Child's playhouse added to Airbnb 'as a joke' has been booked by family for £500 a night
With 6 in 10 adults admitting they’re unlikely to travel abroad this year due to the coronavirus, it’s safe to say that UK staycations are in hot demand.
So hot, in fact, that one family have booked a stay in a child’s playhouse, which was put on Airbnb as a joke by its owner.
Dad-of-five Jason Kneen built the 8ft (2.4m) by 6ft (1.8m) structure in his garden during lockdown and added it to the travel website “as a laugh”.
He was shocked when a family of four agreed to pay £500 to stay in it for a weekend getaway.
Kneen, 49, spent £3,500 creating his masterpiece during lockdown. It’s a design modelled on one of his children’s favourite toys, the Lottie Doll Treehouse.
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The treehouse comes complete with a balcony, slide, ladder, trap door and internet access, while toilet facilities are located in a nearby replica Tardis, from Doctor Who.
“It was just for fun - we listed it as a space for a laugh. We put that price on there and thought nobody would be interested,” Kneen explained.
“But, last weekend, we suddenly got an inquiry through. They're staying on Saturday. We're making pizza and sorting out breakfast at the moment! I think it's amazing and insane.
“I'm not sure I would pay that much for my kids to stay in one, but the fact that someone's going to do it is pretty incredible.
“The husband said they have two children, aged ten and five. They have just been going on about it.
“We're going to keep listing it - if we get few of these it will have paid for itself.”
Kneen, who works as an app developer, said that the space is small and open plan, but guests will be able to use other facilities during their stay.
He is hoping for nice weather on 15 August when the family stay, as he has a pool set up in the garden for them to enjoy.
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“There's little bunk beds inside. It's all open; it's just a small space. The toilet - the Tardis - has been there for years.
“It probably took a couple of weeks of elapsed time to build, but a week in total. We got a local guy who does stuff for us in. We just asked him to price it up and do it.”
