September 30,2022

FAO Schwarz Is Now a $25 Airbnb Listing—But There’s a Catch

by David Stewart

You can book pretty much any type of stay on Airbnb these days—tree houses, yurts, the last remaining Blockbuster and, now, New York City’s FAO Schwarz. This holiday season, the legendary toy store will become the city’s most exclusive slumber party venue, complete with a tour by one of the store’s signature toy soldiers and a chance to live out your Big dreams with a music lesson on the giant dance-on piano mat.

If it sounds too good to be true, that’s because it kind of is. The $25 experience will be available to just one NYC-based family of four, with the listing going live here on December 15 at 12 ET, and the one-night stay taking place on December 21. The lucky family will spend the evening touring the 20,000-square-foot space, embarking on an Airbnb-funded shopping spree, and choosing from a range of sleeping spaces, including a round bed flanked by a giant teddy bear and a set of bunk beds equipped with a slide.

The lucky family will dine inside the toy store.

The guests will also sit down for dinner in a cozy, holiday-ready dining room surrounded by FAO Schweetz confections, and will fill the rest of their stay with a session in the on-site Build-a-Bear Workshop, a science experiment guided by an FAO Schwarz professor, and a chance to build remote-controlled cars that can then be raced through the halls of the store.

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Just as important as this opportunity to roam the halls of FAO Schwarz without being crushed by hordes of shoppers is the fact that the entire experience will take place under careful COVID-19 precautions. The entire space will be cleaned in accordance with CDC protocols, and the family’s toy soldier tour guide will stay masked and socially distanced. Additionally, if the sleepover has to be canceled due to COVID, the family will receive a $1,000 Airbnb voucher and FAO Schwarz store credit.

While one family is living every child’s wildest dreams, the rest of us will have another chance to harness a slice of that magic with the toy store’s virtual Airbnb experiences. Among these are a storytime session with a toy soldier, a magic lesson from FAO Schwarz’s Professor Abracadabra, and a slime-making demonstration from Professor Atlas. Those experiences are available to book here starting December 9.

  • David Stewart
  • September 30,2022

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