Hi internet! We're Farrah and Chris, and we're both pretty obsessed with Taco Bell. So when we found out a Taco Bell Hotel was opening in Palm Springs this summer, we packed our bags and drove our taco-lovin' selves over there to check in and check it out!
Listen, a whole hotel dedicated to Taco Bell might seem like A Lot™, and maybe your eyebrows are raised to Jupiter right now, but it was actually pretty cool?!? Like, if you don't think every inch of this hotel is covered in bright, bold signature Taco Bell details, then you are WRONG, my friend. From the very moment you step foot in the bell, you know you're in taco paradise.
They REALLY got creative in the lobby. We saw a number of cool things, like a bouquet of flowers made of hot sauce packets and "The Bell" Palm Springs coffee cups.
I think we both yelled "AH, SO COOL" when we were presented with our hotel room key. They're designed like hot sauce packets! Truly, they thought of everything. And the rooms themselves radiate *big* Taco Bell energy.
Chris is someone who always uses mild sauce (and has a drawer full of leftover Taco Bell sauces) so it brought him a lot of joy to see the sauce packets get so much shine. They're on the wall decals, in framed photos, the room keys, the pillows — everywhere you look, you can find something ~saucy~!
SEE, even in the pool there are hot sauce packet floaties!!!
The bathroom was pretty solid, if that's something you're wondering about. Good water pressure, the shower handle wasn't super tricky, and there was a nice, grapefruit-smelling shampoo and body wash.
We both know it's *SUPER* important to have a good pool in Palm Springs. (The high that day was 111!!!!) And the one at The Bell is LARGE. Like a Vegas hotel pool party, there's music, food, and drinks with poolside service, except it's not unpleasantly packed.
A cute little detail was the Taco Bell sign at the pool. It told you what food was being served, and later that evening it kept changing phrases — like "Stay Saucy!" Plus, there was a colorful Taco Bell wall that was honestly A+ for photo ops. (For the 'gram, of course.)
Throughout the day/evening, very friendly servers walked around and offered different Taco Bell items while we lounged near the pool. There were strawberry shortcake cinnamon twists with frosting, nacho fries with MULTIPLE dipping sauces, crunchwraps, and chalupas. Honestly, it was a DREAM.
Farrah was a big fan of the hot sauce towels, and Chris looooved the quality of the recliners. They were so plush and cushy — so comfortable, in fact, that you could easily take a nap. BUT WE DIDN'T. There was TOO MUCH to see and do.
In addition to the very Instagram-able pool surroundings, there were free cold beverages (water, Propel, and Gatorade) that were offered, which was great because we were SWEATING. Plus, they've got misters everywhere. And thank god they're there because Palm Springs is next level hot, but they made the outdoor experience enjoyable.
Another charming detail were the Taco Bell BIKES! You can rent them through the concierge if you're looking to cruise around town. Also, it wouldn't be a full Taco Bell hotel experience if they didn't offer an alcoholic Mountain Dew drink!!!
The thing that made Chris say, "OOOOOH" in the loudest voice possible was the Freeze Room!!! I mean, it's totally Extra with a capital E, but it's incredibly cool visually and feels like you're in an art installation. Not only that, but you can also make yourself a DELICIOUS, exclusive frozen Birthday Baja Blast or a Cherry Mango Baja Blast with tiny pieces of candy. SUGAR. OVERLOAD.
The Taco Bell Hotel also pampers the HELL out of you! They have a cute little salon where you can get your hair braided, get a fire fade, or get a sweet manicure.
There are so many nail options you can choose from, too! Farrah went BOLD and COLORFUL to be on theme with the hotel. Again, SO EXTRA. But why the hell not?!?
The salon's barber also offered fresh cuts. You can get a design if you want, but Chris elected to get a regular fade which was of the highest quality. Many people did get Taco Bell-themed symbols and they were...a look?!
The gift shop had a ton of merchandise if you're in the market for some fresh Taco Bell gear. They sell shirts, swimsuits, swim trunks, hats, sunglasses, towels, and a whole lot more. Farrah was a big fan of the enamel pins!!
One of the BIGGEST and BEST surprises was the signature Bell Hotel menu items created by Chef Rene and his team for The Bell. They presented crudité with grilled gordita bread, cucumber crema, and black bean hummus. They also had avocado tostado (WHAT IN THE WORLD) on multigrain bread and served with watermelon radish and diablo chicharrones.
An item that you just might see on future Taco Bell menus is the toasted cheddar club! It's made with breaded chicken, cheese, and jalapeño bacon. One of our personal favorites was the sweet jalapeño popcorn chicken made with a candied version of Taco Bell fire sauce. Who knew Taco Bell could do chicken nuggets so well?!
The hotel also has a *fire* drink menu. Chris went with the Desert Mirage Margarita, which was dangerously good. Farrah had the Cucumber Crush and noted that it was both cool and refreshing — and TASTY.
We also got to watch a synchronized swimming performance by The Aqualilies, which was FANTASTIC.
Once the sun went down, everyone gathered near the Feed The Beat stage for some special performances. We LOVED that you could enjoy the live music *in* the pool, and Farrah took full advantage of that. Fletcher's performance was incredible.
After a long day of taco-ing about, we retired to our room. It's very much worth noting that THE BELL ALSO HAS ROBES. (Sorry for the caps, but your boy Chris loves a good robe.)
When we woke up the next morning, we got to experience the BEST part of staying in a hotel...ROOM SERVICE AKA BREAKFAST IN BED!!!!!
Could you expect anything less than breakfast tacos at the Taco Bell hotel?! The build-your-own tacos were DIVINE, and the Pancake Delights were sugary, sweet, and filled with frosting.
And with that, our time at the Taco Bell Hotel came to an end. Was this hotel doing The Most? Absolutely. Did we enjoy every bit of it? Uh...yes. You might even say we had a (Baja) BLAST!!!!
(PS, if you want even MORE of a behind-the-scenes videos of the hotel, visit our Taco Bell Story Highlights on Instagram @FarrahPenn and @CEHudspeth)
