There's no shortage of weird and wonderful accomodation options on the site. Photo/Daily Mail.
There's no shortage of weird and wonderful accomodation options on the site. Photo/Daily Mail.
For years now, thanks to the home rental website Airbnb, millions of us have been happily renting other people's homes, sleeping in their beds, sitting on their sofas, watching their TVs — and even, in some cases, feeding their guinea pigs.
We could rent snazzy houses in London's Mayfair, bothies in the wilds of Scotland, a converted church in Shropshire — or a sofabed a stone's throw from our office Christmas party.
Lately, it seems, competition has raised the stakes, and the options have become a little more eclectic. Fancy hunkering down in a hobbit house, or a night in private jet? Or maybe a day or two in a train carriage, a tree house or your very own pub?
Here, Jane Fryer runs the rule over Airbn-bizarre.
The Jet Star private plane has no wings, no engine, no tail and appears to have crash-landed on a campsite in Wales. Photo/Daily Mail.
The Jet Star, Redberth, South Pembrokeshire
UNIQUE SELLING POINT: Perfect for those of us who will never fly in a private plane. Admittedly, the Jet Star private plane has no wings, no engine, no tail and appears to have crash landed (albeit neatly) on a campsite in Wales.
It is the real deal — a Jetstream, built in the Seventies, used in Senegal by gun smugglers and still boasting original fittings including a lit-up bar area, an on-board loo and a cockpit that now houses an Xbox complete with flying games.
It all started a year and a half ago when, in a bid to make his campsite 'stand out a bit from the yurt site down the road', owner Toby spent £30,000 buying the jet from a reclamation yard and doing it up.
SLEEPS: Four guests — in a double bed in the cabin attached to the end of the fuselage, plus one small single and a sofa bed.
WHAT YOU GET: One bedroom, one bed, a loo and basin on board — plus a nearby utilities block with hot showers, fridges and other kitchen facilities.
DON'T FORGET: A pilot's cap and your own towels.
PERFECT FOR: Romantic couples, families, air traffic controllers, pilots and plane enthusiasts.
COST: £125 ($173) per night.
PERFECT FOR MILLING ABOUT
Old Smock Mill in Kent is calm, quiet, and awash with vast wooden beams, crisp white sheets and hostess Clare's amazing home-made bread.
Old Smock Mill, Benenden, Kent
USP: Calm, quiet, and awash with vast wooden beams, crisp white sheets, fluffy towels and hostess Clare's amazing home-made bread.
SLEEPS: Two guests in one French king-size bed.
WHAT YOU GET: Three storeys of windmill — happily, without the miller — complete with original sack hoist, plus a wet room, wood-burning stove, copper sinks, and views across the Kent countryside.
DON'T FORGET: To leave your dog and children at home.
If a nomad fresh from the steppes of Central Asia popped by, they would be pleasantly surprised by the seaside-themed bathroom with underfloor heating at this Mongolian Yurt in the Peak District.
Mongolian Yurt, Peak District
USP: A Mongolian yurt by a pub in the heart of the Peak District. But not any old Mongolian yurt. If a nomad fresh from the steppes of Central Asia popped by, they would be pleasantly surprised by the seaside-themed bathroom with underfloor heating, kitchenette, gas hob, fridge and jaunty fairy lights.
SLEEPS: Five guests in one room. You need to be friends.
WHAT YOU GET: A double futon bed, three single mattresses, stove, unlimited firewood, barbecues and fire pits, and access to the Peak District. Plus a chatty and helpful owner.
PERFECT FOR: Anyone who wants to sample the life of a nomad — without the hassle.
COST: £70-100 a night.
A HOME IS YOUR CASTLE
Augill Castle is a rambling Victorian folly awash with turrets, Tudor panelling, gothic windows, four-posters, battlements, stained glass and secret doorways.
Augill Castle, Cumbria
USP: 'Britain's favourite castle' is a rambling Victorian folly awash with turrets, tudor panelling, gothic windows, four-posters, battlements, stained glass and secret doorways. It's life as a B&B started when owners Simon and Wendy bought it as a wreck in 1997 and painstakingly did it up. They have been hosting guests ever since.
The idea came when Tin's wife was pregnant and he made a nice spot for her to sit while on maternity leave. He built a shed with a fridge and some furniture — then decided to bury it in the hill. Soon it was so nice his wife didn't fancy returning to work, so they made it 'hobbitable' and turned it into a business.
SLEEPS: Two guests. Just.
WHAT YOU GET: 'It is really small,' says Tin. But there is room for a double sofa bed, wood-fired cooker, and there's a private shower room in the main house.
DON'T FORGET: Your walking boots, your dog and your laptop — this Hobbit House has wi-fi.
Guests staying at Conroy's Old Bar (above) get the whole pub - mahogany bar, snug, beer pumps, gleaming optics, open fire, darts board, skittles - but no booze.
Conroys's Old Bar, North Tipperary
USP: The listing says: 'Aglish may not be the first place you would choose to go on holiday, but it does happen to be where the world's first self-catering pub is located' — and it's in the centre of Ireland, near many major cities.
SLEEPS: Four guests in two bedrooms (one in the old beer cellar), plus there is a cot for a baby.
WHAT YOU GET: The whole pub — mahogany bar, snug, beer pumps, gleaming optics, open fire, darts board, skittles — but no booze. Yes, it no longer has an alcohol licence. However, the village pub is nearby, luckily.
DON'T FORGET: To take some drink (the nearest shop is four miles away).
Guests at Tree Sparrow House get their very own treehouse perched high in an ash tree with sweeping views of Falmouth Bay.
Tree Sparrow House, Cornwall
USP: Your very own treehouse perched high in an ash tree with sweeping views of Falmouth Bay.
SLEEPS: Two guests in one bedroom.
WHAT YOU GET: One large room with a mezzanine double bed and seating/kitchen area, double glazing, wooden access ladder, hob, grill, cold box, 240v electricity, composting loo, outdoor seating area and only the sound of rustling leaves to keep you awake at night.
DON'T FORGET: A torch and dressing gown. The shower is a few yards away and is shared.
PERFECT FOR: Night owls and nature lovers who want to get away from it.
COST: £110 a night.
SHED HEAVEN IN A HULL OF A BOAT
Boatel (pictured) is a boat-cum-shed and is set in an acre of wild flowers up a mountain, and winner of 'Shed of the Year'.
Boatel, near Snowdonia
USP: This boat-cum-shed is set in an acre of wild flowers up a mountain, and as the winner of 'Shed of the Year' in 2013, you may have seen it on Channel 4.
Owner Alex, who built it in 2012 from recycled materials, doesn't sugar-coat things and is keen to point out that his establishment is old, dusty and home to more than a few spiders.
SLEEPS: Two guests in one bed in an old boat, which sits on the grass a few feet away from the cleverly named 'Boatel' shed.
WHAT YOU GET: As well as the bed in a boat, guests get access to the Boatel — complete with kitchen and sitting area — a break from wifi and views across Cader Idris, which is part of the Cambrian Mountains of Snowdonia.
DON'T FORGET: This is not for luxury lovers, as it has a compost loo.
PERFECT FOR: Those in need of some genuine peace and quiet.
COST: £45 a night.
BOOKWORMS' PARADISE
The Open Book in Wigtown, Scotland, is the first holiday where you can stay in a bookshop and play at being a bookseller, too.
The Open Book, Wigtown, Scotland
USP: The Open Book in Wigtown, in Dumfries and Galloway, is the first holiday home where you can stay in a bookshop and play at being a bookseller.
WHAT YOU GET: Your own bookshop, with one-bedroom flat above, a couple of bicycles and — depending on how you look at it — 35 hours of unpaid work a week, or a chance to run a bookshop for a few days.
DON'T FORGET: You won't get paid. But you will leave far richer in terms of friends, books and community spirit.
PERFECT FOR: Bookworms, community minded people and anyone who likes a chat, a coffee and a biscuit. Guests come from all round the world.
