For sanctuary
In romantic cottages made for bare feet and late breakfasts, couples and solo sojourners pour cream into whiskey-spiked coffee, while dogs take up residence beneath frost-dusted windows.
Winter is for lovers. For the rib-tickling laughter that only happens when clouds burst above the hot tub and raindrops dilute homespun sloe gin cocktails that were months in the making. From bubbling backyard waters, dash indoors to the firelight where the smell of honey-glazed root veg wafts from the Aga and a handwoven basket makes an offering of woollen blankets. These hideaways are for couples in search of the Great British Snuggledown.
Once upon a time there was just one, a solo traveller who retreated to the seaside to paint in the window and dunk local shortbread into cups of cocoa. When quietude calls, going alone is sometimes the only thing that will cut the midwinter mustard. And so we make a case for luxury idleness: throw sticks for pups on beaches bare but for seagulls, set the table for a candlelit dinner for one, and sprawl out on velveteen sofas with the buttons to yourself.
Idlewylde
Machynlleth, Snowdonia, Wales, UK
From the sweet seclusion to mountain vistas, hot tub to glittering skies uninterrupted by city lights, Idlewylde is an impossibly romantic escape for couples in North Wales.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,595 per week, £1,150 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Hot tub
Windfall
Black Mountains, Herefordshire, UK
On the Welsh border in Herefordshire, a Victorian cider mill has been reborn as a rural escape. In Dark Sky territory, this rustic retreat promises Swedish tub soaks under infinite stars.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,750 per week, £1,295 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Fire pit, Swedish wood-fired tub
The Outpost
Reached by a private bridge, this frontier-style cabin on the edge of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park invites couples to recline in a hot tub under the stars, and recharge under a canopy of trees.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,450 per week, £1,095 per short break
Pets: Two small or medium dogs are welcome
Features: Woodfired hot tub and fire pit
Hinterland Cabin
With views of the Conwy Valley, Hinterland Cabin is a luxury log home with a hot tub, sauna, and yoga deck bordering Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park in Wales, enveloped by big skies and wild mountains.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,450 per week, £995 per short break
Pets: Two medium well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, sauna and yoga deck
Ebony Wood
Dark, mysterious and ever-so romantic, Ebony Wood on the edge of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park is an atmospheric couples’ escape surrounded by sweet scented pines and rustling hedgehogs.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,450 per week, £995 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, infrared sauna, yoga deck, outside shower and outdoor food prep area and sink
Isla Windmill
Beaumaris, Isle of Anglesey, Wales, UK
High on a hill overlooking the Anglesey coast, Isla Windmill is unique, authentic and fit to burst with character with views of the sea and Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests (+2)
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,595 per week, £1,095 per short break
Pets: Two medium well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, portable air conditioning unit
Saffron Tower
Beaumaris, Isle of Anglesey, Wales, UK
Standing watch from the corner of a beautiful walled garden, Saffron Tower is a true wellness retreat where couples can indulge in a spa-like experience on the Anglesey coast.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,995 per week, £1,395 per short break
Pets: Two medium well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Heated indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, gym with running machine, Echelon Exercise bike, Hydrow rowing machine, weights, yoga mats and portable air conditioning unit
The Cable Hut
Aberbach, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK
Between the remote beaches of Abermawr and Aberbach in South Wales, metres from Pembrokeshire's Coast Path, The Cable Hut is the luxury cabin for a castaway experience.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,395 per week, £1,095 per short break
Pets: One large or two small well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub
The Black Cabin
Idyllically set near Hay-on-Wye and overlooking the majestic Black Mountains, this noir-hued cabin offers a wood-fired hot tub, infrared sauna and views for miles.
Sleeps: Up to two guests
From: £1,795 per week, £1,350 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Outdoor kitchen, outdoor woodfired hot tub, indoor infrared sauna and cold plunge tub
Tincture
Llanwrtyd Wells, Cambrian Mountains, Powys, Wales, UK
A luxury off-grid cottage in Llanwrtyd, Tincture rides on the tides of nature in the heart of Wales' wild and little-discovered Cambrian Mountains; a fairy-tale home with an edge.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,995 per week, £1,495 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
White Beach Cove
Beaumaris, Isle of Anglesey, Wales, UK
A traditional Welsh cottage nestled into Anglesey’s remote north coast, White Beach Cove is an adventurer’s delight hidden in one of the UK's wildest corners.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests (+1)
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,750 per week, £1,195 per short break
Pets: Three well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, electric car charging point, portable air conditioning unit
Eirianfa
Llanbedr-Dyffryn-Clwyd, Ruthin, Wales, UK
Cradled within a peaceful valley near Ruthin, this heart-stirring luxury cottage in Denbighshire boasts a games room with hot tub and a private lake, all set within 17 acres in North Wales.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,895 per week, £1,450 per short break
Pets: One medium or two small well-behaved dogs are welcome on prior request
Features: Hot tub, bar, 50" TV, pool table, private lake
Heddwen
A luxury farmhouse in Wales, with dramatic views of Cardigan Bay in one direction and Snowdonia's namesake mountain in the other, Heddwen exudes coastal warmth and cottage charm.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
From: £2,150 per week, £1,595 per short break
Pets: One medium sized well-behaved dog is welcome on prior request
Features: Outdoor bath
Smokehouse Cottage
Newgale, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK
A white stone dot tucked under the hills, Smokehouse Cottage is part of Wales' wild magic on the Pembrokeshire Coast; a luxury fisherman’s cottage with a hot tub ideal for surfers.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
From: £2,150 per week, £2,150 per short break
Pets: One small to medium well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Wood-fired hot tub (available autumn and winter months on prior request), outdoor shower for surfers
