From modern reinventions of camping classics to space-age pods providing a comfortable place to rest, travellers today have more options than ever when it comes to booking their next getaway.
As the global leader in connecting travellers with the most diverse range of unique places to stay, Booking.com offers access to alternative accommodations all around the world.
Recent research conducted by Booking.com explores the trends surrounding these unique stays, inspiring the definitive guide to some of the most talked about and on the rise accommodation types around the world.
Luxury Tent
For some, camping instils fond childhood memories and presents an opportunity to embrace the great outdoors. For others, it means the dread of an outdoor toilet and a rough night’s sleep.
Driven by the desire to make camping a more enjoyable experience for everyone, recent years have seen a significant increase in interest for glamourous camping – or glamping – with almost a third of global travellers (31%)* stating that they prefer unique and quirky accommodations while on holidays, such as luxury tents.
Luxury tents are amongst the fastest rising in relative popularity of accommodation types on Booking.com*, connecting travellers with the great outdoors without having to give up modern luxuries.
Where to stay: Identified as one of 2019’s emerging destinations, Wadi Rum, Jordan, is also home to Memories Aicha Luxury Camp. These luxury tents offer the perfect balance of opulence and outdoors, situated in the heart of the desert for incredible landscapes and scenery. The camp features a restaurant, barbecue facilities, a garden and a terrace. This is camping like you’ve never experienced it before.
Holiday homes
While travelling is often about branching out and seeing new places, some of us still look for the comforts of home. For many travellers a holiday home offers the best of both worlds and the opportunity truly embrace their chosen destination.
Almost a third (30%)** of travellers will be looking for a holiday home or villa for their 2019 getaway, both of which are amongst the fastest rising in relative popularity of accommodation types on Booking.com.
Where to stay: They say home is where the heart is, but when you’re journeying away from yours on your travels, why not head to Spain, which is one of the top destinations for holiday homes with over 27,000 property options on Booking.com.
In Granada the Mirador De San Cristóbal holiday home offers tastefully decorated accommodation in the charming Albaicín neighbourhood of Granada, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with impressive views of the city near the famous Alhambra.
Capsule Hotels
From one small stay to another, capsule hotels offer perfectly formed accommodation options for budget-conscious travellers. These extremely small “rooms” are often found in more casual accommodation offerings and are stacked high, side-by-side with steps for access and is also one of the fastest growing categories of accommodation on Booking.com.
Where to stay: Capsule hotels first appeared as a low-budget option in Japan, and the country remains ahead of the trend, offering increasingly chic and high-tech pod options. The Capsule Hotel Astil Dotonbori offers the perfect experience in Osaka. All capsules come fully equipped, with a mobile phone charger, USB port and even nightwear, towels and slippers for their guests.
Chalet
As picture perfect as a souvenir postcard, a chalet offers an alternative alpine accommodation. The wooden houses with overhanging eaves often form part of skiing resorts. In fact, cabins and chalets are the desired accommodation for almost a fifth (16%)* of global travellers and are also amongst the fastest rising in relative popularity of accommodation types on Booking.com.
Where to stay: Ticking off two of the ski resort essentials, hot tub and ski storage, the Chalets de la Ferme de Belline is perfectly located in Briançon in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region for your next trip down the slopes. The property offers a range of chalet sizes, with some featuring a dining area or terrace for guests to enjoy après-ski.
Apartments
With 30%* of travellers planning to stay in an apartment in 2019 and one of the fastest growing accommodation types being booked by global travellers on Booking.com***, it's clear they are as popular as ever. These self-contained units often provide the perfect balance of escape and home comforts for city living.
Where to stay: As one of the most iconic skylines in the world, why not experience the bustle of New York City from an apartment right in the midst of it. Located walking distance from the Rockefeller Centre, Radio City Apartments offer rooms equipped with a kitchenette and cable TV.
Tiny Houses
The tiny house movement sees people embracing a smaller and simpler existence. A property that’s less than 500 feet would technically constitute a tiny house and these small dwellings are popping up for travellers across the globe to provide a peek into the trendy and eco-conscious way of living that’s simple, uncomplicated and cosy.
Where to stay: Tiny House Siesta in Florida may be small but proves a big hit with visitors. Travellers can stay in self-catering tiny houses situated at the holiday park not far from Siesta Key Beach. Open floor-plans connect a dining area, seating area, and sleeping area. Some of the bookable tiny houses at Tiny House Siesta even offer two levels and an outdoor shower.
Riad
Stemming from the Arabian term for garden, a riad is a type of traditional Moroccan house or palace built around an interior courtyard. These palatial stays offer beauty in their architectural and floral design. Booking.com has over 1200 riads available, so you’ll be spoiled for choice when looking for a place to spend those Arabian nights.
Where to stay: Being the riad’s origin, Morocco is a must stay place when planning a stay. Riad Al Makan is one of the top picks in Fès and offers the perfect base to explore the bustling nearby street markets and attractions such as the Blue Gate. This beautifully designed property also boasts a terrace overlooking the old Medina.
Boats
While staying off-shore may not be a new travel trend, accommodation options that are permanently moored offer visitors a unique place to stay while taking in their chosen destination. Booking.com currently offers is now home to over more than 1700 boat properties across the globe.
Where to stay: The superyacht The Sunbourn is found in Royal Victoria Dock and offers a uniquely luxurious base from which to explore London. Less than a minute's walk from ExCeL London, this boat stay is also primed for business travellers to the area looking for something a little different, with meeting rooms available, the latest communications technology and a centralised multimedia system.
- *Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a sample of adults who have taken a trip in the last 12 months/plan to take a trip in the next 12 months. In total 21,500 respondents were polled (including 1,000 each from Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, China, Brazil, India, US, UK, Russia, Indonesia, Colombia and South Korea; and 500 each from Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Taiwan, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore and Israel). Respondents completed an online survey between 10th August to 30th August 2018.
- **Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a sample of 53,492 respondents across 31 markets. In order to participate in this survey, respondents had to be 18 years of age or older, had to have travelled at least once in the past 12 months and be either the primary decision maker or involved in the decision making of their travel. The survey was taken online and took place between October 16th and November 12th, 2018.
- ***Rising popularity measured by fastest relative year-on-year growth in terms of bookings, (so the amount of bookings from this past year, 1 November 2017 and 31 October 2018, expressed as a percentage of the same time period in the year prior.)
