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Airbnb has become one of the largest booking websites that enables people to rent their home rooms, and more conveniently. It has become one of the most widely spread booking sites in the world and a mainstay for many people booking accommodation for their vacations in the United States and all around the world. Granted, its booking fees can be very expensive at times, but the convenience and reach of Airbnb, more often than not, make it worth it.

Airbnb has everything from Arctic hideaways in Norway to tropical getaways in the Caribbean. Much of the appeal of the site is that almost no matter where one looks, there is likely to be interesting accommodation (or at least plenty of accommodation). Airbnb has become a site that travelers can use to help plan their vacations.

Airbnb Has Grown & Has Categories Galore

Airbnb was founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky, Nathan Blecharczyk, and Joe Gebbia (its original name was AirBedandBreakfast). It is focused on short-term homestays and experiences (although now many hotels also list their properties on Airbnb's website).

The size of Airbnb is shown in its numbers.

  • Number Of Airbnb Hosts: Over 4 Million (With Over 6 Million Listings)
  • Stays: Over 1 Billion Stays Booked
  • Countries: Operates In 191 Countries

Airbnb has about six guests checking in every single second, and the average cost for an Airbnb stay in North America is $163 a night.

Other categories Airbnb offers include private rooms, ski-in/out, Amazing views, containers, treehouses, lake, luxe, Casas particulares, cabins, desert, tiny homes, lakefront, national parks, Arctic, beach, castles, caves, OMG!, houseboats, mansions, earth homes, historic homes, farms, islands, yurts, barns, shepherd's huts, off the grid, islands, and many more. They really have just about every interesting category covered!

Now they have added another six categories to their ever-growing list of categories.

Related: Traveler Discussions: Hostels Vs Airbnb When Flying Solo

What To Know Of Airbnb's Exciting New Categories

Airbnb grew momentously and continues to grow and adapt around the world. It has expanded to cater to travelers with exciting new rental categories around the world. They have recently introduced six new types of booking as part of their Airbnb Categories.

The new Airbnb categories are:

  • New
  • Trending
  • Top of the World
  • Hanoks
  • Adapted
  • Play

The "Trending" and "New" categories make it even easier to find recently added homes and top-rated listings. These don't need much more explanation.

The "Top of the World" category is a novel category for homes that are over 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) above sea level. "Play" is a category for extreme game lovers, while "Adapted" shows the homes that are guaranteed to be wheelchair accessible. "Adapted" listings come with images that show things like the doorway measurements.

"Hanoks" are traditional Korean houses that were first designed and built in the 14th century during the Joseon dynasty. They are planned and built with consideration for the surroundings of the house, including the land and the seasons. The ideal hanok is built with a mountain in the back and a river in the front.

Related: This Is What It's Like To Spend A Night In Quetzalcoatl's Nest

Airbnb - The Go-To Website For Unique & Unusual Accommodation

Airbnb has moved to enable people to find novel and unique destinations (think e.g., cave accommodations, treehouses, and castles). Airbnb tries to enable people to find interesting places spread out all around the world. People can also filter by views from the accommodation (like national parks and vineyards).

Consider defraying for part of one's longer vacation by listing one's own home on Airbnb (and certainly if one has a holiday home)

The attractions of unusual accommodation Airbnb is seen in that the most popular room on its website has been a room in Cahercastle - a 600-year-old castle in Ireland. At the same time, the most popular listing on Airbnb has been a small off-the-grid mushroom doom accommodation tucked away within easy reach of San Francisco.

Other unusual Airbnb accommodations in the United States include converted grain silos in Missouri and a "potato" in Idaho that spent much of its life touring the national advertising Idaho - the potato state. Yup, Idaho loves potatoes, so many people can sleep in them.

Airbnb's listings vary around the world as much as one could possibly imagine. Some hosts are very hospitable and are there for one's every need, while listings are self-check-in, and one will never see the hosts. Others are just hotels.