Part of Pabst Blue Ribbon’s resurgence as the hipster beer of choice in recent years: a certain nostalgia for ’80s blue-collar Americans. You may not have experienced this chapter in the brand’s history. beer. (Find it out in this 1983 PBR ad starring Jason Alexander. Tagline: “Pabst is the place!”) Never mind. Now you can be transported back in time and fully immerse yourself in that era with a night at a Pabst Blue Ribbon themed motel. In a nod to the vintage ad campaign, the beloved staple beer brand calls it “Pabst: The Place.”
PBR has partnered with the Grand Traverse Motel, a historic roadside motel in Traverse City, Michigan, to offer retro beer-loving vacationers an immersive experience in three distinctly – and thoughtfully – appointed guest rooms in different PBR themes.
The arcade room features classic ’80s arcade games and a king-sized bed that also functions as a pop-a-shot machine, with two basketball hoops built right into the towering, wraparound headboard. Designed for “the kid who’s old enough to drink legally,” the room promises to “fulfill your childhood dream of having an arcade sleepover,” according to the official description on booking site Pabst: The Square.
The Dive Bar room, meanwhile, is meant to transport overnight guests to a “classic bar, with a hole in the wall, but with a king-size bed” as well as “cleaner bathrooms”, says PBR . It features “kitschy decor”, a Pabst-branded jukebox, a bar with stools, plenty of Pabst memorabilia trumpeting “your favorite beer no frills”.
Finally, the game room features wood paneling, shag carpeting, a vintage TV built into a cabinet, an array of earth-toned furniture and wallpaper, and a stone fireplace that we’re probably imagining as fake as your pleasure would be real. (Additional accessories to the decorators of this room for the carpeted toilet seat and tank covers!) “Complete with board games, foosball and a queen-size bed pretending to be a sofa bed, this piece will take you back to your grandma’s basement. In a good way,” the brand promises.
“The idea is about that special place PBR has in your heart and mind. A timeless place, where the beer is cold and the friendship is forever. And now, it’s a place you can actually This one-of-a-kind motel experience evokes the vibe of summers past and present,” Rachel Keeton, chief marketing officer of PBR, said in a press release.
“Pabst is the Place represents all the little things that make the brand what it is. The Motel becomes the placeevoking that comfortable, timeless feel of PBR for visitors to experience first-hand.
The rooms, which quietly became available on August 1 for stays extending until the end of the month, can be reserved on the motel’s website. At press time, the Dive Bar room was sold out, but a few nights in the Arcade room and Recreation room were still available.
If you’re ready to pack your duffel bag, hop in your vintage pickup truck or panel station wagon, and make it for a motel stay – which is located just a block from Grand Traverse West Bay, a popular destination summer beach – you should probably book very quickly though. Given PBR’s place in the hearts of oldies and hipsters, the remaining available nights likely won’t last long.