Taco Bell's pop-up hotel reservations sell out in 2 minutes

Apparently, people were excited about the prospect of sleeping in a taco-themed room.

So excited that reservations for the Taco Bell pop-up hotel in Palm Springs, California, sold out in just 2 minutes after opening at 10 a.m. Pacific time Thursday, reports The Desert Sun, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.

“Taco Bell fans are truly one of a kind, and today was one of the best expressions of that fandom yet," Taco Bell Global Chief Brand Officer Marisa Thalberg said in an email. "The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort officially sold out in just 2 minutes. We would like to extend a big ‘thank you’ for those who have come along on this journey with us and even though The Bell is sold out, we’ll have more to share on exclusive merchandise, food and more in the coming weeks so those unable to score a room can still experience the fun from home.”

Guests will stay in rooms decorated wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with Taco Bell artwork, wake up to a special Taco Bell breakfast delivered to their door and float in the pool on a giant Taco Bell sauce packet raft.

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 would be the site for the “historic event, Aug. 8-12.”

A rendering of Taco Bell-themed pool decor and amenities planned for The Bell. Reservations for the first  ever Taco Bell pop-up hotel open June 27, 2019. The Bell will take over V Palm Springs, 333 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Aug. 8-12.
A rendering of Taco Bell-themed pool decor and amenities planned for The Bell. Reservations for the first ever Taco Bell pop-up hotel open June 27, 2019. The Bell will take over V Palm Springs, 333 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Aug. 8-12.

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

More than 70 rooms were available for the Taco Bell hotel takeover. .

Rates started at $169 per night, and guests could book for one night or all four.

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.

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 rendering of Taco Bell-themed king room decor and amenities planned for The Bell. Reservations for the first  ever Taco Bell pop-up hotel open June 27, 2019. The Bell will take over V Palm Springs, 333 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Aug. 8-12.
A rendering of Taco Bell-themed king room decor and amenities planned for The Bell. Reservations for the first ever Taco Bell pop-up hotel open June 27, 2019. The Bell will take over V Palm Springs, 333 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Aug. 8-12.

Arnoldt and her team looked at a number of hotels before deciding on the V Palm Springs, but the property's recently remodeled hotel’s size — 140 rooms — and layout sealed the deal.

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

“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 sauce 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 many 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 who were 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: Taco Bell's pop-up hotel reservations sell out in 2 minutes