Airbnb has chosen 100 recipients from 20 countries to each receive $100,000 to bring their crazy ideas to life for their OMG! Category.
From tens of thousands of entries from around the world, 100 aspiring designers, architects, DIYers and makers hailing from more than 20 countries/regions have been chosen to bring their ideas to life as part of Airbnb’s $10,000,000 OMG! Fund.
The winning ideas stood out for their unique and inspiring design, sustainable consideration, and novel ways of offering immersive guest experiences. Recipients will each receive up to $100,000 USD to make their fantastical creations possible, and over the course of the next ten months, will design, construct and outfit their spaces to be guest-ready by summer 2023 – when they’ll be available as part of Airbnb’s OMG! Category.
Selected by the OMG! Fund 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 are expected to make the OMG! Category 100 times more extraordinary once they’re made bookable on the platform.
“What an incredible journey it has been to be a part of the OMG! Fund judging process. There were so many inspiring stories and destinations that I had never heard of before that I’m now eager to visit,” said Kristie Wolfe. “As a builder myself, I can’t wait to watch these ideas come to life. These are more than just places to spend the night – each one offers an entire experience!”
The OMG! Fund recipients have an opportunity to experience the powerful economic benefits of hosting on Airbnb – and many are already familiar, as over 50 percent are already hosts. In 2021, the typical host in the US earned over $13,800, an increase of 85% over 2019. Additionally, nights booked at unique properties increased globally by over 49% from 2019 to 2021.
The tens of thousands of entries drew inspiration from the depths of the sea to sci-fi novels, but certain natural elements and architectural features proved 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
From a lighthouse in Sweden accessible only by boat, to an adobe fossilized dinosaur skull in the desert, the winning 100 expand the idea of what an Airbnb stay can be, and are 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!”
