From beach houses to tree houses, some types of accommodation seem to attract all the attention.
Airbnb has revealed some of the sought after rentals of the last decade, based on internal data measuring the most wish-listed homes between December 2011 to December 2019. In spite of their popularity, most of the homes have a relatively affordable nightly rate.
The most popular home overall in the last ten years was an exclusive beachfront residence in Santa Catarina, Brazil, with its own private beach. Last year, it was wish-listed 275,862 times.
The description states "the house is located in a beautiful natural park, fully enclosed, supervised by a couple of 'caseiros' (caretaker and gardener)." With four double bedrooms, the house has panoramic sea views designed in tropical timber by an architect from Porto Alegre, mixing glass and wood. All this for $123 a night.
A more lavish option was Hector Cave House in Santorini, which topped the list for 2018, becoming a wish-list option for 254,773 wannabe holidaymakers.
"The Hector Cave House, carved into the unique caldera cliff for more than 250 years, was originally used as a wine cellar ('the canava'). The traditional 'canava' became a family owned summer house, which then opened its doors to share its unique character to travelers from around the world," writes the listing.
It's 60 square metres with just one bedroom but the private veranda has a plunge pool and expansive views out to the volcano, the caldera cliff and Thirassia Island. Yours for $515 a night.
Other favourites included a hillside villa in Thailand with a private pool, complete with staff to bring freshly picked papaya from nearby trees, a Balian tree house, a beachfront suite in Cape Town and a Tuscan villa.
Some of the more unusual or unique accommodation options included Cob Cottage in Canada's Mayne Island, hitting the top of the list for 2014.
The house was hand sculpted using sustainable materials, featuring custom woodwork, and the sheep and chickens outside to provide guests with fresh eggs and milk.
In 2013, a home put on the wishlist more than 235,000 times, was the architecturally designed Seashell House in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. The unique home has two white 'seashells' each with a king bed and private bath, as well as a private pool and concierge services, set atop a cliff above a beach. The home also has elements of actual seashells in the decor.
Heading completely off-grid has also been an attractive option for some travellers. In 2012, the most wishlisted property was in the desert town of Pioneertown, California, where guests can enjoy a digital detox. The most expensive of all the most popular properties of the decade, going off-grid and staying in a home with a small carbon footprint will cost $700+ per night, for four guests. Solar panels power the property, there's no television and only satellite wifi for emergencies.
What next in Travel?
According to an Airbnb survey, the spending towards experiences over things is set to increase.
More than a third of those surveyed plan to spend more on holidays and activities in 2020, particularly women, young adults and millennials.
"The yearning to get out of comfort zones and into the wilderness is bringing out the nature lover in travellers this year," Airbnb says, saying adventure travel is one of the trends people are most interested in learning about.
As well as exploring new places, history experiences on the website have increased 271 percent in the last year, and for 2020, bookings are up by 116 per cent.
Digital detoxes and mindful or spiritual trips are also expected to be a big travel trend this year, as well as mini-escapes as a way to travel with a smaller footprint.
Holidaymakers searching for "Shepherd's Huts" are set to overtake the treehouse trend in 2020, with bookings for the miniature, simplistic spaces trending up 112 percent between 2019 and 2020.
In New Zealand, there are only a handful of properties categorised as "Shepherd's Huts" on the website so far, all boasting rustic, private escapes in the countryside in little spaces.
All five properties are in the South Island and range in price between $125 and $250 per night. Not a "baaad" return.
As visitors continue to flock to New Zealand, looking for a rural escape, we spot a gap in the market for converting old sheering sheds into airbnbs.
