28 January 2021

These were Airbnb’s 10 most ‘liked’ stays on Instagram in 2020

28 January 2021

The cabin fever of lockdowns has meant that, for many of us, our travel wish-lists have grown as quickly as our frustrations, and when it comes, the post-pandemic travel boom will likely be massive and delightfully cathartic.

Unable to book stays, in the meantime we’ve been consoling ourselves by ‘liking’ them instead, and Airbnb’s Instagram feed has proved a welcome outlet for globetrotters with itchy feet.

Here are the most ‘liked’ posts from Airbnb’s ‘gram in 2020, from a Guatemalan getaway to a fully-fledged French chateau…

1. Stone Cottage – Saint Victor La Coste, France

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Part of a literal 16th century castle, this historic stay is among Airbnb’s most elegant, with mock-Renaissance paintings, lavishly gilded futons, and gardens sometimes used for fashion shoots. It doesn’t matter what fantasy TV series you’re a fan of, there’s probably a hideaway like this in all of them.

2. The Best View of Quintay – Casablanca, Chile

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Jutting out over the sea so far that foam flecks the balcony on stormy days, this coastal cottage is a strange mix of calm and chaos. Coming in at 90 minutes from Santiago and 45 from Valparaiso, the isolation serves up real respite – with nothing to bother you but the squawks of seabirds and the occasional rumble of ocean swell.

3. Lakeview Lodge – San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala

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Wake up to a wall-sized window framing a giant, tree-covered volcano on the far side of Lake Atitlán, in this picturesque, hillside spot in the Central American nation of Guatemala. With a hammock, lounge chair, and orthopaedic mattress, guests can expect to relax until they take root.

4. Tanglebloom Cabin – Brookline, Vermont

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Glamping with an emphasis on ‘glam’, this handcrafted cabin sits innocuously in an empty forest grove like a not-sinister gingerbread house. There’s a solar-powered shower and wifi at the main house, but there’s also a survivalist vibe to this otherwise off-grid property. Cook your meals over the fire pit, and spend your days touring local swimming holes.

5. Casa Mama – Pioneertown, California

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An artsy, minimalist eco-stay in the Californian desert, Casa Mama supplements its strange, lunar landscape by making lack of connectivity into a virtue. There’s no phone signal, electricity is solar powered, water is in short supply, and excess rubbish comes with excess cost. There is wifi. You may choose not to use it.

6. 19th Century Schoolhouse – Kingston, New York

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It looks like an old chapel, lives like an old country house, and actually was an old school. This upstate stay seamlessly blends rustic with modern – enjoy a power shower in a claw-footed bathtub, and browse Netflix beside an old wood-burning stove – while the salt-water swimming pool adds unusual flare.

7. Dreamy A-Frame – Pond Eddy, New York

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A cabin in the woods that’s far to indulgent for a horror film, this charmingly chic forest home boasts two cosy bedrooms, a grand second floor living room, and a sheltered porch you can enjoy come snow or shine. Outdoorsy to its core, superhost Karli suggests hiking, tubing on the local river, and sipping coffee surrounded by towering pines.

8. Window to the Duomo – Florence, Italy

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An Airbnb with a serious view, the window seat of this Tuscan hideaway looks out over the record-settingly large dome and green-and-white marble walls of Florence’s majestic cathedral, perhaps the most beautiful part of a staggeringly beautiful city. Unusually, the house is designed for and limited to solo travellers – an oasis of solitude in the bustling city of the city.

9. Idyll Haus – Idyllwild-Pine Cove, California

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We’ve all spent too long in the bath and emerged with wrinkled skin, and at this therapeutic getaway you’ll resurface resembling a prune. The two person tub sits beside a set of panoramic sliding windows, serving up stunning forest and mountain views while you soak. Often blanketed in snow, there’s plenty else to explore if you can drag yourself out of the water.

10. Floating House – Joanópolis, Brazil

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Bobbing below the Joanópolis Dam in southeastern Brazil, Floating House does exactly what is says on the tin. The amenities are pretty great for a glorified boat, including a barbecue, an old-fashioned fireplace, and a video projector home cinema system.

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