Former Airliners Turned Into Luxury Hotels On Five Continents

Sleep Aboard A Classic Douglas DC-6 In Alaska

One of the most unusual Airbnb properties is a 1956 DC-6 Cargo Plane, available for rent in Wasilla, Alaska. This DC-6 air freighter spent much of its life flying freight and fuel to remote villages around the state.

The former aircraft is now a 2 bedroom, 1 bath “airplane house: with full kitchen, living room, and cockpit. Appropriately, the property is situated by a 1700-foot private air strip, so you can fly in or out. Wasilla, about 40 miles north of Anchorage, is also on a major paved highway.

Once you arrive, you climb aboard up a flight of stairs to the Mud Room that provides access via the aft cargo loading door. You’ll find the washer and dryer there, in a hallway that leads to the Master Suite, full bathroom, guest bedroom, and kitchen. Moving forward are the living area, dining room, and cockpit. The operators say guests (exercising appropriate caution) have full access to the wing deck, cockpit and the rest of the aircraft.

While you cannot “see Russia” from this part of Alaska, there are many sights to see and activities to take part in. Within a short drive or bush plane flight, guest can enjoy ice fishing, glacier tours, paddleboarding, snow machining, dog sledding, kayaking, bear tours and fishing charters. Restaurants and grocery stores are 10 minutes away.

Aerotel Offers A Boeing 727 And 737 In The South African Bush

Martin and Tracy den Dunnen had a passion to restore dignity to retired aircraft, while creating a unique guest experience. This led them to create Aerotel Hoedspruit, in Limpopo, South Africa, featuring both a Boeing 737 and a 727 remodeled into luxury cabins.

The area offers guests access to the beauty of South Africa with curated excursions such as trips to wildlife reserves and an elephant orphanage. Half or full day Safari Game Drives are available, as are activities such as hot air ballooning, horse riding, hiking and cultural experiences.

To create the Aerotel, in 2019 a Boeing 737-200 was transported by road across three South African provinces from Johannesburg to Limpopo, where it was converted into luxury suites. The coverage of the plane’s final journey went viral and was watched by millions.

The 737-200 (ZS-BIL) was known as “Bill.” Its previous life included being operated by America West and eventually Gryphon Airlines in South Africa. Built in 1981, the plane was purchased in 2019 from a scrapyard. Under the watchful eye of the den Dunnens, the 737 became a 12-bed boutique hotel with showers, opening in October 2020.

Two years later, in 2021, a Boeing 727-300 followed the 737 into the bush. Built in 1967, it flew from Denver’s Stapleton Airport with a predecessor of today’s Frontier, then with long-gone Braniff from 1969 to 1982. ‘Bill’ operated as a cargo craft with Burlington Northern. The plane finished its flying days with Force Aérienne du Djibouti, where it served as a VIP transport from 2001 until 2012, carrying heads of state across Africa.

Today, the first-class cabin is a private guest suite. As Aerotel puts it, “The same seats that once held diplomats now hold couples celebrating anniversaries, aviation enthusiasts ticking off bucket lists, and travelers seeking something impossible to find anywhere else.”

Creature comforts are available even in the rugged South African bushveld. Sundowner drinks are served on the deck in the evening, and there is a swimming pool. Aerotel also offers the dream of every traveler, complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the property.

Privacy Plus Nature In Costa Rica’s 727 Fuselage Home

“Still more monkeys than people,” is a boast of the Hotel Costa Verde in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. The jungle property is the domain of the 727 Fuselage Home, a well-known suite of the hotel.

The tri-jet Boeing 727 was once one of the world’s most popular airliners, with 1832 built between 1963 and 1983. But replaced by more efficient planes like the Boeing 737, less than 20 still fly today.

One of this vanished breed permanently perches in the park at Manuel Antonio in Costa Rica. A 1965 Boeing 727 previously flown by South African Airways and Avianca has been transformed into a luxury two-bedroom, two-bathroom home in the jungle.

The aircraft was salvaged from its resting place at Costa Rica’s San Jose airport. It was cut up and transported on five big rigs to the jungles of Manuel Antonio, just outside the National Park. There, it was re-assembled, modified as a residence, and now sits pretty on a 50-foot pedestal in the jungle canopy.

The operators promise “jetliner views” of the ocean and jungle from the hardwood deck built atop the plane’s right wing. Your neighbors at tree top level will be local sloths, toucans and monkeys.

The former flying suite offers two airconditioned bedrooms, one with two queen sized beds, one with a single queen bed. Each has its own private bath, flat screen tv, and teak furniture from Java. The 727 Fuselage Home also offers a kitchenette, dining area, ocean view terrace and spiral staircase.

Boeing By The Beach In Bali Boasts Views To Die For

Like the 727 Fuselage Home, the developers of Private Jet Villas Bali, including hotelier Felix Demin, had a dream: to park a retired Boeing aircraft high over an exotic viewpoint. Demin and company ultimately brought a Boeing 737 to the clifftops of Uluwatu, Bali, where they turned it into a luxury destination renting for $2300 to $3500 U.S. per night.

In 2021, Demin, owner of the Bubble Hotel Bali hotel chain, found an abandoned Boeing 737. The plane had previously flown for Indonesian airline Mandala Air, which shut down in 2014. Once the necessary permits were acquired, the plane was cut into large pieces, removed from a quarry, and trucked to its clifftop site. The re-purposing of the aircraft was completed in 2023. It has been available for rental since.

The plane, now a billed as a five-star luxury villa, overlooks exclusive Nyang Nyang Beach, where the Indian Ocean meets Bali’s coastline.

The modern luxury villa includes a king-size bed, kitchenette, bar, wing-top terrace, a bathroom with circular stone bathtub in the former cockpit, and an infinity pool with an ocean view.

The website boasts, “this one-of-a-kind retreat transforms a retired aircraft into your private paradise in the sky. Wake up to stunning sunrises from your cockpit suite, unwind in opulent cabins redesigned for ultimate comfort, and experience Bali like never before — from 150 feet above the ocean. This is more than a stay. This is a bucket-list experience.”

Sleep In A Grounded Airbus A320 In Wales

Perhaps not a bucket-list experience, but certainly more affordable, is staying on board Apple Air (AirBus.)

This Airbnb Experience is a former Airbus A320 at Apple Camping in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The jet, which was retired from Etihad Airlines, has been restructured to serve up to four guests. It has three beds (two single beds and a convertible sofa) and one bathroom. It’s a relative bargain as aircraft accommodations go, starting at £199 Per Night.

The lodge retains its aircraft feel, boasting a fully equipped kitchen with the original steel galley sinks. Other aircraft features include the original cabin doors with exit warnings, Etihad and Air France-branded storage, and aisle dolly trolleys, which Americans call service carts.

The 26 original porthole-style aircraft windows with pull down blinds provide natural light for the living area. The former Airbus has two working lavatories, one transformed into a modern shower with hot water, the other serving its original purpose.

The living space includes a coffee table and TV, under the soft glow of converted overhead compartment lights. For privacy or shade, blackout blinds are ready to deploy.

There is a comfortable wood deck and jacuzzi tub. The space has been newly carpeted and insulated for warmth even during chilly Wales weather.