Airbnb is already known for helping millions of people across the world travel in style. However, now, it’s taking its rentals to even more of an iconic level.

On May 1, 2024, for its 2024 Summer Release, Airbnb unveiled “Icons,” a new category that transports travelers to exclusive experiences across the world that they haven’t had access to before, according to a press release shared with AFROTECH™.

During the Summer Release presentation in Los Angeles, CA, Airbnb Co-Founder and CEO Brian Chesky shared that the offering has been about a decade in the making from the inception of the innovative idea to its release. Previously, Airbnb has been behind experiences such as allowing guests to lodge in the last Blockbuster store, located in Bend, OR — the only Blockbuster still open in the world — in 2020.

Chesky and his team have expanded on such an inventive idea to create even more adventures and inspire people to dream. Composed of first-of-its-kind experiences that feature some of the world’s biggest icons in entertainment, the vacation rental giant has dropped its first Icons. Some of the 11 Icons include:

Stay in Prince’s “Purple Rain” house

  • After working closely with Prince’s estate, Airbnb has opened the door to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the Minneapolis, MN, home that “Purple Rain” was filmed in. Following the huge success of the musical film, the late legend purchased the house. While it was once unavailable to the public, guests will now be able to stay in the home. Moreover, they’ll get to hear unreleased tracks from Prince’s archive in an exclusive studio session.

Go VIP with Kevin Hart

  • Kevin Hart is known for selling out his comedy show, but now, 30 special guests will not only get a private tequila tasting from the Gran Coramino founder but will also attend a live, intimate comedy stand-up experience at the members-only, speakeasy Coramino Live Lounge.

Join a living room session with Doja Cat

  • For one night only, 15 guests will get to watch a performance from Grammy winner Doja Cat in an intimate living room experience, including her latest music. What’s more, the pop star will take them into the songwriting process behind her catalog of hits.

Game with Khaby Lame

  • In a gaming loft, guests can play video games with TikToker Khaby Lame during an overnight stay. Located in the popular social media personality’s hometown of Milan, Italy, the Airbnb was also designed by him.

In addition, other Icons bring the memorable experiences of film and TV to life, including a stay at Disney and Pixar’s “Up” house, the “X-Men ‘97” X Mansion, and “Inside Out 2” Headquarters.

“This is not a rendering,” Chesky emphasized when displaying the detailed photos of the Airbnbs during the presentation.

There are also international locals including the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy; Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France; a world tour with reggaeton star Feid; and living in Bollywood star Janhvi Kapoor’s never-before-seen Kapoor family home in Chennai, India.

“Icons take you inside worlds that only existed in your imagination—until now,” Chesky shared in a press statement. “As life becomes increasingly digital, we’re focused on bringing more magic into the real world. With Icons, we’ve created the most extraordinary experiences on Earth.”

The Icons experiences are set at under $100 per guest. After a live release of the event, lucky guests will be chosen based on their response to why they’re interested in booking. Then, if selected, they’ll receive a digital golden ticket. The press release discloses that there will be 4,000 golden tickets available in 2024.

Along with Icons, Airbnb’s 2024 Summer Release includes new features created with the mission to make it easier for group trips to make it out of the group chat. Shared wishlists also allows users to share their interests without needing to go outside of the Airbnb app. A new Messages tab helps to keep all communication about group trips in one central location, and all guests can chat with the host. Lastly, Trip invitations is a new way to share digital postcards that includes all reservation details.

With all of the new updates, Airbnb hosts aren’t being left out of the equation. The earnings dashboard has been expanded with interactive performance charts and automated earnings reports. Additionally, hosts will have increased control over how they present the photos of their Airbnbs. 

As of this writing, the “Up” house, Khaby Lame, and X-Men experiences are available to book on Airbnb, and the new features are up as well. The remaining Icons will continue to roll out until October 2024.