Airbnb Announces Stays at Pop Culture ‘Icons’: See the Floating “Up” House, “X-Men” Mansion and More!
“We’re focused on creating more magic in the real world,” Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky tells PEOPLE
Eugene T’Jean Davezies/Courtesy of AirBnB
Airbnb’s newest feature allows users to stay at some of the “world’s greatest icons.”
On Wednesday, the home rental site announced 11 “icons” they recreated from some of the most popular scenes in pop culture. Now, people’s dreams to live in their favorite fictional places with some of the most famous celebrities is a reality.
“We started thinking, ‘We’re doing this thing. It’s creating a lot of joy for people. What if we took this magic to the next level?'” CEO and co-founder of Airbnb Brian Chesky tells PEOPLE. “‘What if we did more of these, we made them even bigger and we put them right in the center app?’ So that’s what we’ve done.”
He adds: “We’re focused on creating more magic in the real world.”
Chesky says his team conceived the idea last October and immediately began creating the first 11 icons, now available on the Airbnb app.
From a real-life Up house that floats to the X-Men mansion that brings 2D animation into the real world, each icon offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience for under $100.
Up House
Ryan Lowry/Courtesy of AirBnB
Ariana McLaughlin/Courtesy of AirBnB
Located in Abiquiu, New Mexico, the real-life Up house has every element the home in the movie has — down to the book telling Ellie’s life story. Each piece of furniture was hand-crafted, and the decor is an exact replica of Carl’s home, Chesky says.
Airbnb topped the house with 8,000 balloons, and in just four months, they created a home that floats, just like in the movie.
“It’s suspended 50 feet in the air with a giant crane that they usually is for windmills,” Chesky explains. “Now, it’s lifting a house.”
The structure is so portable, Airbnb brought it to Los Angeles — 8,000 balloons and all — for a first look at where Pixar fans can have the stay of a lifetime.
Ryan Lowry/Courtesy of AirBnB
Ferrari Museum
Thomas Prior/Courtesy of AirBnB
Airbnb is allowing users to spend a night at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy, before attending a race with Marc Gene.
The company created a bedroom for guests, with a bed in Ferrari red surrounded by several sports cars. The bedding is even made from the material that covers the inside of the cars, making for a luxury experience.
“All this metal work here — we measured it to be 3,000 meters long exactly, which is the exact length of a Ferrari track,” Chesky explains of the railing around the bed.
X-Men ’97 Mansion
Max Miechowski/Courtesy of AirBnB
Holly Andres/Courtesy of AirBnB
The X-Men mansion, located in New York’s Westchester County brings all the elements of a 2D comic to reality, creating what Chesky says is an optical illusion for guests.
Every part of the home is meant to bring the guest into the film rather than bringing the film to guests.
“We hand painted every surface of this house,” Chesky reveals, “We went through 350 magic markers alone.”
He adds: “It looks like an illusion. You’re like, ‘It looks like a photo, but it doesn’t look like a photo.'”
Coramino Live Lounge with Kevin Hart
Courtsesy of AirBnb
Kevin Hart is partnering with Airbnb to bring users out for a VIP night at his members-only Coramino Live Lounge.
Named after his tequila company, Hart’s guests will have an exclusive tequila tasting and stand-up comedy show,
Musée D’Orsay
Frederik Vercruysse/Courtesy of AirBnB
As the 2024 Summer Olympics kick off, lucky guests will be able to spend a night in the famous Musée D’Orsay in Paris.
The bedroom is against the iconic clock, looking out over the city, and for the Opening Ceremony, the guests can sit on a balcony to get a unique look. To make the experience even more special, the entire museum will be available just for the guests to roam around during their stay.
“We worked with the designer of the Olympic torch who designed this entire room, and he even placed the actual Olympic torch next to you in the bed,” Chesky says. “He custom made a book to basically document the entire process of making the torch. Everything in this room he handcrafted.”
He continues: “It is quite literally a night at the museum.”
Living Room Doja Cat Concert
Courtsesy of AirBnb
Airbnb is proving it’s not always about where you go, but who you are with. With this collaboration, Doja Cat will be welcoming fans into her world.
The singer will perform her latest hits for 15 people in an intimate living room show.
“This is the most exclusive concert in the world, 15 people, where she’ll hang out with you, tell you about her songwriting process, her inspiration for her album and then she’ll perform for you and 14 other people,” Chesky reveals.
Prince’s Purple Rain House
Eric Ogden/Courtesy of AirBnB
Prince’s iconic Purple Rain house in Minneapolis, Minn. will be available to enter for the first time to mark the album’s 45th anniversary — but only for select Airbnb guests.
In addition to a night in the home, guests will also get to listen to exclusive music with Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman from Prince’s band, the Revolution.
“But that’s not all, because you will get to listen to unreleased tracks from Prince’s collection that have never been heard before,” Chesky announced at Wednesday’s launch event. “No fan has ever been able to do this.”
Gaming with Khaby Lame
Federico Ciamei/Courtsesy of AirBnb
Khaby Lame, a 24-year-old TikToker with over 162 million followers popular for gaming, is inviting guests to his hometown in Milan, Italy, for a night.
In a gaming loft designed by Lame, guests will #learnfromkhaby before a competition against him in Fortnite Battle Royale.
On Tour with Feid
Kelsey McClellan/Courtesy of AirBnB
Reggaeton artist Feid is going on tour, and lucky Airbnb users will get to go with him.
From rehearsals, tour bus rides and backstage access, this weeklong experience brings a new look into the FERXXOCALIPSIS World Tour.
Janhvi Kapoor’s Childhood Home
Bikramjit Bose/Courtesy of AirBnB
One of Bollywood’s most famous stars, Janhvi Kapoor is opening her doors to select Airbnb users to experience time at home with her in Chennai, India.
The family home has never welcomed members of the public to view it, but now, a unique one-night stay will include chats with Kapoor about her favorite beauty hacks to tasting fresh, authentic South Indian foods.
“This is the most intimate access to the most famous family in Bollywood,” Chesky said at the launch.
‘Inside Out’ Headquarters
Ahead of the release of Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 on June 14, 2024, this immersive experience brings guests into the “headquarters” of the mind.
Hosted by Joy, guests will have access to the control room, brought to life for one night.
“We’ve created room for each of the emotions like joy, anger, and my personal favorite emotion, anxiety,” Chesky joked to the audience at the launch event.
Read the original article on People.