First look and how to book: Taco Bell's pop-up hotel is themed to the extreme

Going to sleep in a room decorated wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with Taco Bell artwork; waking up to a special Taco Bell breakfast, delivered to your door; and floating in the pool on a giant Taco Bell sauce packet that is your raft — all that is just a taste of what guests of The Bell will experience at the unique pop-up hotel in Palm Springs, California, this summer, reports The Desert Sun, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.

It’s where “taco dreams really do come true,” Jennifer Arnoldt, Taco Bell’s senior director of retail engagement and experience, said in announcing that V Palm Springs is the site for this “historic event, Aug. 8-12.”

“Any one of our fans lucky enough to get a reservation are going to have bragging rights for the rest of their life,” said Arnoldt, who has spearheaded the pop-up hotel. “This really is going to be spectacular.”

You can book a stay for the first — and, so far, only — Taco Bell pop-up hotel starting at 10 a.m. Pacific time June 27 on Taco Bell's website.

More than 70 rooms will be available as Taco Bell takes over V Palm Springs hotel. Four room types will be available: king bed with standard view, king with pool view, two queen beds with standard view or two queens with pool view.

Rates start at $169 per night, and reservations will be on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no minimum night stay — book for one night or all four. However, because of the activities planned, officials say the event is best suited for guests 18 and older.

No two days will be the same. Entertainment will include Feed the Beat artists, dive-in movies and a first-ever “Freeze Lounge,” inspired by Mountain Dew Baja Blast, which will offer frosty beverages and a chill lounge.

“This is bigger than anything we’ve done to date,” Arnoldt said.

Selecting the city for the pop-up was based on three criteria, she said.

They first wanted a location within a two-hour drive of a metropolitan area to make it easily accessible. Second was predictable weather.

“And, third we really wanted an attractive vacation destination,” said Arnoldt, who lives in Irvine but described herself as “a huge fan of Palm Springs” who visits the area often.

“Palm Springs really is the perfect backdrop for us to provide this new experience,” she said.

The Bell hotel is another example of why some of the world’s most popular brands love coming to Palm Springs, Mayor Robert Moon said.

“The city’s fun in the sun vibe is irresistible to audiences whose brands share the same energy and vitality,” Moon said. “Taco Bell is a worldwide brand whose young audience will get a chance to experience Palm Springs and share it with all of their friends, family and social audiences.”

Greater Palm Springs Area Convention & Visitors Bureau President/CEO Scott White echoed Moon’s comments.

“The Bell hotel has provided incredible national exposure on how to find your tacOASIS,” White said, going off the CVB’s “Find Your Oasis” theme.

“We are excited that Taco Bell chose our oasis for this very fun and creative activation. We hope they make it an annual event,” White said.

Since the pop-up was announced in May, there has been a “huge, huge” reaction not just across the United States, but Japan, India, Australia and Hong Kong, Arnoldt said.

“It’s been a global response, so we love that we are giving our fans the opportunity to travel across the world to experience this,” she said.

A lot of hotels were looked at before deciding on the V Palm Springs, she said, saying the recently remodeled hotel’s size — 140 rooms — and layout were key.

The pop-up is an extension of Taco Bell’s “Think outside the bun” and “Live Mas (more)” mottos.

“We’re known ... to offer really unique, cool experiences for our fans,” Arnoldt said, from inviting Taco Bell lovers to come to its test kitchen to taste new food items and collaborating with Forever 21 on a fashion show to weddings at Taco Bell restaurants.

“A lot of our fans have their first dates at a Taco Bell,” she said.

The hotel is an extension of that connection with fans.

“We knew that our fans really wanted to have this immersive experience, where it’s a culmination of everything. It’s about our food. It’s about our music. It’s about merchandise and everything else in between,” Arnoldt said.

Guests will be immersed in Taco Bell at every level — through décor and food and everything in between.

“The moment you arrive at the hotel, we’re going to be handing you over a stock packet room key and then we just take it from there,” she said.

V employees and management will handle the hotel experience while Taco Bell takes care of everything else.

Local Taco Bell franchise owners and their teams have been brought in to help with menu items — which will include classic Taco Bell favorites and new items, unique to the event.

She didn’t want to elaborate on the food menu, saying only that the plan “is to delight our fans with food at every turn of the experience.”

At this point, there are no plans for another pop-up hotel — so this could be a once in a lifetime experience for those able to get a room.

“Right now, this is a limited time only offer, but who knows,” Arnoldt said.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: First look and how to book: Taco Bell's pop-up hotel is themed to the extreme