AirBnB Will Let Users Vacation In Middle-Earth
Bilbo’s not at home, so fans of the Lord of the Rings can spend a night in Bag End — or more accurately, the Hobbiton set that Peter Jackson had built in New Zealand for the filming of his beloved adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkein’s landmark fantasy trilogy. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, fans of all things related to Lord of the Rings will soon be able to rent out the original Hobbiton movie set on Airbnb.
Yes, you heard that right: the movie set that was prominently featured in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (though not Amazon’s The Rings of Power) is now featured on Airbnb. It’s a rustic-yet-cozy countryside town, that manages to seem separate from the dangers and hardships throughout the rest of Middle Earth. Both trilogies begin with Gandalf visiting the area specifically to visit Bilbo Baggins — first to convince him to steal treasure from the dragon Smaug, and later to celebrate his eleventy-first birthday (and help him sneakily leave the town with the intent of never returning).
With the shire’s famed distrust of outsiders, you’d think they’d have stricter rules against short-term rentals. But until the hobbit HOA gets its CC&Rs fixed, up to four Lord of the Rings fans at a time will be able to book two-night Airbnb stays at the on-set millhouse, complete with furniture curated by art director Brian Massey and a writing nook for you to compose your tale about going there and back again.
Guests will also get access to multiple Lord of the Rings locations set up across the shire, including 44 hobbit holes, which each Airbnb guest getting a personal one for relaxation. Guests will also have second breakfast and elevenses served daily, and an evening banquet served at the Green Dragon Inn. Guests will also be given a private behind-the-scenes tour of the movie set, giving film fans up-close insight into how the legendary trilogy (and its… decent prequel trilogy) were made.
Of course, if you want to rent the place, you’re going to have to be extremely lucky. The Lord of the Rings set will only be bookable for a total of three two-night stays via Airbnb. The dates for those stays are March 2 through March 4, March 9 through March 11, and March 16 through March 18. The listing makes it very clear that it’s not a contest, but with as many people who will be vying for a spot when reservations open, it might as well be a raffle or a lottery.
Thankfully, those Lord of the Rings fans who aren’t lucky enough to book an Airbnb stay on the movie set can still visit the area. The Hobbiton movie set is open to visitors seven days a week and can be booked for private events such as weddings, banquets, or birthday parties. The Millhouse and Green Dragon Inn can similarly be booked for private dining experiences, receptions, and corporate meetings.
Anyone with aspirations of sleeping on the Lord of the Rings set will have to visit Airbnb on December 13. Bookings open at 1 p.m.
