New Bedford Mystery Solved: The Real Story Behind ‘Cupid’s Bed and Bubbles’

Before The MGM Show dove into Thanksgiving talk and holiday chaos, we somehow ended up taking a deep dive into one of the most beautifully cringe pieces of Massachusetts nostalgia: Cuddles and Bubbles, the legendary Hyannis motel package complete with heart-shaped hot tubs, mirror ceilings, and 1970s wallpaper that looked like it needed counseling.

But on Fun 107 earlier this week, the conversation took a wild turn when listeners began insisting that New Bedford once had a “Cuddles and Bubbles”-style spot of its own, right on Brock Avenue.

After hours of scrolling, digging and asking around the SouthCoast, I still couldn’t find a single trace of it online. So I took the mystery to our sister station WBSM 1420 and asked Barry Richard if anyone remembered this alleged South End love-den.

What Started as a Joke Became a Real Investigation

Live on-air, calls started pouring in.

One listener claimed it wasn’t a motel at all, but a storefront with blocked-out windows and a couple of rentable hot-tub rooms – the kind of one-hour romantic “experience” where, according to him, the water was not getting changed between visitors. I’ll let you decide whether that detail is charming or horrifying.

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Another caller named Abe, who’s lived on Brock Ave for more than 40 years, gave the first solid lead. He described a setup with tubs, a repurposed space, and a sign reminiscent of the “Cuddles and Bubbles” name.

At this point, the story was getting interesting, but we still had no official source.

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Then Came the Call That Solved Everything

Finally, a woman named Kathy reached out to Barry, and within seconds she delivered the answer we had been chasing all week.

Not only did she remember the business – she was the owner.

According to Kathy, the real name was Cupid’s Bed and Bubbles, and it was located at 648 Brock Avenue.

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She ran the business herself and cleared up every last detail.

“It was a very unique business,” she said, “I ran a good, clean, reputable business. I retired and that’s why I closed the business.”

She explained that it wasn’t some quick in-and-out novelty spot and was in fact far from it.

It was a minimum one-night stay, but they preferred you stayed two. In other words, this wasn’t a backroom operation or a gimmick. It was a legitimate, themed getaway; New Bedford’s own romantic retreat long before the phrase “staycation” ever existed.

A South End Love Story, New Bedford Style

For decades, New Bedford residents have lovingly traded stories about the place, mixing rumors with memories. But hearing it straight from the former owner brings the whole thing into focus:

1. It did exist.
2. It was on Brock Avenue.
3. And it had an official, perfectly on-brand name: Cupid’s Bed and Bubbles.

Unlike the original Hyannis getaway formerly known as the International Inn and now the Hyannis Plaza Hotel, New Bedford’s version didn’t lean on flashy advertising or resort amenities.

So What Happened to It?

Kathy retired, and the business quietly closed. No scandal. No drama. No mystery.

Just a unique SouthCoast idea that ran its course, and then faded into local legend until this week.

A Final Thought

If there’s one thing this whole adventure proved, it’s that SouthCoast listeners remember everything, and when they team up with talk radio, there’s no historical mystery too small, too funny, or too steamy to solve.

Cupid’s Bed and Bubbles may be gone, but the stories? Those are bubbling back up just fine.