In a new commercial for Hostelworld, the “Heartbreaker” singer is accidentally booked to stay in the Casa Garcia hostel in Barcelona, sending the hostel’s staff into a panic. The employees and Carey’s nervous entourage quickly assure her that she’ll have a private room as they walk through the hostel, complete with bunk beds and random backpackers. Then, of course, the whole thing culminates with a party in Casa Garcia’s bar where the diva-queen jumps on stage singing “Fantasy”. (All’s well that ends in “Fantasy”!)
This isn’t the first time Hostelworld’s managed to score a celebrity appearance. In 2016, 50 Cent appeared in In Da Hostel with 50 Cent!, a surprisingly funny tribute to MTV Cribs. And it turns out Mariah, who of course may feel some obligation to say this, thinks hostels are just fab. “To mine and everyone’s surprise, the hostel was fabulous! It was super clean, modern and spacious. I say give hostels a go, it could be a great choice for all you world travelers out there,” she told The Daily Mail.
“Many people still don’t realize just how much hostels have changed over the past decade. Now they’ve got all the facilities you’d expect from expensive accommodation, but with an affordable price and with a ready-made community of like-minded travelers to share experiences with,” Marek Mossakowski, the global head of brand at Hostelworld, told PR Week. “Even people with the highest standards can become hostel believers—and divas don’t come any bigger than Mariah Carey!”
This isn’t the first time Carey has appeared as the somewhat unexpected spokesperson of a company, from her 2015 appearance in a Game of War commercial to her appearance in a Jenny Craig ad. Let it never be said that our favorite diva doesn’t know the value of a surprise celeb cameo.