Review: LEGO 10297 Boutique Hotel Modular

December 31, 2021 | 20

One of the most anticipated LEGO sets releasing on 1 January 2022 is without a doubt, 10297 Boutique Hotel – the new 2022 Modular Building.

It is the 17th LEGO Modular building that LEGO have produced, and the Boutique Hotelis designed to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the much-beloved Creator Expert theme.

LEGO have gone above and beyond the usual blocky buildings that you’d typically expect from structures on a Modular Street with a bold, and fresh new design for this corner building, making fantastic use of angles and colours.

The 3,066-piece LEGO Boutique Hotel will be priced at US$199.99 / AU$319.99 has a release date of 1 January 2022 and will be available exclusively from LEGO.com or your local LEGO store.

Get your bags, and let’s get ready to check-in to the Boutique Hotel!

Special thanks to The LEGO Group for sending this set for an early review.

10297 Boutique Hotel Details

Name: Boutique Hotel
Set Number: 10297
Pieces: 3066
Price: $199.99 [US] | £ 179.99 GBP [UK] | AU$ 319.99 [AUS]
Exclusive to: LEGO.com / LEGO Stores
Theme: LEGO Creator Expert / LEGO for Adults
Release Date: 1 January 2022
Designer: Anderson Ward Grubb
Buy from LEGO.com [USA] [AUS] [UK]

It’s quite fitting that on the 15th anniversary of the Modular Building, which began way back in 2007 – that LEGO would take on a hotel – I was expecting a refreshed version of the Cafe Corner, the first Modular, which is not a hotel, but famously featured a large Hotel sign on its exterior.

But instead, we get this bold architectural surprise, that blends European architecture, with a whiff of Mediterranean vibes. It’s unlike anything that LEGO have ever done before in the Modular Building series

Here’s a look at the instruction manual, where you’re greeted with a lovely introduction to the Boutique Hotel, and the Modular Building series – perfect for newcomers to understand why this theme is so important to AFOLs.

On the next page is my favourite part of the manual – there’s a photo of designer Anderson Ward Grubb, and also the Modular Building alumni featuring the LEGO designers who have left their mark on the Modular Building series, including Jamie Berard, who kicked off the entire series with the Cafe Corner in 2007.

It’s almost like the Avengers.

As this is the 15th Anniversary Model, designer Anderson Ward Grubb has cleverly hidden all sorts of references to Modular Buildings of the past, which are annotated throughout the instructions.

I found this a very enjoyable part of the build, almost like I was being guided and helped me appreciate the design choices, and all these little flourishes snuck inside, as LEGO pays homage to Modulars of the past.

Meet the 7 minifigures of the Modular Boutique Hotel – a colourful cast of characters that wouldn’t look out of place in a Wes Anderson film.

7 is above the average number of minifigures included in Modular Buildings, and I think it hits the sweet spot of just enough distinct identities, and enough to bump up the playability. More minifigs are always great.

Meet the three guests at the hotel – an accountant, who is on a worktrip to audit the financials of the Boutique Hotel, a backpacker, and a seasoned traveller – an older lady, who is living a life of leisure and presumably spends all her time adding stamps to her passport.

Next we have the curator of the art gallery, a trendy looking woman with large glasses and her hair tied up in a bun, as well as a barista with his own coffee cart. which has a double-boiler espresso machine. I love the use of steering wheels as the cart’s wheels!

And last but not least, we have these 2 bellhops, who are attired in a brand new sand green torso, with brass buttons. Very swanky, and I love how smart they look. Another great little mini build is the luggage trolley that accompanies them.

And here’s a look at the back prints and alternate faces.

Modulars are never about the minifigures, but I like that all the minifigures included have distinct identities, and roles which make for excellent role-playing.

Here’s a look at the completed build – the build, like any Modular Building is a fantastic experience, and continuously engaging thanks to the different sections and things you build.

There is so much variety, as you flit between architectural details on the exterior, to building staircases and furniture on the inside and because of the wide palette of colours used, feels like you’re doing something different in each bag.

First of, the colours of the Boutique Hotel are just wonderful – it almost looks like the layers of the cake, especially with the use of light nougat (or flesh-coloured elements as they’re sometimes referred to) elements which make up the first floor.

Sand Green is a perennial favourite of LEGO designers and tops the entire structure off, contrasting beautifully against the white windows and pillars. Notice the use of black snakes on the roof which is just incredible technique.

The archirectural details are superb, ranging from small flourishes like the Hotel Sign out front.

Or this aesthetically beautiful use of repeating pillars all across the first floor.

The Boutique Hotel however makes a massive statement thanks to its angled composition, which was enabled thanks to the genius use of Pythagorean triangles to give it its unique look, and enable everything to connect with one another, which you’ll see demonstrated in the floors below.

Let’s take a look at the ground floor, which houses the reception.

Walking into the Boutique Hotel, you’re greeted by a large reception area, where guests can lounge about while they get through the check-in process.

The reception desk is pretty basic, but has a printed tile with signatures of previous modular names and characters, a bell, and a old-style telephone. The standout feature here is the board of keys behind her which exude an old-world charm.

Some other highlights on the ground floor is the beautiful tiling, especially this 8-pointed star in the middle of the floor.

There are plenty of great staircases in the build, which makes sense as it’s a 3-story building, and a lot of care and detail have been put into the construction of them.

The exterior of the ground floor has these lovely planter boxes outside the large glass windows – really love the use of masonry bricks and round 1×2 plates for the texture on the walls.

Over on the other side of the building is the El Cubo Fine Art gallery – a standalone shop that has a slightly different architecture to the ornate hotel.

The play on words here is funny, as there are plenty of references to Cubist Art – which may just be “art” to these minifigures who live amongst cubes.

The art gallery is pretty cramped, but LEGO have managed to squeeze some really fun little references in – such as this cubist painting that sneakily includes a Galidor (one of LEGO’s worst-performing themes) reference.

See the resemblance?

There are more cubist paintings such surreal looking one on the wall.

Also a nod to abstract art pioneer Piet Mondrian

And as a great way to celebrate the Creator Expert theme, there’s also a Creator Expert logo sculpture – something that I can’t believe LEGO have never done before!

As we head to the second floor, there is a fun little rooftop/outdoor bar for the Hotel Guests to let their hair down, sip some wine and bask in the Mediterranean sun.

The Palm Tree is the centerpiece of this outdoor bar and features some ingenious use of crowns/eggshells for its trunk, to create a repeating textured look, and these large leaves which fan in different directions.

It’s a very fresh take on the “traditional” LEGO palm/coconut tree but manages to stand out in all the right ways, delivering a bright burst of greenery to the structure.

Fun fact: the Project Name for the Boutique Hotel is “Palm”!

Another detail I really liked with this outdoor area is the iron-wrought gate/archway that you walk through to get in. Also, how good do those lamps look?

And near the staircase to the rooftop bar is this lovely notice board, with plenty of fun references to previous modulars – you have the chef from the Parisian Restaurant, the apple for the Green Grocer, Ace Brickman & the Barber Shop from the Detective’s Office, boxing gloves for the Downtown Diner, and Andy Sax, which may be a reference to the music shop in Assembly Square, and the Painter from the Pet Shop.

What a compact and clever way to squeeze in so many references in such a small space!

On the first floor, where the stairs inside directly lead to are 2 Hotel Rooms – a large Suite, and a smaller, bare bones room. At first glance, a huge design flaw immediately presents itself – where are the toilets and bathrooms?

The Accountant’s room is fitted with a desk, with a Typewriter which may be a nod to the LEGO Ideas Typewriter, but is probably a nod to the same Typewriters used in 2021’s Modular Police Station.

He also has a nice sand-green bed to retire in, with plenty of natural light and space to move around.

The other room is tiny and cramped – which would be great for the budget conscious backpacker, or when not in use, as a naproom for the hotel staff. It kinda looks like a prison cell, but thankfully has some windows.

Walking up the staircase to the second floor reveals a massive suite, reserved for the luxury traveller as she only travels in style and comfort!

You can tell that the Boutique Hotel rolls out the red carpet for their VIP guests – there’s a bar of chocolate greeting the traveller laid upon a large king-sized bed, as well as a bottle of wine (or sparkling water) as a refreshment.

I also really love the use of the LEGO cupcake holders upside down as lamps! There’s also a large wardrobe in the room, with doors that swing outwards.

The room is also outfitted with a black and white television. The movie she’s watching is also a nod to the Palace Cinema, as the actress (in purple) shows up here, albeit in black and white!

So it looks like you definitely need to pay more for basic plumbing, as the suite not only comes with a large bathtub, but also has a toilet dangerously close to the tub.

And yes, the traveller fits into the bathtub just fine – the perfect antidote to wash away her worries!

And here’s a look at the roof from above, complete with a large skylight to ensure the VIP Suite gets plenty of natural light.

I don’t have many modulars built – in fact the Modular Police Station was the very first Modular I ever built (shocking right!?) but after having experienced it myself, I can see why this theme is so beloved by AFOLs and LEGO fans.

(I do have most of the Modulars, going back to the Grand Emporium… I just never got around to them. One day I tell myself!)

Modular Buildings are designed to connect to one another with pins, and here’s how the Boutique Hotel looks like connected to the Police Station and 80107 Spring Lantern Festival.

As you can see, the architecture and colours of the Boutique Hotel stand out in all the best ways – it looks like a piece of Spain or Portugal, somehow transplanted into the dense Modular Street – in a very otherworldly manner.

That said, the distinct colours and architectures does give inject a lot of personality and uniqueness to the Boutique Hotel, that I’m sure you’ll enjoy integrating it into your LEGO City or Modular Street.

What I liked:

• Amazing colours and angled composition
• Hunting down and discovering Easter Eggs and references to Modulars past was a lot of fun
• Plenty of minifigures, including the new Bellhop torsos
• Super detailed interiors that make great use of space
• Galidor reference in the El Cubo gallery

What I didn’t like: 

• Ground floor could do with some more furniture
• No toilets on first floor

FINAL THOUGHTS:

The Boutique Hotel makes an instant impression, and thanks to its beautiful architecture, complemented by a brand new palette of colours never before seen in a modular.

It’s not hyperbole to consider this one of the most aesthetically pleasing Modulars that LEGO have ever designed, and if you’re a Modular Fan, you are absolutely going to fall head over heels for the Boutique Hotel.

From the build, to admiring the way the angles come together, the Boutique Hotel is a delight from start to finish, and you’ll spend so much time admiring just how well the colours chosen for the exteriors – sand green, white, light nougat and medium nougat introduce some really fun colours to the Modular landscape.

Packed with 6 minifigures, including 2 excellent new Bellhops, you have all that you need for a fun, playable model, or one that you can admire from afar.

It’s very different from any other Modular, and I can’t think of a better time than the 15th Anniversary for LEGO to shake things up in the Modular Street. At first, you may find it quite jarring to fit it into the other buildings, but this does make me excited to see how LEGO stretches the Modular series beyond blocky commercial buildings, exploring new architectural influences in this manner.

The shaping and angles alone make this an exceptional model, but all the other interior details, minifigures and cunningly clever part usage across the building, make for a near-perfect set.

And as a bonus, you can also expand the Boutique Hotel further, buying another set (or two) to add more floors, so the sky is literally the limit with what you can do to expand the Boutique Hotel!

I highly recommend getting the Boutique Hotel when it launches on the 1st of January 2022, for seasoned Modular Fans, or even those brand new to LEGO Modulars.

Rating and score: 5/5 ★★★★★

Build [5] – Engaging from start to finish, with so many ingenious techniques
Real Value [4] – This set is exceptional value for the price, and the end result
Innovation [5] – Employing Pythagorean triangles and angles to achieve the shape is a masterclass of design
Coolness [5] – LEGO’s take on European architecture, with Mediterranean flavour, complete with nods to the past
Keepability [5] – This is an instant classic for sure, and a spectacular addition to the Modular series

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this look at the Modular Boutique Hotel! For some fun, there’s a little balcony on the first floor.. which you can use to re-create that Michael Jackson photo.

What do you think of the Boutique Hotel? Will you be adding this to your Modular collection?

The 3,066-piece LEGO Boutique Hotel will be priced at US$199.99 / AU$319.99 has a release date of 1 January 2022 and will be available exclusively from LEGO.com or your local LEGO store.

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