Luxury hotel offers campy deal for $19 a night

[tj2001]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/07/california.room.withou...

(CNN) -- The Rancho Bernardo Inn, a San Diego luxury resort, is offering rooms for $19 a night. But there's a catch -- you have to sleep in a tent and bring your own toilet paper. "For $19 a night, a customer gets a shell with a tent inside," says Rancho Bernardo Inn's John Gates.

The declining economy has taken a toll on the Rancho Bernardo, a 200,000 acre luxury resort which has three pools, a golf course, three restaurants and a spa that was named No. 1 by Conde Naste in 2008.

Rancho Bernardo's "Survivor Package" starts at $219 per night, but customers are allowed to customize and pick their price point. Guests can lower the cost by opting to give up breakfast and other luxury items, including toiletries.

"For $19 a night, a customer gets a shell with a tent inside," said Gates. The bed, lighting, bed sheets, towels and toilet paper are all removed. "We ran a similar promotion in June which was very popular. About 100 people took the offer."

[Lorien]

1. What's the purpose of the tent if there's already a roof over your head?

You could ask customers to bring sleeping bags, but a tent? Makes little sense.

[Tulio]

2. You have NO idea how much I could have used this over the last week (nt)

[ima_sinnic]

3. feh. for another few dollars, you could get 2 beds at a Budget Inn

I always search out the least-expensive motel rooms when I travel and, especially south of Washington DC, rooms for about $25-30 are readily available. Up north, not so much.

Rich people are such assholes. Now I guess it's trendy to mimic the poor. oooh, let's pretend we don't have any money and "rough it."

I hope they also start campfires in their rooms.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. This is a little bizarre. Here is a photo

WTF do you need a tent for inside? Sleeping bags or inflatable mattresses would do.

[dipsydoodle]

5. Looks like a bivvy

Do they throw in pretend carp fishing too.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

9. I guess so if the fake carp like being indoors. At least your

bivvy makes sense. In actuality, if I had the fare to get to this resort, for $19 a day, I'd glady live in an indoor tent and make use of their facilities.

lol!

[csziggy]

10. How many tents can they fit in a room - maybe they are putting more than one group in each

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

11. That's my guess! Luxury indoor tent city! For $19 a day they can

probably get it filled up 365 days a year for those who can't afford a lot of rent. That comes out to $600 a month for country club living.

[rocktivity]

6. Pre-click prediction: They let you camp in their parking lot?

I was closer to the truth than I really wanted to be...


rocktivity

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

12. No! It's indoors! Check the photo in my post below! :)

[Berry Cool]

7. Bring your own toilet paper?

They'll never attract Cubans that way.

[SmileyRose]

8. Sales promotion designed to stir up media buzz

it obviously worked.