The Lodges on Vashon

The light and bright 570-square-foot units are just a 20-minute ferry ride from Seattle, Washington, perfect for a weekend getaway.

For the Lodges on Vashon, hotelier Jena Thornton decided to take a slightly different approach when creating this hotel—let's call it a mash-up of boutique accommodations with the autonomy of an Airbnb rental.

"People's expectations of travel have shifted thanks to Airbnb and the sharing economy," Thornton tells Gray Magazine. "As long as you've built a great product, guests are now okay with some DIY aspects."

As such, registration and check-in takes place virtually, entry to the rentals requires a key code, and an off-site manager is just a call away.