Hearts, Velvet & Vintage Vibes: Inside the Sweetheart Hideaway with A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour

Margaret and Corey, the dynamic duo of A Pretty Cool Hotel Tour, reached out about performance fabric for their short-term rental, Sweetheart Hideaway. Crypton was thrilled to be included in their signature vintage design. After the big reveal was published on Dwell, we wanted to share an interview of our own. Grab a cup of coffee and prepare yourself for nostalgic interior overload! 

Meet the Sweetheart Hideaway

The Sweetheart Hideaway is available as a short-term rental for up to 8 guests with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

Home type – Single-family home, built in 1985 
Based in – Saint Joseph, Michigan 
Decor style – Retro romantic kitsch 

A Love Letter to the Past: The Hotels That Inspired It All

You are known for your love of kitschy-themed hotel rooms of the past. Were there specific hotels that inspired the design of the home?  

Absolutely! The Poconos honeymoon hotels and the Madonna Inn were huge inspirations for us, plus a mix of elements from theme hotels and love motels we’ve seen. The heart shaped tub with the mirrors and bathroom curtains were all very Poconos, and we even have a piece of the actual Madonna Inn carpet hanging in our stairway.  

The curtains in the bathroom are a pink performance velvet — Crypton Home Lush Terracotta, available at Mag Fabrics. The curtains were custom-made by Loom Decor.  

The leopard stairs were inspired by the Black Swan Inn in Idaho, the heart window in the kitchen was an idea we got from the Gallery Holiday Motel in New Jersey, and I’m sure there are many more sprinkled in. 

Every Room Has Its Magic

Do you have a favorite room?  

We honestly don’t! There are things we love about each of them because we wanted every room to have an element of romance or fantasy that was special and rare. So instead of putting all our best ideas in one room, we intentionally spread them throughout the house!  

The giant heart-shaped window in one, a twinkling star ceiling in another, a round bed with a heart shaped headboard in another, I mean, we really tried to make each room an experience of its own.  

The banquette seating shown above is upholstered in Crypton Home Sintra in Poppy. 

Why Crypton Performance Fabric Was a No-Brainer for This Airbnb

We spy Crypton in the bathroom and in the living room curtains. You also used it as upholstery fabric on the banquette and dining chairs. When it comes to Airbnb furniture and decor for vacation rentals, can you share why you would recommend Crypton?  

Crypton is a high-quality upholstery fabric that resists stains and odors, and we trust it to withstand heavy use from Airbnb guests. After having it in our office and event space for almost 10 years, we knew we wanted it in the space because of how well it takes wear and tear.  

The animal print curtains are Crypton Home’s 35010-516 available at Kravet in four different colorways. 

It feels like you can really bring it back to life even after quite a bit of use! If anything, I wish we had used more of it in our home because it has been much easier to care for compared to the others. 

We remember the video you shared where you tested our performance fabric by spilling soda on the dining chairs. What was your reaction? Was there anything that surprised you?  

I was shocked at how well the fabric resists stains! That was the moment I started to wish every fabric in our home were Crypton because cleaning was incredibly easy. 

The content creators chose a bright red velvet performance fabric on the banquette and chairs — Crypton Home Sintra in Poppy.  

The Iconic Heart-Shaped Tub

Obviously, the heart-shaped tub is an iconic moment in the house. Can you tell us how you found it and a bit about what is behind the curtains?   

We found the heart-shaped tub on Facebook Marketplace in 2022, and it was the exact color and model we’d been looking for. This was a particular style that was used a lot in the Poconos, and we really wanted to bring that feel into our home.  

We had our bathroom remodeled to have an almost exact layout like one of the Poconos hotels, but we added a mirrored wall behind the curtain to add the wow factor if you choose to have the curtains open. We love having both options! 

Crypton Home’s Lush Terracotta is a pink performance velvet used for curtains. 

What inspired you to choose animal print performance fabric in the living room?  

Animal print is a huge element of fantasy or kitschy theme hotel decor, so it was a natural fit, and besides that, I’ve always loved it.  

Kitsch design can have a reputation for not being high-quality, so we loved being intentional about decorating the room to be high-quality while having that hint of kitsch that we love. It really took the room from just a retro design to something quite edgy and sexy. 

The animal print performance fabric Margaret and Corey chose is 35010-516, available at Kravet in four color ways.  

What Guests Are Saying

Since finishing the space, you’ve had a few guests book the Sweetheart Hideaway. Can you share any comments from these folks?  

So far, people have been really blown away and incredibly kind. The overwhelming feedback has been that it’s delightful, surprising, romantic, fun, and overall a great place to escape. That really speaks to the theme being so unique and how much it can pull you out of your day-to-day whirlwind and into an unforgettable moment.  

What is your most memorable moment spent at the Sweetheart Hideaway?  

It’s so hard to say, it feels like we’ve already lived so much life there! Particularly over the months we were renovating together, every time we put the finishing touches on a room, there was a feeling of overwhelming pride mixed with exhaustion and relief.  

Whether we were painting, learning to wallpaper, adding the woodwork, or making something custom, there were some really rewarding moments on that journey that are reflected in the home now. It’s just such a magical place, and we hope to make many more memories there! 

After a full year of dedicating yourself to the home, what can we expect from you in 2026?  

We are so excited to get some time to travel again and are already planning to start in the Spring. The downside of a huge renovation project is that there was no energy left for other creative or exploratory work, and we miss that! Looking forward to featuring the hotel world again, too. 

You can find their book Hotel Kitsch at many local bookstores, but it is also easy to find at Barnes & Noble or Amazon! 

Hop on over to Instagram and follow @sweethearthideaway for house updates and @aprettycoolhoteltour for a peek into the kitschy, romantic design world!

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