one I had a chance to eat at was the Cartoon Kitchen, which we opted to check out for dinner.
To be perfectly frank, you should definitely skip dining at the Cartoon Kitchen. The food was overpriced, not very good, and the service was rather slow. They also had a surprisingly small kids menu given nearly every visitor will have young kids with them. I was also shocked at the lack of any theming with the kids’ meals. There weren’t even kids cups for drinks.
That being said, there were TVs around the restaurant playing cartoons, and some neat custom animations on one wall that kept my kids entertained while waiting for our food. However, the restaurant was definitely skippable as there are a lot of great options near the hotel.
Overall, aside from our dinner experience, the Cartoon Network Hotel is a really fun place to stay if you have kids that love some of the featured shows from the channel. The hotel is well-maintained for a motel and has some fun theming (even if it could add a bit more in places).
I know my kids were sad to leave and can’t wait to visit the hotel again. In fact, they’ve asked several times in the weeks since we stayed to go back, so I’m sure a return visit is in our future sometime soon.
Check rates here or visit the hotel’s official website. The hotel can be found at 2285 Lincoln Highway East in Lancaster, PA.
Looking for more things to do nearby? Check out the Choo Choo Barn, the covered bridges of Lancaster County, and Barry’s Car Barn.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will make a small commission from these links if you order something at no additional cost to you.
