Find your next home-away-from-home with these crowd favorite online rentals.
No matter where you’re traveling in West Virginia, chances are there’s an Airbnb nearby offering unique accommodations. WV Living rounded up some of the most-wishlisted rentals in the state. The only thing they leave us wishing for is time to stay at them all.
A Chalet of One’s Own
Moss Hill Chalet Cabin was the most-wishlisted Airbnb in the state for 2018—and for good reason. This cozy cabin seems like a cottage from a fairytale. It sits snug within five quiet wooded acres of Berkeley Springs. A spacious deck offers plenty of seating to relax while grilling dinner or playing a card game. On rainy days, a screened-in porch means guests can still enjoy the outdoors without getting wet. The living area’s cathedral ceilings and expansive windows allow for plenty of natural lighting.
The outdoor hot tub also provides the perfect place to unwind after hiking in nearby Cacapon Resort State Park. And downtown Berkeley Springs is only a short drive away for art galleries, restaurants, and shops. Airbnb host Jim purchased Moss Hill in 2009. He started hosting in 2015, and now has two additional Berkeley Springs cabins—Horizon Hill and Hidden Hill. airbnb.com/rooms/7145469
Not Walden Pond, But Close
Live out those long-burning Henry David Thoreau fantasies in the Tiny Rustic Bunkhouse – Off Grid Living, a 60-square-foot abode located near Sandstone. Built from reclaimed materials, this cozy little cabin is perched at the edge of the woods on a 20-acre farm. Your host’s house is only about 200 feet away, but you’ll feel like you’re in a world of your own.
Bring along your favorite cast iron skillet and cook dinner over the fire pit, then eat your meal on the picnic table. There’s electricity inside the cabin for late-night reading, but no running water. There’s a cold-water shower and an outhouse, and hosts supply guests with two gallons of drinking water and five gallons of non-potable water. There’s also no refrigerator, but a small cooler is provided, as are an electric kettle and a flashlight. airbnb.com/rooms/19012532
Make Yourself at Home in Mountaineer Country
Tucked among the trees just 10 miles from downtown Morgantown is the Trillium Acres Guest House. This charming house accommodates six guests. The third-floor bedroom features a queen bed and a twin bed with a half bath, and the ground level suite has its own private bathroom with a jacuzzi tub. Fire up the wood stove for winter nights or soak in the twin clawfoot bathtubs on an outside deck during warmer months. For adventure seekers, hiking and mountain biking trails are only 12 miles away in Coopers Rock State Forest. airbnb.com/rooms/11449696
Bus Stop
For a cool place to stay in one of West Virginia’s coolest historic towns, book a night at Shepherdstown’s Cozy School Bus Conversion. Host Will Sutherland purchased this 1997 decommissioned Bluebird school bus for $1,000—then retrofitted it with a sofa, rocking chair, table, wood stove, and full-size bed. There’s wood flooring, wood-wall siding, and plenty of pillows and quilts to make you feel right at home. Sutherland also left some of the original seats up front, if you feel like playing school.
The bus is parked in Sutherland’s yard, but in a secluded spot so guests have privacy. In warmer months, he attaches a deck to the outside so guests can spend evenings outdoors. Sutherland is an accommodating host—he’s had dinner with guests, taken them on tours of town, picked them up at the train station, and, if they preferred, left them completely alone. airbnb.com/rooms/4678535
Get Artsy in Lewisburg
Stepping into the Downtown Artist Cottage with Sauna is like stepping into a private art studio. Stunning tile mosaics cover the walls and floors. Fanciful lighting fixtures and fresh plants throughout the small house provide unique touches. A two-person infrared sauna means guests can cleanse and relax anytime they desire. Still not warm enough? Turn up the gas-burning fireplace in the living area.
The main bedroom includes a queen bed, but a futon in the sauna room also folds out for sleeping. The kitchen comes prepared for all cooking needs, including a gas range stove and coffee maker. The hosts provide plenty of towels and bottled water from local springs. Furry friends are welcomed, especially in the fenced-in backyard. The cottage has Wi-Fi but no television, which makes it perfect for artists seeking a creative respite. Historic downtown Lewisburg’s locally owned shops and restaurants are just a few minutes’ walk away. For a short drive, Greenbrier River Trail and The Greenbrier are also worth a visit. airbnb.com/rooms/4185660
Off the Grid
Get off the grid at the Secluded Tiny House #2 in Wellsburg. This two-bed cabin is one of three on the 170-acre Redbud Hill Farm property. Start the morning by sipping coffee on the front porch, which offers an unimpeded view of a 40-acre field and the banks of Buffalo Creek. Inside, the walls and ceilings showcase beautiful black cherry, maple, and oak wood salvaged from trees on the property. Bring a cooler for meals—there’s no refrigerator, but cookware and propane for the stovetop are provided. Solar-powered electricity keeps the lights on, and a wood stove makes cold nights more than comfortable. Guest may need to bundle up for midnight trips to the outhouse, though, located 50 feet away.
Spend the days of your private retreat hiking the wooded trails or swimming in Buffalo Creek. Don’t forget to greet woodland visitors like deer, ducks, geese, and turkeys. In the evening, soak in the sunset around a campfire. This house offers peaceful solitude, but hosts Jim and Jo Ellen Haizlett’s home is only two-thirds of a mile away if help guests should need anything during their stay. airbnb.com/rooms/16512314
After a long day at Seneca Rocks or the Dolly Sods Wilderness, you’ll need somewhere to hit the hay. Look no further than the Renovated Barn in Seneca Rocks. This one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment is ideal for those looking for something more rustic than a hotel but a little more luxurious than a tent. The barn’s neighbors include goats, chickens, and a peacock. There is little cell phone reception and no oven, but the barn does have Wi-Fi, a hot plate, refrigerator, and toaster oven. airbnb.com/rooms/1136611
Log Cabin Living
The 1840s Romantic Log Cabin in Summersville hand-hewn log cabin was built, as you probably guessed, in the 1840s. There’s a living area and apartment-style kitchenette with a microwave, and, just up the spiral staircase, a comfy bedroom with an antique brass bed. The cabin features air-conditioning for warmer months. When it turns cold, throw a log in the wood-burning fireplace—firewood is included with each stay. Or better yet, hop in the property’s hot tub. airbnb.com/rooms/17321641
Play Tarzan
Fulfill childhood fantasies of living in a treehouse with this Stay In Tree House or Set Up Tent listing. The place features rustic amenities—no electricity and an outhouse—but, for Airbnb reviewers, the remoteness only adds to the serenity. Light the indoor wood stove to keep the cabin warm or the outside fire pit to grill hot dogs and roast marshmallows. Hikers and hunters will especially enjoy the 130 acres of surrounding property. The hosts will drive guests up the hill from the main house to the treehouse and supply spring water and homemade maple syrup. airbnb.com/rooms/20153699
Hit the Hay
If you’re looking for something a little bit rustic and a little bit ritzy, check out superhost Holly Clark’s Fayetteville rental, Charming Barn Loft (close to NRG). Guests stay in the hayloft of a 100-year-old barn, just a short drive from the New River Gorge Bridge. It’s a short walk to downtown Fayetteville and its hip restaurants, quirky boutiques, and knowledgeable outfitters. But you won’t mind staying in, either. Clark has tastefully decorated the loft with tables and chairs, lounge furniture, and a full-size bed surrounded by a romantic-looking—and practical—mosquito net. After a good night’s rest, you can enjoy breakfast in the loft for a small per-person upcharge.
The barn is not insulated so the temperatures can fluctuate in the early spring and late fall. You also might see some creepy-crawlies. It is a barn, after all. But if you’re the kind who doesn’t mind roughing it a little—just a little—the Barn Loft will provide a night’s stay you’ll never forget. airbnb.com/rooms/144664
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