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Airbnb's head of design reveals his favorite place to stay

Tokyo Art Room
Airbnb

As head of design at Airbnb, Alex Schleifer has seen more than his fair share of Airbnb listings. He also gets to experience plenty of them. This year alone, he's stayed in dozens upon dozens of Airbnbs, he tells Tech Insider.

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Out of all the places he's stayed, one clear favorite stands out: The Tokyo Art Room, a small apartment in Tokyo, Japan.

"It's a single room, and everything is so considered and non-superfluous. It's filled with art that local Japanese students are creating," Schleifer tells Tech Insider. "I love tiny spaces that are really well-designed."

Tokyo Art Room
Toshihiro Mori's art.
Airbnb

The Tokyo Art Room was created by an entrepreneur, metalworker, and architect as a way to connect local artists with foreigners. There's a new artist showcased in the apartment at any given time. Currently, it's a graphic designer and illustrator named Toshihiro Mori.

Every so often, the Tokyo Art Room founders organize meetups between Airbnb guests and featured artists. "I think I experienced Tokyo much better because of these connections going in," says Schleifer.

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The apartment itself is spare, but cozy. It goes for about $100 night, depending on the date chosen for booking. Check it out here.

Axel Springer, Insider Inc.'s parent company, is an investor in Airbnb.

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