Mariah Carey swapped her luxurious mansion for a hostel on a recent trip to Barcelona.
The “We Belong Together” singer — who is known for her diva demands — forsook her usual accommodations for a room in the Casa Gracia, where prices start at just $30 a night and she was impressed with the quality of the services they offer.
“For some reason, someone thought it would be funny to book me in a hostel. To mine and everyone’s surprise, the hostel was fabulous! It was super clean, modern and spacious. I say give hostels a go, it could be a great choice for all you world travelers out there!” she said.
Carey was in Barcelona filming a short film for global hostel-booking platform Hostelworld, showing some of the changes there have been in the budget travel industry over the past 10 years.
Marek Mossakowski, global head of brand at Hostelworld added, “Many people still don’t realize just 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 travelers to share experiences with. 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 — and divas don’t come any bigger than Mariah Carey!”
In the film, Carey looked shocked when she found out she was being booked into a hostel, but after a tour of the Barcelona hostel’s fantastic modern features, she was decidedly impressed. She was shown the dormitory and the communal living space, where there’s free Wi-Fi, before being shown to her private room and en suite. She then headed off to a cocktail bar to enjoy a drink with backpackers from all over the world before joining in with a performance of her hit, “Fantasy.”
