Our guide to luxury holidays in Wales
From Snowdonia’s soaring peaks to Pembrokeshire’s wildflower-jewelled coastal path, and cutting-edge modern dining to Celtic castles shrouded in myths and legends; here’s the Unique guide to luxury holidays in Wales.
Despite its petite size, Cymru offers seven vibrant cities, five AONBs (from Anglesey in the north to Gower in the south), plus more castles per square mile than anywhere else in the world. Dramatic in its beauty and fiercely proud of its national heritage, it’s hard to resist the lure of a luxury holiday in Wales. But once you spy the first flashes of vibrant daffodils and heraldic red dragons, or hear the warm lilt of locals on the cobbled streets of its whitewashed fishing villages, you’ll be grateful you didn’t.
If a dose of fresh air is the antidote, Wales is the cure. From Snowdonia’s snow-dusted summits to wild swims under lyrical skies, and ancient stone ale houses to ramshackle seafood shacks selling buttery lobster rolls, you’ll find everything you need to know in our guide to luxury holidays in Wales. You’ll need an adventure base, of course; so, take your pick from waterside homes offering front-row seats to sunrise, romantic cottages in the wilds of the Brecon Beacons, and places made for big group gatherings.
Locations in Wales
Perhaps Brecon Beacons´ crooked valleys and moss-shrouded mountains are calling, or you´re hop-scotching to Pembrokeshire´s beaches faster than you can say traeth? Luckily, we´ve got every coveted corner of Wales covered.
Collections in Wales
From castaway coastal cabins for couples to wilderness escapes for weddings, our curated collections have every holiday reverie covered, including private chefs, fairytale treehouses, heated pools, and wood-fired hot tubs.
Any day stays
From anniversary spots to party-ready manors, these luxury homes open their doors any day of the week, making them the ultimate flexi staycation.
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Coastal Retreats
From modern beach houses to bohemian self-catering cottages by the sea, spend days watching the waves in one of our luxury coastal cottages.
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Dog-Friendly Escapes
Luxury self-catering for dog-friendly escapes, these coastal cottages and country retreats are designed with discerning hounds in mind.
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Couples´ Retreats
From Valentine´s breaks to honeymooner´s hideaways, these luxury cottages were designed for couples with romance in mind.
View collectionLuxury Homes with Pools
Feel the heat? Choose from our luxury holiday homes with swimming pools. Indoors, outdoors, heated, natural... we have them all.
View collectionFamily-Friendly Self-Catering
Unique family-owned homes creatively designed with relaxation in mind, our luxury child-friendly holiday cottages offer stress-free escapes.
View collectionLarge Self-Catering Groups
Our larger luxury self-catering homes and big country houses are just the ticket for a celebratory luxury group gathering.
View collectionHoneymoons
Start married life with the ultimate romantic honeymoon in a luxury retreat, from cosy cottages to beach hideaways.
View collectionLuxury Homes with Hot Tubs
Plot your escape to one of these exclusive, hand-picked luxury self-catering cottages with hot tubs for a truly relaxing and rejuvenating break.
View collectionLuxury Homes with a Private Chef
From romantic breaks where dessert is always on the menu to celebration homes where chefs make the family favourites; see our homes with catering.
View collectionCountry House Breaks
Our exclusive collection of country houses includes luxury manor houses, opulent mansions with pools and beautiful private estates.
View collectionWorking Remotely
Discover luxury self-catering with inspirational home office spaces, allowing for both work and play on your holiday.
View collectionLuxury Homes with Tennis Courts
From Victorian vegetable stores to fairytale millhouses, our luxury homes with tennis courts bring the best of Wimbledon to the country.
View collectionAlternative Group Option
Alternative holiday cottages for groups. Stay as a small group in one of our luxury self-catering holiday homes with our alternative group option.
View collectionHoliday homes 2-3 hours from London
Plotting a romantic escape from the city? These luxury coastal and country retreats within two to three hours’ drive of London are just the ticket.
View collectionEco-Friendly Escapes
Our luxury eco-friendly retreats include a beach hut Cornwall and a coastal cabin in Scotland. Good for the soul, and the planet.
View collectionBaby-Friendly Breaks
For families with a baby on board, our unique baby-friendly breaks provide luxury self-catering with safety, comfort and parents in mind.
View collectionElopement Weddings
Whether a luxury home by the sea or grand country manor, run away to enjoy the elopement wedding of your dreams at a unique private home.
View collectionSecret Garden Escapes
Our unique garden escapes feature woodland hideaways, secret garden cottages and exclusive private homes in Alice in Wonderland estates.
View collectionFilm and Photoshoot Locations
Whether you want a unique film shoot backdrop or luxury venue for a new product launch, these shoot and stay locations are one of a kind.
View collectionWaterside Living
Experience the charm and tranquility of living on the water´s edge at these unique waterside properties set by lochs, lakes, rivers or beaches.
View collectionWellness Retreats
Wellbeing venues with a difference, take exclusive hire of a private home for your next wellbeing, fitness or yoga retreat.
View collectionLuxury Solo Travel
Indulge in a little me time and create your own itinerary with an independent solo travel experience at an inspiring luxury homestay.
View collectionElectric Car Escapes
If you are looking for an eco-friendly holiday that supports your electric or hybrid car, these sustainable luxury properties will be just the ticket.
View collectionLong Let Holiday Homes and Properties
Relocating for work? Between houses? Make yourself at home! Enjoy a long let rental without the hassle at a private luxury holiday home.
View collectionCorporate Events
Our unique corporate event venues promise creative settings for inspired company retreats, ideal for team-building or company rewards.
View collectionSurf Retreats
Unique surfing holidays along the UK´s stunning coastline, where chic beach houses provide a luxury base for adrenaline-fuelled escapes.
View collectionValentine´s Breaks
Unique Valentine´s Day breaks for a get-away-from-it-all adventure, from iconic beach huts to remote woodland cabins for two.
View collectionUnique Hen Weekends
For sophisticated brides wanting an alternative hen weekend its got to be Unique Homestays. Think yoga barns, swimming pools and disco balls.
View collectionWilderness Retreats
Idyllic hideaways perfect for wild food foragers and barefoot wanderers, our wilderness retreats combine remote settings with natural style.
View collectionBoho Hideaways
Embrace your inner nomad with our boho cottages and hideaway homes, where eclectic décor and laid-back vibes combine to make the perfect boho luxury escape.
View collectionLimited Edition
Be one of the lucky few to stay in one of these unique private homes, available for only a select number of weeks per year.
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Things to do in Wales
Strap in to reach Snowdon´s summit, sail through the morning mist over mirror-like glacial lakes, or sip homegrown drops among the ripening vines as the sun dips behind the mountains. Your Welsh adventure awaits.
Zip World, Bethesda
Whether zooming along the world´s fastest zip line over a quarry, bouncing on trampolines or zig-zigging on zipwires through mining tunnels underground, Zip World is paradise found for adrenaline seekers.
Ceredigion Coastal Path
The Ceredigion Coastal Path follows a 60-mile route between the Teifi and Dyfi estuaries - starting just south of Cardigan and heading northwards towards Ynyslas. Spot pretty wild flowers, seabirds and wildlife along the way.
Things to see in Wales
Gaze over the Menai Strait from Beaumaris Castle, spy rare species in the folkloric Black Mountains, or enjoy a bird´s-eye view of Pembrokeshire´s rugged coastline by helicopter; there´s no shortage of sights in these parts.
Beaumaris Castle
A UNESCO World Heritage Site that never quite made it to completion, Beaumaris Castle was the final creation of Edward I in the 1320s overlooking the Menai Strait
Skomer Island
Skomer is an island shrouded in mystery, located just a mile off the Pembrokeshire coast. Surrounded by shaded inlets, off shore rocks and sheltered coves, this natural nature reserve has the largest colony of puffins in southern Britain. A great day out for budding nature photographers.
Where to eat in Wales
Treat the littles to double scoops of honey ice cream on the harbour as fishing boats bob in with dressed crab for supper, sup local ales at ciwt micropubs, or don your finery for a Michelin-starred experience in the Welsh wilderness.
Ye Olde Bull´s Head Inn, Beaumaris
A 400 year old coach house where gastro inn meets pub grub in a wholesome atmosphere. Sunday lunch, cocktails and the fine wines list which is only available on request, all come highly recommended by Saffron Tower´s owner.
SY23, Aberystwyth
Slightly further afield, but worth every moment of the journey, this Michelin Star restaurant where locally, foraged food from the sea and hedgerows are the stars of the show.
Journals about Wales
Surfers reveal where to find Wales´ wildest waves, owners talk of taking off-grid living to new heights in the Cambrian mountains, and we get a close-up of the kaleidoscopic Conwy cottage with eccentricity in its bones.
Lifestyle
To the ends of the Earth
Ah, the ends of the Earth. From Ittoqqortoormiit to Alaska, all explorers have their own idea on the matter. But the notion that an “end” exists reveals a truth so often missed. Call it a reawakening.
Owner Chronicles
A window to the world
In celebration of "The British Nordic" this November, here we speak to the owners of The Glasshouse; a hygge-embracing riverside home on Wales´ Teifi Marshes.
Lifestyle
The British Nordic
We owe much to The Nordics. Givers of Edvard Munch and the Moomins, of saunas and smörgåsbords. Here, we offer up our most earthen homes, built on hygge foundations.
Lifestyle
The season inbetwixt
Curators of memories, now´s the time to find a place that´ll see you through from Hocus Pocus to Home Alone; a home where the devil (and the angel) is in the detail.
Wales FAQ´s
Looking for advice on finding dog-friendly pubs? Want to know the most child-friendly locations in the county? If you have a Wales-specific query, you might find the answer here. For everything else, visit our general FAQs.
What are the seven cities in Wales?
The seven cities of Wales are: Bangor, Cardiff, Newport, St Asaph, St Davids, Swansea and Wrexham. With a population of just 1600 residents, St David’s is officially the smallest city in the UK. Its young and creative capital, Cardiff, is a hub of Welsh culture and sport. Only in 2022, following a successful bid for city status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, was Wrexham officially designated as Wales’ seventh city.
Why is there a dragon on the Welsh flag?
The flag of Wales (Baner Cymru or Y Ddraig Goch, meaning 'the red dragon’) signifies the power and fearlessness of the Welsh; as an emblem, it has been used since the reign of Cadwaladr, King of Gwynedd (c. 655AD).
Today, you’ll find the Welsh dragon proudly flown across the country, as well as depicted on badges, bumper stickers, and painted on the faces of raucous rugby fans at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, too.
What is typical Welsh food?
Traditional Welsh dishes include cawl (a lamb and root vegetable stew), Welsh rarebit, laverbread or bara lawr (a salty seaweed paste), Welsh cakes (a buttery bread biscuit studded with plump currants), bara brith (a spiced fruit loaf made with black tea) and Glamorgan sausage (a crumbly, comforting dish made with Caerphilly cheese and leeks). No holiday to Wales is complete without savouring these national delicacies.
How many people still speak Welsh?
Of the six living Celtic languages, Welsh has the highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis. As of 2022, around 29.5% of Welsh residents can still speak the language, which totals 900,600 people. It is the only Celtic language which is not considered to be endangered by UNESCO.
What are the seasons in Wales?
Like England, Wales has well-defined seasons – though it’s best to prepare for all eventualities, as the weather can be unpredictable.
Spring or Gwanyn (March, April, May) brings with it wild daffodils, carpets of bluebells, and newborn lambs to the fields. Temperatures tend to range from 5°C to 16°C, though it can be wet.
Summer or Haf (June, July, August) is typically the warmest and driest season, with long days filled with barbecues and beach days.
Autumn or Hydref (September, October, November) announces the return of colder climes and darker nights in Wales. The trees are ablaze with auburn leaves and plump blackberries are ripe for the picking.
Winter or Gaeaf (December, January, February) is the coldest season. Temperatures hover between 0°C to 8°C, bringing crisp mornings, snow showers and afternoons by the crackling log fire.
Own a property in Wales?
Are you the keeper of an island cabin? Or the custodian of a storied castle? From Conwy to Cardigan to the Cambrian Mountains, we´re seeking Wales´s most unique homes to join our growing portfolio.
