Airbnb guests blown away by ‘unusual-looking’ Aussie property

An “unusual-looking” listing on Airbnb has blown guests away with the Aussie property attracting more than 300 positive reviews from guests around the world.

A unique-looking property in Mudgee has left guests from Australia and around the world in awe with the luxurious cabin attracting more than 300 reviews with an average five-star rating.

NSW couple Rick and Steph Gordon are the owners of Gawthorne’s Hut, a tiny property that overlooks the Mudgee river and is all the rave among couples looking to disconnect and enjoy a romantic getaway for a few days.

The pair listed the property on Airbnb back in 2020 and since then it’s clocked hundreds of positive reviews from guests boasting about the stay.

Gawthorne’s Hut in Mudgee has been recognised as one of the world’s most loved listings.

After restoring an old cottage on their farm, the couple pondered about taking advantage of a location they once picnicked in and finally decided to enlist a local architect and builder to bring their dream of an off-grid, eco friendly hut to life.

It was six months in the making with the property, 5km from Mudgee, earning them Airbnb’s Best Unique Stay award for 2021.

“The standout feature is its unusual architecture,” Ms Gordon told news.com.au.

When it won the award, Australia’s leading interior stylist and judge Steve Cordony described it as having the best of everything.

Described as having an ‘unusual’ look, owners Rick and Steph said it’s the most appealing part to guests, as well as it being an off-grid hut.

“The striking structure protrudes from the landscape in bold form but at the same time, sits lightly within the bush,” he said.

“The eco ethos instilled in every portion of the ‘hut’ makes it feel even more special, while still being able to enjoy life’s luxuries.

“The overall look and feel of the property embodies a sustainable ethos but remains design driven, inviting and soulful.”

The hut took six months to build and is located 5km from Mudgee.

It was designed by an architect to optimise views of the land – it overlooks Mudgee valley.

Ms Gordon said the architect gave it an unusual design which immediately catches your eye.

“It obviously sets a mood when you’re driving up at looking at it — it’s quite amazing.”

She explained it was built to capture the stunning views and provides guests with peace, privacy and a sense of isolation.

“Lots of people come for just a couple of nights to recharge,” she said, adding that they take advantage of the off-grid location.

It has a king bed, full bath, shower, kitchenette and of course a fire pit.

Ms Gordon said the facilities are fairly minimalist (no TV or radio) so guests can focus on the wilderness.

Airbnb this week released the ‘Guest Favourites’ feature – a collection of 2 million most loved homes based on ratings, reviews and reliability data.

Since Airbnb launched its new Guest Favourites feature on Thursday – a collection of two million “most loved” homes based on ratings — the property has been recognised as one of the world’s most popular listings.

“It’s just fantastic to hear,” Ms Gordon said. “But we have to thank our local community as the area has just so much to offer from delicious places to eat and lovely wineries.”

The site will now have ‘Guest favourite’ on certain listings, mainly those with a rating of 4.9 stars on average.

And the hut has been recognised as one of the world’s most loved Airbnb because of it.

In Australia, there have been more than 13 million reviews left by guests since Airbnb began, but according to the short-home stays platform, many guests don’t know exactly how to spot the homes other guests love the most.

Airbnb’s country manager, Susan Wheeldon, told news.com.au it the reason they introduced Guest favourites.

The owners said it’s a great spot to unwind – and is mostly popular among couples. It has more than 300 positive reviews.

“There is 7 million incredible properties on Airbnb, so it’s actually really hard to find what the gems are, particularly if you’re a first-time booker or travelling to an area you’re not familiar with – you can get overwhelmed with choice,” she said.

“So we wanted an easy way where we can say ‘hey, other guests have loved this property too’.”

Australia’s most hospitable towns and cities, according to Airbnb.

Guest Favourites are available around the world and a new filter allows guests to search specifically for them wherever they want to travel to.

The 10 countries and regions with the highest percentage of Guest Favourites listings are Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, Aruba, the US, Puerto Rico, French Polynesia, Iceland, the UK, and Brazil — in Australia more than 30 per cent of listings are Guest Favourites.

The platform also launched a revamped ratings and reviews upgrade with new features to help guests understand the quality of every listing.

“There is limited information on the ratings page, and it’s hard for guests to find reviews that are relevant to them,” Ms Wheeldon said, adding the redesigned ratings page includes three new features that make reviews easier to read and much more helpful.

Some of the most hospitable towns and cities in Australia with the highest concentration of 5-star reviews include Toowoomba and Southern Downs in Queensland, the Southern Highlands and Mudgee region in New South Wales and the Huon Valley in Tasmania.