Positive reviews on Airbnb have never mattered more. Downton Abbey—well, Highclere Castle, technically—has just manifested on the site, offering a one-night-only stay for well-ranked guests.
Yes, that is Lady Carnarvon’s smiling face in that cheerful little host bubble, inviting you to the 1,000-acre, 17th-century estate where the show was filmed for the evening of November 26, 2019. She promises you will be “treated like royalty” during your stay, which includes cocktails in the saloon, dinner with the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon in the State Dining Room, coffee in the library, and finally, a nostalgic slumber in one of the 300-room property’s gallery bedrooms. (And, yes, there is butler service.)
The next morning, guests will enjoy a private tour of the grounds before departing with a “special gift” from the Carnarvons—the family that financed the discovery of Tutankhamun in 1920. But click quickly, as reservations will go live on October 1 at noon B.S.T. Only requests from those having a verified Airbnb profile with stellar reviews will be considered. (God forbid you left some crumbs on the counter at that apartment in Barcelona last summer!) And, significantly, requests should demonstrate your Downton Abbey obsession in some spectacular way. How does 1,500 words on the show’s treatment of inheritance law sound? —Ashley Baker
Highclere Castle will be available to book on Airbnb on October 1; prices begin at $160 for the one night (airbnb.com)
