Airbnb believes there’s a big
market in experiences, and
is highlighting its ambitions
with some unusual offers that
include a chance to stay in
the house from Up and sleep in
the Musée D’Orsay’s clockroom
Airbnb guests can now stay in a replica of the house from the Pixar movie Up / Eugene T’Jean Davezies
Airbnb has launched a new category of experiences called Icons, offering a range of immersive experiences that include the chance to stay in the floating house from the Pixar movie Up – complete with 8,000 balloons – which can be suspended from a crane 50ft above the ground.
Other experiences include a visit to the X-Mansion from X-Men ‘97, the chance to sleep behind the icoic Musée D’Orsay clock in Paris (complete with a balcony from which guests could watch the Olympic opening ceremony), a trip with Kevin Hart to his Coramino Live Lounge speakeasy and a stay in the Ferrari Museum in Italy with VIP tickets for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Extraordinary experiences “Icons take you inside worlds that only existed in your imagination – until now,” says Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky.
“As life becomes increasingly digital, we’re focused on bringing more magic into the real world. With Icons, we’ve created the most extraordinary experiences on Earth.”
Guests can also spend the day at the Inside Out 2 Headquarters, visit Edna Mair’s home from The Incredibles and stay in Prince’s Minneapolis house, as featured in Purple Rain.
As well as the chance to visit these properties, guests also take part in a range of experiences. As part of their stay at the Ferrari Museum in Italy, they do a lap of Ferrari’s private racetrack with a professional driver and guests staying in the X-Mansion replica get a tour from actors playing X-Men in training and take part in combat training run by a stunt man in the danger room.
Experiences are a rising priority for Airbnb, according to Chesky and the launch of the Icons experiences seems to be designed to raise brand awareness rather than as a revenue generator – each experience is free or under $100 (£80). However, according to Chesky, the long-term vision is to focus on offering experiences that “capture people’s imagination” to millions of Airbnb users.
The launch of Icons follows the success of other one-offs, including the chance to stay in the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the McCallister’s home from Home Alone and Barbie’s Dreamhouse in Malibu.
“They captured people’s imagination and we started realising, what if this wasn’t just a one-off programme?” Chesky said, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“What if we made this a whole product on Airbnb? What if we gave it its own category right on the homepage and gave it the same level of seriousness and treatment with which we treat the rest of the product?
What if we do that more frequently, make the builds even more fantastic and just make an ongoing commitment to doing this?”
We’ll have to wait to see how Airbnb’s foray into the attractions sector plays out, but whatever happens, this certainly highlights the increasing importance placed on experiences.
Airbnb
“With Icons, we’ve created the most extraordinary experiences on Earth” –
Airbnb’s Brian Chesky
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2024 issue 3
Multimedia: Sakchin Bessette
How did the team at Moment Factory go from designing visuals for raves to illuminating the Sagrada Familia and creating stage shows for Madonna? The co-founder shares the journey
Museums: Roll of honour
From the Rijksmuseum’s first family exhibition to a 4D experience that wows on a budget, we check out Museum + Heritage Award winners
Theme parks: Cecil Magpuri
Work has begun on the first Dragon Ball theme park, and it’s set to take theming to a whole new level, according to its designer
Museums: Rise up
Filled with colour, music, technology and storytelling, the John K Randle Center is a fitting celebration of Yoruban culture and history, says its architect Seun Oduwole
Experiences: Flight of fancy
Airbnb is diving into the world of immersive experiences with its new Icons initiative. What does this mean for attractions?
Immersive experience: Andrew McGuinness
As Layered Reality prepares to launch its highly-anticipated Elvis Experience, we speak to its CEO about the business of wowing visitors
Zoos: Making a difference
Visiting zoos and aquaria inspires people to act more sustainably, finds a study from the University of Sheffield and Chester Zoo
Tourism: Vertical reality
From energy-generating viewing pods to world-class art installations, a new generation of vertical attractions is shaking up the scene. Dr Terry Stevens investigates
Airbnb believes there’s a big
market in experiences, and
is highlighting its ambitions
with some unusual offers that
include a chance to stay in
the house from Up and sleep in
the Musée D’Orsay’s clockroom
Airbnb guests can now stay in a replica of the house from the Pixar movie Up / Eugene T’Jean Davezies
Airbnb has launched a new category of experiences called Icons, offering a range of immersive experiences that include the chance to stay in the floating house from the Pixar movie Up – complete with 8,000 balloons – which can be suspended from a crane 50ft above the ground.
Other experiences include a visit to the X-Mansion from X-Men ‘97, the chance to sleep behind the icoic Musée D’Orsay clock in Paris (complete with a balcony from which guests could watch the Olympic opening ceremony), a trip with Kevin Hart to his Coramino Live Lounge speakeasy and a stay in the Ferrari Museum in Italy with VIP tickets for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Extraordinary experiences “Icons take you inside worlds that only existed in your imagination – until now,” says Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky.
“As life becomes increasingly digital, we’re focused on bringing more magic into the real world. With Icons, we’ve created the most extraordinary experiences on Earth.”
Guests can also spend the day at the Inside Out 2 Headquarters, visit Edna Mair’s home from The Incredibles and stay in Prince’s Minneapolis house, as featured in Purple Rain.
As well as the chance to visit these properties, guests also take part in a range of experiences. As part of their stay at the Ferrari Museum in Italy, they do a lap of Ferrari’s private racetrack with a professional driver and guests staying in the X-Mansion replica get a tour from actors playing X-Men in training and take part in combat training run by a stunt man in the danger room.
Experiences are a rising priority for Airbnb, according to Chesky and the launch of the Icons experiences seems to be designed to raise brand awareness rather than as a revenue generator – each experience is free or under $100 (£80). However, according to Chesky, the long-term vision is to focus on offering experiences that “capture people’s imagination” to millions of Airbnb users.
The launch of Icons follows the success of other one-offs, including the chance to stay in the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the McCallister’s home from Home Alone and Barbie’s Dreamhouse in Malibu.
“They captured people’s imagination and we started realising, what if this wasn’t just a one-off programme?” Chesky said, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“What if we made this a whole product on Airbnb? What if we gave it its own category right on the homepage and gave it the same level of seriousness and treatment with which we treat the rest of the product?
What if we do that more frequently, make the builds even more fantastic and just make an ongoing commitment to doing this?”
We’ll have to wait to see how Airbnb’s foray into the attractions sector plays out, but whatever happens, this certainly highlights the increasing importance placed on experiences.
Airbnb
“With Icons, we’ve created the most extraordinary experiences on Earth” –
Airbnb’s Brian Chesky
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2024 issue 3
Multimedia: Sakchin Bessette
How did the team at Moment Factory go from designing visuals for raves to illuminating the Sagrada Familia and creating stage shows for Madonna? The co-founder shares the journey
Museums: Roll of honour
From the Rijksmuseum’s first family exhibition to a 4D experience that wows on a budget, we check out Museum + Heritage Award winners
Theme parks: Cecil Magpuri
Work has begun on the first Dragon Ball theme park, and it’s set to take theming to a whole new level, according to its designer
Museums: Rise up
Filled with colour, music, technology and storytelling, the John K Randle Center is a fitting celebration of Yoruban culture and history, says its architect Seun Oduwole
Experiences: Flight of fancy
Airbnb is diving into the world of immersive experiences with its new Icons initiative. What does this mean for attractions?
Immersive experience: Andrew McGuinness
As Layered Reality prepares to launch its highly-anticipated Elvis Experience, we speak to its CEO about the business of wowing visitors
Zoos: Making a difference
Visiting zoos and aquaria inspires people to act more sustainably, finds a study from the University of Sheffield and Chester Zoo
Tourism: Vertical reality
From energy-generating viewing pods to world-class art installations, a new generation of vertical attractions is shaking up the scene. Dr Terry Stevens investigates
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
+ More news
COMPANY PROFILES
IAAPA EMEA IAAPA Expo Europe was established in 2006 and has grown to the largest international conference and [more...]
