Airbnb is renting out the real Downton Abbey

Promotion, which also includes butler service, capitalizes on release of new film

Published On
Sep 17, 2019

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Airbnb is capitalizing on "Downton Abbey" fever, back with a vengeance after the release of the "Downton Abbey" movie, by listing the real-life Downton for a one-night stay in November.

Highclere Castle is available on Nov. 26, for an evening in which guests will enjoy cocktails followed by a meal with the real-life residents, the Earl and Countess of Canarvon, being waited on by the castle's own butler (sadly not Carson, as played by Jim Carter). They will stay in one of the bedrooms and enjoy breakfast prior to a private tour of the castle. 

The stay will cost 120 pounds ($150) and Airbnb will make a donation to charity as a result. Fans will not be able to book until Oct. 1, at which point, the site warns you: "You must have a verified Airbnb profile, positive reviews, and be passionate about Downton Abbey."

The home rentals site is not the only brand jumping on the "Downton" bandwagon in the U.K.; supermarket chain Asda is running an ad campaign featuring the cook, Mrs. Patmore, and the line “With thousands of rollbacks, you don’t need to pay a king’s ransom.”

Previous unusual Airbnb listings have included Van Gogh's bedroom at the Art Institute of Chicago (which won a Cannes Grand Prix for Creative Effectiveness), the entire country of Sweden, and a scary night in the Paris catacombs on Halloween

However in 2018, the company had to cancel a planned sleepover at the Great Wall of China, after negative publicity.