PARIS, Feb 14 — In Paris, the Palais Garnier opera house is branching out with new visitor experiences. Five years after launching an escape game, the institution, which famously featured in Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera, is now offering an overnight stay on Airbnb.

At a time when cultural institutions are reaching out to a wider audience, by, for example, streaming their performances on the internet, like London’s National Theatre, the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris is finding new ways of attracting visitors. In 2018, the launch of its escape game made a major splash. The famous Parisian monument cleverly capitalised on the popularity of the book The Phantom of the Opera, whose universal appeal has given rise to various adaptations, from musicals to movies to ballet shows. The immersive game, in which players spend an hour and a half deciphering all kinds of clues, has been so successful that it now has to be booked several weeks in advance.

As such, it’s safe to assume that Airbnb’s initiative will appeal to many. The accommodation rental giant has announced that a stay at the Palais Garnier is being added to its huge portfolio, as part of its heritage offering. Not surprisingly, the platform uses the popularity of The Phantom of the Opera to set the scene for the stay, which will last only one night, on Sunday, July 16. A space within the opera house’s Box of Honour will be arranged to accommodate two people in a room with a sumptuous decor adorned with red velvet. In a nod to the number of the Box of Honour, the price of the night’s stay has been set at €37 (RM173.11).

For this very affordable price, guests will be able to visit the backstage area, the private archives, and even wander under the eaves to discover the dance studios. They will even be treated to a private ballet initiation with a dancer from the Opera de Paris Ballet. In addition, dinner will be served in a historic rehearsal room. To book, you will have to be quick off the mark when reservations open on March 1 from 6pm (CET) (1am Malaysian Time the next day).

This initiative is reminiscent of Airbnb’s collaboration with the Louvre Museum. In 2019, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its famous pyramid, two lucky people had the opportunity to sleep within the world’s most visited permanent exhibition. In the case of the Opera Garnier, this initiative will contribute to the restoration of its boxes and the development of its streaming platform. — ETX Studio