I’m starting this review currently laying in a bed which has a Taco Bell themed backsplash and sheet runner while cuddling a pillow shaped like a fire sauce packet. Needless to say I’m pretty deep into the Taco Bell fandom and I’m loving every second of it here at The Bell. Before reservations even were announced for this one of a kind experience I was extremely open with anyone who would listen about how there was no way I was missing it. I needed to be here. Once the day came and reservations went live, somehow as I broke through the reservation system (in the two minute window in which rooms sold out) while entering my card info for my room in my cart I was informed my room has been taken. I was devastated to say the least. But being the same weekend as Tiki Oasis I was initially willing to take the loss.

As time passed though it itched me, I had previously missed out on the Test Kitchen experience Taco Bell did with Open Table but did wait 7 Hours in the heat at Comic Con to go to the Taco Bell / Demolition Man experience. After seeing how SICK the Demolition Man Taco Bell was I vowed to never miss a special Taco Bell event like that again. And here I was just going to let this effing hotel slip through my fingers without a fight. I couldn’t let it happen. I frequently checked back on the link hoping that maybe someone would cancel. Like some sort of miracle only akin to finding out while sitting in a Taco Bell drive through that the employees accidentally doubled your order perfectly, two weeks ago a room showed up which matched with my schedule perfectly and now here I am.

Over the weekend I have been watching social media influencers post and brag about being here while simultaneously reading articles from online news outlets discussing the fact that all this resort really exists as is a elaborate marketing stunt (which to be fair it is l, but that’s one of Taco Bell’s talents). So I was not really sure what to expect upon my arrival. Having experienced it now personally as a self identified Taco Bell super fan who made it through the wild reservation system, it mostly feels like a really genuine “Thank You”. Truly my one biggest gripe with this whole ordeal is I wish more people who I know are passionate about the brand could be here to experience it.

This is also to say that I’m aware this article is going to come across like some real “humble bragging”, but I genuinely feel really lucky I somehow made it here. I also feel real lucky I was able to split my room to get past the pay wall to be here (Our room came out to ~$375 for one night). But somehow I did it and I can’t wait to share how I’ve been Living Mas for the last ~24 hours at The Bell hotel and resort.

Driving up we were greeted with The Bell branding right off the bat. It was clear from the moment I drove past the hotels sign that things were about to get wild. Free valet was included with our room and we happened to be pulling up right before the 2pm check-in time which allowed us to easily walk right in to a lobby where we were greeted with free goody bags of The Bell swag and a complimentary Baja Blast mocktail (the first of many complimentary things to come).

We were then informed of where our room was located and rushed on over past some cute Taco Bell themed beach cruisers. Opening the door to the room you were hit with branding immediately. Backslashes, bed runners, pillows, even the branding on the little travel sized shampoos and soaps had been matched to the theme. Looking at all these branded items we realized very quickly from one of the little signs in the room that all the Taco Bell snacks and Beverages were “not a mirage” and were in fact complimentary. After seeing this we busted open the welcome packet we were given and just tried to pack as much into our one day resort stay as possible. We unfortunately missed the Salon where Taco Bell braids, fades, and manicures were being sold (average price $30) but we did hit everything else the resort had to offer, the Taco Bell Taco Shop (A Taco Bell branded gift shop), the Freeze Room (A room dedicated to fruitista freezes celebrating the 15th birthday of Baja Blast), and the pool where we spent most of our time.

The pool offered Feed The Beat themed Djays (The brands sort of music ambassador program… jealous), Taco Bell themed games and prizes (Bingo rebranded as “Tacos”), Taco Bell themed movies (ours happened to be Demolition Man), and so much free food I felt as full all day as I normally do when I gorge myself at my local Taco Bell.

The food was all delivered resort style with people walking around bringing you a steady supply of whatever was on the menu for the hours you were there (to my surprise many of the options were vegetarian). I feel like personally my love of Taco Bell stems from a pretty evenly balanced mesh of nostalgia and their food. So I want to dive deep into some of my biggest highlights from the food i ate:

-The Black Bean Crunch Wrap (New Staple for me). Basically just a crunch wrap with black beans instead of meat. IDK why I always forget black beans are an option for swapping.

-The Nacho Fry plate which came with 4 sauces (I assumed they were Nacho Cheese, Reaper Ranch, a fancier version of Chipotle, and some ranch aioli which on first glance I thought might be my beloved yet still missing Baja Sauce).

-The Strawberry Cinnamon Twists with Strawberry Whipped Cream. Essentially little crushed candies sprinkled on Cinnamon Twists served with whipped cream in the same fashion.

-The 15th Birthday celebration Baja Blast freeze. A Baja Blast freeze with birthday sprinkles in it.

-The Salsa Verde Buttery Chipotle Popcorn which they served during the movie. Why you can’t buy this spice from Taco Bell is a mystery it was so good.

-DIY Breakfast Tacos which came with a 5 cheese blend, eggs, seasoned potatoes, bacon, and Pancake Delights.

-And lastly the Grilled Corn/Veggie 5 Cheese Quesadilla (this was the only item which I actually had to pay for minus the hard drinks).

Overall like I said I felt really full and taken care of. The staff was clearly busting ass and really trying to make sure guests had an incredible experience even if they made a mistake. I was bummed while talking to one of the bar tenders after they accidentally misplaced my card (which they found shortly after) to hear that not all the patrons were “patient people”. Given the nature of the event I honestly expected longer waits and to not feel the same level of attention as I’ve felt while visiting other “real” resorts. There’s so many more details from the hotel I’d love to share but I feel like pictures do it better justice than my gushy ramblings. So grab yourself some Bell and enjoy the photoset below taken while I was having a Baja Blast at The Bell:

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