Hotel Kitsch

A visual celebration of novelty and “honeymoon” hotels from the couple behind the hugely popular TikTok phenomenon, A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour

In 1963, the savvy owners of the Cove Haven Resort in the Poconos unveiled their heart-shaped tub. Like Elvis Presley and Playboy magazine, it launched a postwar phenomenon that defined a new era of pop pleasure: the “honeymoon” hotel. Destinations across the country were soon racing to catch up, installing not just heart-shaped tubs but all types of over-the-top design flourishes, from pink shag carpeting to immersive “worlds” worthy of a Broadway stage set, in order to create a sense of romance, fantasy, even adventure.  ​From the photographers and inveterate travelers behind the TikTok phenomenon A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour, Hotel Kitsch celebrates dozens of creative, nostalgic, one-of-a-kind hotels that span the heart of the Poconos and across the United States to Mexico, Spain, and the UK. Discover, in the middle of Iowa, a jungle room with fake trees and foliage surrounding the bed as if it had taken its cue from Where the Wild Things Are. Or Jules’ Undersea Lodge in Key Largo where the rooms are reached by scuba diving. An Arctic Cave room at a hotel in Kentucky with its carved blue walls and not a window to be found. And on the California coast, the iconic Madonna Inn featuring 110 rooms, each themed and no two alike.  Along the way, authors Margaret and Corey Bienert uncover too many wild details to mention, including unconventional beds (a Cadillac, a clamshell, a sandwich), mirrors on mirrors on mirrors, in-room swimming pools, full suits of armor, and fiber-optic star ceilings. ​While it’s not a travel guide, every destination in Hotel Kitsch is open for business. Time to check in.

Author Biography

Margaret and Corey Bienert are the couple behind A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour, a viral travel series exploring themed rooms and adults-only hotels in the US and abroad. Since starting the project in 2018, they have gained nearly 2 million followers (including 1.1 million followers on TikTok) and have been featured in major media outlets including Condé Nast Traveler, Architectural Digest, Elle, New York Post, Vogue Australia, VICE, House Beautiful, Refinery29, GQ and HuffPost. Through their production company, Marginal Creative, they have worked with high-profile brands such as Marc Jacobs, Fred Segal, Warby Parker, and Twitter. When they’re not on the road, Margaret and Corey split their time between Los Angeles, California, and southwest Michigan. Find them on Instagram and Tiktok at @aprettycoolhoteltour and at aprettycoolhoteltour.com.