Sometimes, a hotel is just not good enough when it comes to getting the unique kind of experience you hope for in a vacation. If you want to live in a quirky and whimsical abode, these 20 vacation rentals from Airbnb and VRBO are sure to peek your interest. What you can expect ranges from a houseboat to a building that used to be a Civil War hospital to a bubblegum pink bathroom.
↑ Two words: house boat. This abode is for those who are determined to get the absolute best view of the Potomac River. With one bedroom and one bathroom, this is the perfect vacation rental for couples who want to experience Washington, D.C. in a completely one-of-a-kind way, real estate-wise. The listing includes free parking, a TV with over 20 channels, and a kitchen with a refrigerator, microwave, sink, and cooking top. The weekly price for this Waterfront rental is $600.
↑ This vacation rental screams, "I'm unique, and everybody needs to notice that." Definitely one of the funkiest of the funky rentals on our list, this Dupont Circle room is definitely for those with a particular taste in everything bright and colorful. Despite only having one bedroom and one bathroom, this listing indicates that it can accommodate up to three people. According to the listing, "Please note that this apartment may not be at Ritz Carlton standards of crazy clean." The price per night is $109.
↑ If you were wondering, yes, the walls in this bedroom are made almost completely of chalkboard. If you're not afraid to breathe in a little chalk dust, this one-bedroom, one-bathroom listing is pretty perfect for fun and fashionable guests with a taste for chandeliers, claw foot bathtubs, and a very black-and-red color scheme. The minimum amount of time guests can stay in this 16th Street Heights vacation rental is one week with a weekly price of $350.
↑ Have an upbeat personality that needs to be reflected in the decor of your home? This vacation rental should be perfect with walls that juxtapose a purple and white damask pattern with a pink floral design and an overall solid yellow background. This Adams Morgan apartment is up for rent with one bedroom, one bathroom, and a weekly price of $907.
↑ This Columbia Heights home is for the freaky people out there who like to get down and dirty with their vacation rental spots. The decor inside mixes sensual with industrial with exposed brick walls and pipes next to paintings and sculptures of nude women. Some of the quirkiest highlights in this listing are a silver bust of a woman with a stethoscope around its neck, a talking pinball machine, and a convenient guitar and drum set for any musicians or wanna-be musicians who visit. Despite having only one bedroom and one bathroom, the listing states that it can accommodate six people. The weekly price is $750.
↑ January, February, March — it doesn't matter what month of the year it is because at Pierce School Lofts, it's Christmas all year long in their Christmas-themed vacation rental. Located in Capitol Hill, this development was once an elementary school, but was recently renovated into nine rentable lofts. This loft in particular includes a variety of Christmas trees in the room along with nutcrackers and a sleigh bed. The minimum amount of time a guest can stay in the loft is two days with a weekly price of $2,000. The rental features one bedroom and one bathroom.
↑ Why stay at a hotel when you can rent a room in a historic mansion? This Logan Circle listing was once the Rectory of St. Augustine's Church as well as the original site of a Civil War Hospital. It's not a requirement to be a history buff to love this rental, but it helps when you're able to see details like original stained glass and a whole lot of woodwork. The home also has a shared rooftop deck with a pergola. With a minimum three day stay, the weekly fee varies depending on which of the eight bedrooms you want to rent.
↑ This Mount Vernon Square vacation rental is filled to the brim with quirky knick knacks, instruments, and Shepard Fairey prints. Its whimsy is apparent in decorations like a speech bubble that reads, "AMAAAZING!!!!" above the television. In case you like to bring your bike with you when you travel, the listing includes a convenient wall of tools for fixing bicycle parts. With two bedrooms and one-and-a-half bathrooms, this apartment is up for rent with a $700 weekly fee.
↑ In the basement of a Columbia Heights home, you can find this one-bedroom, one-bathroom vacation rental with wooden beamed ceilings and artwork-covered walls. The home includes a kitchenette and enough books to fill a library. In case bright lights give you bad migraines, maybe stay away from this particular listing. The weekly price is $740 a week.
↑ With avocado green and violet walls, this vacation spot is colorful and quirky. Some of the highlights in this Penn Quarter apartment include lamps made out of blown glass, a washer and dryer in the unit, and enough space for six people. This two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bathroom listing doesn't indicate how much it costs to rent the space, but it does indicate that the minimum stay is three days.
↑ Sometimes, you don't need much to live well, and this vacation rental proves that with an overall minimalist design. It's not the most spacious unit in this list, but it makes due. It includes a loft bed, a fireplace, and a black-and-white checkered floor in the kitchen. Located in Georgetown, this one-bedroom, one-bathroom loft charges $1,150 a week.
↑ This isn't one of the most eye-popping rentals on our list, but with a green chandelier and hordes of plants in almost every room, it certainly is the brightest and greenest (literally). Also, in case you hear chirping early in the morning, it may be due to the owner's five birds. For $550 a week, you can rent this one-bedroom, two-bathroom listing in Capitol Hill.
↑ Ever wanted to take a shower in a rainbow? You can in this 16th Street Heights vacation rental that includes a chromatherapy shower that changes the color of the water with lights. The upbeat vibe to this listing is apparent with a smiling sun decoration greeting visitors and a bright floral design to the decor inside. This zero-bedroom, one-bathroom home has a weekly price of $600.
↑ What you can expect inside this zero-bedroom, one-bathroom Barney Circle apartment is a lot of copper, steel, and glass complementing white drapery, white couches, and black-and-white artwork. If you need some pizzazz, the bathroom is painted bubblegum pink and is covered by a countless number of floral wall hooks. The apartment doesn't have a TV or cable, but it does include wifi. If interested in renting this zero-bedroom, one-bathroom vacation rental, the weekly price is $800.
↑ The design highlights in this two-bedroom, two-bathroom Columbia Heights home include exposed brick walls, 12-foot-high ceilings, damask, and a balcony. The home is sunny and colorful, but not too over-the-top. The weekly price is $1,599.
↑ In Rockville, Maryland, this mansion is available for weddings, receptions, family reunions, and, of course, you. There are a total of five bedrooms throughout the residence and an average nightly price of $833. For those who need a lot of space for their cars, there is a three-car garage as well as "unlimited free parking in front of the home," according to the listing.
↑ Dive into this Vienna, Virginia single-family home. This five-bedroom home comes with five acres of space, complemented by a heated pool, hot tub, and spa. For the more active, there is also a sport court and racquetball court. While outside of the city, this is still a pretty convenient rental for larger gatherings. The Metro is also only five minutes away, according to the listing. The average nightly price is $685.
↑ Get historical with The Rosa Parks Safe House. This rental was dedicated in 2008 in honor of Rosa Parks who was a long time resident of The Mansion on O Street. In each room, there are artworks cluttering the walls, helping the rental retain its old timey feel. This six-bedroom Victorian home in Dupont Circle is pet-friendly and on the market for $1,800 per night.
↑ For luxury seekers, this two-bedroom, two-story penthouse is up for grabs with a nightly cost of $451. While located in Rosslyn, this unit is very well located, nearby a Safeway, Starbucks, Rays Hell Burger, Ben's Chili Bowl, and Washington Reagan National Airport. This rental isn't so much on the funky side, but it is on the luxe side with high-end stainless steel appliances and a large private terrace.
↑ For $666 per night, renters can live in this 19th century row house in Georgetown. With three bedrooms, this home is fully updated with a brand new washer and dryer. If you'd like a bit of peace and quiet, maybe consider looking elsewhere. The listing writes: "Like all big cities Washington can be noisy. Homes in Georgetown are right on the street, and the older homes you'll find here are generally not the most soundproof. If you are sensitive to noise, you may want to consider alternative accommodations."
This article was updated on August 19, 2016.
Loading comments...