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Barns, boats, castles on Airbnb are a hit with Brits this summer

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Key Takeaways

  • Between 2019 and 2021, nights booked at unique properties on Airbnb have increased globally by nearly 50 per cent and by an astonishing 113 per cent in the UK in 2021 alone
  • Top destinations for unique stays in the UK this summer include Stoke-on-Trent, Scarborough and Cardiff
  • Hosts with unique listings earned a combined total of over £134 million in the UK in 2021

Key Takeaways

  • Between 2019 and 2021, nights booked at unique properties on Airbnb have increased globally by nearly 50 per cent and by an astonishing 113 per cent in the UK in 2021 alone
  • Top destinations for unique stays in the UK this summer include Stoke-on-Trent, Scarborough and Cardiff
  • Hosts with unique listings earned a combined total of over £134 million in the UK in 2021

From domes and windmills to lighthouses and trains, unique spaces on Airbnb have been a hit with guests for well over a decade. Today, new data from Airbnb has revealed just how popular these unique spaces are in the UK and beyond. In the past two years alone, from 2019 to 2021, nights booked at unique properties in the UK have increased by over 113 per cent.

Through Airbnb Categories, which launched this May, it is easier than ever for guests to search unique listing types, discovering unique homes and Hosts they may have otherwise overlooked. A brand new OMG! Category, which has been clicked on over 2.5 million times since launch, also showcases the most unusual of all unique homes on the platform, such as this UFO in Wales.

In the UK, the new data also reveals some surprising corners of the country that are most popular with guests, who are in search of quirky or unusual space types. Top of the trending list is Stoke-on-Trent, a destination that is attracting curious visitors with its impressive selection of barn conversions in the surrounding countryside. A closer look at unique homes reveals how these listing types have become favourites, for both guests and Hosts alike.

Top trending destinations for unique listings in the UK this summer

  • Stoke-on-Trent
  • Scarborough
  • Cardiff
  • Paignton
  • Isle of Lewis
  • Bideford
  • Newcastle upon Tyne
  • Birmingham
  • Newtown
  • Southampton

In addition, in 2021, total earnings for unique stays were higher than for regular listings, with unique listings earning nearly $1 billion on the platform globally. In the UK that figure is over £134 million – representing over 10 per cent of the global figure.

Top earning space types in the UK in 2021

  • Barns: almost £11k
  • Huts: over £6K
  • Castles: over £14K
  • Windmills: over £16K
  • Domes: over £7k
  • Earth houses: over £11K
  • Farmstays: almost £8K
  • Houseboats: almost £6K
  • Lighthouse: almost £14K 
  • Treehouses: over £11K

While barns and farm stays thrive on Airbnb – and are among the top 10 most booked unique listing types in the UK in 2021 – it’s tiny homes that take the top spot for Brits. In 2021, almost 250,000 nights in the UK were booked in tiny homes alone, with Hosts of tiny homes in the UK collectively earning over £20m last year alone.  

Airbnb has also revealed the top Most Wishlisted Unique listings in the UK for 2022 so far, with the full wishlist here. 

Most wishlisted unique homes in the UK for 2022

And around the world, the most wishlisted unique homes for all-time range from a rainforest treehouse in Costa Rica, to a castle in Ireland.

Most wishlisted unique homes around the world for all-time

Host Patrick from Suffolk explains the appeal of unique listings and how the popularity of his windmill has impacted his life: “When we bought our property two years ago, we immediately decided to make the Roundhouse, a former windmill, a guesthouse. Little did we know it would be this popular with people near and far.

“People really love the quirkiness, the original structures, the cosy fireplace, and all that combined with modern elements. We are solidly booked for the summer, but even as far ahead as Christmas is almost fully booked. We feel extremely lucky to have the Roundhouse. Not only does it provide extra income to help with holidays abroad, but we also get to meet people from all over the world.”

The OMG! Category even inspired a first-of-its-size $10,000,000 OMG! Fund, which will help 100 people by giving them $100,000 each to build the world’s craziest spaces, turning off-beat musings into real-life places. Hosts or prospective Hosts who have been sitting on a unique listing idea have a shot at turning their best ideas into reality.

For anyone now interested in hosting this summer, there is still time: New listings that were activated and booked in Q1 2022 are getting booked faster compared to a year ago and prospective Hosts can learn more about how much they could earn by sharing their space on Airbnb through the What’s My Place Worth tool. The interactive tool computes the estimated income based on geography, type of listing, and also uses prior Airbnb booking data in the area. For more information, visit Airbnb.com/host. 

ENDS

Notes to Editors

All homes in this press release are intended purely to inspire and illustrate. Airbnb does not recommend or endorse these listings or any other homes on the platform.

This press release encourages safe and responsible travel. Local and international travel requirements, as well as health guidelines, continue to change quickly. Check local restrictions at home and in your destination before booking a trip on Airbnb.

UK Hosts on Airbnb collectively earned more than £1.5 billion last year – £668 million of which was over the summer months – with the typical Host earning just over £6,000. The typical income of £6,000 represents approximately two months of pay for the median UK household.

Airbnb Categories

Airbnb’s Summer Release unveiled a new way to search designed around Airbnb Categories, making it easy to discover millions of unique homes you never knew existed. When you open Airbnb, you’re presented with 56 categories that organise homes based on their style, location, or proximity to a travel activity. When you search for a destination, your search results are also organised by categories that are relevant to that destination. As you view different categories, the map intelligently zooms to show you where the homes are located. The 56 Airbnb Categories include more than 4 million unique homes that are made possible by our Hosts all around the world. Airbnb Categories organise homes by what makes them unique, which helps people discover places they wouldn’t have otherwise found. This can help alleviate over-tourism by redistributing travel to new locations beyond the same popular destinations.

About Airbnb

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million Hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, Hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

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