Hotel Kitsch : a pretty cool tour of America's fantasy getaways
Publication Information
New York : Artisan, [2023]
Physical Description
271 pages : color illustrations ; 27 cm
Summary
In 1963, the owners of the Cove Haven Resort in the Poconos unveiled their heart-shaped tub. 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. Margaret and Corey Bienert celebrate 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. Readers will details about 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-- just for starters! --
Contents
- Introduction
- The hotels
- The Poconos and the honeymoon era
- The anatomy of a pretty cook hotel room
- Fantasuites and the rise of the American theme hotel
- Hidden roadside gems
- So you want to open a pretty cool hotel
- Rooms inspired by pop culture
- The future of the boutique theme hotel
- Afterword.