by Suman Gupta
- From 2019 to 2021, nights booked at unique properties in India have increased by more than 30 percent.
- Unique Hosts in India collectively earned nearly INR 250 million in 2021.
- Farmstays are the most-booked unique listing type in India, with more than 30,000 nights booked at Indian farmstays in 2021.
- Treehouses are the most wishlisted unique homes globally as well as in India.
Hosts around the world have been sharing their unique spaces on Airbnb for well over a decade, and guests have fallen for their one-of-a-kind stays, from treehouses and houseboats to farmstays and cabins. In India, in the past two years alone, from 2019 to 2021, nights booked at unique properties have increased by over 30 percent. With more guests booking unique stays, Hosts are also earning real income, with unique listings collectively earning nearly INR 250 million in India just in 2021.
Through Airbnb Categories, launched this past May, it is easier than ever for guests to search unique listing types, connecting with 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 zaniest of all unique homes on the platform.
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.
A closer look at unique homes reveals why these listing types have become fan favorites, for both guests and Hosts alike.
Farmstays are the Most Booked Unique Listing Types in India
While treehouses, tiny houses and huts abound on Airbnb – and are among the top 10 most booked unique listing types on the platform – it’s farmstays that take the top spot in India followed by nature eco lodges and huts. In 2021, more than 30,000 nights were booked in farmstays alone in India.
Unique Hosts and their Guests: Where Generations Meet Over One-of-a-Kind Stays
A closer look at unique Hosts reveals that over 75 percent of the unique Hosts in India are aged under 50[1], which comprises a mix of Millenials, Gen X and Gen Zs. Even the guests booking unique stays skew towards the same generation group, more than 9 in 10 guests booking unique stays are under 50[2].
Treehouses at the Top: Most Wishlisted Unique Homes globally as well as in India
When they are not booking, guests are daydreaming about unique getaways, adding countless inspired stays to their wishlists. In 2021, unique listings were added to almost 20 million wishlists worldwide. Tucked away in a serene and leafy neighborhood in East Point, Georgia sits the most wishlisted unique listing in the world, a beautifully appointed treehouse hosted by Darrel, with all the rustic trimmings but plenty of modern considerations, from a hot tub to indoor heated spaces, for the most cozy stay.
The most wishlisted unique homes in India include:
- Whispering Pines Cottages|Treehouse|Tandi (Jibhi, Himachal Pradesh)
- The Countryside Farm (Kamshet, Maharashtra)
- The barn – A Farm Cottage (New Delhi, Delhi)
- Tranquil Dreamy Dome w/ Plunge Pool (Kamshet, Maharashtra)
- Tree house | Duplex | Balcony With Himalayan View (Fagu, Himachal Pradesh)
- Erumadam – The Treehouse at Marayoor (Munnar, Kerala)
- Lonavala FarmStay (Dahivali, Maharashtra)
- Himalayan Woodpecker – A Truly Himalayan Stay (Vashist, Himachal Pradesh)
- Treehouse : Living with Nature in Kolad (Kolad, Maharashtra)
- NEW Abidal Resort, Colomb bay, Patnem beach #1 (Canacona, Goa)
- Tree House close to Bangalore (Bangalore, Karnataka)
Unique listings include: barn, boat, castle, campsite, hut, island, plane, shepherd’s hut, train, treehouse, windmill, and yurts.
About Airbnb:Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 4 million Hosts who have welcomed more than 1 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.
