10 Airbnbs We’re Bumping to the Top of Our Wish Lists

Over the years, I’ve curated a wide range of wish lists on my Airbnb account. There’s everything from the highly practical “Affordable Cabins North of New York” that I use to plan group trips with friends to the purely aspirational “Dream Homes I Wish I Owned.” In 2020, those wish lists grew (and grew) as I sat at home daydreaming of future stays at Joshua Tree cabins with hot tubs, tree houses in France, and adorable cottages in the Italian Lake District.

Turns out many of you were doing the same thing in lockdown. To help inspire future travel, Airbnb gathered the most wish-listed properties in 2020 in all 50 states—plus Washington, D.C.—into one easy-to-peruse collection. Turns out the more unusual the property, the better. For example, a Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired getaway in Topanga Canyon topped the list in California, while people are eager to stay in a potato-shaped building in Idaho.

Of the 51 stays that made Airbnb’s list, these are the 10 stays AFAR staffers can’t wait to book for their upcoming travels.

Kona Luxury Tree House

• Book Now: From $398 per night, airbnb.com
• Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
• Sleeps: 2

This time two years ago I was in Hawaii with around 40 of my wife’s family, which seems like another lifetime from the vantage point of L.A. in its umpteenth lockdown. So yes, I’ll take a snug cabin perched in a tropical rain forest with a hot tub and ocean views. It only sleeps two you say? I’m sure the kids won’t miss us for a week or two. —Tim Chester, senior editor

Courtesy of Airbnb

Secluded Intown Tree House

• Book Now: From $389 per night, airbnb.com
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Sleeps: 2

Other than a trip to Savannah as a child in the mid-1980s, I’ve spent zero time in the Peach State. I’m ready to remedy that. On a trip to Georgia with a dear friend from Baltimore, I’d settle in at this dreamy three-room tree house just outside of Atlanta and explore the rich civil rights history of the city. I’d take my time exploring Martin Luther King Jr.’s childhood home, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the Sweet Auburn district in Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. In the late afternoon, I’d return to the tree house, sit in a hammock with a good book, and listen to birdsong emanating from “Old Man,” the 165-year-old southern short-leaf pine tree, the largest of the seven trees that support the tree house suite. —Julia Cosgrove, editor in chief

Courtesy of Airbnb

Cove Point Lighthouse Keeper’s House

• Book Now: From $401 per night, airbnb.com
• Lusby, Maryland
• Sleeps: 16

For years, I’ve fantasized about doing a solo weekend retreat in a lighthouse—retreating from the world to read and write by lamplight while a winter storm rages outside. But after a year of isolation, a solo retreat sounds, well, horrible. Which is where this six-bedroom, 193-year-old Maryland lighthouse keeper’s house comes in. Hopefully I’ll still read by lamplight—only in this fantasy, it’s alongside 15 of my nearest and dearest. —Aislyn Greene, senior editor

Courtesy of Airbnb

Willow Tree House

• Book Now: From $360 per night, airbnb.com
• Willow, New York
• Sleeps: 2

There are dreams and there are dreams. With two little ones (ages two and four), I literally daydream about getting away alone with my husband, which we haven’t done since before the older one was born. We both have spent time living in New York and have been wanting to get back for some time now. This stunning modern tree house in the Hudson River Valley would make the perfect secluded escape for us. It will still be a while until we can get away without them, but the minute we can, this is where you will find us—specifically soaking in the firewood-heated hot tub or swimming in the forested pond. —Michelle Baran, travel news editor

Courtesy of Airbnb

Secret Woodland Chalet

• Book Now: From $228 per night, airbnb.com
• Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania
• Sleeps: 6

There are dreams and there are more realistic dreams. As mentioned above, for the foreseeable future it’s likely I will be dragging my family of four with me wherever I go—and for now a three-bedroom pad is ideal for all of us, making this a perfect family-friendly option. But just because the tots are with us doesn’t mean I’m willing to sacrifice my love of pretty spaces and great design. This cozy Poconos chalet won me over with its vintage cabin aesthetic combined with Scandinavian modern details. I can’t wait to take the brood skiing and sledding at Masthope Mountain while we rest our heads at this woodland charmer. —Michelle Baran, travel news editor

Courtesy of Airbnb

Extraordinary Dallas Tree House

• Book Now: From $269 per night, airbnb.com
• Dallas, Texas
• Sleeps: 4

While I love the outdoors, I have a hard time warming up to the idea of camping. This charming Texas tree house, hidden beneath a forested canopy, is the perfect compromise with all the modern amenities I need—jetted tub, cable TV, indoor fireplace, dishwasher, and more. The property’s magical atmosphere won’t end when I set foot outside. In the heart of the Little Forest Hills neighborhood—a hot spot for local artists and musicians—I’ll be close to quirky, fun, and eclectic architecture and White Rock Lake. —Sveva Marcangeli, senior integrated marketing manager

Courtesy of Airbnb

Tanglebloom Cabin

• Book Now: From $91 per night, airbnb.com
• Brookline, Vermont
• Sleeps: 2

When my outdoors-loving husband and I visit family in Boston (which we’re long overdue for), we always try to get away for a couple of days. Where better than the petite, glass-walled Tanglebloom Cabin, which sits tucked away in a grove of trees on a Vermont flower farm? Amenities may be rustic (no Wi-Fi, campfire cooking, compost toilet) but that’s part of the fun. Besides, this cabin more than makes up for it with its cozy sleeping area strung with fairy lights, light-free stargazing, and some seriously good sour beers at Hermit Thrush in nearby Brattleboro. —Jessie Beck, SEO manager

>> See more Vermont Airbnb recommendations from AFAR editors

Courtesy of Airbnb

Off-Grid Inn

• Book Now: From $217 per night, airbnb.com
• Fall Creek, Wisconsin
• Sleeps: 3

Thanks to family roots in Minnesota, I’m practically predisposed to dislike anything Wisconsin. But this tiny cabin, embedded in the forest outside of Eau Claire, is hard to ignore. With a “window wall” that faces nothing but woods, this Airbnb is an any-season getaway where I can live out my dreams of becoming a botanist—even if only for one day. —Katherine LaGrave, digital features editor

Courtesy of Airbnb

Historic Engine 24 New Orleans Firehouse

• Book Now: From $795 per night, airbnb.com
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• Sleeps: 14

I try to go to New Orleans once a year with my friends to eat, drink, and dance as much as humanly possible over the course of a long weekend. Of course, 2020 got in the way of that annual tradition. But once we’re all vaccinated, I have my eyes on this 19th-century firehouse that’s been reimagined as a seven-bedroom, seven-bath Airbnb with a large living room and spacious courtyard so we can all be together. When we want to go out and explore, its location in the Faubourg Marigny neighborhood means the Elysian Bar at Hotel Peter and Paul and the food stalls at St. Roch Market are just a few blocks away. —Lyndsey Matthews, destination news editor

Courtesy of Airbnb

Underground Hygge Earth House

• Book Now: From $299 per night, airbnb.com
• Orondo, Washington
• Sleeps: 2

You say “underground hygge,” I say “hobbit hole.” Look at this place! The attention to detail is incredible: the iconic circular green door; reclaimed-wood sink and chessboard; wooden chandeliers and lanterns hanging from barrel ceilings, setting a warm glow; and a woodworking desk with tools (!). Sure, it’s tiny—some say cozy—at 288 square feet, but the hilltop views of the Columbia River Gorge are expansive. Makes me want to settle in with a pipe next to my own Gandalf and while the day away. —Laura Dannen Redman, digital content director

Curious to see what was popular in the other 40 states (plus Washington, D.C.)? See the full list of the most wish-listed stays in the United States on airbnb.com.

>> Next: Isolated Airbnb Cabins Where You Can Escape From the World