No matter your particular affinity for either political party, supporters of both sides of the aisle would probably be willing to unplug and hide during the lead-up to the 2020 U.S. election—that is, after you’ve cast your absentee ballot.
Now, in a bit of experiential marketing that accurately gauges the nation’s mood after a tumultuous year, Hotels.com is offering travelers a chance to literally hide out under a rock from Nov. 2-7, for only $5 a night.
The five-night stay is an “off-the-grid” experience somewhere in New Mexico (the brand didn’t say where, specifically) without access to Wi-Fi, cable television or daily news to avoid doomscrolling and doomwatching election day results. The property is available to reserve on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Oct. 9 at 9 a.m. ET on the brand’s website.
The stay isn’t too unique for Hotels.com, which has pulled off experimental stays before including last year’s 90s-nostalgia-soaked Lisa Frank flat or this summer’s 1975 retro timeshare sponsored by Miller Lite.
Airbnb has always grabbed headlines for stunts like offering to bring travelers to Hell (Michigan) this Halloween or a night in the Fresh Prince’s Bel-Air Mansion, made available to celebrate the show’s 30-year anniversary special.
“We want to meet consumers where they are; we’re looking at a very Instagram-centric travel experience,” said Jennifer Dohm, head of Hotels.com PR and social for North America. “We weren’t a brand that shied away from the conversations of the last six months.”
Dohm continued: “We wanted to think about where our consumers’ headspace was.”
Evidently, that’s 50 feet underground.
