BY KAILEY TEDESCO
As the first lockdown waxed wider and wider last spring, my sister and I would exchange YouTube videos to break up the days, which were quickly becoming monotonous. She eventually sent me a link to the first episode of Margaret and Corey Bienert’s A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour. In this twenty-seven minute feast for the eyes, a very cool couple walks viewers through the ever-kitschy Cove Haven Resort in Lakeville, PA. This resort isn’t far from me. I had passed many billboards featuring couples lounging in their champagne glass bathtubs on my way to my husband’s hometown in Northeastern PA over the years. While enticed by the glamour of these ads, I had never given them much thought because I had assumed that Cove Haven, like most resorts that loom over the highways of the Poconos, must either be abandoned or close to it.
This first episode proved me wrong in every way. Cove Haven, and resorts and hotels like it, are very much still alive and ready to thrive once more. Margaret and Corey not only give a thorough walkthrough of multiple hotel rooms and resorts across the county, they also explore the implications of these hotels and everything they reveal about love and romance. There are heart tubs, amazing outfits, karaoke contests, moments of love and tenderness, gaudy carpeting, sex swings, amazing puns, and basically everything your heart could ever desire from a Youtube channel. After the first episode, I was hooked. I quickly watched the rest, followed their Instagram accounts (@aprettycoolhoteltour, @aprettycoolgirl), and started daydreaming about where I’d go when the pandemic was over.
Of course, the pandemic still is not over, but I’m so grateful to have A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour’s stunning videos and photographs to escape into whenever I want. From the opening tune at the beginning of each episode to the culminating and wildly sweet tub time overview at the end, I am totally entranced by every tour. Fun, brilliantly artistic, and wildly inspiring, I cannot recommend these videos enough. On the days where I can’t imagine another month staring at only the walls of my home, this channel has been my ultimate balm. That’s why I was so incredibly thrilled when Margaret Bienert, a mastermind of photography, videography, and style, agreed to answer a few of my burning questions about A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour and her thoughts on fantasy suites and honeymoon resorts in general.
Enjoy her delicious and insightful responses, and then go watch every single tour right this minute!
Kailey Tedesco: What was your first experience with fantasy suites/honeymoon hotels? Did you already know you loved this type of attraction going in, or were you surprised to find yourself inspired by them?
Margaret Bienert: The first place we booked to visit was Cove Haven out in Pennsylvania. All I knew was that it had heart shaped tubs that I’d seen in photographer Juno Calypso’s work. When we arrived my mind was completely blown by all the different romantic suites they offered! It wasn’t just a hotel, it was an entire resort focused on romance. Heart shaped tubs, champagne-glass tubs, mirrors everywhere and romantic lighting. That’s when we started learning about the history of love hotels, adult resorts, theme hotels, and fantasy suites. I didn’t know things like that still existed, but after that first stay we were pretty hooked.
KT: Can you walk us through the origin of A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour? How did the idea come to you? What was your first time documenting your experience in a hotel room like? Was tub time always a segment you wanted to include?
MB: During our first stay at Cove Haven we were having so much fun I didn’t even stop to post a single photo. We were too busy playing mini-golf, going rollerskating, lounging in our private hot tub, and couldn’t be bothered to share. Once we left, I couldn’t wait to tell people about it, so we started sharing a series of photos and videos I’d taken on my phone. Once we started staying at these types of places more regularly, Corey and I knew we wanted to showcase them in a way that people could see which places were right for them to visit. These types of hotels tend to be vintage and most of them haven’t done much in the way of social media advertising, so in a way we just wanted to bring their incredible spaces to the modern day. I think Tub Time came about pretty naturally when we realized after touring and enjoying a hotel we would want to just sit in the hot tub and talk about what we thought! It seemed to be a natural way to wrap up the tours so it became the norm.
KT: Can you describe your perfect hotel room? Is it a room that already exists or a blend of features from various hotels you’ve visited?
MB: This is difficult to answer! There are so many features we love about these places and that’s why we keep going to more. They all offer something unique! I absolutely love the classic romance kitsch in places like Cove Haven, but I also love a theme hotel with a shell-shaped bed or a fun activity in the room. I can’t pick just one!
Photo Courtesy of Margaret Bienert
KT: Cultivating or entering a creative environment can be so transformational. What have you learned about yourself from these decked out environments? How have these hotels informed or evolved your ideas of home/personal space?
MB: I think something this has made me realize is that I really love things that I see potential in. Early on I would go to a love hotel and think it was absolutely the best place on the planet, but a lot of the feedback I was getting was disgust or confusion. I would say “look at this incredible tub!” and the replies would be “ok but look at that disgusting carpet” and I’d realize I could completely overlook what was wrong with the place to notice the value. I’m glad to be aware of that so I can set peoples expectation appropriately for a visit to one of these places. In terms of a home or personal space, I don’t think I could live in a Fantasy Suite all the time. Those places are meant to transform your mindset, take you away from the ordinary, and I think it would be too overwhelming for me in the day-to-day. I prefer them for an escape! Having said that, I absolutely love adding a touch of fantasy to a personal space…just to remind myself it exists.
KT: As someone who also loves traveling to romantic locations with my partner, I know that sometimes there can be a pressure to be totally “on” in terms of glamour/romance/intimacy. Do you ever feel this pressure? If so, how do you navigate it?
MB: One of the things I love and hate about our relationship is that we just can’t fake anything. That means, if we’re mad or annoyed at each other for any reason, we basically have to turn the cameras off. That has led to some really great communication about how to make this work, what the struggles are, and a lot about what makes us feel confident vs self-conscious. The bad thing is that sometimes mean we end up talking through something instead of getting more footage or photos, but so far that’s been a worthwhile trade. It means we still like each other enough to go do more!
KT: In film & TV (Blue Valentine, So I Married an Axe Murderer, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Dawson’s Creek, etc.), we often see locations like these as arenas for working through more complex emotions and feelings with our romantic partners. What have you and Corey learned about one another from spending time in these intentional spaces?
MB: I wish I could sum this up easily but it feels so layered! We both grew up in religious homes, deep in purity culture, and were each others first real relationships. That meant there wasn’t much space or time for us to have a healthy view of sex until we were already married. These rooms force you to see yourself in a way that you may not have before, and that has brought up so many feelings and conversations about sex and sexuality in general. Especially growing up in an environment that focused on suppressing sexual desires it has been a unique form of therapy to come into spaces that offer such an explicit invitation.
KT: You are vocal on Instagram about hoping that hotels preserve the retro qualities that make them kitschy and unique (me too!). Aside from aesthetics, is there anything you’d like to see change within these more retro hotels/experiences?
MB: I just want to see more upgrades in how they do business by advertising to the people who would enjoy them! If more of these places understood how valuable they were, maybe they would keep things more restored.
KT: During the pandemic/lockdowns, have you found yourself wanting to bring elements of your favorite hotel rooms into your own home? If so, how have you accomplished this?
MB: I’m definitely dreaming of making a spot in our home feel a little more fantastical! During the lockdown in California we took on a project out in Palm Springs to design rooms that were Fantasy Inspired. That means for the first time we got to try our hand at designing with these hotels in mind! The house is called The Rainbow Getaway (@therainbowgetaway) and we’ll be showing photos of what we did soon! I’m really excited to inspire people to have a more modern look at what fantasy is.
Photo Courtesy of Margaret Bienert
KT: An incredible amount of play/pretend goes into the aesthetics of these hotels and also the ways that I think we tend to position ourselves within them. How do you prepare yourself to enter each room? Do you have any rituals in terms of picking out outfits or toys or lingerie for each stay? Is there a specific image you hope to embody when entering a new room?
MB: I always try to bring an outfit or two that feels like it fits with the room. Once I’m there and have a better feel for it, I narrow it down to my final selection. I really like to let the room guide me and try to come in with an open mind! I’ve realized, especially with some of the older hotels, it’s best to be prepared for anything. The photos you find on their website may be from 20 years ago so I try and go in with a theme in mind, but wait to see what the details bring out. Someone recently suggested putting playlists together for each hotel we visit and I’ve been excited to work on that too! I’m always playing music in the rooms while getting ready so this feels like a fun way to play into each theme.
KT: On top of play, you also have the added layer of creating content for your channel during each hotel stay. How do you and Corey navigate work vs. play while in each room? In what ways has this balance strengthened your relationship/partnership?
MB: This can be the toughest thing for sure. These episodes and series is a ton of work, so besides prepping and packing gear, coordinating the travel, shooting the episode and photos, and then backing up all of the footage before traveling again, it can feel like there’s only a little bit of time to actually enjoy the place. We’ve become much better at enjoying the process of shooting an episode and taking breaks when we need to! Besides that, we’ll sometimes book a second night or come back for a visit without the cameras so we actually get a whole night to enjoy it without the checklist.
KT: I noticed on Instagram that you’re working on something big for 2021. I’m excited! Are you able to share any hints on that now?
MB: We’re getting ready to release photos from our design work at The Rainbow Getaway in the next month or two! After that, we’re hoping to continue building the hotel tour series. We may have some other surprises along the way too!
KT: Is there anything else you’re hoping to promote, share, or spread the word about?
MB: One thing we just launched is a subscription through Patreon that offers different levels of support! We added a tier where you get access to a map of the US highlighting all the spots we’ve been to, and also giving a rundown on each place. That includes a review on the cleanliness, the cost, and even highlights our favorite rooms. We’ll be adding to it every month so it’s great way to support us while also getting info on planning your own fantasy getaway! Oh, and we have some custom discount codes to some of our favorite hotels through that as well!
Kailey Tedesco is the author of These Ghosts of Mine, Siamese (Dancing Girl Press) and the forthcoming full-length collection, She Used to be on a Milk Carton (April Gloaming Publications). She is the co-founding editor-in-chief of Rag Queen Periodical and a member of the Poetry Brothel. She received her MFA in creative writing from Arcadia University, and she now teaches literature at several local colleges. Her poetry has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. You can find her work in Prelude, Bellevue Literary Review, Sugar House Review, Poetry Quarterly, Hello Giggles, UltraCulture, and more. For more information, please visit kaileytedesco.com.