Cartoon Network Hotel

Cartoon Network Hotel was a themed resort-style lodging property located near Dutch Wonderland in East Lampeter Township, Pennsylvania. It combined conventional hotel accommodation with attractions and merchandise based on Cartoon Network characters and franchises. The property was created through the redevelopment of the former Continental Inn and opened to guests on January 10, 2020. It was licensed by Cartoon Network, then part of WarnerMedia and later Warner Bros. Discovery, while the property was associated with Palace Entertainment and managed by Herschend under the licensing arrangement described in reference material. The hotel contained 165 remodeled rooms and was designed primarily for families visiting the Lancaster County tourism area and the adjacent Dutch Wonderland amusement park. Its facilities included a resort-style swimming pool, a children's play area, an indoor arcade, a coffee lounge, a full bar, and a retail shop selling Cartoon Network-related merchandise. Rather than functioning as a conventional hotel that merely used Cartoon Network branding, the property incorporated the network's entertainment identity into its guest experience, using themed spaces, character imagery, family activities, and links to nearby attractions. The site had originally opened in 1971 as a Ramada Inn on land associated with Earl Clark, the owner of Dutch Wonderland. Financial difficulties led to a sale in 1974 to Michael Gleiberman, after which the Gleiberman family renamed it the Continental Inn. Before its redevelopment, the Continental Inn offered 165 rooms and a range of conventional leisure amenities, including indoor and outdoor pools, a tennis court, a game room, free breakfast, and a fitness room. Palace Entertainment purchased the property in January 2018 for the stated purpose of converting it into a family-oriented resort. In October 2018, Cartoon Network and Palace Entertainment announced a partnership to transform the property into the first Cartoon Network Hotel. The project was initially expected to open in summer 2019. Although Turner Broadcasting System was dissolved during a corporate restructuring, the hotel retained the Cartoon Network identity through an agreement with WarnerMedia. Construction and opening delays pushed the launch to January 2020. The hotel opened only shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread restrictions on travel and hospitality. After roughly two months of operation, it temporarily closed and remained shut for almost five months. It reopened on August 3, 2020, with additional health and safety procedures. The disruption limited the property's first operating year and became an important part of its short commercial history. Cartoon Network Hotel ceased operations on January 1, 2026, after approximately six years. The reported reason was the expiration of the licensing agreement between Palace Entertainment and Cartoon Network, a Warner Bros. Discovery subsidiary. The property transitioned to the Dutch Wonderland Inn, retaining a direct association with the neighboring amusement park but no longer operating under the Cartoon Network brand. The hotel's Instagram and Facebook accounts were deleted on January 12, 2026.

The property that became Cartoon Network Hotel began as a Ramada Inn in 1971 in East Lampeter Township, Pennsylvania. It was built on land associated with Earl Clark, who owned the nearby Dutch Wonderland amusement park. The motel encountered financial difficulties and was sold in 1974 to Michael Gleiberman. The Gleiberman family subsequently renamed it the Continental Inn. As the Continental Inn, the property retained 165 rooms and operated as a conventional leisure hotel. Its facilities included indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a tennis court, a game room, free breakfast, and a fitness room. Its location near Dutch Wonderland made it suitable for visitors to the regional amusement park and the wider Lancaster County tourism market. Palace Entertainment purchased the Continental Inn in January 2018 for $4.7 million. The company intended to renovate the aging hotel into a family-oriented resort that would complement Dutch Wonderland. In October 2018, Palace Entertainment entered into a partnership with Cartoon Network to create a branded hotel at the site. The project was initially announced with a planned summer 2019 opening and represented Cartoon Network's second hotel-related venture, following its involvement with Hotel Cozzi Ximen Tainan in Taiwan. The partnership was affected by changes in the corporate structure surrounding Cartoon Network. Turner Broadcasting System was dissolved during a broader reorganization, but the project continued under an agreement with WarnerMedia, allowing the hotel to retain the Cartoon Network name and licensed entertainment properties. After delays, the renovated property opened on January 10, 2020. The completed hotel had 165 remodeled rooms and a resort-style collection of guest amenities. These included a swimming pool, children's play area, indoor arcade, coffee lounge, full bar, and gift shop. Cartoon Network characters and properties supplied the central theme, while the hotel's location and family facilities connected it to Dutch Wonderland and the surrounding vacation market. The concept was intended to offer more than branded décor by combining accommodation with entertainment, recreation, and character merchandise. The launch was immediately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Having opened in January 2020, the hotel was required to close temporarily as public-health restrictions disrupted travel and hospitality operations. It remained closed for almost five months and reopened on August 3, 2020, with additional safety measures. The interruption significantly affected the hotel's first year and became a defining feature of its operating history. The hotel operated for approximately six years. On January 1, 2026, it ceased trading as Cartoon Network Hotel. The reported cause was the expiration of the licensing agreement between Palace Entertainment and Cartoon Network, which was then a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. The property was rebranded as Dutch Wonderland Inn, shifting from a licensed media-character identity to a lodging concept directly associated with the neighboring amusement park. On January 12, 2026, the former hotel's Instagram and Facebook accounts were deleted. The brand is therefore defunct, although the underlying lodging property continued under a different name.

• 2026

  Brand closes and property becomes Dutch Wonderland Inn

  [1]Cartoon Network Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  Cartoon Network Hotel ceased operations on January 1 after the reported end of its licensing agreement and was replaced by the Dutch Wonderland Inn identity.

• 2020

  Cartoon Network Hotel opens

  [1]Cartoon Network Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  Following delays, the 165-room themed resort opened to guests on January 10.

• 2020

  Temporary pandemic closure and reopening

  [1]Cartoon Network Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The hotel closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened on August 3 with enhanced health and safety measures.

• 2018

  Palace Entertainment acquires the property

  [1]Cartoon Network Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  Palace Entertainment purchased the Continental Inn and planned to redevelop it as a family-friendly resort.

• 2018

  Cartoon Network hotel partnership announced

  [1]Cartoon Network Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  Cartoon Network and Palace Entertainment formed a partnership to convert the Continental Inn into the first Cartoon Network Hotel.

• 1974

  Property sold and renamed Continental Inn

  [1]Cartoon Network Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  After financial difficulties, the motel was sold to Michael Gleiberman and subsequently operated under the Continental Inn name.

• 1971

  Property opens as Ramada Inn

  [1]Cartoon Network Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The lodging property that later became Cartoon Network Hotel opened as a Ramada Inn in East Lampeter Township, Pennsylvania.

A family-oriented, character-themed resort combining Cartoon Network entertainment branding with accommodation and leisure facilities near Dutch Wonderland.

• Themed accommodation · 2020

  Cartoon Network Hotel guest rooms

  The hotel offered 165 remodeled rooms within a family-oriented resort setting. The accommodation was integrated into the Cartoon Network theme and marketed alongside access to the property's recreational areas and nearby Dutch Wonderland.

• Hospitality and entertainment · 2020

  Cartoon Network resort amenities

  The resort experience included a swimming pool, children's play area, indoor arcade, coffee lounge, and full bar. These facilities extended the brand beyond room décor and positioned the property as a family leisure destination.

• Retail · 2020

  Cartoon Network merchandise shop

  A gift shop sold merchandise connected with Cartoon Network characters and properties, giving guests an on-site retail component associated with the licensed brand.

• 2026

  End Cartoon Network licensing and rebrand the propertyStrategy

  Background

  The licensing agreement between Palace Entertainment and Cartoon Network reportedly expired after the hotel had operated under the brand for approximately six years.

  Action taken

  The property closed as Cartoon Network Hotel on January 1 and transitioned to the Dutch Wonderland Inn name.

  Aftermath

  The Cartoon Network hotel brand became defunct while the lodging property continued under an identity tied directly to Dutch Wonderland.

  Source

• 2020

  Reopen with COVID-19 safety measuresStrategy

  Background

  The hotel closed temporarily soon after opening because of pandemic-related public-health restrictions.

  Action taken

  The property reopened on August 3 after almost five months with additional health and safety procedures.

  Aftermath

  The reopening allowed the hotel to resume operations, although its first year had been substantially disrupted by the pandemic.

  Source

• 2018

  Convert the Continental Inn into a Cartoon Network resortStrategy

  Background

  Palace Entertainment sought to redevelop the former Continental Inn into a family-oriented resort near Dutch Wonderland.

  Action taken

  Palace Entertainment partnered with Cartoon Network to apply the network's licensed characters and properties to the renovated hotel.

  Aftermath

  The project opened as Cartoon Network Hotel in January 2020 after delays.

  Acquisition price for the former Continental Inn. $4.7 million (January 2018)

  Source

1. 1Cartoon Network Hotelen.wikipedia.org