In fact, it's the Eggo House of Pancakes, a temporarily converted house in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, scheduled to open for three free nights in March. Reservations for the first weekend stay began Wednesday.
This promotion has two missions. The goal is to raise awareness of HomeToGo, a German vacation rental site that lists Pancake House, and to promote Ego's lesser-known breakfast menu.
“We all know that Eggo is synonymous with waffles, but this year we wanted to add some sparkle to our pancakes in a way that literally felt larger than life,” said Eggo Frozen Foods Marketing Sr. Director Joe Beauprez said. owner Keranova said in his emailed statement.
Eating a pancake house might make you drool and make you dizzy. It's the latest example of a crossover trend in hospitality that has brought us a Taco Bell pop-up hotel in Palm Springs, a Peeps-inspired suite in Pennsylvania, and a Barbie Dreamhouse Airbnb in Malibu.
Airbnb cornered the market with branded lodging. The world's last blockbuster business in Oregon grabbed headlines after accepting reservations for a three-night stay. Gwyneth Paltrow has opened a Gwyneth-inspired guesthouse in Montecito, California. The “Home Alone” house, the recreated “Hocus Pocus” cottage, the “Ted Lasso” pub and the “Scooby-Doo” van are all on the list.
Daniel Finch, HomeToGo's director of customer experience, credited the “experiential rentals” that went into running Eggo House. She said the company would like to collaborate with other brands in the future.
“Partnering with an iconic brand like Eggo to create a unique pancake-filled experience was a great opportunity for us,” she wrote in an email. “We have the opportunity to leverage their iconic brand, many fans, and expertise across North America to work together to create something truly special for our guests.”
Chekitan Dev, who teaches brand management at Cornell University, said in an email that there is a long list of consumer brands that have attempted to enter lodging, some with success and others with failure. . He said promotional efforts like Pancake House could bring some value, or they could backfire.
“In the short term, media exposure is a potential upside, but there is some gimmickiness,” Dev said. “The potential downside is that guests could have a bad stay, which could be damaging to the sponsor's brand.”
Eggo House's promotion was carefully crafted. Reservations opened on National Pancake Day (or at least one of his three days that seems to be dedicated to pancakes). Gatlinburg was chosen because of its popularity on booking platforms and because it is the so-called Pancake Capital of the South. The city is also home to one of the main gateways to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which saw a record 13.3 million tourist arrivals in 2023.
The bed and bean bag chair are made like pancakes. Try mini pancake s'mores toasted over a fire pit overlooking the Smoky Mountains. A news release promises a “maple syrup fountain” and “billiards made with egg pancakes.” Of course, the freezer is stocked with microwaveable pancakes.
After the initial opening on Wednesday, flapjack fanatics can book stays for up to eight people at noon on the first three Mondays in March and on weekends later in the month. Transportation to and from Gatlinburg is not provided. Eggo will confirm guests on a “sequential, first-come, first-served” basis, the company said.
It's not clear who will actually stay at these promotional pop-ups. Airbnb does not provide updates from people who have spent the night at Gwyneth's Guest House, Barbie's Beach House, or FAO Schwartz Toy Store.
Singer Rita Ora and her husband, director Taika Waititi, dressed up as demons and visited the Airbnb version of Shrek's Swamp late last year. In an Instagram video titled Ad, Ora shows off her rustic furniture and badass accent.
In 2019, media and influencers were invited to stay at Taco Bell's The Bell.
“Look at how beautiful and aesthetically pleasing this is,” one YouTuber said while showing off a mural depicting a bed and Taco Bell (and multiple bags of potato chips). “I think this is the best hotel I've ever stayed at.”
Custom makeovers will continue through March at Eggo House of Pancakes. But Beaupre said in his email that some of the breakfast elements may remain.
“I'm so happy to hear that the homeowner wants to keep some of the pancake decorations intact for future flapjack-loving guests to enjoy,” he wrote. “Fans should check back in April to find out what's next for this cabin in the Smoky Mountains.”
