The laborious task of scrolling through page after page of Ikea-clad apartments for that Copenhagen weekend will resonate with many Airbnb veterans.
Amid an abundance of filters is the sorry absence of a taste button. And while ‘taste’ and ‘beauty’ are subjective, there are some views, some furniture choreography or architectural oomph that raises hairs on nearly all arms and stops nearly all scrollers in their tracks.
So rather than focusing on bedroom count or pillars-a-plenty wow-factor, this is a considered curation of the most beautiful Airbnb’s in Europe.
Bucolic villa, Tuscany
Lost in Arezzo’s wild beauty, where green hills drift into distant blue and olive trees shuffle in the hot, silky wind is a spectacular 8-bedroom villa. Its weathered stone feels sketched into the surrounding countryside, much like the cypress trees and refined white umbrellas that feel in step with Italian Dolce Vita lore. From a pool wrapped in olive groves, guests can watch yolky sunsets animate the jagged mountain surging in the distance. Inside, a refined take on the traditional Italian farmhouse unfolds – where terracotta tiles, billiard rooms and oxblood chesterfields are given a modern lick with more contemporary wicker lampshades and earthy linens. Brilliant Tuscan light sieves through the villa’s symmetrical (and spectacular) windows, animating the farm-to-fork cooking classes and wine-tasting taking place inside.
From £867 per night; 16 guests; airbnb.co.uk
The Crofter’s House, Isle of Skye, Scotland
This flawless reimagining of an 1830’s crofter’s cottage lures visitors north to the rugged and ravishing wilds of Skye. While only 5 miles from the town of Portree, the cottage appears to have the burgundy and ochre Scottish countryside all to itself, along with an unspoiled shoreline where glassy water meets grey, tar-like pebbles. Interiors tow a soft minimalist line. A white canvas of wood panelling and plastered walls keeps the edge-of-the-earth views to do the talking, while a wood burning stove and Danish lamp suggest the Scandinavian knack for good-but-simple living.
From £150 per night; 2 guests; airbnb.co.uk
Stones and Glass Villa, Todi, Italy
A restrained, earthy design brief guides the interiors in this reimagined Umbrian farmhouse near Todi. Linen curtains flap in a warm breeze, long creamy sofas facing a contemporary fireplace are a joy for aperitif hour and floor-to-ceiling windows pull the glorious continental light inside. Two magnificent cyprus trees frame the house’s traditional facade, which feels loved and gently enticed into the 21st century, and an outdoor hot tub encased in a Scandinavian-style black green house tempts late night soaks under the stars.
From £589 per night; 11 guests; airbnb.co.uk
Alla Terrazza di tomasi Di Lampedusa, Palermo, Italy
Who knows how the famous Prince and author of Sicilian classic, The Leopard, Tomasi Di Lampedusa may have felt about listing his family palace on Airbnb, or that it’s a mere £262 per night for 6 guests? The grand bones of the palazzo wing remain – its soaring ceilings and imposing rooms are now peppered with simple, more modern furniture (not the arty type but comfortably nonetheless). A gilt mirror, mahogany dresser and frescoed ceiling whisper tales from long ago above a pared down overhaul, while a trippy floor of blue and white tiles line the terrace where a pool winks at an unrelenting Sicilian sun.
£262 per night; 6 guests; airbnb.co.uk
Birdbox, Førde, Vestland fylke, Norway
Designed by the host, @TorsteinAaDesign (IG), Birdbox is privy to knockout views of the Norwegian fjords. The contemporary wooden cabin perches on a steep hill and appears lost in a dramatic landscape of snowy pine forests and jagged mountains and vast, open skies. A simple, Scandinavian design brief unfolds inside, and while compact, the large circular (and seriously Instagrammable) windows pull the magnificent outdoors in. When not swimming in the clear, glassy water or hiking the Norwegian wilderness, guests can curl up in linen sheets and spot wildlife through a pair of binoculars.
From £304 per night; 2 guests; airbnb.co.uk
Luminous Artist Penthouse, Vienna, Austria
Sprawled across three floors, this colourful design den in Vienna’s 7th district enjoys romantic views over the city’s historic rooftops. Dressed in abstract art and colourful rugs, rooms are uncluttered and carefully scattered with mid-century and contemporary furniture (expect Argentine leather butterfly chairs and Danish industrial lampshades). The style reflects the neighbourhood’s bohemian reputation – a labyrinth of restaurants, galleries and independent bars and cafes just below the apartment.
From £294 per night; 5 guests; airbnb.co.uk
Erati Nano Oia Villa, Santorini, Greece
Once a fisherman’s cave, this charming Santorini bolthole has honoured its Cycladic roots with pastel blue window and door frames and an elevated simplicity design theme inside. White walls and staircases are smooth and earthy, and a private terrace tips over one of Greece’s most photogenic views: the Caldera whose dark slopes are sprinkled with little white houses. Few superlatives can do the crimson, Aegean Sea sunset any justice from this vantage point – also shared by a hot tub that appears naturally carved into the cave.
From £390 per night; 5 guests; airbnb.co.uk
Chateau des Seyres, Charente, France
Ok, the rate is a little spicy, but for good reason. This gorgeous chateau in the Charente region of South West France may have remained in the same family for centuries, yet its modern design strokes make it all-the-more appealing. You’d be hard pressed to find a cobweb amid the four poster beds, the vast stone fireplaces and original wooden beams that preserve its Medieaval character. Contemporary art and lighting sit alongside wood-panelled rooms and grand pianos, and sweeping windows pull eyes outside to velvety lawns, ancient woods and the valley beyond it.
From £1,003 per night; 16 guests; airbnb.co.uk
Villa Erstaholm, Turku, Finland
Clinging to the edge of its own private island, Villa Erstaholm is a sophisticated take on simplicity. A main white-wooden house, lying somewhere between the Hamptons and Nordic in design, blends heritage pieces with a fresh, coastal canvas of whites and creams. During summer months, guests can soak in Scandinavian rays or jump off the jetty by the little boat house, then warm up beside traditional tiled masonry heaters with a cup of cocoa back inside.
£833 per night; 8 guests; airbnb.co.uk
Sint-Martens-Latem, Belgium
An irresistible blend of nature and contemporary design, this smooth minimalist marvel in Wassenhove is the 1974 work of architect Juliaan Lampens. Smooth moody woods, glass and rough concrete toy with the elements and are suggestive of a Bond character’s forest hideout. Beyond a large concrete table flanked by futuristic chairs, a glass wall reveals the surrounding woodland while a perfectly-cut circle in the ceiling allows natural light to spill in. A few days in this bold and brutalist setting can be offset with a dose of antiquity at nearby Gent.
From £373 for three nights minimum; 2 guests; airbnb.co.uk
