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- Airbnb has come a long way since its first rental - an air mattress on an apartment floor.
- Today, some of South Africa's fanciest homes, apartments, and villas are available on the platform.
- Some include palatial en-suite bathrooms, grand pianos, saunas and steam rooms, king-size beds, wine cellars, and even access to a wildlife hide.
- Quite who's renting these lavish spots is unclear, but there's no shortage of homes in the plus R150 000 a night mark.
- And including the minimum stay requirement, the priciest rental will need you to put R1.2 million on your credit card.
- Here's what's inside six of the country's most luxurious Airbnb homes and apartments.
Airbnb's reported origin story is a compelling one. A couple of mates, seeing a shortage of recognised accommodation in San Francisco ahead of a major conference, decided to rent an air mattress on their digs floor.
Just over a decade later, the company is worth over R1 trillion. And these days, the spectrum of properties available to rent on the platform is vast.
The average cost of an Airbnb rental in South Africa is R1564 per night, closer to the company's origin story than expected.
And although there are still plenty of options that resemble the mattress-on-a-floor days, these aren't nearly as interesting to snoop around virtually as the grand piano at the top of the marble staircase alternatives on the other end of the spectrum.
Here's what it's like inside six of the country's plushes Airbnbs where en-suite bathrooms, king-size beds, butlers, and sweeping views come standard.
21 Nettleton
21 Nettleton is consistently one of South Africa's most expensive short-stay Airbnb rentals. The large villa on the slopes of Lion's Head in Cape Town sleeps 12 people in six bedrooms and comes with a chef, butler, and driver.
The house has six individually styled living rooms.
There's also a full kitchen.
And an indoor dining area with seating for ten.
Sleeping arrangements are also adequate, with the six large rooms kitted out with king-size beds. Attached to each is an extravagant en-suite bathroom.
Other features include a swimming pool, sauna, hammam, grand piano, and sweeping views of Clifton and Camps Bay beaches.
One night at 21 Nettleton costs R170 000 for 12 guests or R14 166 per room.
Lion's Head Penthouse
The Lion's Head Penthouse is on the top floor of Cape Town's One & Only and billed as a rental "only for VVIP guests". The penthouse benefits from the hotel amenities, like a spa, swimming pool, and gym. But given the facilities in the penthouse - and the associated cost - leaving it may be difficult to justify.
There are four bedrooms with king-size beds.
Each with full en-suite bathrooms.
A formal dining room seats eight, and the living room has giant smart tv and large, presumably somewhat valuable artwork on the walls.
And if it's some fresh air you're after, there's no need to traipse around the city with the common people - you can soak up panoramic views from the outdoor patio.
A single night in the penthouse costs R156 141, or R39 035 a room.
Pengilly House
Pengilly House is currently the most expensive Airbnb rental in South Africa. It's located on Nettleton Ridge in the wealthy Cape Town suburb of Clifton and has, in recent years, become the go-to reservation for well-heeled influencers and a few notorious celebrities.
It's a lavish, modern home with six en-suite bedrooms, each with panoramic views.
And bathrooms the size of some entire homes.
An office lets guests get down to work.
There's a gym, sauna and steam room. And a living room that looks like something out of a Bond film.
It's a home that also takes entertaining seriously - there's a fully equipped kitchen with a breakfast bar, indoor and outdoor dining areas, a sunken bar, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
The architecture is bold and impressive. And if you want to bring your own rides, there's space for a fleet of 12 vehicles in the downstairs garage.
This package does not come cheaply. A night in Pengily House costs R300 000, which breaks down to R50 000 per room. But there's also a four-night minimum stay, which means you're in for at least R1.2 million - almost enough to actually buy an apartment elsewhere in the city.
Mwanzoleo
Mwanzoleo is another Atlantic Seaboard property that will cost you a couple of hundred thousand rands per night. It's a five-bed villa with views over Clifton, where, of course, all bedrooms are en-suite.
A "penthouse cellar" stores a selection of wine. A modern study also doubles as a comfortable TV room.
And there's a fully-equipped gym if you feel like running indoors on a treadmill.
But the true hero of this humble home is its extravagant outside sitting area with a spillover swimming pool, which would make an acceptable place from which to watch the sunset over the Atlantic.
A single night at Mwanzoleo costs R240 000, the equivalent of R48,000 per room. However, the house has a four-night minimum, which means you're in for a total stay of at least R960,000.
Molori Safari Lodge
Although not technically an independent Airbnb property, Molori Safari Lodge in Madikwe is available to rent on the platform. The price includes several trimmings you'd expect from a luxury safari, like chef-catered meals and twice-daily game drives. But the home is also an attraction in itself.
Seven bedrooms sleep up to 14 guests.
There are outdoor and indoor dining opportunities, along with a fully-stocked bar.
And a large pool with multiple outdoor seating areas a short walk away.
The lodge has a gym to keep you entertained between game drives.
And what appears to be a private animal hide alongside a waterhole.
Understandably, this isn't a package that comes cheap - though given the safari extras, it comes in at better value than many standalone properties elsewhere. A single night in Molori costs R210,000, the equivalent of R34,285 per room. But the three-night minimum stay will push a visit to at least R630 000.
Rockstar Penthouse
There aren't any luxe Airbnb rentals in Johannesburg that can keep up with the Cape. But the Rockstar Penthouse in the Houghton Hotel comes close. It offers 830 square metres of suburban luxury and is consistently one of Joburg's priciest Airbnb rentals. Still, it's about a quarter of Cape Town's most expensive properties.
The penthouse has "all the mod cons", like a splash pool, butler service, and 24-hour security.
It sleeps eight in four fairly plush rooms.
The suite has a bar, wine cellar, and dining room that seats 10.
Plus, an open-plan living area with a balcony and panoramic views of a golf course and the Johannesburg skyline.
Although one of Johannesburg's more expensive Airbnb rentals, the above comes relatively cheaply compared to counterparts in Cape Town. A single night stay costs R55 000, or R13 750 per room.
