The Palais Garnier Opera House in Paris Will Be on Airbnb - AFAR

"This Parisian opera house, commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III and inaugurated in 1875, is a gilded, theatrical palace famed for its monumental marble staircase, an eight-ton chandelier, and a colorful ceiling fresco by Marc Chagall; its auditorium is the world’s largest Italian-style theater (so vast you could fit the Arc de Triomphe inside). Many secret corners are usually off-limits — from rooftop beehives that produce honey to a subterranean cistern (54 × 45 meters, larger than an Olympic pool) that now serves as a fire reservoir and training site — and these came alive for one rare overnight Airbnb stay in the meticulously restored Box of Honor. Offered for a symbolic €37 (the box number) on July 16, 2023, the experience included a guided tour of hidden areas, a private ballet performance, a champagne aperitif, dinner in the historic Foyer de la Danse, and a top-floor studio tour with Paris panoramas; the Box itself was dressed with plush fabrics, antiques sourced from Paris flea markets, and two first-edition books lent by Véronique Leroux, the great-granddaughter of Gaston Leroux, who shared Phantom-related anecdotes and house lore (including a real 1896 counterweight crash and earlier ghost stories). The project was paired with Airbnb’s broader heritage support — including donations to the Fondation du Patrimoine — and positioned as both a showcase of restoration work and a once-in-a-lifetime way to experience the building’s history, drama, and hidden spaces." - Mary Winston Nicklin