For a limited time only, residents of Deschutes County, Oregon, can have the ’90s sleepover of their dreams as the only surviving Blockbuster converts into an Airbnb for an exclusive three-night run. For the three lucky people who manage to snag a reservation, the full Blockbuster experience awaits, complete with a nostalgic makeshift living room, featuring a pull-out couch, bean bags, gigantic era-appropriate television, VCR and all the store’s VHS tapes at their disposal.
“It was a challenge to find that chunky TV!” Sandi Harding, the Bend, Oregon, store’s manager, told CNN of recreating the ultimate ’90s movie night, which also features tons of free snacks like popcorn and pizza. Reservations start Monday, Aug. 17 at 1 p.m. ET, but are exclusive to locals and limited to one night only. The sleepovers are set for Sept. 18-20, and the Blockbuster reservation accommodates up to 4 people.
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Harding explained that limiting the reservations is a way to thank the local community for supporting the world’s only surviving Blockbuster, which is also why it is being rented for just $4. “It’s only $4 for the night, a penny more than what you would spend for a new release,” Harding told CNN. The Airbnb stunt is a creative effort by Blockbuster to celebrate its 20th year in that location while keeping coronavirus travel and social distancing precautions into mind. “It’s our 20th year as a Blockbuster, we were hoping to celebrate that this year, but with Covid throwing a wrench into everybody’s plans, we were really excited to be able to pull this off,” Harding said. “With everybody being stuck at home and re-experiencing family time together, we thought it would be fun to enjoy some family time in a throwback ’90s environment.”
The rental will adhere to Airbnb, CDC and local authority Covid-19 protocols and guidelines, and groups of four are encouraged to be part of the same household for social distancing purposes, but other than that, guests are encouraged to sit back, relax and “Make it a Blockbuster night!” Harding explained of the safety measures, “There will be some rules with social distancing, but for the most part they can just enjoy their evening, enjoy pizza and popcorn and just have a blast.”
If you can’t snag a reservation, feel free to call the store’s number at (541) 385-9111 to take advantage of the store’s “Callgorithm,” during which staff will take what you like and don’t like into consideration before giving you a fresh recommendation. You can also support the store during this challenging time by buying nostalgic merchandise by visiting their online shop here.
