Taylor Swift Fan Defends Booking 191 Hotel Rooms Ahead of New Orleans Tour Stop, Shares Real Plans for Them (Exclusive)

• Rebecca Fox booked 191 hotel rooms at a New Orleans hotel ahead of sold-out Eras Tour dates
• Thousands are expected to attend the “Holiday House” events organized from October 24-28
• The convention was inspired by Fox’s own experience on her first appearance on the Eras Tour

The second North American leg of Taylor Swift’s sold-out Eras tour heads to New Orleans this weekend — and anyone who doesn’t already live in the area has probably shelled out a pretty penny for travel accommodations ahead of the show.

Rebecca Fox has spent more than a year trying to reduce the upfront costs that those traveling to Louisiana will have to pay by purchasing a block of 191 hotel rooms at the Holiday Inn. The scope of the project only grew as she gained community interest, luring hundreds of Swifties to participate in her Eras Tour “convention,” dubbed Holiday House.

The name was inspired by Swift’s lyrics folklore the song “the last great American dynasty”, derived from his own experience of seeing the award-winning star live at the start of an international tour.

Taylor Swift fans watch the singer in Miami in October 2024.

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty

“I was a super fan of Taylor from the very, very beginning, and when Eras [Tour] was announced, I knew the only thing I had to do was see it before anyone else,” says Fox.

Securing tickets to the tour’s opening night was just one step in the struggle, as flights and hotels would easily cost her thousands of dollars. Although she found workarounds, such as taking the train to Los Angeles and driving a rental car to the event, she spent less than 24 hours in Phoenix for the evening performance.

“I failed to exchange the bracelets. I didn’t manage to meet anyone. I didn’t get to take a photo outside the stadium – says Fox.

Missing the opportunity to meet and mingle with other Swift fans is partly what inspired her to create the Holiday House weekend event.

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“I live in New Orleans. I could have very easily just not spent the money, stayed in my house and drove back and forth to [Caesars] Superdome,” she continues. “But it was like, no, I want to have the experience. I actually want to be immersed in this. I want to enjoy every moment, all three days that she is here. How can I do that? I selfishly plan the events I would like to go to.”

Before Swift even announced the second North American leg of the tour, Fox admits she had a feeling the star would be making a stop in New Orleans. Using various connections she had made around town, she called the Superdome to inquire about Swift’s possible performance.

“[The stadium’s] the answer was so sly that I kind of knew right away that there was something they hadn’t said,” recounts Fox. “And so I started making plans to build a hotel block.”

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Rebecca Fox ready for Eras Tour.

Rebecca Fox

The block initially had just 20 rooms at the Hyatt Regency Hotel next to the stadium, but quickly quadrupled until the hotel declared it no longer had rooms for Fox’s requests, forcing her to move reservations to the Holiday Inn.

“I fought very, very, very hard for every single room and every single person, and just to be perfectly clear, I did all of this for a price,” Fox said, explaining that she charged convention-goers the nominal value of the room in to his block, asking only for a deposit of $25, which he intends to return at the conclusion of the event.

Concertgoers have easily spent thousands of dollars seeing Swift live, generating billions in revenue for the US economy – resulting in large numbers of concertgoers being duped by ticket resale attempts. By creating this event, Fox hopes to reduce the cost of lodging for at least some.

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“Everything we do is either Taylor-themed or New Orleans-themed,” Fox explains, breaking down the various events she has planned for the weekend, which runs from October 24-28.

Fox has organized a number of opportunities for Swifties to meet and interact with each other, including bracelet-making sessions, scavenger hunts and more for those who purchase a ticket to the events through her Friendship Bracelet Project website.

“Before this I literally only knew one other Swiftie in New Orleans, and now I have probably 40 really, really dear friends who live here, and I have thousands around the world,” Fox says.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education