A view of the Moulin Rouge in Paris. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
A view of the Moulin Rouge in Paris. Photo: Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images.

Among the hundreds of thousands of visitors to Paris each year who attend the historic Moulin Rouge cabaret in the charming district of Montmatre, few of them dream of actually getting a chance to spend the night there.

But for the first time ever this June, Airbnb is offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do just that—and all for the low, low price of just €1. 

A special boudoir has been prepared in the iconic red mill for which the house is named in a secluded room never before opened to the public. The doors to the hideaway will be opened by lead Moulin Rouge dancer Claudine Van Den Bergh with an apéritif served on the private rooftop terrace that comes complete with its own elegant pagoda. A three-course meal will be prepared by resident chef Arnaud Demerville. 

With the help of Jean-Claude Yon, a historian of 19th-century France, the interior of the room has been recreated to mimic the opulence of the Belle Époque. Among its features are glamorous outfits and accessories and a miniature paper stage recreating the cabaret.

“The Belle Époque era was a time when French culture and arts flourished—and no landmark is more iconic to that period than the Moulin Rouge,” Yon said. 

Front-row seats, backstage access with a private tour, and the chance to meet the cast of Féerie, the show performed at the historic venue, are among the perks that the lucky guests can look forward to. 

The Moulin Rouge, a decadent symbol of the Belle Époque era, is opening for just three individual one-night stays for two guests each on June 13, 20, and 27. Requests to book the room can be made on Airbnb’s website from May 17.

Entertainment entrepreneurs Joseph Oller and Charles-Joseph Zidler built the Moulin Rouge in 1889, and used it as a place for lively parties. Most beloved by the crowds was the energetic, racy French Cancan dance. The house also became a site of inspiration for artists of the era, including Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec, who drew its posters.  

After a devastating fire in 1915, the house was rebuilt and served as a dance club and cabaret throughout the 20th century. Since 1999, it has staged the revue show Féerie, which entertains audiences with a troupe of 80 artists wearing lavishly risqué outfits adorned with feathers, sequins, and rhinestones.