Today I offer you the review of the new modular created by Lego and which will be released on January 1st. As a reminder, the set was provided by LEGO to Brickcentral.
This new modular was imagined and created to celebrate the 15 years of the range. And, it must be admitted, that it is particularly successful.
Let’s see it more ready!!
Building experience
Seated comfortably in front of our box, and after unpacking the bags, we find what should be a big set since it accommodates 3066 pieces. No doubt to celebrate the 15 years of the range, the designer has gone all out.
The first thing to note and that I greatly appreciated (because I am probably not very good at applying them) is that the set does not include any stickers! We have the right to pad printed parts only.
The design of the building is very original, which is a change from the boring big cube style modulars. The shape is very well taken, and the construction techniques to keep a harmony to the whole and rounded giving it its special character, are very well thought out.
The ground floor is made up of the lobby of the hotel. A sofa, a wall of keys, an abstract painting, and the luggage cart caught my attention. The whole is well designed and spacious. The colors are warm and the mosaic on the floor is magnificent.
We also find a small art gallery, too small for my taste as much as I love the idea, but it has the merit of being there and of being well supplied. I am a fan of the sculpture representing the logo of the Creator Expert range.
The second floor is made up of 2 bedrooms. One is much smaller and spartan than the other. The second is very well thought out despite its particular shape. The swivel chair facing the glass “corner” lacks space to be really used, but I like it a lot anyway. The arches overhanging the windows are very well done and give depth to the floor.
Above the art gallery, we have a very well-thought-out little bar. The potted palm immediately sets the tone and its design is particularly original with the overlay of the piece acting as an eggshell (39262).
The 3rd and last floor represents a single room, but the most luxurious of the whole. Composed of its bathroom with a bathtub, a large wardrobe, an armchair, a king-size bed, and a particularly successful retro television.
Its architecture is just as particular and the choice of colors, notably for the exterior facades, is well defined. No particular difficulties during assembly, and we end up with a Parisian style floor in my opinion, even if at first glance, I found a very Cuban style to the whole.
For the roof, nothing special except this dome which is the perfect conclusion to the rounded structure of the building.
As I told you a little earlier, the designer slipped into the set several winks in reference to the old modulars. They are even mentioned and explained in the manual.
In order not to reveal everything to you and leave you the surprise of discovering them for yourself, I show you a few.
The minifigures
When you think of modular, you think plethora of minifigures. I was eager to have them in my hands to find out if we would have the right to new things. The employees of the hotel are particularly successful: I am totally a fan of their outfits. I also really like the head of the manager of the art gallery.
Behind the scene
To take the highlight photo for the review, I wanted to shoot in a natural environment to bring out the pretty warm colors of the set as much as possible.
So I made the choice to take pictures in my garden and enjoy a beautiful sunny winter day.
I was not satisfied with the background that I got by just sitting on my table since I had too much greenery and not enough sky. So I made the choice to raise the whole thing with trestles and a tray.
Obviously, my camera is placed on a tripod which allows me to use the focus stacking technique to allow me to keep a nice background blur to bring out all the details of this set.
To dress the whole thing up a bit and bring the set to life, I placed a grass mat. I added a floor lamp of my own design and trees in fall colors to continue in the warm tones of the set. I tried to place roads all around but the effect did not suit me. I ended up opting for gray sandpaper which made its effect.
Maybe I’ll try to redo the photo with red brick to simulate cobblestone streets.
By choosing to photograph a sunny day as I told you, I chose to place the set in front of a white wall. I thus benefit from a natural and additional lighting directed on the front face of the set with the rays of the sun which are returned by the wall.
Conclusion
So now is the time to wrap up and tell you what I think about all of this.
I can tell you, if you haven’t understood my feeling yet, that I love this set! It’s a perfectly successful set despite some weak points. Its original architecture, the choice of colors, and the subject (hotel) are its strong points. Without forgetting of course all the nods to the previous set modulars.
The Boutique Hotel is advertised for 199 € / $ 199.99 /£174.99 and in my opinion it is a largely justified price.
Released: January 1, 2022
Rating: 9/10
Price : 199 € / $ 199.99 /£174.99