You can win overnight stay at Rio gymnastics arena through Airbnb
Plenty of Olympics fans are heading to Rio with Airbnb reservations for the Summer Games, but two people will get an early accommodation that might be tough to beat — a night in an Olympic venue.
The company is hosting a contest for two people to win a night in the Rio Olympic Arena, where the gymnastics test event will be held Saturday through April 22. Airbnb, which is an official supplier for the Games, is creating a temporary listing in a VIP box in the arena.
The contest winners will spend Wednesday night in a golden room, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the competition floor, rubberized floors, a hanging rope ladder and lamp rings.
“It’s like a golden room that’s also connected to gymnastics,” said Leo Tristão, the Brazil country manager for Airbnb. “That’s why you see the mat, and the bed is actually looking at the court where the gymnastics will be performing. It is a combination of the gymnastics atmosphere but also the golden aspect of winning a gold medal during the Olympic Games.”
The winners will be hosted by Brazilian gymnasts Diego and Daniele Hypolito. The siblings will give the winner a private training session on Barra Beach. Also included in the package is a guided tour of the venue, seats for the rhythmic gymnastics qualifier and a spa session.
The contest, which ends on Saturday, has drawn entrants from all over the world, Tristão said, just as one did to spend a night in the Catacombs in Paris.
Tristão said the company wants to develop the connection between Airbnb and the Olympic Games. Already, the company has more than 30,000 guests from 94 countries – led by Brazil and the United States, in that order – scheduled to travel to the Olympics in August.
“For the winners, of course we want them to really lead unique and local experiences in Rio during the trials,” said Tristão. “I think for Airbnb, and we are one of the partners for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and we want really to promote that connection between Airbnb and the Olympic Games. It is one unique moment. We are ready to welcome anyone coming to Rio to participate and to be living the moment during the Games.”