Airbnb just unveiled the winners of its 2025 Australian Host Awards, and the lineup will have you booking your next getaway.
From a heritage-listed Hobart bakery turned boutique retreat to a nature-filled sanctuary in Kangaroo Valley, Airbnb has announced the winners of six categories in its annual Australian Host Awards. Officially, the awards celebrate the creativity, care and community impact of local hosts across the country. Unofficially, they help you pick your next awesome getaway, with accommodation to boot.
“Our local Aussie hosts are shaping the future of travel by creating spaces that reflect local culture, foster genuine connection and support their communities," shared Susan Wheeldon, Airbnb’s Country Manager for Australia.
“Their hospitality is more than just welcoming guests. These hosts actively support small businesses, help to revitalise neighbourhoods, and hosting provides families with an income stream. These award-winning stays demonstrate the powerful role Airbnb hosting plays in fostering economic opportunity and community-led tourism."
Winning hosts were selected based on extensive Airbnb data, guest scores and reviews, with oversight from a panel of judges. The annual awards recognise hosts who go above and beyond, welcoming guests with warmth, thoughtful design and local flavour. And while there are many ways to be a winner, it’s Ligo’s outdoor bathtub surrounded by the stunning Blue Mountains that has us reaching for our leave forms.
Best Nature Stay – Ligo, Wolgan Valley
This off-grid Blue Mountains escape (and its outdoor bathtub) has us hooked. The winner of the Best Nature Stay (awarded to stays which showcase the best of Australia’s stunning natural landscape) is Ligo in Wolgan Valley.
As an award-winning tiny house retreat set in the heart of the Wolgan Valley, it offers a peaceful escape in the UNESCO-listed Blue Mountains National Park. Built from reclaimed materials after bushfires and floods, this off-grid escape offers cosy interiors, passive heating and cooling and expansive bushland views.
“Ligo is a masterpiece of minimal, low-impact, off-grid design," said Huang. “It merges wilderness and architecture with humility and intention. The outdoor bath, reclaimed timber, solar innovations and immersive wild setting make this a deeply atmospheric escape – elegant in its restraint."
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Host of the Year – Braithwaite, Hobart
It would be remiss of us not to mention the winners of the coveted Host of the Year prize, recognising hosts who have gone above and beyond this year. In 2025, winning Airbnb rental, Braithwaite, is a chic heritage-listed former bakery turned boutique courtyard apartment stay in Sandy Bay.
This heritage-listed offering was thoughtfully restored with vintage charm and modern luxuries like a king-size bed, a sunlit courtyard with a full-size outdoor bath.
Panel judge, Sarah Huang, described it as a “hyper-personalised, emotionally resonant hosting. They don’t just provide a stay, they create a moment in time that’s deeply meaningful. Whether it’s a handwritten note referencing a guest’s life or welcoming descendants of original bakers, these hosts transform history into hospitality. Guests often cancel their plans just to stay in."
Best Design Stay – Banksia House, Sunshine Coast
This category recognises the hosts who have a unique and amazingly distinctive home, and Banksia House earned its crown.
This striking coastal retreat on Caloundra’s headland was designed by a landscape architect to immerse guests in nature and reap its calming benefits. The rental home features a magnesium pool, bocce court, two fireplaces and outdoor baths and showers; all set among lush gardens. Separate living and sleeping pavilions are linked by breezy courtyards, with raw, tactile materials and seamless indoor-outdoor flow.
“Guests highlight its Scandinavian simplicity, earth tones and calming energy," said panel judge Sarah Huang. “This is a masterclass in rugged luxury. Every detail, from the absence of plasterboard to the immersive gardens, tells a story of raw nature meeting refined thought. The flow between architecture and landscape creates a meditative, outdoor-centric living experience. The design is minimal yet luxurious, perfect for rest and retreat."
Find the full list of award finalists at airbnb.com.au.
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