Romans Are Not Happy With Airbnb’s New ‘Gladiator’ Experience at the Colosseum
Airbnb is hosting a real-life Gladiator experience at the Colosseum, and locals are not entertained.
Last month, the home-sharing platform announced it would be opening the doors to the legendary arena in Rome as part of its Icons program. Fans of the original movie—or the newly released Ridley Scott sequel—won’t actually be sleeping inside the ancient amphitheater. Instead, they’ll have the option of booking a one-, two-, or three-hour immersive excursion for up to 16 guests where they’ll face off against one another and reenact an authentic gladiatorial show. Did we mention it’s also free? Minus the cost of travel to and from Italy.
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“Warriors will have the opportunity to step inside the historic arena once traversed by victorious fighters, suit up in historically accurate armor, and put their skills to the test to determine their fate in battle,” Airbnb said in a press statement.
The initiative, which is slated to take place over the course of two days in May, is being spearheaded by Airbnb in collaboration with the Colosseum Archaeological Park. To get the venue ready for visitors, the booking site has already donated a whopping $1.5 million to restore a permanent exhibition within the landmark. Despite initial excitement from fans, the experience has sparked backlash among locals who are concerned about protecting the monument.
“We’re against transforming the Colosseum into a theme park,” Massimiliano Smeriglio, a member of Rome’s City Council, told The New York Times. “We’re all in favor if a company decides to sponsor a monument or a restoration but it shouldn’t be necessary to get anything in exchange.” Smeriglio also wrote in a post on Instagram that he sent a letter to the CEO of Airbnb to call off the show.
Airbnb has maintained that the experience is part of its commitment to “revitalize heritage tourism in Europe,” noting that the company has already given over $10 million to heritage associations across the country. However, Romans remained concerned about mass tourism the implications of using the Colosseum as what some have called a “publicity stunt.”
This isn’t the first time Italians have had beef with the homestay site, either. In 2023, Airbnb agreed to fork over $621 million to settle a dispute over unpaid taxes. The country is also cracking down on short-term rentals near historic centers.
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