When I signed up for an Airbnb experience with Brooklyn Beckham, I'll be honest: I didn't know what I would be walking into.
Titled "Plan a summer party with Brooklyn Peltz Beckham," the description was simple: "Craft drinks, eats, and good vibes with the culinary tastemaker behind Cloud23."
Sounds easy enough, but would Brooklyn engage with the guests, would he actually give a cooking demonstration, and what are the party vibes for the son of David and Victoria Beckham?
The experience was $130 and details of the location (a stunning home in the Bird Streets neighborhood) were kept secret all the way until we arrived via shuttle bus which collected guests at a valet lot off Sunset Boulevard. I was one of five guests, and the intimate group hinted at what was to come: an afternoon of cocktails and good conversation, with a host who was fully engaged and ready to talk.
Upon arrival Brooklyn – in jeans and shirt, with a backwards baseball cap – welcomed us into the home with a strong handshake, and the conversation among the group, two women from San Francisco, a DJ from Colorado and a truck driver from LA whose idol was David, quickly turned to accents.
From there, the discussions varied but Brooklyn, and friend Debbie Matenopoulos, the party planner, were always in the center.
It surprised me; the soft-spoken 26-year-old has, perhaps unfairly, received a reputation of being happy to coast on his famous last name, shying away from hard work and getting trolled for his cooking attempts on social media.
His hot sauce line Cloud 23 was, he says, a four-year long project that finally came to fruition in 2024, and it was frustrating for him to be working quietly behind-the-scenes on a passion project when in public the allegations were that he did nothing.
© Rebecca LewisBut it's clear Brooklyn is a foodie, something he says has always been part of him, and he has a list a mile long of his favorite foods, favorite drinks, favorite Napa wineries, and his plans for the hot sauce line.
Yet if there was one thing I took away from the experience, it was just how much Brooklyn loves his wife.
© InstagramAlthough he didn't always name her directly, every other sentence began with the words "my wife," or "my wife and I," and it was clear he was very close with her extended family; Cloud 23 is entirely kosher, and will continue to be in the future to honor theirJewish heritage.
Los Angeles is Brooklyn and Nicola's home now, and they recently purchased a home in the nearby Hills. There, they are spending time with their four dogs – Lamb, Label, Birdie, and Angel, all of which were adopted from shelters – and Brooklyn has been working on a Harley Davidson chopper motorcycle, which he recently finished restoring.
© Rebecca LewisIt has also allowed him to build a strong friendship with chef Aaron May, who has appeared on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and has been a contestant and judge on Guy Fieri's Guy's Grocery Games.
Together, the pair created the dinner menu with Aaron talking us through his personal recipe for the perfect chimichurri, which Brooklyn helped to make in front of us.
Over dinner – California tri-tip with grilled corn pudding and vegetables, and an olive oil cake for dessert – Brooklyn spoke in depth about the intricate process of building his own company and how the packaging design was the step that took the longest. Fun fact, he arrived at the name Cloud 23 because at time he was on cloud nine in his life, and 23 was the age he was when he got married, as well as the day of the month he proposed to Nicola.
© Rebecca LewisBut we also discussed tattoos, (he doesn't have any he regrets, and at last count he had 170,) growing up with dogs (we both had cocker spaniels as children), and how he his ultimate desire is to open his own winery in Napa with enough land for Nicola to not only rescue as many dogs as possible but for them to also raise miniature cattle.
© Rebecca LewisAirbnb Experiences are not new, but a 2025 relaunch has seen the company place a bigger focus on unique opportunities for tourists to really get to know a new city through "locals who know their city best".
Although a fun way to spend my afternoon, I didn't learn anything new about Los Angeles from this experience, but I do have a new appreciation for the eldest Beckham.
