The most-visited private room in Airbnb history is a 15th century castle in Ireland, the company recently revealed. While it’s been refurbished to accommodate 21st century guests, the medieval castle in Galway has lost none of its noble and historic charms.
This castle is one of the most popular Airbnbs in the world. Image by Airbnb
Cahercastle, which is a 25-minute drive from Galway City, is the most-visited private room in Airbnb history, welcoming about 3034 guest arrivals since it first became available on the short-term rentals site. Peter Hayes and his partner Eva live in the castle, along with their sons, and are on hand at all times to make sure guests feel right at home. The couple put a lot of work into restoring the castle into a cosy space, giving each visitor the chance to “live like a king” while staying there.
The medieval castle has been lovingly restored by owners Peter and Eva. Image by Airbnb
Indeed they’re so good at making people feel comfortable that they’re now listed as ‘superhosts,’ a title reserved for those who go above and beyond to provide an extraordinary stay for guests. A “perfectly-preserved national treasure” and “a magnificent restoration” are just some of the quotes among the castle’s glowing reviews, while Peter has been described as a “great character with so many fabulous tales to tell.”
The mushroom dome remains one of the most popular Airbnbs in the world. Image by Airbnb
Airbnb also revealed what home is the most-booked on its site and the Mushroom Dome in Aptos, California came out on top. It was one of the few Airbnb properties based outside of a major city when it first became available in 2009 but now hosts Kitty and Michael have amassed nearly 1300 reviews from guests all over the world. The waiting list for the compact ‘geodesic dome loft’ is several months long but visitors lucky enough to secure a stay are rewarded with total seclusion among giant Redwood trees with only the call of hummingbirds to disturb the silence.
An incredible igloo in Finland is one of the most unusual Airbnbs. Image by Airbnb
The announcements were made as the accommodation booking platform celebrated “its biggest milestone yet,” revealing that in the last eleven years, half a billion guests have stayed in an Airbnb somewhere in the world, with three guests checking in every half-second. The San Francisco-based company’s rapid growth has transformed how millions of people travel, giving them short-term rentals to choose from in 191 countries and 81,000 cities worldwide.
This sunny room in Bruges is the most reviewed private room in Europe.
Europe remains the most popular continent, accounting for 45% of all-time guest arrivals – more than North America and Asia combined. One of the most reviewed private rooms in Europe is a bedroom in Bruges, Belgium, while the most unique, according to the company, is a snow igloo in Lapland, Finland.
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