Airbnb is taking dream vacations to a new level with this week’s launch of its newest category.
Introducing Icons — a new batch of epic stays and experiences around the globe in unimaginable places like Paris’ Musée d’Orsay during the Olympics opening ceremony, a replica of the house from Disney’s Up, and a house purchased by Prince.
“Icons take you inside worlds that only existed in your imagination until now,” Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky said at its Summer Release event in Los Angeles Wednesday, where the first group of 11 offerings were unveiled.
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One of the most coveted Icons is a stay in a room behind the Musée d’Orsay’s famed clock face on July 26 for the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, which will sail by on the Seine. The one-night-only accommodation will be specially built by the designer of the Paris Games’ torch and cauldron, Mathieu Lehanneur. Not only will the guests have a private balcony view of the hard-to-access global event, but they’ll then sleep beside the Olympic torch itself.
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Airbnb guests will also have the chance to immerse themselves in a trio of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. The most unbelievable is a custom-built replica of the beloved home from the Disney and Pixar movie Up. Not only is every detail of the animated yellow home precisely recreated from Carl’s glasses to Ellie’s adventure book, but the entire home itself actually floats. Yes, that’s right.
With more than 8,000 colorful balloons (and a hefty crane), the real-life version of the beloved house will fly high above the red rocks of Abiquiu, New Mexico.
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Those with Marvel superhero dreams can train at the X-Men’97’s Xavier Institute, better known as the X-Mansion, in a Westchester, New York, estate outfitted to look like a 2D animated world, complete with a Danger Room training session. Ahead of the release of Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 this June, an overnight stay at the Headquarters will also come to life with rooms themed to emotions of joy, anger, and anxiety.
Rounding out the initial offerings are the Purple Rain house that Prince himself purchased in Minneapolis with the chance to listen to some rare tracks the megastar recorded, and a night at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy, in a bed surrounded by eight Formula 1 cars.
Also among the Icons listings are a slew of experiences to literally rub elbows with the stars. Thirty guests will join comedian Kevin Hart for a private set and tequila tasting in a speakeasy, while 15 guests will take in an intimate living room performance with Grammy-winning Doja Cat.
Tiktok sensation Khaby Lame is also inviting guests for an overnight gaming experience in Milan, Italy, while reggaeton star Feid is opening his bus to join him on tour an entire week, including sound checks, concerts, and of course, sleeping in the bus bunks.
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Bollywood star Janhvi Kapoor will also play host in her family’s private home in Chennai, India, for a stay, sharing beauty secrets, a yoga session, and a south Indian meal with her.
Each of these experiences have been meticulously curated and designed by Airbnb’s custom team. “We’ve gone to great lengths to bring these to life,” Chesky said of what he called “the most extraordinary experiences on Earth.”
The Up house, X-Mansion, and Lame gaming experiences are available to book now, with the rest rolling out between now and October. All of the experiences will be either free or less than $100 per person. Those who score the bookings will receive a digital golden ticket — with 4,000 Icons tickets being offered in 2024 alone.
“Nowadays, much of life is experienced through devices and this life becomes increasingly digital,” Chesky said. “What we’re focused on is creating more magic in the real world — and everything we do is in service to this idea because magic is not limited to our imagination.”
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