What are your plans this summer? A new raffle invites two lucky guests to spend a night at the Musée d’Orsay’s iconic clock room and watch the opening ceremony for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris from the museum’s rooftop terrace.
Overlooking the Seine, where athletes from 206 countries will float downriver in boats during the July 26 kick-0ff event, the art museum’s famous clock quarters were listed for a free one-night stay on Airbnb earlier this month by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur, the designer of the 2024 Olympic torch and relay cauldron.
The overnight stay in the entirely wood-paneled clock room includes some peculiar items like a floating bed, a leather punching bag (“for a personal sporting touch so that you can take part in the competition yourself”), and a replica of the Olympic torch. Two floral ceiling light fixtures frame the museum’s massive 125-year-old clock, which is viewable from both sides.
The lucky winners will also be treated to a gourmet dinner of classic French cuisine and a private tour of the museum’s Impressionist Collection, which boasts the world’s largest number of paintings by artists such as Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, and Gustave Courbet.
The Airbnb listing also describes an “exclusive behind-the-scenes experience to visit a space not available to the public,” although no additional details were given.
The booking window closed on the morning of May 31. To apply, raffle participants had to submit a brief text explaining why they deserve this rare honor plus details about their profession (or “life’s calling”), education (“the school that made you who you are”), musical taste, niche obsessions, and more.
According to the listing, the two winners will be chosen in a two-part selection process: an application review followed by a random lottery among the shortlisted candidates.
The museum sleepover is part of Airbnb’s new “Icons” experience program, rolled out on May 1. Through the program, Airbnb users can book overnight stays in spaces like Carl Fredricksen’s balloon-suspended home from Pixar’s Up (2009), the X-Mansion from Marvel’s X-Men series, and the Minneapolis home featured in Prince’s rock musical Purple Rain (1984).
