Gone are the days of standardised hotels and conventional rooms: now it’s time for originality! Airbnb is the leading platform for booking holidays of all kinds, and knows what it’s doing when it comes to offering unusual accommodation.
All you have to do is browse the Airbnb website for a few minutes to come across some unique offers. Airbnb regularly focuses its advertising on these distinctive accommodations to attract customers looking for the most original experiences. From Shrek’s house in Highland in Scotland to Barbie’s house in Malibu in the United States, not forgetting Bilbo the Hobbit’s house in the Waikato region of New Zealand or the house up there in New Mexico, the rental platform often offers ultra-ephemeral stays in the form of competitions.
These competitions are often linked to the 7th art form, which attracts a wide range of customer profiles… but that’s not all. Other unusual short-lived Airbnb experiences include the Salon de l’Horloge at the Musée d’Orsay, converted into a bedroom for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, an escape to the former El Bulli restaurant in Gejone (Spain), which became a museum in 2023 and was renamed elBulli1846, or a night in the trophy room at the Ferrari museum in Italy.
In addition to these experiences from the ‘iconic nights’ programme, Airbnb is unveiling a number of puzzling and unusual accommodations in the four corners of the world, which can be booked throughout the year. Let’s take a look at five that we’re sure you won’t be indifferent to.
The Sin Suite: a unique and ultra-artistic setting
Heading for Haarlem, in the Netherlands. The Sin Suite stands out for its design, dreamt up by a couple of artists over a period of three years. Here, all the senses are in focus. The walls are adorned with colourful mosaics and faceted ball diamonds. The bathroom shower is revealed beneath an octopus, while the bed is surrounded by decor that oscillates between psychedelic and pop art. The accommodation even includes a jacuzzi and sauna. The eyes drown in the multitude of details, colours and light effects. A real nugget like few others.
Sleep in a bunker
In New Mexico, in the United States, a flat evokes an apocalyptic military era that we wish we’d never experienced. The flat is located in a former underground missile launch control centre on a base. The utilitarian tunnel that leads to the Missile Silo is almost 186 feet deep and opens onto the various spaces of the historic site. An American-style bunker to try out and visit once in your life.
A night in a flying saucer
Back to the future. In Washington, in the United States, you can sleep in an alien UFO… or at least a reproduction of one! This 1960s dwelling, surrounded by greenery, has been given a retro futuristic look. Between the Star Wars robot R2-D2, the frames evoking space and the pilot centre, it’s hard not to be transported by this spaceship to the infinite and beyond!
The beautiful star in a cave
You’ll have to hike 500 metres through the scrubland of Calvi, in Corsica, France, to discover this cave with the gentle name of Clos du Mouflon. No unnecessary frills, the stay promises to be simple. You’ll find a terrace shaded by juniper trees, a double bed, dry toilets and a solar shower. That’s all there is to it. But if you come to this accommodation, it’s for its unbeatable view of the sea and the region. It’s enough to make you feel alone in the world…
A little altitude
Göppingen, Germany. This perched cabin is an architectural gem. With a look worthy of a retro/futuristic film, this AirLoft combines elegance, design and purity. Bathed in light, the accommodation is built around a bed coiled in a grey structure like a pebble. Everything you need to relax and enjoy nature in a place that has nothing to envy from top-of-the-range hotels.
Read also: The most beautiful hotels in Antibes
Featured photo: © Airbnb
