Don't stay in a boring hotel on your next vacation, take a look at some remarkably strange but cool Airbnb homes you can rent instead.
My title is Senior Features Writer, which is a license to write about absolutely anything if I can connect it to technology (I can). I’ve been at PCMag since 2011 and have covered the surveillance state, vaccination cards, ghost guns, voting, ISIS, art, fashion, film, design, gender bias, and more. You might have seen me on TV talking about these topics or heard me on your commute home on the radio or a podcast. Or maybe you’ve just seen my Bernie meme.
Taking time off can give you some perspective on life that's easily lost when you're caught up in the day-to-day. Freed from your usual concerns and constraints, you can get back in touch with what it means to be you. Or you can play out what it would be like to take a completely different path.
That's especially the case if you stay in an Airbnb that goes beyond the routine. The home rental site has some really unusual finds that can let you live out a lifestyle completely different than your own. The fastest way to find these is by going to its OMG section(Opens in a new window) , a place where you can find some rentals that are truly out of this world, as in more than one spaceship you can stay in. It's sure to go beyond the galaxy in creativity, as Airbnb is sorting through entries to give future hosts $100,000(Opens in a new window) to build some extraordinary structures.
But there are plenty of stunning spaces to stay in that are found elsewhere on Airbnb's site. Fortunately, we did a bit of virtual vacationing for you, scrolling through places we'd love to stay and putting them here so you can book them.
Maybe you want to run a bookshop for a week, be a part of an undersea world (on dry land), inhabit a Hobbit house, sleep under the stars high up in a tree, or pool your funds with friends to pretend you're pashas. We've got them all and more. Choose one and then don't forget to send us a postcard!
This hippie dream of a house(Opens in a new window) was conceived of as a seafaring sort of unicorn, though its home is in the woods high above Austin. The entire home, inside and out, evokes nature, not some square building. And it's in harmony with the surroundings. Even so, there are all the modern amenities you could want on the premises.
You can have an entire UFO(Opens in a new window) to yourself, no little green men to worry about, in southwest Wales. The interior has a very retro-futurism vibe to it. For bathroom facilities, you'll have to venture outside to another building on the property. Just beware of any flashing lights in the sky if you go in the dark of night.
Yabba dabba do you ever want to stay in this house(Opens in a new window) that looks like it's carved of stone. It was made by sculptors in the 80s and is set in Pownal, Vermont. Despite owing its look to a certain Stone Age family's residence(Opens in a new window) , it has high-speed Wi-Fi and a washer and dryer(Opens in a new window) .
Live the life aquatic(Opens in a new window) in this yellow submarine(Opens in a new window) in New Zealand. It's outfitted comfortably for a metal vessel, with everything you need for an overnight stay including entertainment options. Which is handy, as your phone is not going to work inside what is essentially a Faraday cage of a residence.
Feel some of the fellowship of the ring in Wee Nook(Opens in a new window) which is nestled in the woods of Tennessee. It's as cozy as can be with a living roof, edible plants, and an outdoor fire pit. While you're out, you might see the horses, goats, Highland cows, and the dog that roam the property. Bring along activities Frodo would enjoy because there's no internet and barely any phone service.
If you love trains, you couldn't engineer a better place to stay than in Caboose #3(Opens in a new window) at the Apple Ridge Farm Caboose Bed & Breakfast. It's comfortably outfitted with a queen-size bed, a futon, and a table for two. It sits on a property with two other train cars and near four miles of hiking trails.
It's the pirate's life for you aboard this cabin(Opens in a new window) that sleeps six mates. It's decked out with seafaring details inside and out. Just like life on the high seas, though, there's some amount of roughing it. You'll need to bring your own bed linens and there's no Wi-Fi. But there is phone service, so you can post all your Pirates of the Caribbean-themed selfies before you disembark.
For those who want to relive the Cold War there's, well, the news, but also this missile silo(Opens in a new window) that you can stay in. Oh, and did we mention that it's in Roswell? It has a launch control center and a utility tunnel. You can go 186 feet under the earth. There's a floor with a full home's worth of Americana-themed décor, including a kitchen and bath.
This mushroom-shaped house(Opens in a new window) in Chiang Mai, Thailand, is made of earth. It may make you feel like a small blue Belgian creature, particularly because it's along a path of other similar structures. But its original intended purpose was to be a minimal space for meditation. Outside, there's an organic herb and vegetable garden for guests to use as they like and a grill to prepare any harvest on.
Spice up your life! This is the Spice Bus(Opens in a new window) from Spice World. It's no longer on the road but is parked on the Isle of Wight. The outside of the bus is just as you remember it, but the inside has been redone to maximize comfort while still maintaining fandom touches. Kitchen and bathroom facilities are next to but not on the bus. There is an on-bus makeover station, though.
Ignore the connotations that the name Birdbox(Opens in a new window) might have. This is not a place to hide out from the apocalypse but to let it go. You'll get back to nature but won't have to sleep too close to it in this modern cube that offers a glamping experience in Norway.
Running a bookstore seems charming unless you have to deal with all the real-world concerns. But if you're just doing it for a week or so, it's a vacation. The Open Book(Opens in a new window) is the perfect way to cosplay a small-town shopkeeper in Scotland. You'll get to stay in the apartment above the store and will run the shop with the help of volunteers.
Look at this trove, treasures untold. How many wonders can one cavern hold? Plenty if they're The Seashell House(Opens in a new window) , a spellbinding home in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. The shell-shaped and shell-filled house has a gorgeous pool so bring a mermaid tail.
The expense and work it would take to renovate a home that could appear in Architectural Digest is far too much. But you can just stay in The Filomena(Opens in a new window) , which has already appeared on its pages. It has six bedrooms and seven baths, a chef's kitchen, and fireplaces. It's located in the Berkshires and is a two-minute walk to a charming town.
Is there any dwelling more magical or romantic than this treehouse tucked away in Atlanta(Opens in a new window) ? It's just nine minutes from downtown, but you'd probably never leave. It has three spaces: mind (an antique-bedecked sitting room), body (a beautiful bedroom), and spirit (a hammock deck that surrounds a 165-year-old southern short-leaf pine tree).
You're the king of your castle, even if that's a studio apartment. But you could be the king of a real castle in Scotland(Opens in a new window) if you book this stay. It has three royal-looking bedrooms, a movie room, a tower, and a rooftop terrace.
Mamma mia, here we go again. This Greek home(Opens in a new window) is perched on a cliff. It's majorly modern inside and has a balcony outside that you'll want to spend sunset on. Breakfast is provided at a nearby café. There are no promises that you'll run into Meryl Streep.
Kanazawa is known for its arts and handicrafts and those are on display in an art installation in this Japanese townhome(Opens in a new window) . It has a Western-style bedroom, a traditional Japanese-style dining area, and a Hinoki soaking tub.
Sure living in Brooklyn is nice, but what if it was aboard a yacht? Even better. It's not a lifestyle many can afford but you can spend a night or two living it on The Crown Goose(Opens in a new window) . This beautifully appointed yacht sits near Brooklyn Bridge Park, so you can walk to restaurants and shops and then return to your luxury home to look at the Manhattan skyline.
Forget tilting at windmills, stay in one instead. This beautiful mill(Opens in a new window) is located on a picturesque property in Portugal. A bedroom with a king-sized bed has an incredible sea view and when you're at sea level, you can walk among the fruit trees and flowers.
You can record the album you've always wanted to in this barn home(Opens in a new window) in Woodstock, NY. It has a recording studio, a Steinway grand piano, Pearl drums, an Access Virus synth, a Casio electric piano, guitar and bass amps, a simple Yamaha mixer, and powered PA monitors. There are three bedrooms and three baths in the main house and a bedroom and bath in the guest cottage that the music studio is in, so all your band members can stay.
Just a half hour's drive from where Georgia O'Keefe called home is this Ojo Caliente home(Opens in a new window) that fits its surroundings perfectly. The landscape is spectacular, but so is the interior of the house, which is filled with natural materials. There is a mineral springs spa nearby if relaxing in a desert oasis gets to be too taxing.
This conical accommodation is a trullo(Opens in a new window) . Trulli are common to the Apulia region in Italy, which is where this one is located, not far from beaches or forest walks. If you weren't already really truly in love with it, there's a swimming pool and pond on the property.
Live it up like Anna Delvey at La Mamounia(Opens in a new window) (um, with paying the bill though) at this bed and breakfast in Marrakesh(Opens in a new window) . The room is gorgeous and you have access to the garden. The market is a short walk away.
You could buy an Airstream, painstakingly renovate it, and then save up to find a hilltop spot above LA to park it permanently. Or you could just stay here(Opens in a new window) . This Echo Park-based Airstream is pristine, has a full kitchen and bathroom, and gives you a fabulous view of Los Angeles.
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My title is Senior Features Writer, which is a license to write about absolutely anything if I can connect it to technology (I can). I’ve been at PCMag since 2011 and have covered the surveillance state, vaccination cards, ghost guns, voting, ISIS, art, fashion, film, design, gender bias, and more. You might have seen me on TV talking about these topics or heard me on your commute home on the radio or a podcast. Or maybe you’ve just seen my Bernie meme.
I strive to explain topics that you might come across in the news but not fully understand, such as NFTs and meme stocks. I’ve had the pleasure of talking tech with Jeff Goldblum, Ang Lee, and other celebrities who have brought a different perspective to it. I put great care into writing gift guides and am always touched by the notes I get from people who’ve used them to choose presents that have been well-received. Though I love that I get to write about the tech industry every day, it’s touched by gender, racial, and socioeconomic inequality and I try to bring these topics to light.
Outside of PCMag, I write fiction, poetry, humor, and essays on culture.
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