Welcome to ‘Danville,’ home to yurts, gators and free plane ride
Geneva complex shows differing reactions to Airbnb’s rules
On 30 acres near Geneva, Airbnb users can camp in a Mongolian-style tent known as a Yurt, hang out in a precisely decorated “man cave” or, if the timing is right, take a short, 15-minute flight in a small Cessna airplane.
“Some people travel all over the world to meet other people,” says owner Dan Shaw, 71. “Every week, I have 12 new people come through that door.”
As Shaw looks to expand the number of people who visit the top-rated property he calls “Danville,” Seminole County officials have been grappling with rules to govern home-sharing web service Airbnb.
A recent proposal would place limits on noise, restrict the number of vehicles that can be parked at a home and would require that hosts pay registration fees with the county. Officials have yet to determine what the final rules will look like.
While Shaw monitors the discussion, however, he continues to run his little town-like operation.
He spent part of a recent morning walking his property, meeting two visitors, one from Miami and another from Griffin, Ga., about an hour south of Atlanta.
That place has garnered some glowing reviews. Airbnb’s Florida operation recently highlighted Danville in a list of the most wish-listed properties in each county.
“The thing that makes me keep doing it is the reviews,” Shaw said. “People appreciate what you have built. They appreciate that it’s unique and that it’s different.”
The experience includes a small pond with a few small alligators that call it home.
It’s one of the reasons Grisel d’Elena of Miami chose to stay at “Danville” with her 9-year-old son Jake and 10-year-old daughter Joannet.
“I like to give them a piece of nature and have that experience they usually don’t,” she said. “It’s just a unique experience.”
“My Instagram story is lit right now,” said d’Elena, who said Geneva’s location between Cape Canaveral and downtown Orlando helped convince her to visit. “The airplane hangar got me.”
Caleb Anthony of Griffin, Ga., had never used the Airbnb service until he ran into Danville.
Griffin was in Central Florida for some bioluminescent kayaking on the St. Johns River.
“I can’t even put into words,” he said. “It’s definitely not like a hotel experience. It’s more like a neighborly experience. It’s like going somewhere and you show up, and you’re part of the family.”
Shaw’s property has three structures visitors can rent out: the Yurt, the man cave which has a door that leads into a private hangar, and a hotel-like room that includes a movie theater.
To make things easier for himself, Shaw said he priced them all at $100 per night.
“Hotels have a lot of great stuff, but they don’t have an alligator in their backyard,” he said.
Shaw says hosting new people constantly has helped him enjoy retirement.
He has a Segway. He has sports cars. His property has a Cessna, which his friend flies periodically with guests fortunate enough to be on site when he takes off. The ride is free.
The toys and trinkets are bonuses Shaw has benefited from since becoming a host, he said.
“They help me buy things,” he said of his customers. “It’s all part of the benefits of being a host.”
Shaw, who would not say how much he makes on Airbnb, said it has been a successful endeavor.
“It’s more lucrative than I would have ever believed,” he said. “It’s like starting up a business. You never intend on making money, but then it works out.”