You Can Now Sleep Overnight in the Musée d’Orsay (and Other Incredible Locations)

Welcome to an exciting new realm of creative Airbnb stays. During a press conference in Los Angeles on May 1, the vacation rental platform introduced a new category of extraordinary accommodations and experiences called “Icons.” This new collection, which formalizes a decade-long initiative, encompasses diverse realms such as music, film, television, art, and sports.

Simultaneously, Airbnb is enhancing group bookings with three new features designed to guide travelers towards Airbnb options, steering them away from traditional hotels. Here’s what cofounder and CEO Brian Chesky and his team have planned for 2024.

The Launch of “Icons”

Almost a decade ago, Chesky and cofounder Joe Gebbia conceived the idea of offering a night’s stay inside an Ikea furniture store. This was quickly followed by the opportunity to stay at the last remaining Blockbuster in the USA, located in Bend, Oregon. Over the years, various unique accommodations have come and gone, with the latest being stays at Barbie’s Malibu DreamHouse, celebrating the release of the 2023 live-action film directed by Greta Gerwig. Now, after 10 years, Airbnb is unveiling a completely new category designed to evoke nostalgia, sentimentality, and what Chesky describes as “magical moments.”

“Icons transport you to realms that previously existed only in your imagination—until now,” Chesky stated. “We wondered what would happen if we elevated this magic even further and made these experiences even more extraordinary?”

This week, the first 11 Icons were unveiled, with travelers particularly thrilled about the chance to spend the night at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, featuring a bed in the museum’s iconic clock room. Guests will enjoy a rooftop terrace view of the Opening Ceremony of this summer’s Paris Olympic Games along the Seine River, along with exclusive access to the museum’s Impressionist art collection.

From a meticulously crafted replica of the house from Disney Pixar’s Up (suspended in the air by a crane and 8,000 balloons) to an immersive overnight experience at the Ferrari Museum in Italy, complete with a driver and racing experience, there are plenty of chances for extravagant stays and unique encounters. Following this initial set of Icons revealed this week, Chesky mentioned that more experiences will be launched later this summer.

Complete list of Icons:

• Watch the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris and enjoy an overnight stay at the Musée d’Orsay (booking requests open on May 21).
• Experience a night at the Ferrari Museum (booking requests open on May 6).
• Stay in the house featured in Prince’s iconic film Purple Rain in Minneapolis (experience available in August 2024).
• Embark on Junior Wilderness Explorer adventures in the Up house (booking requests close on May 13).
• Feel the glamour of Bollywood by staying at Janhvi Kapoor’s oasis in coastal India (booking requests open on May 12).
• Live a day in the life of X-Men at this mansion in New Castle, New York (booking requests close on May 13).
• Enjoy a private gaming experience in Milan, Italy, with TikTok star Khaby Lame (booking requests close on May 13).
• Join a week on tour with reggaeton star Feid (booking requests open on May 3).
• Let comedian Kevin Hart host you (experience available in August 2024).
• Create lasting memories with the Inside Out 2 crew (experience available in June 2024).
• Receive a private performance from rapper and songwriter Doja Cat (experience available in October 2024).

All Icons are featured in a dedicated category on the Airbnb homepage. While many Icons are free, all experiences are priced under $100 per guest. Availability is extremely limited for each Icon booking. After requesting to book these exclusive experiences, selected guests will receive a digital “golden ticket” from Airbnb. Each Icon will feature its own countdown clock before golden tickets are made available.

New Features for Group Trips

While the more glamorous part of the May 1 event highlighted the launch of Icons, many travelers might find the most practical enhancements to be the improved group booking functionalities.

“Our app wasn’t built for groups,” Chesky acknowledged at the start of the media event. He noted that the group booking process has been cumbersome so far, involving everything from selecting accommodations to sharing trip information and communicating with hosts. “We’re addressing these issues, and I believe we’ve made group trips on Airbnb quite enjoyable,” Chesky remarked.

While the “Wishlists” feature, which allows travelers to create named folders of saved properties, has existed for years, Airbnb is now enhancing its sharing capabilities. The new functionality enables each group member to add comments and vote on listings when choosing which property to book from a Wishlist.

Furthermore, once a group is formed, all members traveling together will have one-click access to essential reservation information: the complete address, Wi-Fi password, and check-in instructions. Previously, the person who booked the Airbnb had to manually input each group member’s email to share this information.

Lastly, a new “Messages” tab centralizes communication, allowing guests—including fellow group members—to chat with the host within a single thread. There’s no need for a designated trip leader or single point of contact. Additionally, guests and hosts can now express themselves with emoji reactions. These features are already live on the app.