If you tuned in to the season 25 premiere of The Bachelor on January 4, then you already know how absolutely stunning the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania, is! No tea, no shade, but Matt James and his contestants clearly lucked out in comparison to Bachelorettes Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams, who filmed at the La Quinta Resort and Club in La Quinta, California, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In fact, season 21 Bachelor Nick Viall made a crack about the stark differences in filming locations. “You vs. the guy she tells you not to worry about,” Nick, 40, captioned a side-by-side photo of the resorts. “Yup! I thought this instantly,” one person replied on Twitter. “Haha! That’s exactly what I was thinking when I watched it! La Quinta, who?” added another.
Even if the general consensus from viewers is that the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is a more desirable destination, Matt and the women vying for his heart still had to follow strict COVID-19 guidelines. Thankfully, the less-than-optimal circumstances didn’t affect the quality of the show. “It’s led to some really interesting and creative things that wouldn’t have happened before,” Rob Mills, ABC’s senior VP of series, specials and late-night, told Variety in October 2020.
In addition to finding new and innovative ways to film, the contestant process was different. “We brought all these women out just in case any of them tested positive,” Rob explained. “You just never know, so we always have alternates. Maybe next time, we don’t have to bring in as many people.”
*Warning: spoiler alert.* As it happens, you will be meeting new contestants in the weeks to come. Based a teaser for future episodes, we know Matt’s ex-girlfriend Madison Nelson will be making an appearance, as well as Heather Martin from Colton Underwood‘s season of The Bachelor. The leading man knows Heather, 25, through season 15 Bachelorette Hannah Brown. Needless to say, things are going to get really interesting, really fast.
Be sure to tune in to new episodes of The Bachelor on ABC Mondays at 8:00 p.m., and for more major season 25 spoilers, click here!