Airbnb Gave $10 Million To These Creative Hosts

From tens of thousands of entries around the world, 100 aspiring designers, architects, DIYers, and makers hailing have been chosen to bring their crazy Airbnb ideas to life as part of the $10,000,000 OMG! Fund. Recipients will each receive up to $100,000 USD to make their fantastical Airbnb property ideas a reality.

Over the next ten months, they will design, construct and outfit their spaces to be guest-ready by summer 2023, the most lucrative time of year to rent a property on the platform. According to Airbnb data, four of the seven best times to rent a property are between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Selected by a judging panel, including design and style icon Iris Apfel, architectural expert Koichi Takada, Airbnb Superhost Kristie Wolfe, and Airbnb VP of Experiential Bruce Vaughn, these elaborate ideas will be up for rent on OMG! Category of homes.

“These are more than just places to spend the night; each one offers an entire experience,” said panel judge Kristie Wolfe.

Becoming an Airbnb Host Is a Real Money Making Opportunity

The OMG! Fund recipients can experience the very real economic benefits of hosting on Airbnb, as many fund recipients are already familiar, as over 50 percent of winning entries are from existing Airbnb hosts. In 2021, the typical Host in the US earned over $13,800, an increase of 85 percent over 2019. Additionally, nights booked at unique properties increased globally by over 49 percent from 2019 to 2021.

OMG! Fund judging panelist Kristie Wolfe experienced this firsthand when she invested $32,000 to create her unique listing, the Big Idaho Potato Hotel and saw $208,000 in earnings in less than three years.

U.S. teachers are making the most of this extra credit opportunity as well. Last year, U.S. hosts who self-identified as teachers collectively earned more than $276 million renting their properties on Airbnb. During the summer months teachers earned $98 million alone.

Design Trends From The Entries

The tens of thousands of entries drew inspiration from the depths of the sea to sci-fi novels, but certain features were very popular:

400 ideas offered spectacular stargazing experiences
961 ideas marched to the beat of their own drum, incorporating music in some way
777 juicy designs were inspired by fruit
680 ideas were wine-inspired
7,931 entrants proposed using solar panels for sustainable energy
High in the sky, 1,214 ideas involved treehouses and 389 featured suspended structures
509 mushroom-inspired listings were ready to sprout from the earth

The 100 Funded Projects

From a lighthouse in Sweden accessible only by boat to an adobe fossilized dinosaur skull in the desert, the winners expand the idea of what an Airbnb stay can be, fueled by the entrants’ passions.

“The inspiration came from the works of many science fiction movies,” said OMG! Fund recipient Pablo C. from Mexico. “The idea was to do something out of the ordinary, never seen before, something rare and beautiful that would impress any human being. The result is an organic form spaceship – a six-meter high pillar, embraced at 360 degrees by trees.”

Others drew on local wildlife and tradition, like OMG! Fund recipient Ignacio R. from Chile, who stated his Floating Avocado House idea “is all about the connection with nature. I have spent most of my life on our family farm – the happiest memories of my childhood come from there. It has something so special that just resonates with me. That’s why I have this dream, this calling, of sharing it with more people.”

Some also expressed devotion to the environment as their main drive to creating something unique. “We want to remind guests of our connection and responsibility to the natural world,” said OMG! Fund recipient Kimberly S. from the US on her Giant Tire-Shaped House idea.

“The structure will be fashioned by repurposing 1,000 old junkyard tires and other recycled materials. The effect will be a stunning, unique and unforgettable experience—a creative environmental solution to a deflating tire problem!”

Here’s all the 100 winners of Airbnb OMG! funding:

23m Tower with 360 Degree, 40 Mile Views: Matthew G., United Kingdom
A-Frame on Top of a Norman House Surrounded by Nature: Anne T., France
Acorn Library With Treehouse Outdoor Acorn Bath: Peter C., United Kingdom
Adobe Fossilized Dinosaur Skull in Desert: Haylee M., United States
Ancestral Lava Cave in a Volcano: Fernando B., Chile
Atomic Oasis in the Chihuahuan Desert: Cari B., United States
Bauhaus Bao House in the LA Mountains: Rei W., United States
Big Foot’s Cabin: Big Everything, Big Fun: Alexis D., United States
Board Game Haven in Huge Stacked Dice: Olivia S., United States
Building That Blossoms Like a Flower: Pol G., Ireland
Bunch of Bedrooms in the Shape of Himalayan Fruit: Arun M., India
Bush Plane in Alaska Ghost Town: Lisa B., United States
Cactus Cabin With Natural Hot Springs: Alie L., United States
Campsite With Caves as Rooms Built Into the Earth: Joanne C., Taiwan
Cloud 9: Livable Cloud Overlooking Lake Michigan: Emily A., United States
Coconut Drifting in the Sea: Muhammad-Hakim A., Malaysia
Concrete Shelled Dome, Sustainable Off-Grid in Joshua Tree: Michael O.l, United States
Contemporary Pyramid in Epic Pine Forest: Jose L., Mexico
Cozy Giant Teapot and Cup Studio: Martinique B., United Kingdom
“Crash Landed” Retro Luxury Airliner Fuselage and Cockpit: Jennifer C., United States
Desert Flower Opening to Star-Filled Sky: Abraham V., South Africa
DJ Booth Tower Mini Duplex: Jérémie, M., Thailand
Dome-House Floating in a Koi Fish Pond: Iacopo T., Japan
Dragon Egg in the Forest: Martín J., Argentina
Dragons Den Cave: Life-Sized Dragon Statue Atop Entrance: Julia N., United States
Eco Pyramid Bedroom Set at the Belly Button of the Land: Dominic H., Portugal
Eco-Igloo: Catherine W., Australia
Floating Avocado in an Avocado Farm: Ignacio M., Chile
Floating Terrarium in the City: Mia P., United Kingdom
Full Airplane House in Wonder Valley: Richard C., United States
Galactic Glacier: Laura N., United States
Geodesic Planetarium and Observatory Dome: Nick M., United States
Ghost Town Gondola Town at 12,000 Feet: Ben C., United States
Giant Camera Atop a Georgia Mountain: Matthew F., United States
Giant Clog-Cabin in a Dutch Open Field: Jantine D., Netherlands
Giant Coyote Head Casita on the Rim of the Rio Grande: Johnny D., United States
Giant Fallen Redwood Tree in the Forest: Frank C., United States
Giant Flower Pot on a Farm in Small Town Idaho: Whitney H., United States
Giant Mirrored Disco Ball Glamping House on Wheels: Jeffrey H., United States
Giant Pig in Meadow at Pig Sanctuary: Tracey S., United States
Giant Pony Pad in the New Forest National Park: Jordan C., United Kingdom
Giant Tortoise Glass Shell for Stargazing: Reeyna D., United States
Giant Vintage TV Perched Next to a Lake: Melissa W., Canada
Grass-Roofed, Glass-Fronted Forest Adventure House: Kate C., Canada
Habitable Human Size Skep (Beehive): Pam W., United States
Hansel and Gretel’s Chocolate House: Maria D., Argentina
Il Pino, the Pine-Shaped Cabin in the Alps: Luca B., Italy
Invisible Farmhouse in a Mango Orchard: Ankur A., India
Jungle Eco Tree House With a Leaf Petal Shape: Elisa O., Mexico
Kangaroom – Floating Pod Style: Matt D., Australia
Kiwi Bird Nest With a Chicken-Eye View: Jacqueline Y., New Zealand
Koi Fish-Shaped House: Linda F., United States
Land-Locked Cargo Ship House in Veracruz: Álvaro M., Mexico
Helicopter on Ten Wooded Acres With a Creek: Emily L., United States
Lighthouse in the Ocean Outside a Swedish Summer Island: Martin R., Sweden
Livable Giant Coconut Made From Mud and Coconut Coir in the Tropical Region of Chiang Mai: Abhi A., Thailand
Livable Giant Fallen Tree in the Woods: J.R. S., United States
Livable Giant Fossilized Snail in the Desert: Diego Z., Mexico
Liveable Giant Mushroom Spaceship in the Middle of the Jungle: Pablo B., Mexico
Livable Giant Troll Nestled in the Woods: Victoria G., United States
Livable Pop-Art Painting-Inspired Stay in Llano Desert: Jesse Y., United States
Luxury Live-In Bear With Epic Woodland Views: Bianca C., United States
“Mind the Gap” – An Up-Cycled London Underground Tube Carriage: Eloise S., United Kingdom
Mischievous Mango Mansion: Rajan J., India
Modern African Earth Retreat in the Bush: Juane V., South Africa
Modern Cereal Lover’s Paradise: Trey P., United States
Monocoque Cabin, Organic Architecture at Peace With its Rural Site: Peter M., United Kingdom
Mushroom Mansion: A Farm to Nightstand B&B: Lenée G., United States
Orion Constellation: 10 Elevated Rooms in Oaxaca: Edmundo Z., Mexico
Ozark Glass Dome Planetarium Treehouse: Natalie J., United States
Portable Cheese Wedge-Shaped Cabins in Wisconsin: Etienne W., United States
Redwood Stump Tiny House in the Forest: Melanie S., United States
Rock Candyland Cottages: Justin M., United States
Salt Cave and Forest Dwelling With Glass Bottle: Liezel M., South Africa
Sculpture in the Woods: Julio N., Mexico
Solve a Mystery in a Restored 40s Railcar: Winston W., United States
Space Treehouse: A Futuristic Home for Sustainable Living: Daniel T., United States
Spend a Night With Your Honey… and Some Honey Bees: Jacob K., United States
Sprout House – The Incredible Farm Stay!: Milind S., India
Stargazing Sphere Suspended in the Rocks: Orien R., United States
Stargazing Stone Igloos: Jaco B., South Africa
Starhouse on Top of a Cliff: Andres C., Mexico
Stay in a Volcano On the Big Island of Hawaii: Cassandra R., United States
Sustainable and Habitable Giant Molar Tooth, Deep Within a Tropical Forest: Pewly D., India
Sustainable Beehive House in the Rainforest: Esteban C., Costa Rica
Sustainable Rammed Earth Desert Shelter Engaged Into the Landscape: Jonathan R., United States
The Big Smoking Volcano and the Sky-Perched Nest: Fabian D., Mexico
The First Bubble House in Mars: A Space Experience: Jorge C., Spain
The Golden Egg: Jennifer W., Ireland
The Nuthouse: Suspended, Hanging Giant Acorn Back in the Woods: Ty G., United States
The Ultimate Music Lover’s Hideaway: Madeleine T., United Kingdom
Tire-Shaped House Made of Junkyard Tires: Kimberly S., United States
Titan II Missile on Former USAF Base: GT H., United States
“Top Secret” Underground Atlas Missile Base, Abandoned by the Air Force: Matthew F., United States
Luxury Bubble On Top Of A Mountain: Timothy H., Australia
Two Wooden Round Nests, Surrounded by Dreamy Blue Gardens: Nicolette T., United Kingdom
Ultimate Airbnb on Plane at an Airfield: Mary C., Australia
US-Skoolie as Mobile Airbnb in Germany: Marcus H., Germany
Viking Ship in the Northwoods of Minnesota: Elena M., United States
What It Feels Like to Live on Cloud 9: Tia B., United States