Talk about a silver lining. Clare Crawley‘s season of The Bachelorette will look very different whenever it airs — but that doesn’t mean she’s getting the short end of the stick.
As Us Weekly previously reported, season 16 will begin filming this month, all in one location. According to multiple reports, that location is the La Quinta Resort & Club, a resort located in La Quinta, California. The resort is currently only open for estate owners and is set to reopen publicly in September.
The lavish hotel, which is one of the most popular for Coachella-goers, is nothing like the Bachelor mansion. It’s only 164 miles from the iconic filming location, but the views are very different.
Although all of the dates, rose ceremonies and cocktail hours will be shot at one location to keep the cast and crew safe amid the coronavirus pandemic, that doesn’t mean the cast will be crowded. In fact, the Waldorf Astoria Resort, known for its charm and serenity, promises to provide entertainment for the suitors.
Across its 1,400 acres, there are 41 pools, 53 hot spas, 23 tennis courts, five golf courses and seven restaurants, as well as 796 guest rooms. Some of the hotel suites and villas include personal pools and hot tubs — likely to be hot spots for the suitors of the season.
A big plus for Crawley, 39, is that dogs are welcome at the resort — something that is very important to her and something the men also must approve of.
“These guys are my everything so do your research, know that my whole life is obsessed with these two,” she said in an interview in June, referencing her dogs. “Maybe somebody could be allergic to dogs, but take your Zaditor guys! These babies have been here for me regardless so they stay.”
Another reason that the resort works? The massive amount of space. All cast and crew — which is a large number of people on this show — will live on-site. COVID-19 testing will happen before filming, regular temperature checks will occur throughout the season and everyone will be quarantined for 14 days before filming can begin.
Crawley’s season of The Bachelorette is set to air on ABC Tuesdays.
