After years spent touring America’s most fabulous—and dying out—spots, this kitsch-loving duo have distilled their favorite spots into a playful new Michigan vacation rental.
When content creators Margaret and Corey Bienert eased open the door to a honeymoon suite at Cove Haven Resort back in 2018, they had no idea just how life-changing their stay would be. Although they had seen an image online by the British photographer Juno Calypso that offered a glimpse of the resort’s nostalgic interiors, it hadn’t fully revealed the extent of what was in store. Waiting inside for them was a high-camp wonderland, complete with a champagne-glass tower bath worthy of burlesque queen Dita Von Teese herself. Over in the corner of the room, a heart-shaped tub bubbled invitingly beneath a mirrored ceiling.
It was love at first sight, Margaret recalls. "It was like walking into an entire world I didn’t realize was still alive. It feels like there was my life before we went to Cove Haven, and then life after."
The resort is in the Pocono Mountains, tucked into a sleepy corner of rural Pennsylvania, an area that, in the 1970s, became a surprising hotspot for newlyweds. Many of these fantasy-themed motels in the self-proclaimed Land of Love have since shuttered or are now struggling to keep the lights on. Sensing the urgency of their discovery, the couple set out to document this slice of not-quite-past Americana.
Margaret and Corey Bienert, who have long been fans of vintage, have spent the past few years turning The Sweetheart Hideaway into their dream home—and hotel. "The good thing is that we learned so much from project," Margaret says. "But the sad thing is that if we’d known the things we know now, it would have taken half the time. But you don’t know what you don’t know."
Photo by Jenn Goz
Their visit sparked a creative journey that sent the pair traveling coast-to-coast, staying in over 50 of the country’s most fantastical themed suites. Their adventures are chronicled for their 1.4 million followers on TikTok and more than 700,000 fans on Instagram. A glossy coffee-table book, Hotel Kitsch, followed in 2023. Then, earlier this year, the duo surprised their community by switching sides of the check-in desk and opening their own more-is-more rental home in Southwest Michigan.
The Sweetheart Hideaway, a four-bedroom house set within the woodlands of St. Joseph—rates start at $600 a night, and fluctuate throughout the year—features vintage relics salvaged from historic motels, an outdoor hot tub, a theatrical performance stage draped in dazzling gold curtains, and, of course, a cherry-red cupid tub. Dwell sat down with the couple to talk about their design inspiration, renovation realities, and how a passion project became a business.
The home has a number of unique touches, including a stage the couple built in the living room for guests to do karaoke on, complete with a custom heart rug on top.
Photo by Margaret Bienert
Why do you think A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour became such a viral hit?
Margaret Bienert: I think it’s really all about escapism, about wanting something outside of the current reality. When we started the account in 2019, it wasn’t an overnight blow-up, but the followers and interest grew steadily. Our audience is a mixture of older people who might have once stayed at these motels on their honeymoon, and younger people who work in fashion or photography and are looking for creative inspiration. We get people commenting that they’re buying heart-shaped dishes or painting a room a different color after seeing our page.
Corey Bienert: But as we have found out for ourselves, recreating these themed rooms is difficult to execute. Due to necessity, people often have to incorporate it in a more subtle way.
The bedrooms all have names; this one, called Star-Crossed, required some careful positioning to avoid putting the bed against the windows. Margaret and Corey ended up covering a door that led to a small storage attic, using curtains to completely hide it from view. Inspired by a room at Cove Haven Resort, they were determined to install a star ceiling, which are a regular feature at kitschy hotels, and used Flex Ceilings to get it done.
Photo by Margaret Bienert
See the full story on Dwell.com: The Content Creators Who Turned an Obsession With Vintage Love Motels Into One
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