Skip to main content

Afraid of the dark? Then best you don’t enter Airbnb’s Halloween contest

airbnb dracula castle contest bran
Airbnb
If you enjoy having the bejeezus scared out of you, then an overnight stay at Dracula’s castle in Transylvania should be right up your alley.

Airbnb, which is offering the creepy accommodation as the top prize in a Halloween contest, will even put out a couple of velvet-lined coffins as beds, so if things get too scary you can at least pull the lid over till sunrise.

The two winners will be greeted at the doors of Bran Castle by Dacre Stoker, great-grandnephew of Dracula author Bram Stoker.

Located in the Carpathian mountains of Romania’s Transylvania region, the imposing castle was the inspiration for Dracula’s lair in the famous novel, penned in 1897.

Airbnb’s listing is in the usual style, though everything is crossed out in the amenities section. No, there’ll be no internet, no cable TV, and no hot tub. However, you will get dinner, described rather tantalizingly as a “hearty, blood-enriching meal.”

dracula-castle
Airbnb
Airbnb

You’re free to “explore the labyrinth of lamp-lit corridors, creepy nooks, and squeaky staircases while there is still light in the sky.” You can also “traipse through all 57 rooms, from lofty tower lookouts to deep dark crypts, and even enjoy an incomparable view of the Carpathians from the terrace as the sun makes its final descent.”

But take note: “Unexpected guests have been known to come knocking in the moonlit hours.”

The global contest runs until October 26. To enter, simply sign into Airbnb, go to this page and click on “enter to win.” You’ll then have to knock out a short message explaining what you’d say to the Count “if you were to come face-to-fang with him in his own castle.”

Last year Airbnb offered a likely much spookier overnight stay in Paris’s famous catacombs, dubbed “the world’s largest grave.” You did at least get a “real bed” to sleep in rather than a wooden coffin, but spending the night underground with a load of human skulls and bones must surely have made for an uncomfortable – if not terrifying – stay.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
How to enable picture-in-picture for YouTube on your Mac
Macbook Air

If you want to have a bit of music playing in the background or want to have your favorite YouTube video running in the corner of your screen, then the picture-in-picture YouTube feature needs to be on your radar. This allows you to turn your YouTube videos into a tiny pop-up window that can be moved and repositioned around your screen.

Mac users have several ways to activate the feature, including support on both Safari and Google Chrome. There's also a nifty Chrome extension that simplifies the task to a single button press. Here's a look at how to enable picture-in-picture for YouTube on your Mac.

Read more
How to change your Gmail password
pilot testing drivers licenses internet rolls two us states password

Changing your Gmail password is incredibly important for your online security. If you're anything like the average user, your Gmail account is linked to dozens of other organizations and programs – and if your account gets hacked, there's no telling what sort of damage can be done.

Because of this, it's crucial to change your Gmail password at regular intervals. Google makes this a rather painless process, and it should take no more than a few seconds from start to finish.

Read more
Best Buy deals: Save on laptops, TVs, appliances, and more
best buy shuts down insignia line smart home products store 2 768x768

Best Buy is always a great retailer to turn to if you’re looking for some savings. There are almost always Best Buy deals taking place on TVs, appliances, and devices we use to navigate the digital world. In fact, right now at Best Buy you can find some of the best TV deals, best laptop deals, and best phone deals that can be shopped, and we haven’t even mentioned the deals on tablets and home audio equipment currently taking place at Best Buy. We’ve rounded up all of the best Best Buy deals you can shop right now and categorized them for your convenience below, so read onward for some great opportunities to save.
Best Buy TV deals

There may be no better place to purchase one of the best TVs than Best Buy. There is almost always some huge savings to find on TVs at Best Buy, and that’s certainly the case right now. You’ll find deals top TV brands like Sony, Samsung, and LG, and more budget-friendly brands like TCL and Hisense are in play, too.

Read more