8482 TRAVEL TRAVEL ++ LEISURE / JANUARY 2017LEISURE / JANUARY 2017
BEYOND
Spotlighta secret tunnel emerging at the
Los Angeles Convention Center from
The Dark Night Rises (2012); Se7en (1995),
Inception (2010), The Prestige (2006),
The Big Lebowski (1998), Godzilla (1998)—
such varying interpretations of this one
street in the city. The press check-in was
at the Globe Theater where we were
handed wifi passwords and refreshments.
A couple blocks, at the Orpheum Theater,
Brian Chesky, CEO Airbnb, was about
to reveal something big. You couldn’t
imagine how the beige stately exterior of
the building burst into snazzy fl uorescent
purples, pinks, blues, and reds inside—
taking you back to the burlesque and
vaudeville of the ‘20s. Hand-painted
dome ceilings were adorned with intricate
carvings, crystal chandeliers lit up the
multi-foyer halls, and heavy curtains
draped the frescoed walls. Even with
an empty stage, the theatre had enough
drama to leave me starry-eyed.DAY 4 DAY WITH CITY HOSTS
My Airbnb experience would
have been incomplete without spending
a day exchanging anecdotes with a city
insider. I was going to meet Alexandra
Constantinides, who works with Airbnb,
at her adorable LA home at Glendale
Boulevard for a lesson in pottery—it
turned out to be so much more than that.
I was welcomed with a warm hug and
led to her backyard where seven other
travellers, from completely diff erent
parts of the world, sat under a sun
umbrella eating fresh fruits. I switched
off my phone and joined them on the
grass fl oor in a circle, Alexandra behind
me, two bottles of local Tequila in each
hand. The start was almost ritualistic, but
if it involved Tequila, I was game. UnderFrom above:
Orpheum Theater;
Lady Gaga;
Maroon 5;
An Airbnb
residence; a
musician plays the
violin at the Airbnb
Open 2016; a DJ
kickstarts the
celebrations at the
event. Opposite: An
interactive art kiosk
at the festival.“Today Airbnb is launching TRIPS,
bringing together where you stay,
what you do, and the people you meet all
in one place. We want to make travel magical
again.”—Brian Chesky, CEO, Airbnb