What prompts a traveler to book a night or two using Airbnb or Vrbo rather than in a hotel? Location or space each play a large role, but so does the aspect of being able to stay somewhere singular rather than the more uniform space featured in most hotels. The latest offering from Airbnb — dubbed “Icons” — effectively doubles down on this, offering travelers a way to get even more experiential with their vacations.
Some of the spaces included have ties to existing movies or TV shows — including a live-action version of the floating house from Up and the actual house from Purple Rain. And while there’s nothing from the film A Night at the Museum, the new promotion does allow travelers the opportunity to spend a night at an actual museum. Two of them, in fact.
One of the stays featured as part of the promotion is a space for two at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy. Formula One driver and Ferrari brand ambassador Marc Gené is hosting, and the trip includes the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and dinner at Cavallino. Apparently the bed at the Ferrari Museum is made from the same leather used for Ferrari interiors, so that sounds intriguing.
A very different museum stay experience can be found a little to the north and west, in Paris’s Musée d’Orsay. Here, lodging will be in the museum’s Clock Room, which overlooks the Seine. And if you’re wondering if this might have something to do with another high-profile event happening in Paris this summer, you are entirely correct: this trip coincides with the Opening Ceremonies.
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From isolated A-frame cabins to sprawling mountainside resortsAirbnb’s announcement of the Icons program has more details — including that applicants for these spaces will receive a “digital golden ticket” if selected. As for the cost, Airbnb notes that many are free, and “all are priced under $100 USD per guest.”
Based on the current destinations offered, Icons seems to be splitting the difference between luxury travel, fan experiences and trips more geared towards recent film and TV properties — the first round of Icons includes both X-Men ’97- and Inside Out 2 -themed destinations. Airbnb’s announcement states that “more than 4,000 tickets will be available in 2024” — so it’ll be interesting to see what comes next for the program.
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