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The "Phantom of the Opera"-themed stay - a nod
to the novel by Gaston Leroux and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical
- comes as tourism bounces back in Europe after several years of
pandemic disruptions, with visitors from the United States
arriving in France in droves since last summer.
European capitals are also gearing up for the return of Chinese
tourists, following the lifting of travel restrictions.
Before the pandemic, Airbnb had created other unusual overnight
stays in the French capital, one of its key markets. These
included a shark tank in the city's aquarium, the skull-lined
catacombs, the Moulin Rouge cabaret and the glass pyramid in the
Louvre.
The idea is to encourage people "to travel and dream at the same
time -- and raise a lot of emotions around travel," Emmanuel
Marill, Airbnb director of Europe, the Middle East and Africa
told Reuters.
The Palais Garnier stay includes a music recital, dinner in an
ornate rehearsal room backstage and a behind-the-scenes tour of
the elaborate 19th century building, including its underground
pool, the inspiration for the phantom's lair in the book and
musical.
The Palais Garnier stay will be listed on March 1 for 37 euros,
also the number on the box, one of the theatre's most
prestigious, which will be decked out with antique furniture
specially for the night.
It will be offered on a first-come-first-serve basis to an
applicant registered on the company's online rental platform.
"It's a bit of a fantasy. I think it will be a bit unreal," said
Veronique Dubrulle Leroux, the great-granddaughter of Phantom of
the Opera author Leroux, who will host the visitors.
As part of the project, Airbnb will also fund the renovation of
the theatre's 19th century boxes and help the Opera de Paris to
update its online streaming platform.
(Reporting by Mimosa Spencer and Manuel Ausloos. Editing by Jane
Merriman)
(Photo: An old letter and an antique magnifying glass are
displayed in the Loge d'honneur transformed into a bedchamber
inside the Opera Garnier, during a media presentation of the
space inspired by the Phantom of the Opera which will be rented
through Airbnb to two people for one night, in Paris, France,
January 3, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes)
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