Pole House tops travel guru’s rankings

THE Surf Coast’s credentials as a luxury holiday destination were given a boost after Airbnb’s top boss declared the Pole House in Fairhaven to be among the best in the world.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky told news.com.au his stay at the iconic one-bedroom home on the Great Ocean Road rated as one of his all-time favourite getaway experiences.

“We stayed in the Pole House which is on the side of a cliff, and it was suspended by a big steel pole, it was like this treehouse and just so modern,” he told the website.

“It was a very modern design and was certainly one of the most extraordinary and the most unique places.”

The Pole House was built in the 1970s by Frank Dixon whose vision was to create a floating home above the ocean which offered spectacular 360 views of the beach stretching all the way from Aireys Inlet to Lorne.

The original, mostly wooden structure, was demolished in 2013 after it started to fall apart due to the sea air.

Its current owners replaced it with a state-of-the-art construction spanning 64sq m that is suspended 40 metres above Fairhaven Beach on a single pole.

It features one bedroom and one bathroom and stays true to the original architect’s vision with the addition of a few modern five-star luxuries.

Mr Chesky stayed at the Pole House in 2015, although it is no longer among the seven million properties listed on Airbnb worldwide.

A recent survey by the accommodation giant showed Australian Airbnb hosts have been using income earned through the platform to stay afloat and fight the costs of living during recent tough times.

The survey of those who rented out their homes during 2020 showed:

A third of respondents said the primary reason they started hosting was to “make ends meet”, with 30 per cent looking to earn extra spending money and 13 per cent wanting to earn money to grow their business as a host on Airbnb, with the latter highlighting the platform’s ability to foster entrepreneurship

More than a third of hosts (36 per cent) said the money earned through Airbnb helped them stay in their home during the last year, with seven per cent saying it helped them avoid eviction or foreclosure

Almost 30 per cent said money earned through Airbnb in the last year enabled them or a household member to avoid working extra hours or a second job

More than a quarter of hosts (27 per cent) reported receiving a pay cut or reduced hours due to the pandemic, with 11 per cent losing their job or being laid off at some point, and

Hosts spent the money earned in the past year in a variety of ways, which included 15 per cent using it to save for retirement, 10 per cent donating to charity, 34 per cent improving their home and 16 per cent offsetting holiday costs.

A stay at the Pole House costs from $750 per night and can now be booked locally through Great Ocean Road Holidays.

To find out more or make a booking head to greatoceanroadholidays.com.au.