Free drinks and snacks were passed out to guests who dared to hangout poolside, where temperatures reached 110 degrees. Shown: Strawberry Shortcake Twist, a crispy sweet snack that tasted like a rice puff dusted with strawberry flakes that had the texture of Pop Rocks. It was served with whipped cream for dipping. 

The main bar near the “Fire” pool was dubbed the Baja Bar. The cocktail menu featured specialty drinks such as the Strawberry Sangria Baja Blast Pop, a champagne cocktail served with a popsicle floating inside the drink. Shown: A non-alcoholic Baja mango mojito was served to guests laying out near the main pool.

Taco Bell spokesman Matt Prince said the marketing team worked tirelessly to give guests an immersive brand experience. Hotel rooms were decorated with branded shampoo, soap and conditioner, robes, bed runners, a painting of hot sauce packets and a plush hot sauce pillow.

“We looked for small touches,” Prince said.

Some items like the robes (shown) and bed runners were available for purchase. The hotel robe cost $50, while the bed runner was $60.

 Jennifer Arnoldt, Taco Bell’s senior director of retail engagement and experience, said her team “looked at every single detail” when bringing the hotel to life from theming on the phone to stocking the in-room refrigerator with Taco Bell’s signature Mountain Dew Baja Blast soda. In keeping with Taco Bell’s value messaging, drinks in the fridge were free. 

Outside the lobby, bikes painted with Taco Bell hot sauce packets were made available for guests to use for free. The hotel is located near the city’s downtown shopping district.

The bathroom was stocked with The Bell hotel-themed amenities.

The Baja Bar menu at the main pool featured exclusive entrees and snacks created for the pop-up hotel including these fish tacos. The breaded tacos were topped with a mango pico de gallo and chipotle mayo sauce. 

The chain’s record-breaking Nacho Fries, which are not a permanent menu item, were served for free with four different dipping sauces: cilantro ranch, nacho cheese, creamy chipotle and the spicy hot “reaper” sauce. 

Executive Chef Rene Pisciotti said he and his team took five months to create a menu of resort foods made with a Taco Bell twist. He said California resorts love club sandwiches and avocado toast. Both were served at the hotel.  Shown: The Avocado Toast-ada, served on multigrain toast with avocado, breakfast radish, chipotle seasoned sorghum and diablo puffs.

The evening ended with a surprise when guests were served the Toasted Cheddar Chalupa. The taco, stuffed with ground beef, lettuce, cheese tomato and sour cream, is made with chalupa bread that is infused with cheese. It is then toasted with aged cheddar on the top, creating a savory and crunchy bite. Chef Pisciotti used the toasted cheesy bread on a “resort style” club sandwich served with Nacho Fries.