Ashley Darby pressed pause on #RHOP drama to hunt for a swoon-worthy suitor at Bravo’s Love Hotel, and shared all the hotel key-claiming deets with BOSSIP.
Joining Ashley for the lavish romantic getaway at the luxurious Grand Velas Boutique Hotel in Los Cabos, Mexico, are Shannon Storms Beador (The Real Housewives of Orange County), (her homegirl) Gizelle Bryant (The Real Housewives of Potomac), and Luann de Lesseps (The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: RHONY Legacy).
Over eight episodes, the women will mix and mingle with a curated group of successful bachelors, all in hopes of finding their happily ever after, or at least a memorable connection. Fresh off a very public breakup, Beador was excited to reenter the dating pool with an open mind, while Bryant, now an empty nester, was shifting her focus to love. At the time of filming, however, Ashley was preparing for divorce and hoping to leave her “daddy issues” behind. Meanwhile, de Lesseps, who has weathered two divorces during her Real Housewives tenure, was hoping the third time’s the charm.
As previously reported, actor and comedian Joel Kim Booster would this group’s witty “Love Concierge,” helping guide their journey.
For Ashley, the opportunity was a dream come true and something she’d talked about for years at BravoCon alongside some fellow standout Bravolebrities.
“I’ve been pitching a love show since I got separated,” she said with a laugh to BOSSIP’s Managing Editor Dani Canada. “As soon as I was a little bit of a free bird, I was like, ‘Andy, please help me find love.’ I love love shows. I watch Love Island. I watch Love Is Blind. I obviously can’t do any of those. So let’s make our own.”
She continued,
“When we were at BravoCon two years ago, a bunch of us ladies were talking about it. It was a major topic of conversation. I talked about it with Sonja [Morgan] and Kenya [Moore]. We all wanted it to happen. And finally, the powers that be heard us.”
Throughout Love Hotel, the power lies with the women. Armed with keys to their lavish digs, they control who checks in and who checks out.
According to Ashley, while it might look “fun” for her to wield that power, it was actually stressful.
“Fun is one word, but it was also a little nerve-wracking,” Darby admitted. “Even if we didn’t necessarily feel the strongest romantic connection, we still liked a lot of the guys as friends. You didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.”
For Ashley, several factors impacted who she chose to entertain, including chemistry and scent, which played a bigger role in the dating process than she anticipated.
“I didn’t realize how important smell is to me until we were at Love Hotel,” she told BOSSIP. “Maybe because there were no other factors and I just had first impressions. Smell is so important to me, not just perfume or cologne, but pheromones. You’ve got to mesh.”
Ashley added that she doesn’t have a strict physical “type” when it comes to dating a man, or even a woman, but she has a few non-negotiables.
“Nice teeth is a very big thing. You can’t have bad breath. Honestly, I can forgive a busted mug before I can forgive bad breath.”
Fortunately, Ashley had a trusted ally in fellow Potomac star Gizelle Bryant.
“Gizelle actually is the best wing woman,” she shared about her GNA co-creator girlfriend. “When we go out, she’ll help me, like, ‘Okay, let’s stand here,’ or she’ll tell me what a guy is looking at. She’ll be my ops — and it was so handy.”
Still, she knows the red flags to watch for; inconsistency, unkindness to waitstaff, and even negative talk about one’s own mother are major deal-breakers.
Despite being a reality TV veteran, Ashley told BOSSIP that she was was pleasantly surprised that most of the suitors didn’t know who the Housewives were.
“It was very refreshing,” she shared. “I’m very good at reading when someone has bad intentions, and I didn’t feel that from most of them.”
She also warmly reflected on the friendships formed during filming.
“I became so close to those three women; Gizelle, Shannon, and Luann,” she said. “To be put in positions where we had to have real conversations about love and friendship was something I didn’t expect.”
When asked who else she’d love to see check into the Love Hotel, she didn’t hesitate to vouch for a fellow Potomac champagne flute holder, a Georgia peach and two ladies from Beverly Hills.
“I really like the idea of Stacey [Rush] from our show. We know her to be awkward and stiff, but I think the right man could really grease those joints real good,” she said with a laugh. “Porsha [Williams] deserves to find real, honest, genuine love. I’d put Sutton [Stracke] and Garcelle [Beauvais] on there too.”
Armed with Housewife heart, and humor, Ashley’s ready to charm her potential matches (and Bravo watchers) when Love Hotel opens its doors today.
Watch our exclusive with Ashley Darby!
