10 quirky Airbnb rentals in the area including treehouse, yurt, tiny houses
We took a swing through the Bluegrass’ thriving Airbnb — the online vacation rental website/app — market seeking quirky.
By quirky, we meant small, innovative dwellings in the area that are distinctive enough to deflect even the most dedicated patron of Holiday Inn Express. We found them.
This is a random survey, so apologies if your Airbnb isn’t on the list.
In some cases, there are amenities aplenty. In others, you may find unusual toilet or shower arrangements. Use your best judgment.
1. Tiny “urban chalet,” Lexington.
Description: “Nestled into a private corner, wrapped with evergreens.” “Spa-style wet room with teak mat.” “Enjoy movie theater-level entertainment with 84-inch projector screen and 7.1 surround sound.” $68 a night.
Wow factor: Besides that movie-style entertainment, you also get a French press, coffee bean grinder, a Keurig and a washer/dryer and a workspace for your laptop. Why go home? Review: “People, stop what you are doing and book this place now.”
2. “Storybook Treehouse,” Stanton.
Description: “Two in one” (kitchen/bath below, bedroom and deck above). “Large handmade stone fireplace with bulb strung lights” with built-in hammock nearby. $129 a night.
Wow factor: Woodsy get-away-from-it-all. Needs a four-wheel-drive for steep 1/4 mile ascent in the winter. That’s private.
3. Tiny guest house, Lexington.
Description: 150 square foot Amish-built tiny house. “Fenced-in area with garden, rabbit hutch and chicken coop.”
Wow factor: Infrared sauna. You may bring two pets, but must register them as guests (unsure if the cute cat in photo will make a visit). The composting toilet is said to be odorless. Working artist’s studio. One of the hosts is described as “a raw Paleoist and unprocessed food enthusiast.”
4. “The Attic,” Lexington.
Description: Reclaimed yellow booth seating from once-beloved but now defunct Mexican restaurant chain Chi-Chi’s. Up three flights of stairs, an 850-square foot attic apartment with two bedrooms. Reclaimed wood floors. $40 per night, with fees $91 total.
Wow factor: Described in reviews as “a hidden gem ... perfect for someone who is into shabby chic.” In Lexington’s up-and-coming NoLi district.
5. “Hogwarts,” Lexington.
Description: We had a little disagreement among ourselves about this one, as it is targeted toward the hard-core Harry Potter fan who can truly appreciate an apartment with faux dripping candles, pennants for Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, owl lamps and an entrance to platform 9 3/4.
But if you are a Harry Potter superfan/have offspring who are Harry Potter superfans? It pushes the perfection button. $55 a night, $98 with fees.
Wow factor: The Harry Potter theme carries over right into the bathroom, specifically the toilet, which allegedly belongs to The Ministry of Magic.
6. Guesthouse “steps from Jefferson Street,” Lexington.
Description: This is a pretty cool-looking little house, day or night. Steps from Jefferson Street bars and restaurants, close to Rupp Arena. And if you don’t want to do that, the place is stocked with everything you need to cook for youself, plus a washer-dryer. $82 a night, $152 with fees.
Wow factor: An urban-cool look close to many of Lexington’s urban-cool spots, with all the amenities.
7. Downtown Lexington Airstream.
Description: The shower is an outdoor one, which may restrict you to the warmer months, but the toilet is inside. The silver-bullet Airstream has been extensively rehabbed, but retains its distinctive ‘60s touches including the pink sink. $95 a night, with fees $124. (Yosemite National Park has opened an 80-unit “Airstream hotel” with 80 of the distinctive silver bullets, according to Curbed.com.)
Wow factor: Fire pit and lawn chairs outside. A “vintage 1960 Airstream” behind “an 1890 Victorian house.”
8. “Creekside yurt,” Frankfort.
Description: A yurt is a circular tent draped atop a wood lattice. This one, made in the USA, is 40 feet above Elkhorn Creek near Peaks Mill. There’s no running water, but there is a Yeti cooler, supply of drinking water and water for dishes, as well as an “evaporative toilet,” which converts human waste into a lightweight odorless product. “It’s an artful building,” the site description says of the toilet building. $95 a night, $115 with fees.
Wow factor: “The waterproof canvas Yurt features a double bed with plush Casper mattress, premium bedding, comfy chair, reading light and power source.”
9. “Traveling tiny house,” based in Richmond but available to move to area campgrounds.
Description: The tiny house can be placed in any campground location within a 50-mile radius; campground fees are extra. $63 a night including fees and discount. AC or heater available, depending on season. Hooks up to water or fresh water tanks. Loft sleeping area and fold-out couch to watch TV on the Blu-Ray player.
Wow factor: “Ever wonder what it’s like to live in a tiny home? Find out.” “137 square feet of awesomeness.”
10. “Tiny home with huge charm” near Elkhorn Creek, Frankfort.
Description: No Internet, so you can truly get away from it all and kayak/canoe/fish, but minutes from downtown Frankfort/bourbon tours/historical sites, if you can’t stand the quiet. $90 a night, with fees $133.
Wow factor: “Built using live-edge walnut wood for various interior parts, a spiral staircase, an antimicrobial copper sink and copper shower, and many other reclaimed/recycled building materials.” Live-edge wood is a style in which the builder/designer incorporates the natural edge of the wood into the finished piece.
This story was originally published September 20, 2018 at 8:43 AM.