Today in What I Never Thought I'd See, Ever, Not in a Million Years, Not Possible, we have this: Taco Bell is opening a hotel and store in Palm Springs resort. Yes, you heard it right. No, this is not a joke. The resort, officially called The Bell: Taco Bell Hotels & Resorts, will open for a limited time this summer, allowing taco lovers and burrito lovers to immerse themselves in all things Taco Bell. Living at Christmas indeed.
Opening on August 9 and available for June stays through the reservation system, The Bell is positioning itself as a vacation experience like no other, truly bringing the Taco Bell concept to life. "The Bell is the largest expression of the Taco Bell lifestyle yet," Taco Bell chief global brand officer Marisa Thalberg said in a press release provided to Bustle. "It will be fun, colorful, delicious, and full of flavor. More than what our fans expected, Thalberg continued: “Like some of our most popular food innovations, this hotel brings a whole new level of experience and enjoyment to our lucky fans.”
One wonders if those Taco Bell hot sauce packet pool floats we've been hearing about lately are subtle hints at the adventure to come.
It's unclear exactly where the resort will be in Palm Springs; I have lots and lots of questions about this whole thing, like whether The Bell will be a takeover of an existing resort or if it'll actually be starting from scratch built. For what it's worth, though, the choice to use Palm Springs more broadly as a location for such an endeavor makes a lot of sense. Palm Springs, a renowned resort destination, is home to more hotels than any other city in the Coachella Valley, and with the city's downtown undergoing a renaissance in recent years, it's not only an ideal location for new hotels; It is an ideal location for building a new hotel. For a...er... unique - sounds like The Bell.
To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect from staying at The Bell. The press release gives us some major details, but most likely on purpose, doesn't convey in any meaningful way what it's actually like to stay at a Taco Bell-themed resort. "Inspired by tacos and driven by fans," The Bell will "reimagine the way hotel stays are done," according to a press release. Everything about the site—the rooms, the breakfast, the cocktails you can sip by the picturesque pool—seems to be “Taco Bell-flavored,” although I couldn’t really tell you what that means. (I wish the pool itself was taco-shaped, though.)
There will also be a gift shop selling "exclusive apparel," an on-site salon where you can get a "Taco Bell-style manicure, fade and braid bar," and, of course, food. Lots of food. Food and drink on the menu will include "well-loved and iconic flavors" as well as "new...surprises only available at the hotel."
Maybe the gravity of the whole thing is interfering with my ability to imagine it. Because, I mean… Taco Bell Resort. That’s a lot, both literally and metaphorically.
To be fair, though, Taco Bell is no stranger to thinking big. For example, the Taco Bell flagship store in Las Vegas is huge (because, I mean, it's in Vegas ), has a VIP lounge, DJ booth, alcoholic Freezes, and of course a merchandise store; heck, what if You can even get married there if you want. At one point, Taco Bell set up a small "slide" window at the base of a popular sledding hill in Ontario, Canada, as a promotion for its Cheetos Crunch Sliders. In 2014, the company energized a Taco Bell breakfast launch by mailing 1,000 burner phones to fast-food influencers, sending them on "secret missions." In 1996, the company even published an article in the New York Times claiming that they had purchased the Liberty Bell. Of course, they didn't. The ad ran on April Fool's Day. But, as The Daily Meal pointed out in 2015, it fooled a lot of people. Dan Myers writes: "In the days before Twitter, many people took the company at its word and loudly expressed their outrage, prompting more than 650 print publications and 400 broadcast outlets to pick up the story ”
Knowing the company's history with creative advertising, is it surprising that they ended up opening a resort? Not that much, especially since this will be a limited-time event. However, as far as publicity stunts go, it's still impressive. Consider my interest piqued.
The Bell will begin taking reservations in June for stays starting in August. However, please note that you must be over 18 years old to book accommodation. Good luck!
