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13 Airbnb Stays So Quirky You Will Want To Stay Forever

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Mikelle Leow •  Oct 11, 2016

Whether with our dollhouses or when playing Sims, we’ve all imagined our dream homes. Some people turn these dreams into reality - and thanks to Airbnb, we get to enjoy even the most outlandish of them all.

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1. Van Gogh’s Bedroom, Chicago, United States

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Credit: Airbnb

The Art Institute of Chicago has teamed up with Airbnb to bring us this real life walk-in painting! The surroundings of the room are decorated in the same colour scheme and post-impressionist style that Van Gogh is known for. You’ll probably feel out of place, convinced that the hand of a giant curator will drag you out of the painting at any moment!

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Credit: Airbnb

Interestingly enough, the room has been rented out as if the artist was the Airbnb host himself! Yes, “Vincent van Gogh” is the name of our host, and he has a justifiable reason for renting out the room at only USD10. "I need to buy paint," he explains.

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Credit: Airbnb

And no, you won't have to suffer the brunt of using 2D amenities from 1888. Vincent promises that his bedroom comes with modern amenities like Wi-Fi, cable TV, and a gym!

Accommodates: 2 people

Price: USD 10/per night

Info: Airbnb

Location: River North, Chicago, Illinois, United States

2. The Seashell House, Isla Mujeres, Mexico

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Credit: Airbnb

“The seaweed is always greener in somebody else’s lake.” While Ariel wants to be a part of our world, oh, the things we'd do to spend a night in an underwater haven just like this house! Thanks to Airbnb, we won’t have to stoop to selling our voices to a sea witch.

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Credit: Airbnb

With a king-sized bed placed in each of its two conches, The Seashell House comfortably sleeps four guests. Look anywhere and you'll find seashell doors, seashell headboards, seashell bathroom taps, and even a seashell showerhead! *Mutters tongue-twister about seashells on the seashore and nails it*

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Mirror adorned with seashells

Credit: Airbnb

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Seashell taps

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Your merman/mermaid experience doesn’t stop here! There are even a beach and a snorkel park nearby so that you can sing to the ocean.

With all the swirly and nautical accents present, this is the perfect place for you to take #shelfies!

Accommodates: 4 people

Price: USD 308/per night

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Info: Airbnb

Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico

3. Converted Magic School Bus, California, United States

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Credit: Airbnb

We all have that one friend who just can’t seem to fall asleep on public transport no matter how sleepy he or she is. Well, now they can! Take them along, hop on the Magic School Bus, and be amazed at how homely and comfy its interior is!

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Fall asleep on the cushy memory foam bed

Credit: Airbnb

The bus is a perfect spot to watch the sunrise and sunset, and one of the great things about staying here is that you won’t be locked in class to miss the views.

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Credit: @kailani__ on Instagram

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Outdoor patio

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Though the bus is really just a bedroom, you’re invited to unwind at the owners' outdoor lounge, as well as cook in their vegetarian kitchen! Additional perks include fresh organic free range eggs and a breakfast of bagels in the comfort of your own private garden.

If you wish to stay consistent with the whole school bus thing and make your stay an educational one, you can set out on hiking excursions in the County area. There are also Kundalini yoga sessions on Thursday evenings at the nearby community centre.

Accommodates: 2 people

Price: USD 44/per night

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Info: Airbnb

Location: Salinas, California, United States

4. Pikachu House, Tokyo, Japan

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Credit: Airbnb

Here’s one for the Pokemon fans! Decked all over in Pikachu décor, one may wonder if this is what the inside of a Pikachu’s pokeball looks like!

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The hallway

Credit: Airbnb

In Japan for the first time? This apartment is accessible to major areas in Tokyo, plus we don’t think a modern Japanese experience is complete without spending the night in a house full of Pokemon.

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Credit: @off_kee  on Instagram

When you’re done for the day with the sights of Tokyo, you can throw a mini slumber party with your Pikachu onesies on and sip on Pikachu mugs while playing games on the Pikachu Nintendo 64!

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Credit: Airbnb

And no need for Razz Berries! You can catch Pikachu in your sleep, and wake up feeling charged on snug futons.

Accommodates: 5 people

Price: USD 56/per night

Info: Airbnb

Location: Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo, Japan

5. Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo, Japan

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Credit: Airbnb

This post-war architectural wonder was built by Kisho Kurokawa in 1972, with the mentality that residents were able to swap their apartments by popping old capsules out and inserting new ones. The plan never came to work, and repair work to fully restore the tower was thought to be too expensive.

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Fans of minimalism will love this one! The capsules are monochrome on the inside (white and black with wooden floors) with space-saving, multi-functional pop-up amenities! The only gripe we have is that the water is cold here - residents have lived without hot water for the past five years due to aging pipes.

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Credit: @sachikootania on Instagram

Accommodates: 2 people

Price: USD 151/per night

Info: Airbnb

Location: Ginza, Tokyo-to, Japan

6. The Muffin Mansion, California, United States

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Credit: Airbnb

Once upon a time, this retro caravan was a cupcake food truck. Its new owners came along, saw its potential and breathed new life into it. Today, Katie Cupcake 2.0 has a spacious layout with a full bathroom and kitchen, so that you can play make-believe camp without the effort!

Speaking of fuss-free camping, the Muffin Mansion is located near a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station and is just 25 minutes away from San Francisco, where there's plenty of good halal nosh to chomp on!

P.S. Not sure what to do besides eat when you're out at the City by the Bay? Check out 5 experiences not to miss when you're in San Francisco!

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Credit: Airbnb

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Credit: @farrahpics on Instagram

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You will never feel cooped up or alone in the garden. Say hello to the chickens, and if they start laying enough, you can even get fresh eggs to cook with in the full kitchen!

Accommodates: 2 people

Price: USD 61/per night

Info: Airbnb

Location: Oakland, California, United States

7. The Cubehouse, South Holland, Netherlands

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Credit: Airbnb

There’s no cutting corners with this Airbnb experience. The rental is notably pleasing to the eye, but it wasn’t built for aesthetics alone. Back in the 1970s, architect Piet Blom had been faced with the challenge of having to build houses atop a pedestrian bridge. He then designed the houses as an urban forest, with each pointed top functioning as the top of a “tree”.

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Credit: Flickr

The house sits on a hexagonal pole and is divided into three levels. The triangular living room is on the lower level, and as its walls reach outwards, there’s even space for an open kitchen!

Walk up the twisting staircase to find the bedrooms on the middle and top floors. At the middle floor, the walls start to get narrower, so a bed and bathroom are placed here.

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Credit: Airbnb

You can tell how architecturally thought out this house is, as each level is assigned a purpose based on its space proportion!

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And because of its unique design, you'll get 360-degree views of the city on the glass panes of the top floor!

Accommodates: 4 people

Price: USD 156/per night

Info: Airbnb

Location: Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands

8. The Enchanted Cave, New South Wales, Australia

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Credit: Airbnb

“They said I could be anything, so I became a modern day caveman.” Built on a natural rock platform that sits high up on a cliff, entering this cave feels like you’re trespassing into secluded Hobbit dwelling.

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The door to the cave

Credit: Airbnb

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Credit: @luvlau on Instagram

The Enchanted Cave is blessed with amazing views of the Blue Mountains, a World Heritage area! If the outdoors is your calling, head out of the cave for some serious trekking activities. By night, cosy up and gaze into the soft lighting of the fireplace. Isolation can be a magical thing.

Accommodates: 2 people

Price: USD 849/per night

Info: Airbnb

Location: Bilpin, New South Wales, Australia

9. The Open Book, Wigtown, United Kingdom

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Credit: Airbnb

At the heart of Scotland’s National Book Town lies a holiday experience that will certainly be a good tale to tell your friends about! The area was set up by the non-profit Wigtown Festival Company to celebrate books, and here at The Open Book, you get to run a bookshop.

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Credit: @justlittleart on Instagram

“I pay to work all day, err day?” I hear the voices in my head, I mean, er, you, ask. Well, not quite. You hold the keys to the shop during your entire stay, and it's up to you to decide on how it's managed. Bicycles are provided by the hosts, so you have the luxury of closing shop to explore this quaint town of only 900 residents. You can even host your own impromptu reading events!

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The apartment upstairs

Credit: Airbnb

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Guests are encouraged to blog about their experience during their stay on The Open Book blog. Each recorded experience is unique, and it’s wonderful to know that there’s much to do in this little town.

Accommodates: 2 people

Price: USD 37/per night

Info: Airbnb

The Open Book BlogFacebook

Location: Wigtown, United Kingdom

10. Elqui Domos Astronomic Hotel, Coquimbo, Chile

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Credit: Airbnb

Elqui Domos is one of only 7 astronomic hotels in the world, and the only one in the Southern Hemisphere. The area is famed for its glittery skies, and when you stay at one of the hotel’s seven dome rooms, you’ll learn why!

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Credit: @bekarrrr on Instagram

The domes are perched on a hill. By the time you climb up, it may already feel like you’re seeing stars. But hang on for a bit, it’s only daytime.

Each dome is two levels high. It’s on the second floor, where the bedroom is, that the action begins. The star-gazing action, that is. The bed is propped up as high as comfortably possible so that you can get closer to the stars, and the roof is detachable so that insomniacs can count stars instead of sheep.

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Credit: Airbnb

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Credit: Flickr

Are we alone in the universe? What is the meaning of life? Is there such a thing as work-life balance? The same questions you ask yourself every night intensify as you stare up from your bed into an endless diamond sky. Note: Answers not included.

Astronomic tours and nighttime horse rides are available at additional costs. Things are only going to get stellar from here.

Accommodates: 4 people

Price: USD 155/per night

Info: Airbnb

Location: Paiguano, Coquimbo, Chile

11. Mirrored House, Pennsylvania, United States

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Credit: Airbnb

Unlike the other listings, this roomy house can accommodate up to 10 people.

This just means you're entitled to grab 9 other people to start your very own 'Who's the Fairest Among Us All' game show. Remember, there are no winners or losers here. Just ask any of the many mirrors in this house who they think the winner should be, and you'll get varying answers. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

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Credit: Airbnb

Inside, the house is decorated in a trippy modern art theme. The aquariums add a pop of colour and a touch of sanity to the black-and-white-and-mirrors-all-over dining room.

*Checks on hair every two seconds*

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Credit: Airbnb

Looking at yourself all day is not the only activity you can do here. The house also has a library, home theatre, backyard pond, and garden.

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Credit: Airbnb

With mirrors and mirrors galore, we doubt it’s possible for anyone to step out of this house looking unprepared!

Accommodates: 10 people

Price: USD 165/per night

Info: Airbnb

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

12. Inkijkmuseum, North Brabant, Netherlands

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Credit: Airbnb

This listing was converted from containers that were part of a linen factory washhouse in 1884. Its name literally translates to ‘look-in museum’, so while it's a looker from the outside, its beauty exudes from within too!

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Credit: Airbnb

Originally, the containers were designed for the public to view small exhibits from the outside. In this Airbnb rental, you’ll be surrounded by colourful paintings from artists all around the world. Time to spend a night in the museum!

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Credit: @ricotelia on Instagram

Accommodates: 2 people

Price: USD 58/per night

Info: Airbnb

Location: Eindhoven, North Brabant, Netherlands

13. Earthship, New Mexico, United States

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Credit: Airbnb

This self-sustaining house was three years in the making. It now catches its own rainwater, runs on its own electricity, and maintains at 22 degrees Celsius throughout the year! Pretty impressive for a house situated in a desert with an average annual temperature of 8 degrees.

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Credit: Airbnb

Don’t be fooled into thinking you’ll be resting under dim moonlight on a bed made from recyclable mud, as exotically inviting as that sounds. Guests are presented with more than just the basic modern amenities, including Netflix! And that’s the best part about staying here - you’ll be able to sleep comfortably, knowing that you’re helping to save the earth without doing much. Netflix and really chill, am I right?

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The greenhouse, where the temperature of the living space is stabilised

Credit: @jenmurse on Instagram

The Earthship looks so futuristic, that Airbnb has handpicked it as one of its most Star Wars-inspired properties!

Accommodates: 4 people

Price: USD125/per night

Info: Airbnb

Location: Taos, New Mexico, United States

Sure, you can stay in a plain old hotel, and no one’s going to question you or your life choices. But when your Kpop idol arrives at the airport, and you want to grab their attention, there’s really no better way to do so than scream, “I SPENT TWO WEEKS SLEEPING IN A SCHOOL BUS!”

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