The world’s last Blockbuster Video store will soon be rentable for sleepovers on Airbnb
Our collective nostalgia for Blockbuster Video knows no bounds, from the internet’s ongoing obsession with the last remaining store(s) to its cameo in 2019’s superhero actioner Captain Marvel to John Oliver’s attempt to save an Alaska location by donating Russell Crowe’s jockstrap to its cause (yes, you read that last part correctly).
The sad fact is there remains only one Blockbuster Video store in the world — apparently, Oliver overestimated the drawing power of Cinderella Man’s protective undergarment — and it’s located in Bend, Oreg.
Bend’s ‘90s retail relic is now getting a little creative in how it plans to draw patrons inside its hallowed walls: For a limited time, it be will available sleepovers as an Airbnb rental.
“Hey Deschutes County residents! Dust off those membership cards for a sleepover inside the world’s last BLOCKBUSTER,” reads the Airbnb post making the rounds online Tuesday. “When you call dibs on this stay, you’re booking a night back in the ‘90s, but this time you won’t have to beg your parents to rent the latest horror flick — we’ll give you the keys to the entire store!”
The good news is the location does not appear particularly hard up for cash: Starting Aug. 17, folks can book the store for only $4 a night — that’s less than we used to pay to borrow the Back to the Future trilogy on VHS — and it allows for up to four guests per night. The venue comes equipped with a pull-out couch, bean bags and pillows, snacks and, obviously, a ridiculous movie collection.
The bad news is it is a very limited promotion, with only three one-night stays available, from Sept. 18 to Sept. 20.
And fair warning to Blockbuster-loving tourists ready to load up the car for a road trip: The promotion is targeted at luring central Oregonians only. “We’re inviting movie lovers from the area to request to book,” reads the listing. Despite word that its owners have been “missing the regular visits from friends, neighbors and tourists from around the world” due to the coronavirus, they add: “So, we’re opening our store to three quarantine pods of Deschutes County guests for a socially-distanced movie night, just like those of decades past!”
It is all for a good cause, though, with Airbnb planning to make a donation to the Humane Society of Central Oregon to commemorate the promotion.
Just remember, Oregonians lucky enough to land a slumber party at Bend’s Blockbuster: Be kind, please rewind. And clean up after ourselves. You don’t want Blockbuster to give you a nasty review.
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