Wiltshire treehouse listed on Airbnb as a joke gets its first booking
Video report by Sangita Lal
A Wiltshire dad who built a treehouse for his children during lockdown and decided to list it on Airbnb as a joke has had his first booking.
The playhouse is anything but average. Jason Kneen from Ludgershall modelled it on a toy that his five children loved playing with - a Lottie Doll Treehouse. The finished version is a giant version of it, complete with slide, wooden balls on the balcony, striped roof and trapdoor and escape ladder.
Since it is not a toy and has to cope with modern day needs and the uncertain British weather, the treehouse is fully insulated with double glazed windows, power, lighting and WiFi. Conveniently there is a lavatory just a yard or two away, hidden inside a Tardis - a previous project by Doctor Who fan Jason.
It sleeps four in bunk beds or on floor mattresses - more if you count the hammock slung underneath the building.
Jason advertised the listing, jokingly, as a "unique opportunity to stay in a Lottie style treehouse - equally suitable for a romantic getaway or an adventure with the kids".
But the family were surprised to actually get any interest. Jason says: "We have a booking on Saturday — the first people to stay in it — a couple and their 10 and five-year-olds!
"I’m doing home-made pizza and a fry up for them for Sunday breakfast!"
The company behind Lottie's Treehouse were also delighted to discover that someone had made a version of their toy that could be lived in.