Catskills treehouse becomes New York’s most popular Airbnb listing

Catskills treehouse (Zillow, iStock)

Talk about a getaway: A tiny Catskills treehouse was New York’s most popular Airbnb listing last year.

Owner Avner Ronen commissioned the one-bedroom, one-bathroom home, designed by Antony Gibbon and built by William Johnson, for the 34-acre property in Willow where he and his wife live, a 15-minute drive from Woodstock, the Times Union reported.

“It was really a passion project,” Ronen said. “We started talking about it as a cool treehouse for the kids around 2016, but it kept evolving in our minds. We thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to have a really big one where we could have picnics?’ Then, we thought, ‘Let’s make it a year-round retreat that we could actually sleep in.’”

Guests seem to agree – the Willow Treehouse is fully booked until two mid-week nights in early February, and it already has listings stretching into the summer of 2023.

The house was built using local materials, with the exception of the wood, which is California cedar.

The treehouse overlooks a swimming hole and is surrounded by trees that separate the treehouse from the main home. It has a wall-to-ceiling picture window that showcases mountain views as well as a deck, balconies and a hot tub.

The bedroom is in a loft above the small kitchen and looking into the living room. Ronen and his wife also built a 20-acre trail on the property that goes along a pond where guests can swim and fish.

“It attracts a certain type of person needing a certain type of experience,” Ronen said. “We are very clear that there is no WiFi here, and that you will truly have to unplug. That is not for everyone. We also encourage people to build fires in the wood stove and cook their own locally sourced food. We leave them a bottle of wine, and of course if they have any questions about restaurants to go to, or hikes to take, we’re happy to help. But our goal is to provide a retreat.”