One of the homes in Airbnb's 2026 US wishlist selection looks like a camera. Another floats off Key West. A third is a steel sculpture that happens to contain bedrooms.
Nobody saved these places because the hallway was a sensible width.
Airbnb published its state-by-state collection of most wishlisted US stays on 9 April 2026. We've picked ten particularly interesting examples, using their individual listings to look beyond the first photograph.
This is a selection from that collection, not America's ten highest wishlist counts in order. Airbnb does not provide those counts in the article. A save also tells us someone liked the idea of a stay, not that they booked it or that the property earns a particular amount.
With that distinction made, there is plenty here worth a closer look.
Ten stays at a glance
| Stay | State | The reason to look twice |
|---|---|---|
| The Lens Lodge | Georgia | A camera-shaped cabin with a huge circular window |
| Willow Treehouse | New York | A woodland sleeping loft overlooking a pond |
| Eppstein House | Michigan | A restored Frank Lloyd Wright home |
| Earthouse | Missouri | An earth-sheltered house with room for a group |
| Zion A-Frame | Utah | A cabin that opens towards the canyon views |
| Idyll Ridge | Oregon | An off-grid forest retreat |
| Key West Outpost | Florida | A floating cottage reached by boat |
| Robert Bruno Steel House | Texas | A habitable steel sculpture |
| Flohom 1 | Maryland | A floating suite with a city skyline |
| Isle au Haut treehouse | Maine | Two elevated structures joined by a rope bridge |
The ten stays in detail
1. The Lens Lodge, Georgia
Image: The Lens Lodge on Airbnb.
The Lens Lodge in Ellijay takes its theme all the way to the building. The large round window forms the front of a camera-shaped cabin, with the sleeping space looking out into the trees. A deck and hot tub extend the stay outdoors. (Airbnb)
The useful detail is the layout. The listing accommodates four, but the main bed and sofa bed do not turn it into a conventional two-bedroom house. Groups should check how much separation they need. The host also describes a gravel approach with steep sections, which deserves attention before choosing a vehicle.
For a host, the striking thing is how quickly the property explains itself. One photograph gives the stay an identity. The rest of the listing still has to explain how four people will actually use it.
2. Willow Treehouse, New York
Image: Willow Treehouse on Airbnb.
Willow Treehouse is a small, elevated retreat in Willow, with a large window facing a pond. Its sleeping loft, wood-fired hot tub and woodland setting make the attraction easy to understand. (Airbnb)
It also asks guests to accept the practical side of that retreat. The listing says there is no Wi-Fi or mobile service, the loft is reached by a ladder and luggage has to be carried to the house. The pond is shared with the main property.
Those are useful disclosures, not details to bury. Someone planning to switch off may love the absence of connectivity. Someone planning three video calls on Friday probably needs a different booking.
“Remote” becomes much more helpful when the host explains what it changes.
3. Frank Lloyd Wright's Eppstein House, Michigan
Image: Eppstein House on Airbnb.
Eppstein House in Galesburg offers a different kind of memorable stay. The building is a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian home, restored in 2016 and 2017, with terraces, books, art and a record player forming part of the experience. (Airbnb)
The appeal is spending ordinary time inside a notable piece of architecture. Making breakfast, finding a chair and watching the light change are part of the visit. You do not need to attach a novelty activity to every hour.
This is also a reminder that the identity of a rental can come from its history and design rather than a long amenity list. The responsibility for a host is to explain how guests should use and care for the building, without turning every surface into an anxious instruction.
4. Earthouse, Missouri
Image: Earthouse on Airbnb.
Earthouse in Springfield offers approximately 2,500 square feet of space, three bedrooms and three bathrooms beneath an earth-sheltered form. Its windows, patio, outdoor dining area and fire pit stop the idea of staying underground from becoming a picture of a dark bunker. (Airbnb)
The listing places it in a quiet suburban setting. That is worth distinguishing from a remote wilderness stay, especially for guests choosing between architectural interest and complete isolation.
This is one of the more group-oriented homes in our selection, with a listed capacity of eight. The unusual building provides the initial reason to click; the sleeping arrangements and common spaces determine whether it suits the trip.
For a larger group, both parts matter. An extraordinary exterior does not decide who gets the sofa bed.
5. Zion A-Frame, Utah
Image: Zion A-Frame on Airbnb.
At this Hildale A-frame, a large opening front draws the landscape into the cabin. The listing describes a three-level deck, a private hot tub and access to a shared sauna. It is designed for two guests. (Airbnb)
The name needs one practical footnote: this is not accommodation inside Zion National Park. The host describes the park as roughly 45 minutes away, so guests should plan the actual route to their intended entrance and activity.
That distinction is especially useful in scenic destinations, where a place name can cover a broad area. A guest may happily choose a quiet setting with a drive attached. They should know about the drive before they arrive with a sunrise plan.
6. Idyll Ridge, Oregon
Image: Idyll Ridge on Airbnb.
Idyll Ridge in Elsie combines an off-grid setting with a substantial kitchen, a wood-fired hot tub and a soaking tub in the loft. The property sits within nine acres, with forest trails and no Wi-Fi. The listing accommodates up to six guests. (Airbnb)
It makes a useful distinction between being comfortable and being connected. Guests can cook a proper meal and settle into a warm bath without the stay becoming a remote office.
For hosts offering something similar, the practical information belongs alongside the atmospheric pictures: how guests arrive, which supplies they need, how equipment works and what to do when the ordinary instructions fail.
Off-grid hospitality still involves quite a lot of preparation by someone on the grid.
7. Key West Outpost, Florida
Image: Key West Outpost on Airbnb.
Key West Outpost is a floating cottage in the backcountry waters near Key West. The listing describes two bedrooms, a deck, kayaks and paddleboards, with arrival and departure boat transport provided by the host. Electricity comes through a solar setup with limited generator support. (Airbnb)
The water is the attraction and the logistical constraint. Guests need to understand transport arrangements, luggage, provisions and what is available aboard before leaving shore.
A forgotten item is rather more noticeable when fetching it involves a boat. That makes the pre-arrival information part of the accommodation itself.
The photo may sell the idea of being away from everything. The host's instructions have to make that idea workable for the people who book it.
8. Robert Bruno Steel House, Texas
Image: Robert Bruno Steel House on Airbnb.
The Robert Bruno Steel House in Ransom Canyon looks as though a sculpture has decided to grow rooms. Its steel form, stained glass and views over the lake give it a visual identity that is difficult to confuse with an ordinary holiday home. The listing has three bedrooms and accommodates eight. (Airbnb)
Guests should distinguish booking accommodation from booking a venue or a shoot location. The host permits photography and video only for strictly personal use and prohibits drones; booking a stay does not authorise a production shoot.
For other property managers, the useful point is quite simple: a home can attract interest for a particular feature while still needing clear rules about how that feature may be used. Spell out the difference before a guest builds a whole itinerary around an assumption.
9. Flohom 1, Maryland
Image: Flohom 1 on Airbnb.
Flohom 1 brings the floating-home idea into Baltimore. It offers a rooftop dining space, a fire pit and a marina setting with city views, rather than a remote anchorage. The listing includes one bedroom and sleeping space for up to four guests. (Airbnb)
Set beside Key West Outpost, it shows how little the word “houseboat” tells you by itself. One stay is built around getting away by water; the other makes the waterfront part of a city visit.
Check the layout, marina access and sleeping arrangements as carefully as the skyline photographs. As with any compact property, maximum occupancy and the most comfortable group size are questions worth considering separately.
10. Isle au Haut treehouse, Maine
Image: Modern Treehouse with Hot Tub and Water Views on Airbnb.
This Georgetown treehouse, named Isle au Haut, splits the accommodation between two elevated structures connected by a rope bridge. One holds the bedroom; the other contains the small kitchen, bathroom and dining space. A private wood-fired cedar hot tub adds another reason to stay outside. (Airbnb)
The property is part of a wooded hillside with other treehouse accommodation nearby. Its kitchen has a two-burner stove and toaster oven, rather than a full-sized oven.
Both details help guests plan accurately. “Treehouse in the woods” can suggest anything from a solitary cabin to a small collection of carefully spaced stays. A clear layout and a clear explanation of what is shared are doing useful work here.
What these wishlisted stays have in common
Across our selection, the strongest feature is easy to describe: a camera window, a famous architect, a floating cottage, a bridge between rooms. The property gives a guest something specific to imagine.
That does not mean an ordinary host needs to commission a steel sculpture. It suggests a more practical exercise: identify the best real reason to choose your property, photograph it clearly and support it with accurate information about the stay.
The useful detail might be a private courtyard, a comfortable reading spot or a well-equipped kitchen for a family holiday. It should be something guests can actually use, not just a phrase in the title.
Then make the less glamorous information easy to find. Ladders, shared facilities, connectivity, cooking equipment and arrival arrangements can all affect whether a saved property becomes a good booking.
letbloom helps with those everyday questions by giving guests answers on WhatsApp from the host's property information. See how it works if your own memorable stay also generates a memorable number of repeated messages.
Sources and booking notes
The selection comes from Airbnb's April 2026 US wishlist collection. Property details and images are attributed to the individual Airbnb listings above. Listing descriptions, availability and amenities can change, so check the current page and the full booking terms for your dates. No nightly prices or income estimates are inferred from wishlist inclusion.
