Anime 'Up' Balloon House Comes to Life... Airbnb Special Accommodation Unveiled

11 Special Summer Event Accommodations Revealed
French Orsay Museum Clock Tower Converted into Guest Room
Reservations via App Followed by Selection by Providers

The house floating gently with balloons, as seen in Pixar's animation 'Up,' is becoming a reality.

On the 1st (local time), the accommodation sharing platform Airbnb revealed the details of its special event 'Culture Icon' project, offering unique experiences to users this summer. On this day, Airbnb introduced 11 special accommodations prepared for the 'Culture Icon' project at a media event held in Los Angeles (LA).

The balloon house from the Disney Pixar animation 'Up' actually created by Airbnb
[Photo by Airbnb, Yonhap News]

Among the 11 locations, the accommodation that undoubtedly captures the most attention is the house recreated from Disney Pixar Studio's animation 'Up.' Airbnb built this house in Abiquiu, New Mexico, USA. The house, modeled exactly after the interior and exterior of the animation's house, is attached with about 8,000 balloons, allowing it to float in the air just like in the animation. The company explained that a large crane is used to lift the house.

Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, said, "The 40,000-pound (about 18 tons) house will be suspended at a height of 50 feet (15 meters) above the ground for a certain period," adding, "Guests will not just stay in the house but will actually experience being inside the animation."

Airbnb also recreated the 'X-Mansion' featured in the animation 'X-Men 97.' This mansion, built in Westchester, New York, USA, includes identical features such as the 'Danger Room,' the training space for the X-Men. Another popular Pixar animation, 'Inside Out,' will also be reborn as a Culture Icon accommodation with the 'Headquarters of Emotions.'

Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, held a media event in Los Angeles (LA), USA, on the 1st (local time) to introduce the 'Culture Icon' project accommodations.
The photo shows a room decorated inside the clock tower of the Orsay Museum in Paris, France. [Photo by Yonhap News]

An accommodation sure to attract art lovers is the Orsay Museum in Paris, France. Airbnb plans to rent the entire Orsay Museum and transform its iconic clock tower into a luxurious guest room. Guests staying here will have the once-in-a-lifetime experience of watching the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics this July from the museum's rooftop terrace.

The Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy, will also be converted into accommodation. True to its automotive museum nature, guests will sleep on beds made from the same leather used for Ferrari seats and have the opportunity to experience racing with world-renowned racer Mark Gene. Additionally, the 'Culture Icon' project will offer accommodation and cultural experiences with pop star Doja Cat, actor and comedian Kevin Hart, and Indian Bollywood star Janvi Kapoor.

'Culture Icon' is introduced as a dedicated category on the Airbnb app. To participate in this event, users must apply for reservations through the app, and the company plans to select lucky winners based on the applications. Most accommodations and experiences included in Culture Icon are free, and even when there is a fee, it does not exceed $100 USD (about 138,000 KRW) per person.

CEO Chesky emphasized, "Life is becoming increasingly digital these days, but we are focusing on creating more magic in the real world," adding, "Through Culture Icon, we aim to let people experience worlds that have only existed in imagination until now. This will be the most special experience created on Earth." Starting with these 11 special icon accommodations, Airbnb plans to continue offering distinctive lodging experiences by country in the future.