Tucked away on a quiet street in historic Alexandria, Virginia sits the Liberty House, a restored 162-year-old townhouse that was just dubbed the hottest vacation rental in the U.S.
The quaint blue house melds historical architecture and modern fixtures – a combination that helped it win this year's Hottest Property Award from Eviivo, an online booking software for hotels, vacation rentals and bed-and-breakfasts. The award is part of Eviivo's annual International Week of the Host, where each year the company highlights independently-owned hotel and rental properties.
Modern fixtures inside the Liberty House in Alexandria, Virginia.Source: eviivo
This year's top honor goes to Liberty House, which was built in 1860 and then restored in 2018 by owners Cameron and Noelle Foster, according to Eviivo. The two-bedroom, 1.5-bath detached townhome, which offers visitors access to the cobblestone streets of Alexandria's Old Town neighborhood, was one of hundreds of properties across the country that submitted entries for Eviivo's annual awards.
"Liberty House not only provided crisp, clear, high-quality visuals of the interior, but also had an antique map that showed the property's location in a contextually relevant way," award judge Rebecca Lombardo said in a statement. Lombardo, who is the chief marketing officer at TruPlace, which creates virtual tours and photographs for rental properties, served as a judge for Eviivo's Hottest Property Award along with Adrienne Jordan, a travel writer from New York City.
The judges weighed entries based on each property's "originality, innovation and how photogenic it is," according to Eviivo's website. Properties' attention to detail, comfort and certain "cool factors" were also considered in judging, the company added.
The outdoor patio space at Liberty House in Alexandria, Virginia.Source: Eviivo
In the case of Liberty House, some of the standout features include a private outdoor patio space decked with string lights and lounge chairs, a brick fireplace in the living room with the home's original wood mantel from 1860, and a master bathroom with heated tile flooring. You'll even find patriotic nods to the area's history throughout the house with paintings of George Washington and even throw pillows with the Founding Father's face, according to the house's Airbnb page.
Inside of the Liberty House in Alexandria, Virginia.Source: eviivo
While the Liberty House took the top spot for hottest property, other properties also snagged awards in two additional categories: the Unsung Hero Award and Outstanding Host Award.
Eviivo gave the Unsung Hero Award to an employee at the Montfair Resort Farm, an eco-friendly property in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, and the Outstanding Host Award went to the host of Sandy Shores, a lakeside getaway in Redgranite, Wisconsin.
