Our Top 10 Unique Airbnb Locations

My husband and I love staying in unique spots when we travel, but hotels don’t typically offer much in the way of unique accommodations that are off the beaten path.   Part of what makes the travel experience enjoyable for us is interacting with our Airbnb host and learning about the local vibe from them.  Here are our top 10 most unique and enjoyable Airbnb stays, in no particular order.  Airbnb now also offers an “Experience” option which lets you book things like cooking classes, art workshops, and all kinds of adventure tours with locals.  We have yet to try one but hope to soon.

Are you new to the Airbnb platform or just want to understand what to look for when booking?  Check out this advice from an Airbnb Superhost:  8 Essential Tips For Booking on Airbnb.

Seneca, South Carolina

An impressive treehouse that is on a permaculture farm located right on Lake Hartwell. We loved being able to enjoy nature and enjoy kayaking on the lake, while learning a little about sustainable farming practices in the process.  The resident border collie, Malcolm, will play fetch with you for hours on end!

New Orleans, Louisiana

This house was immaculately clean and a fun, quirky place to stay.  The host offered free bikes which we used to head to the tourist areas like Bourbon St.  Great location and an incredibly comfortable bed!

Carolina Beach, North Carolina

This was a shipping container converted into a living space.  It was located about 2 blocks from the beach and was pet-friendly.  We enjoyed experiencing a new type of living arrangement here and seeing how creatively they made use of all the space available.  You can read more about our stay here.

Copenhagen, Denmark

This beautiful room was so comfortable.  The hosts thought of everything including snacks, and the bathroom was HUGE!  This stay also included free bikes and was within easy walking distance of the metro.

Golden, British Columbia

This is a great place for heli-skiing but we went in the warmer weather. Hard to beat these views. Nice game room with a pool table and it’s so quiet and relaxed with a barrel sauna out back. Beware of bears. We booked this on Airbnb but I can’t seem to find that link. You can book direct on their website and prices are fairly reasonable for that area.

Roslyn, Washington

This is a room in the Spruce Moose Inn.  This is a charming tiny town that was the setting for the show, Northern Exposure, and also for the 1st episode of Man in the High Castle.  I stayed here with a friend while we were on a road trip in the Pacific Northwest and we loved the peace and quiet, and how friendly everyone in the town was.

Marrakesh, Morocco

It is hard to put into words how much we enjoyed our stay in Morocco, and this accommodation was a big part of that.  Vincent and his wife were such kind hosts and made sure we felt comfortable with navigating our way through the city and all the markets.  Their Riad Dar Tayib was a true oasis and had stunning rooms.  They provide dinner and wine at an extra cost – definitely take advantage of this delicious home cooking, the traditional mint tea, and their tasty breakfast offerings.

Spring Mills, Pennsylvania

Great location not far from Penn State University.   It’s definitely a little drive into the country and we enjoyed being in this quiet area.  Though the hosts are not Amish, they provided us with home-baked Amish goodies like Whoopie pies for our journey home.  It’s an idyllic setting with a small creek running through the backyard.  A nice relaxing place to stay!

Oskaloosa, Kansas

This was a charming Apple Cottage on a farm right outside Lawrence, Kansas (home of the University of Kansas, my alma mater).  The bed was one of the most comfortable I’ve ever slept in and there was a wood stove and down comforter for the cold Midwest winters.  The unique part of this one was that they had a composting toilet for use outside!  This was my first time using one of those, and I was surprised that it had no smell – much nicer than a porta-potty!   There is also a standard shower and toilet in the main house in case you’re not feeling like using the composting toilet.  Be sure to pet the kitties that roam around outside!

Boone, North Carolina

Wow, what a beautiful home!  We rented this entire place for a family weekend in Boone and it was the perfect space.  If you’re coming in the winter, be aware that you WILL need a 4WD vehicle to get up the steep hill, as we couldn’t make it up in our car when the road was icy.  There was so much room here and the views were spectacular, not to mention the bonus of being located fairly close to Appalachian State University which is my husband’s alma mater.

I love that all of our experiences with Airbnb have been unique and that each host has helped us learn about the local area.  We still have a bunch of homes that are on our bucket list to see someday – they’re listed below!

• Earthship – Taos, New Mexico
• Hobbit House – Weaverville, North Carolina
• Airplane Hangar – Geneva, Florida
• Cottage – Paonia, Colorado
• Dog Bark Park Inn – Cottonwood, Idaho
• Igloo by the Sea – Queensland, Australia
• Riverside House – Bangkok, Thailand
• Castle – Galway, Ireland

What do you think, do any of these Airbnb’s pique your interest?

Before you go, you might also want to check out my Top 18 Travel Resources!

Have you stayed in a unique accommodation on your travels?  If so, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Emily