Page 41 - The Disneyization of Society

THE DISNEYIZATION OF SOCIETY

The interior features imitation Tiffany lamps in the lobby and rooms, an impressive stained glass
ceiling in the lobby, mahogany-stained furniture and wood detailing, turn-of-the-century patterned
32 wall paper, and old-fashioned metal poster beds. Meeting rooms embellish signification further by
using names that invoke the Rocky Mountain setting…as an object it is … a sign of nostalgia and a
representation of the theme of the ‘Old West.’ 55

Other examples of themed hotels are:

• The Fantasyland Hotel at West Edmonton Mall, like the Madonna Inn in San Luis
Obispo, California, has themed international rooms, so guests can stay in a different
country on each visit. The themed rooms allow the guest to stay in places that are far
away in terms of location (for example, Polynesia and Hollywood) or in terms of both
time and location (for example, ancient Rome and Victorian England). 56

• At Old Te Whaiti Jail in New Zealand, guests can stay in a jail/hotel for a distinctly
different kind of overnight accommodation experience. 57
• Shoval refers to the plans for the building of a Holiday Inn in Jerusalem that will be
themed in terms of both the Old and New Testaments. 58
• The Caboose Taupo Hotel by Lake Taupo in New Zealand is themed on the era of rail
travel in Colonial Africa. 59
• The Sherlock Holmes Hotel, Baker Street, London is themed unsurprisingly on the sleuth
and his associate, Dr Watson. The theming is not intensive and mainly revolves around
simulated artefacts and images.

• The House of Blues Hotel, like the Hard Rock and Planet Hollywood hotels, takes its inspira-
tion from the themed restaurant brand that it has created. It was described by one journalist
as offering ‘less than an organic, subtle evocation of African-American art and music’. 60
• A Beatles themed hotel, The Hard Day’s Night Hotel, was due to open in Liverpool in 2004.

• The Madonna Inn has 108 rooms each with a distinctive theme and colour scheme with
names like Espana, Indian, Irish Hills, and Old English. 61
• The See Vue Motel on the Oregon Coast boasts a smaller but nonetheless varied range
of themed rooms, such as: The Salish, Far Out East, and The Santa Fe. 62

It seems quite likely that this penchant for themed hotels will proliferate though
possibly not with the exotic façades that adorn the Las Vegas establishments.
As this brief tour suggests, themed hotels vary considerably in the intensity and
range of the theming process but there can be little doubt that it is a growing
trend, especially when linked to major international resorts and theme parks.

Malls

Malls are increasingly becoming themed in the sense either of having an overar-
ching theme or of having themed areas within them. Mall of America in