THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE AIRBNBS REVEALED & AUSTRALIA’S SURPRISE ENTRY

From Italy’s $93,000-a-night villas to a $20,000 Bowral château, a new global ranking showcases the priciest Airbnbs available in 2026.

Airbnb is one of the most recognisable companies in the global hospitality and travel sector.

What started off as a home-swapping (or rather, air-mattress-and-breakfast) platform for travellers in 2007–2008 has evolved into one of the most lucrative short-stay accommodation marketplaces in the world.

Founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk, the short-stay letting platform now boasts over 8 million active listings across more than 220 countries and regions, and facilitates hundreds of millions of bookings every year.

Whereas homes were previously swapped in a spirit of sharing, many properties now on the short-stay letting market are effectively holiday homes for their owners—residences that are never fully lived in.

While expensive stays are nothing new, have you ever wondered what the most expensive homes on Airbnb are?

A new report from Tradingplatforms has collated listings across the world’s most visited countries, providing a snapshot of the priciest stays available for January 2026.

To compile the ranking, researchers analysed 86 countries with the highest inbound visitor numbers, identifying each nation’s most expensive Airbnb during the period of January 14–17, 2026.

Prices were carefully gathered inclusive of taxes and fees, with any unrealistic or inauthentic listings removed. The study produced a global leaderboard, along with regional breakdowns, and included details on property type, total cost, bedroom and bathroom count, guest capacity, reviews, and premium amenities.

The findings reveal that luxury is spread across multiple continents, with Europe dominating the list.

Italy tops the global ranking with a property priced at €51,921 (AU$92,783) per night, while the second most expensive listing, in Mexico, comes in at €27,474 (AU$49,096) per night.

Australia doesn’t make the top 10 list, but a home in Bowral in the Southern Highlands of NSW comes in at number 14. La Gemme Estate, a French château set on 100 acres of private grounds, costs €11,351 a night, or just over $20,000 based on the exchange rate at the time of publication.

The home, at the end of a long, tree-lined driveway which meanders past a private pond with a fountain feature and a bridge, has eight bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a heated swimming pool, steam room, outdoor hot tub, and a library. The property can also host small weddings.

It is owned by Clayton Larcombe, the financial adviser turned fund manager, and his wife Kyara, who bought the “European Palladian style country estate” for $7.4 million in 2021, before undertaking a lavish renovation.

The World’s 10 Most Expensive Airbnbs for January 2026

Lake Garda View Resort, Gardone Riviera, Italy. Photo: Airbnb

Luxury Lake Garda View Resort, Gardone Riviera, Italy
Price per night: €51,921 (AU$92,783)

The priciest Airbnb in the world is the Lake Garda View Resort in Italy’s Gardone Riviera. The five villas, designed by internationally renowned architects such as David Chipperfield, Richard Meier and Marc Mark, can accommodate 84 guests. There’s even an internal hotel with high-end apartments pitched as being ideal for operational staff, productions, or guests.

Casa Tau: A Luxury Villa, Punta de Mita, Mexico
Price per night: €27,474 (AU$49,096)

Casa Tau is the second priciest Airbnb in the world for January. The 12-bedroom villa, on the beachfront of the prestigious Punta Mita Community in Los Ranchos, Mexico, can host 27 guests across five buildings. The focal point is the central swimming pool and hot tub with adjoining alfresco terrace. Casa Tau comes with twice-daily housekeeping, chef and laundry services, a 12-hour butler, and preference membership to the resort’s golf and beach clubs.

7-Bedroom Ultra-Luxury Villa, Dubai, UAE
Price per night: €25,728 (AU$45,976)

A new villa in Dubai, furnished with iconic pieces from the world’s most prestigious luxury brands like Fendi Casa, Versace Home, Bentley Home, and Roche Bobois, is the priciest in the UAE.

The seven-bedroom home features two private swimming pools — one infinity-edge, one indoor — and a fully equipped private lounge and entertainment club, complete with a bar, high-end audio-visual systems, and ambient lighting.

Country House, La Romana, Dominican Republic, Villa Cahey
Price per night: €25,055 (AU$44,773)

A private beach and a private chef, butler, bartender, and maids are just some of the inclusions at Country House in the Dominican Republic. The exclusive home, with uninterrupted views over the water, can host 24 guests across 12 bedrooms. Guests also have access to Casa de Campo amenities, including golf courses, dining, Minitas Beach Club, tennis courts, equestrian and shooting centres, and water sports.

Villa Riviera Serenity, Mae Nam, Thailand
Price per night: €24,536 (AU$43,846)

Thailand doesn’t have to be cheap. Villa Riviera on the popular island of Koh Samui is the country’s most expensive Airbnb. The five-bedroom villa is tucked into a jungle setting, but just 10 minutes from Bang Por Beach.

Villa Mirasol, Mali Lošinj, Croatia
Price per night: €20,305 (AU$36,285)

Villa Mirasol is an elegant Art Nouveau property boasting a spectacular location on the island of Lošinj, with a distinctive tower overlooking the idyllic Čikat Bay. The gated villa features five bedrooms and a spacious three-bedroom apartment with a separate entrance, as well as a secluded garden with terraces, ocean views, a private swimming pool, and a jacuzzi.

Luttrellstown Castle, Dublin, Ireland
Price per night: €19,090 (AU$34,114)

One of the oldest homes on this list is Luttrellstown Castle, which dates back to the 15th century. The 567-acre property has its own 18-hole championship golf course and a state-of-the-art alpine lodge-style clubhouse, alongside the iconic castle that takes its name from the Luttrell family, who held the estate for more than three centuries until 1811. It is another property well suited for large weddings—it’s where David and Victoria Beckham tied the knot in 1999.

Fantasia Villas, Katastari, Greece, The Imperial Spa Villa
Price per night: €18,880 (AU$33,739)

The Imperial Spa Villa in Katastari, near the island of Kefalonia, has its own private spot on the Greek coastline. The four-bedroom villa spans more than 2,000 sqm of living space and includes three heated swimming pools set among private tropical gardens.

Middle Cay, North Eleuthera, Bahamas. Photo: Airbnb

Middle Cay, North Eleuthera, Bahamas
Price per night: €18,040 (AU$32,237)

A private two-acre island in the Bahamas makes the top 10 list of most expensive Airbnbs. The island is home to coconut tree groves, two private docks, a natural island swimming spot, and two open-concept villas that can sleep 19 guests. Guests can also use three underwater sea scooters, with likely sightings of bright tropical fish or a sea turtle or two.

Villa Tomazo, Marrakesh, Morocco
Price per night: €14,978 (AU$26,766)

Villa Tomazo in Marrakesh rounds out the list. The 10-bedroom villa features a large swimming pool, a hot tub, an outdoor fireplace, and a massage service.

The Sydney developer-builder, which typically retains its projects, is offering 54 residences off the plan on Spencer Street, with prices starting at $3.9 million.

HSN Property Group has launched Maison Jolene in Rose Bay, giving buyers a rare opportunity to purchase off the plan from a developer-builder that has spent more than two decades building a predominantly build-to-hold portfolio in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. HSN values that portfolio at $4 billion.

Located at 2–16 Spencer Street, Maison Jolene comprises 54 residences, including house-sized two- and three-bedroom apartments, sub-penthouses and penthouses. Prices start at $3.9 million, according to HSN, with many residences designed to capture views across Rose Bay, Sydney Harbour and the city skyline.

James Nixon, head of projects at The Rubinstein Group, is handling the sales campaign alongside agency founder Gavin Rubinstein. He says the launch is an unusual opportunity for buyers who have followed the developer’s work.

“HSN is renowned for building entire projects and rarely selling a single apartment to the open market, so Maison Jolene really is a first for potential buyers who have been following the brand across previous projects,” Nixon says.

HSN worked with architecture practice MHN Design Union and interiors studio The Unlisted Collective on the development. A rhythm of arches and deep-set openings gives the building its presence on Spencer Street, while the residences are positioned to make the most of natural light, privacy and outlook. Landscaping frames the arrival and carries through to the shared outdoor spaces.

“Maison Jolene was conceived to bring a touch of European elegance to Rose Bay, drawing on the understated charm of Mayfair and the romance of Paris while remaining grounded in the relaxed character of Sydney’s eastern suburbs,” says Rafi Assouline, founder and director of HSN Property Group.

The apartments were designed with established Rose Bay downsizers in mind. Large kitchens, generous storage and flexible living areas are intended to ease the move from a family home, with layouts that can also accommodate families and professionals looking for more space in an apartment.

The shared amenities are designed as an extension of those homes. Residents will have access to a lounge, private dining room and landscaped alfresco entertaining area. A wellness retreat brings together a magnesium pool, cold plunge, sauna, steam room and heated stone recovery bench, alongside a gym and dedicated space for Pilates and yoga.

Inside the apartments, the curves of the façade recur in the cabinetry and balustrades. Custom wall sconces, tapware and patterned parquetry sit alongside carved marble basins, hammered-glass shower screens and recessed stone niches. Timber veneer wardrobes have leather-clad drawers, while an Art Deco-inspired motif appears in the raised ceiling detail, joinery and built-in velvet bedheads.

“Maison Jolene is at once contemporary and old world, with custom-designed parquetry flooring and an art deco-inspired motif juxtaposing with the curvature of the arched facade, balustrade and internal cabinetry,” Assouline says.

The kitchens bring several of those ideas together in a sculptural, bubble-shaped island. Assouline helped design and engineer the curved form and personally selected the marble, which is bookmatched so the veining mirrors across adjoining pieces.

“With each of our projects, I look for symmetry in design,” he says. “Crafting the apartments is like solving a puzzle of one thousand pieces; one little detail wrong could mean the picture doesn’t translate correctly once it’s finished.”

HSN will develop and build Maison Jolene, overseeing the project from design through to construction. The family-owned company says it has delivered more than 270 homes, has 200 apartments under construction and has a 100 per cent completion record.

“As a private, integrated developer-builder, we maintain close control over every stage of a project,” Assouline says. “We see our projects as collaborative partnerships with our architects, interior designers and specialist trades with whom we have refined a very unique aesthetic, to ensure every detail is considered for those who will live there.”

For Nixon, the developer’s involvement in both design and construction is part of the pitch to buyers. “The attention to design excellence, combined with HSN’s proven track record in delivering ultra-high-end developments, ensures a level of rarity and enduring quality seldom seen in today’s market,” he says.

“To purchase an HSN property is to acquire a property that will not just hold its value but stand the test of time as a timeless piece of Sydney real estate.”

The Spencer Street address puts residents close to Rose Bay’s village cafés and restaurants, foreshore walks and ferry service, with beaches, golf courses and schools nearby. Maison Jolene is now selling off the plan through James Nixon and Gavin Rubinstein.