Airbnb is a huge accommodation listings site. In 2019 he celebrated half a billion guest arrivals. With countless listings, it also offers many unusual accommodations. Airbnb has over 14,000 tiny homes, over 4,000 castles, and over 2,400 treehouses. The most visited room is a 600 year old castle in Ireland. But the most visited listing on Airbnb is the Mushroom Dome in Aptos, California.
Airbnb offers an amazing range of unique accommodation options around the world. These range from the Seashell House on Isla Mujeres in Mexico, to silos on the Prairies, to a big potato in Idaho (check one out!). Choosing original accommodation is a great way to spice up your vacation and make lasting memories.
Mushroom Dome – The most popular listing on Airbnb
The Mushroom Dome The hosts – Kitty and Michael – have been hosting travelers since 2009 and were one of the first Airbnb listings located outside of a city. By 2019, they had amassed nearly 1,300 reviews (now 1,700).
- Hosts: Michael and Kitty Mrache
- Guests: up to three
- Comments: 1,700 reviews
- Evaluation: 4.88/5.00 stars
It may seem odd to many that the most popular listing on Airbnb isn’t a high-end glitzy hotel or other accommodation, but rather a more humble mushroom. The “Mushroom Done” has a small bedroom, two beds, a kitchen and a wooden patio.
The Mushroom Dome was originally built as temporary accommodation for a friend, but later opened to short-term tenants. The first to come was something of refugees from the stresses of Silicon Valley looking for an escape, but now it’s attracting people from all over the world.
A Very Peaceful Silicon Valley Retreat
The Mushroom Dome offers a very peaceful retreat from the stresses of Silicon Valley and sits on the other side of a mountain range near Aptos. The cabin is in a Redwood Grove, and there is hardly any noise other than the crickets. It is an ideal place to relax and rejuvenate.
At the cottage, guests can enjoy the 10 acres of private, fence-free grounds. Relax on the deck or take a hike in the woods.
- Hummingbirds: The gardens are home to hundreds of hummingbirds
While the accommodation feels isolated, it is actually less than 10 minutes from the village of Aptos, where one can buy everything one needs. The property has many hummingbirds and is home year-round to around 300-700 Anna hummingbirds (in the summer there are also many Rufus and Allen Hummers).
The facilities of the Mushroom Dome
At the time of writing (August 2022) they are no longer authorized to rent the Santa Cruz County Mushroom Dome Cabin. Instead, they rent the land and guests can still have unlimited access to Mushroom Dome Retreat.
- Bed: Casper Queen Mattress
- Facilities: A small refrigerator, a hot air popcorn, a French press coffee maker, an electric kettle, a corkscrew
- A BARBECUE: There is a barbecue on the deck
- Provided: Towels, soap, shampoo, conditioner, hair dryer
The accommodation has capacity for three people – a queen-size bed and a sofa that can be transformed into a bed. The sofa bed is an additional $15.00.
There are two tables – one inside and the other outside on the large deck facing the redwoods.
The bathroom is cute and has a travertine shower, while the toilet is a Swedish Separett stand-alone composting toilet. Be sure to follow instructions on how to use the toilet to avoid unpleasant odors (note that this accommodation is not for anyone gross of the idea of a composting toilet). The bathroom has a low ceiling which may require people over 6 feet to stoop a bit.
Reservation The Mushroom Dome
If you want to book a stay in the mushrooms, plan ahead as they can be booked well in advance.
The cabin is almost always booked on weekends – usually you have to apply for a reservation about five months in advance. So that the hosts can have Saturday free, they do not accept arrivals on Saturday (come on Friday if you wish to stay on Saturday).
- Registration: Between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m.
- Check: Midday
- Dog: $15.00 surcharge
- Cost: $159.00 per night
- Smoking: Not allowed in cabin or on property
If there is no availability, consider their other listing – the Hummingbird Haven which normally has more availability.
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