Pop diva Mariah Carey is generally associated with glitz and glamour as opposed to scruffy hostels, but all of that’s changing – at least in a new ad campaign for the hostel booking platform Hostelworld.
In a short film released on April 9, Carey is seen with her entourage approaching the reception desk of a hostel in Barcelona, Spain. While not happy at being booked at a lowly hostel, the world-famous singer soon changes her tune, exploring the lodging’s rooms and enjoying her time at the onsite cocktail bar.
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Hostelworld’s global head of brand Marek Mossakowski says the ad was designed to illustrate how much hostels have changed over the past decade.
“Now they’ve got all the facilities you’d expect from expensive accommodation, but with at an affordable price and with a ready-made community of like-minded travellers to share experiences with,” he says.
“That’s why we booked a genuine diva into a hostel — to show that even people with the highest standards, and who aren’t afraid to show it, can become hostel believers.”
The new ad is part of Hostelworld’s broader public relations campaign designed to dispense of old misconceptions of hostels being unsafe and grimy as well as showcase its high standard of service.
Previous brand ambassadors have included American rapper 50 Cent, who fronted the brand's 2016 In Da Hostel ad, and Charlie Sheen, who appeared in a series of videos aiming to show hostels in a positive light in 2017.