Happy AirbnBirthday: Airbnb reveals the holiday lets of the decade as the website turns ten

I Sette Coni - Trullo Edera in Ostuni, Italy. Photo / Supplied

The upstart holiday-lettings website Aibnb turns ten this month.

The scourge of hoteliers and the champion of travellers in search of a bargain, the website has been shaking things up for a decade.

Since the company's foundation in August 2008 by tech-savvy San-Franciscans looking for a spare couch, it's fair to say the hospitality sector hasn't been the same since.

The ease by which hosts could list quirky properties and reach a global marketplace of millions, was a revelation. It also caused something of a revolution, and a fair few headaches, in the cities and countries trying to regulate them – but that's a story for another column.

As part of this web-led uprising, Airbnb claimed to be giving power to the people. In exchange for this they gained the power of numbers.

In the era of big-data the company has been growing a community of over its 4 million listings and 150million users from across the globe.

And from this community of hundreds of millions they have gained a valuable insights as to what travellers want.

To coincide with their tenth anniversary the company have released a list of the most popular bed and breakfasts on the planet.

The 10 most desirable lets of the decade

Waterfront with Extraordinary View in Kotor, Montenegro. Photo / Supplied

10. Waterfront with Extraordinary View (Kotor, Montenegro)

Wish listed: 52,964 times
Right next to the Perast museum, the spacious terrace offers a magnificent view over the islands of Sv. Đorđe and Lady of the rocks: two of the Bay of Kotor's most beautiful attractions. The holiday-let is a looker, too. The charming décor and aesthetics have earned it a place on Conde Nast Traveler's European wish list.

The Cozy Palace in Marrakech, Morocco. Photo / Supplied

9. The Cosy Palace (Marrakech, Morocco)

Wish listed: 59,838 times
North African comfort in the middle of the Medina, this listing's fans on Airbnb have found it rather Moorish.
During the heat of the day, the atmospheric courtyard is shaded by soft pastel colours and banana trees.
It'll be hard to escape the beautiful interiors, covered with Arabic ceramic tiles, but the Riad also runs excursions and trips to the nearby Hammam Turkish baths.

Off-grid ItHouse in the Yucca Valley, California. Photo / Supplied

8. Off-grid ItHouse (Yucca Valley, CA, USA)

Wish listed: 63,669 times
Product of a Californian tech start-up, the ItHouse is a kindred spirit with Airbnb.
The self-sufficient property harnesses the otherworldly landscape of the Yucca Valley to provide for an off-grid ecosystem for guests. Dubbed one of the "Best homes in America" by design houses and publications around the world, it's gained a fair few glowing write-ups on the property listing, too.

Open air eco-cottage in Bali, Indonesia. Photo / Supplied

7. Bamboo Eco-cottage in Rice Fields (Ubud, Bali, Indonesia)

Wish listed: 65,644 times
On the epic rice plains of Ubud, Bali, this eco retreat comprises of an open woven house and 360 views of the Indonesian paddies. While getting this close to nature isn't for everyone, this is as peaceful and luxurious as sleeping the open gets.

Dreamy Tropical Treehouse, Hawaii. Photo / Supplied

6. Dreamy Tropical Treehouse (Fern Forest, Hawaii)

Wish listed: 66,336 times
Fifteen foot up in the canopy of Hawaii's main island, this surely has to be one of Airbnb's best looking treehouses. Just ten miles away from the volcanic park and in lush rainforest, you can see why it's been an Aibnb superstar. Spend a minute looking over the listing's photos you too will be asking yourself: Hawaii not?

Luxurious Greek Stone Villa on Crete. Photo / Supplied

5. Luxurious Stone Villa in Crete (Crete, Greece)

Wish listed: 76,658 times
In the marbled Greek stone of Kaliviani, this grotto looks out over Kissamos bay. There's beauty inside as well as out, particularly the escarpment of rock which hangs over the kitchenette. A perfect hideaway for an island odyssey on Crete.

Bali Eco Hideout near Mount Agung, Indonesia. Photo/ Supplied

4. Hideout Bali Eco Bamboo Home (Bali, Indonesia)

Wish listed: 77,177 times
The Bali volcano getaway is less bond-villain and more about getting back to nature. Beside Mount Agung it is surrounded by the sacred a landscape and natural swimming pools. Going off-grid is a huge appeal for the website's users.

Romantic Cabana with a coffee plantation in Colombia. Photo / Supplied

3. Romantic Cabana with a View (Armenia, Colombia)

Wish listed: 99,622 times
The Colombian coffee-lovers bolt hole is deep in the coffee producing region of the Andean mountains. The appeal of staying on your own 5-acre coffee plantation has captured the attention of holiday planners.

Hector Cave House on Santorini, Greece. Photo / Supplied

2. Hector Cave House (Santorini, Greece)

Wish listed: 133,869 times
Originally a wine cellar, Hector's cave house is carved into caldera cliff-face. That seems to be part of the charm that attracted over 100,000 users to this 250-year-old Greek grotto. It's not all underground, as the caverna also has a roof-top plunge pool with views of Santorini.

I Sette Coni - Trullo Edera in Ostuni, Italy. Photo / Supplied

1. I Sette Coni – Trullo Edera (Ostuni, Italy)

Wish listed: 164,444 times
A princely keep in the Italian town of Cisternino for the less-princely sum of $100 a night. This conical roofed beauty is the website's most lusted-after holiday let, and invites you to sit under its olive trees with a good book or explore the nearby Castellanian towns and beaches.