Beer lover? “Hop on” this craft brew hotel experience

If all you’ve ever wanted is a beer tap in your room….if an IPA-filled hot tub is your idea of romance….if you can tolerate the risks associated with crowd funding….this brew may be for you.

As reported by Travel and Leisure, a Scottish beer company called Brewdog is crowdfunding a 50-room “craft beer hotel” in Columbus, Ohio.

Now, to be clear, crowd-funding can be risky. A couple of years ago, I got in on a Kickstarter deal for a travel jacket. While I ultimately received the reward I expected, I was thoroughly unimpressed with the company’s poor communication and lag time in production and fulfillment. Recognize that crowd-funding is like backing any new business — there’s always the risk that things won’t go according to plan.

That said, this one seemed like too much fun not to share. BrewDog, a craft brewing company that already exports from the UK to 60 countries and runs 49 bars around the word, has launched a brewery in Columbus, Ohio and is looking to attach the world’s first crowd-funded craft beer hotel — the DogHouse. They estimate the total cost of constructing the DogHouse at around $6 million and are only looking for $75,000 in crowd funding. My impression is that the crowd-funding campaign is an angle for exposure, and it seems like it’s working. Their campaign started yesterday and they have already raised more than $72,000.

It certainly sounds like a dedicated beer fan’s dream:

“This hotel will provide a complete experiential environment in which to truly immerse yourself in the world of craft beer. From waking up to a view of our sour beer foeders and the smell of freshly mashed malt, to hop-infused spa treatments and beer breakfasts, and even amazing craft beer on tap in your bedroom – this hotel will have it all.”

A malted barley massage: because nothing conjures the memories of your youth like the aroma of spilled beer on your skin. Except maybe a dip in the IPA-filled hot tub — though that room will set you back $2,000. Who knew that being covered in beer could be so expensive?

There are a bunch of different backing options. For $150, you could get a night for 2 people that includes a beer breakfast for two and 10% off all rooms for a year (for your return trip), though if you’d like free-flowing Punk IPA on tap for the weekend, you’ll need to back them another $40 on top. It sounds like a weekend stay with unlimited craft beer on tap in your room would set you back $340. Breakfast is included, assuming you’re the type who both drinks enough craft beer to make it worthwhile and wakes up early enough for breakfast afterwards.

The supposed retail price of rooms is going to be $250 a night, saving Brewdog’s DogHouse backers $100. While hotel pricing can certainly be dynamic, the rising popularity of craft beer coupled with the fact that the brewery is located in a college town with 66,000+ students leads me to believe that they may be able to sustain higher-than-average prices.

Take note that according to their Indiegogo campaign, they are projecting an opening in the third quarter of 2018. No word on whether Octoberfest will be blacked out. Pun intended.

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