25 Years of Extraordinary Escapes
"It's about the stories our properties hold, and the new ones guests take away with them." – Sarah Stanley
In 2001, in a Cornish hamlet tucked within the wilds of Cornwall, Sarah Stanley opened her door, and ours, to a different way of travelling. One which has fundamentally redefined our understanding of the homestay. It started with the simple belief that "travel should be meaningful – that, when done well, it can transform the way we see both the world and ourselves." Twenty-five years later, Unique Homestays represents an extensive portfolio of Britain's most compelling homes, spanning historic castles, secluded beach shacks and RIBA-award-winners; each as unique as the folk at their centre.
An exclusive look inside Unique Homestays founder Sarah Stanley's Grade II-listed Cornish manor.
The door at Sarah's childhood farmhouse in North Cornwall was never locked. A dance of simple hospitality played out daily within its walls; the kettle and oven perpetually on in a space familiar with the choreography of hosting. This understanding of the home as a container for care and connection became the foundation for everything that followed.
In her early 20s Sarah lived the curious modern traveller's life: a three-month journey through Europe on a double-decker bus with a band of strangers; eight months backpacking through Africa and India, meandering onward through Asia to Australia where she stayed for 12 years. She hosted students in her Australian home - experimenting with the different shapes homemaking could take, trying different variations on for size.
When she returned to Cornwall, Sarah carried with her a desire to build something that moved beyond the familiar trappings of travel in an accelerating world, with all its "faceless hotels" and increasingly hollow notions of luxury. Travel, she felt intimately and instinctively, was "about connection: with people old and new, with experiences you might not have in everyday life, and ultimately with yourself."
She placed a single advert in the papers, which read "earn extra money by hosting overseas visitors." Thirty calls came in, and Unique Homestays was started from what she knew.
2001
2001 - The beginning
Unique Homestays launches with B&B stays in barns on the family farm in Trebudannon.
2002 - Beyond Cornwall
National and international properties join the collection. La Crocetta in Siena, Mulino del Opera, a thatched cottage in France, The Folly in North Devon.
2007 - The real game changer
Unique Homestays shifts to a commission-based model, where success was shared, focusing on creating experiences rather than listing properties.
2008 - New horizons
Payments move online. No more passing calls over to the desk with the card machine!
The first wedding marks the moment Unique Homestays enters the realm of experience and occasion.
2009 - Spreading our wings
The Unique Homestays office moves from the main cottage into a larger extension, giving the team space to breathe.
2011 - A primetime debut & welcoming fare
Unique Homestays has its primetime TV debut in an eight-part series on ITV Cornwall with Caroline Quentin.
The company unveils a luxury food and hamper offering, filled with local fare. The welcome guests receive walking through the door matters just as much as the architecture.
A large garden party with staff and owners marks a milestone 10 year anniversary.
2012 - The 'High Life'
Fifteen Cornwall, Jamie Oliver's celebrated restaurant, collaborates on a bespoke 'High Life' romance package for iconic homestay The House in the Sea.
2013 - A new kind of hospitality
Unique Homestays' last ever B&B-style booking is in December this year. People want to inhabit a space completely on their terms, not just pass through it.
2014 - Creative space
The company builds a dedicated creative space across two floors for the team to work in.
2015 - A Unique way of working
ITV's Tonight Show follow the team as they trial a six-hour working day among other productivity practices, spotlighting the business as a modern, innovative workplace.
2016 - Celebrating 15 Years
With a gilded celebration at The Stack.
2017 - In good company
Firefly features in Rowes Honey's Three Bears campaign.
The Telegraph list Unique Homestays amongst "the best holiday companies named by the experts."
2018 - Amazing spaces
Channel 4 films some of Unique Homestays most architecturally striking homes, following earlier features in 2014 and 2015.
2019 - More than stays
The inaugural Photoshoot Location Collection is unveiled. The company encourage homeowners to diversify by opening up opportunities for commercial bookings, weddings, events and elopements - winning editorial coverage along the way with creative shoots directed in-house.
Unique Homestays is accepted as a Walpole member.
2020 - A defining moment
Unique Homestays unveil a modern look and logo as part of a step-change brand evolution. The new decade is marked by 360 marketing campaign 'Simple Luxury'.
Covid-19 hits, marking a monumental moment as the Government implements travel restrictions. Unique Homestays offers homes to NHS workers and is called on to represent the industry on national TV and radio during the pandemic.
2021 - Community enchantment
Loyalty scheme Unique Folk launches, rewarding the people who keep coming back as the staycation boom continues.
The Britain in Wonderland campaign launches as travel reopens, showcasing the UK's enduring fairytale appeal.
2022 - A legendary year
The Come and Stay in My Home and Haute Hibernation campaigns resonate with guests and owners, sharing the magic of the people behind the homes in all seasons. GQ and Condé Nast name Unique Homestays among the best. The business raises over £10,000 for Ukraine.
2023 - Partnerships less ordinary
The White Company partners with Unique Homestays to launch an experiential holiday cottage in an exclusive, first-of-its-kind partnership, and award-winning campaign The Whimsies is showcased across London Underground stations.
The RVIVAL partnership extends Unique Homestays offering of immersive experiences in nature. SheerLuxe name the brand "The Luxury Booking Agency to Know."
2024 - Integrity and honour
The AI (Architectural Integrity) campaign is Unique Homestays' rallying antidote to the rise of artificial intelligence, reminding the world these are homes shaped by real people with singular perspectives.
The team sadly lose a colleague Clare to cancer and raise £10,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity in her honour.
2025 - The people's choice
Unique Homestays is spotlighted as the only UK company in Condé Nast Traveller's Reader's Choice Awards for the best villa rental companies.
Unique Homestays begins a charitable partnership with Lendwithcare and Children's Hospice South West.
Thank you for 25 years of trusting us with the moments that lift the spirits and stir the soul – the large family gatherings and the solo retreats, the proposals and the long overdue restorative resets. Thank you for understanding, along with us, that true, simple luxury is found in having nowhere else you need to be. Here's to another quarter century of experiences less ordinary.
