A European prefab 'invisible' tiny home maker now has 4 units in California on Airbnb starting at $444 a night — see inside

Brittany ChangFeb 17, 2023, 17:09 IST

One of the four ÖÖD hotels in California.Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

Estonia-based prefab tiny home maker ÖÖD makes hotels, homes, and offices.
Its four units in California have been seeing steady weekend bookings.

If you've been craving an off-grid getaway far from other people, why not vacation in an invisible tiny home?

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

Estonia-based ÖÖD is building off-grid tiny homes and offices with mirror-lined exteriors.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

These homes are now available to order in the US for personal use. But if you're more interested in a short-term stay …

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

… ÖÖD's $125,000 signature tiny homes also double as its 227-square-foot rentable hotel rooms.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

And there's no need to travel to Europe just to stay in one of these Instagram-able mirror homes.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

There is now a ÖÖD tiny home-based resort near California's Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks available to rent on Airbnb.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

And by the end of this year, we could see more of these "invisible" hotel rooms pop up across the country.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

ÖÖD was founded in 2016 by two brothers, Jaak and Andreas Tiik, who wanted to innovate the hotel space with a modern prefabricated unit lined with exterior mirrors …

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

ÖÖD was founded in 2016 by two brothers, Jaak and Andreas Tiik, who wanted to innovate the hotel space with a modern prefabricated unit lined with exterior mirrors …

… similar to the famous "Invisible House" near Joshua Tree National Park now on sale for $18 million.

Chris Hanley

ÖÖD sells its homes to private buyers, people looking for rental units, and hospitality companies.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

But Robin Boehringer, the company's chairman, told Insider that he envisions a future where it'll likely work more closely with these hospitality companies and rental operators.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

But Robin Boehringer, the company's chairman, told Insider that he envisions a future where it'll likely work more closely with these hospitality companies and rental operators.

"There's still a deficit in the market for good designs and good quality cabins," Boehringer said, noting that the company is building its own Airbnb-like ÖÖD hotel bookings platform.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

"There's still a deficit in the market for good designs and good quality cabins," Boehringer said, noting that the company is building its own Airbnb-like ÖÖD hotel bookings platform.

To do this, companies can either buy entire ÖÖD homes or receive units in exchange for a 10-year revenue share partnership.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

There are now ÖÖD units for both personal and commercial use scattered around the world from Mexico to the Netherlands …

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

… as well as 25 in the US in states like Vermont and Tennessee.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

This stateside expansion started with these four rentable homes at the foot of California's Sequoia National Park, which arrived in the US in 2020.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

Interest here has yet to wane.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

So to address this, the company is now setting up a production facility in Houston, Texas with the goal of finishing its first units by around April.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

The California Airbnb units, which launched in 2022, had been a long time coming.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

Kenneth Willard, the owner of these four homes and an Airbnb superhost, first contacted ÖÖD in 2018, Regina Kaal, sales director told Insider.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

However, due to delays in permitting, certificating, shipping, and interior finishing, the four units weren't made available on Airbnb until the summer of 2022.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

Now, you could have a hard time booking one of these invisible homes for a weekend getaway.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

Willard calls his collection of mirror homes a "luxury eco-glamping ranch" located on 50 acres of land in Three Rivers, California.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

The mirror-clad homes are surrounded by mountains, a river, and views of the valley, making it a scenic retreat for people interested in vacationing near the giant sequoias.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

The mirror-clad homes are surrounded by mountains, a river, and views of the valley, making it a scenic retreat for people interested in vacationing near the giant sequoias.

Despite the unique exterior, the interior is like any vacation cabin condensed into a studio space.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

Inside, there's a kitchenette, queen bed, bathroom …

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

… and all the necessary appliances tucked into this modern and sleek home.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

Outside, the homes also come with a sauna and an exterior shower.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

Rates start at $444 a night for one home or $1,600 for all four homes, according to Willardt's Airbnb page.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

The three months following the homes' launch saw "great" bookings despite the lack of marketing efforts.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

In December 2022, these units were booking for an average of $524 a night while hitting a 30% occupancy rate, the Estonian company told Insider in an email. Weekends are often booked up.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

In December 2022, these units were booking for an average of $524 a night while hitting a 30% occupancy rate, the Estonian company told Insider in an email. Weekends are often booked up.

If this occupancy rate grows to at least 80%, Willard will double the number of units …

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

… a process that should certainly move along faster now that ÖÖD is expanding production to the US.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

This year, the company already has five US ÖÖD hotel projects in New York, Georgia, and Maryland.

Sarah and Michael Vestal, @venturingvestals

I spent 11 hours with 3 strangers in a shared cabin on a sleeper train in Europe. 6 surprises made me regret my choice.

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A European prefab 'invisible' tiny home maker now has 4 units in California on Airbnb starting at $444 a night &mdash; see inside

If you've been craving an off-grid getaway far from other people, why not vacation in an invisible tiny home?

Estonia-based ÖÖD is building off-grid tiny homes and offices with mirror-lined exteriors.

These homes are now available to order in the US for personal use. But if you're more interested in a short-term stay …

… ÖÖD's $125,000 signature tiny homes also double as its 227-square-foot rentable hotel rooms.

And there's no need to travel to Europe just to stay in one of these Instagram-able mirror homes.

There is now a ÖÖD tiny home-based resort near California's Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks available to rent on Airbnb.

And by the end of this year, we could see more of these "invisible" hotel rooms pop up across the country.

ÖÖD was founded in 2016 by two brothers, Jaak and Andreas Tiik, who wanted to innovate the hotel space with a modern prefabricated unit lined with exterior mirrors …

… similar to the famous "Invisible House" near Joshua Tree National Park now on sale for $18 million.

ÖÖD sells its homes to private buyers, people looking for rental units, and hospitality companies.

But Robin Boehringer, the company's chairman, told Insider that he envisions a future where it'll likely work more closely with these hospitality companies and rental operators.

"There's still a deficit in the market for good designs and good quality cabins," Boehringer said, noting that the company is building its own Airbnb-like ÖÖD hotel bookings platform.

To do this, companies can either buy entire ÖÖD homes or receive units in exchange for a 10-year revenue share partnership.

There are now ÖÖD units for both personal and commercial use scattered around the world from Mexico to the Netherlands …

… as well as 25 in the US in states like Vermont and Tennessee.

This stateside expansion started with these four rentable homes at the foot of California's Sequoia National Park, which arrived in the US in 2020.

Interest here has yet to wane.

So to address this, the company is now setting up a production facility in Houston, Texas with the goal of finishing its first units by around April.

The California Airbnb units, which launched in 2022, had been a long time coming.

Kenneth Willard, the owner of these four homes and an Airbnb superhost, first contacted ÖÖD in 2018, Regina Kaal, sales director told Insider.

However, due to delays in permitting, certificating, shipping, and interior finishing, the four units weren't made available on Airbnb until the summer of 2022.

Now, you could have a hard time booking one of these invisible homes for a weekend getaway.

Willard calls his collection of mirror homes a "luxury eco-glamping ranch" located on 50 acres of land in Three Rivers, California.

The mirror-clad homes are surrounded by mountains, a river, and views of the valley, making it a scenic retreat for people interested in vacationing near the giant sequoias.

Despite the unique exterior, the interior is like any vacation cabin condensed into a studio space.

Inside, there's a kitchenette, queen bed, bathroom …

… and all the necessary appliances tucked into this modern and sleek home.

Outside, the homes also come with a sauna and an exterior shower.

Rates start at $444 a night for one home or $1,600 for all four homes, according to Willardt's Airbnb page.

The three months following the homes' launch saw "great" bookings despite the lack of marketing efforts.

In December 2022, these units were booking for an average of $524 a night while hitting a 30% occupancy rate, the Estonian company told Insider in an email. Weekends are often booked up.

If this occupancy rate grows to at least 80%, Willard will double the number of units …

… a process that should certainly move along faster now that ÖÖD is expanding production to the US.

This year, the company already has five US ÖÖD hotel projects in New York, Georgia, and Maryland.

A European prefab 'invisible' tiny home maker now has 4 units in California on Airbnb starting at $444 a night — see inside