An entourage, a sleepy, shirtless man languidly brushing his teeth, and a diva looking on in disdain. The setting: Barcelona’s Casa Gracia hostel, and the diva in question: Mariah Carey. The singer’s tantrums and extravagant lifestyle aren’t best-kept secrets. But that didn’t deter her from staying in a hostel. Going by Hostelworld’s new commercial, Carey is now a hostel believer.
It’s a regular day at Casa Gracia till the booking assistant realises Mariah Carey is checking in. Carey’s assistant has accidentally booked her into a hostel instead of a hotel. “Hostel? You booked me in a hostel? I need a beautifully appointed private room in a hotel,” says Carey in the commercial. But one look at the master suite with a bouncy bed and the diva smiles just a wee bit. And it only gets better when she sees the hostel’s common bar. Just like an over-the-top Bollywood film, the next scene has Carey rocking the bar in a shimmery golden gown, as she performs her song ‘Fantasy’. A little white table fan becomes the wind machine but the diva doesn’t mind that at all. The commercial ends with a line (in glitter of course) reading: Even divas are believers.
The website also lists a bunch of ‘diva-proof hostels’. Hostelworld seems to be on a mission to prove that hostelling isn’t the domain of cash-strapped backpackers any more. Chic, lavish and every bit Instagram-worthy, hostels of today targeted at ‘flashpackers’ can give boutique hotels a run for their money.
Over the last couple of years, Hostelworld (a 19-year-old online booking platform headquartered in Dublin) has roped in celebrities such as 50 Cent and Charlie Sheen for their ad campaigns. All in a bid to prove that hostels can be glamorous too, in addition to being a great place to meet people. From dormitories for as low as six pounds per night to glitzy private rooms starting at 109 pounds per night, hostels throw up a variety of options for clients with every kind of budget. Add to that a common lounge area, bars with a thriving party scene and luxurious pools to loll about in and there’s a recipe for a memorable vacay.
