This year will be one of reflection, celebration and appreciation, as we mark 25 years since the creation of Unique Homestays. A quarter-century adventure combing our brilliant British Isles in search of the most extraordinary rental homes. Weaved into one considered collection of settings that stir the soul, design that inspires, and rooms that lie shaped by those that have lived within.
The seeds of the idea were sewn during our founder Sarah Stanley's travels overseas in India and Australia, where the "homestay" concept – enjoying the curated spaces and rituals of others – was commonplace. With little to no presence here in the UK in the early 2000s, Sarah was eager to emulate these experiences back on home soil, so returned to Cornwall with her three young children to get started. Sat at a desk in a small cottage on her family farm, Unique Homestays was born.
A scrapbook showcasing the initial ideation of Unique Homestays
“I may have started with no business experience,” notes Sarah. “But what I did have was a belief that travel should be meaningful. That, when done well, it can transform the way we see the world and ourselves. That belief is still what drives Unique Homestays today.”
While guests may no longer be physically hosted by owners, fed their family recipes or told their stories, the presence of these things remains core and palpable within each space. Every unique home in the portfolio acts as a tangible retrospective of its owners, many and varied, their lives and idiosyncrasies. From Charity in Herefordshire; a farmhouse lovingly passed through generations of artists and revived by the latest son in the family bloodline, to The Find in the Cotswolds; the award-winning design home created by architect-owner Richard Found as his countryside weekend retreat, to Castle Trematonia in Cornwall; a once forgotten castle bestowed to the House of Hackney founders, now suitably spiced with maximalism.
Charity in Herefordshire, Castle Trematonia in Cornwall
“Ultimately, we want our homestays to feel like you’re staying with a good friend or dear family member,” explains Sarah. “You step through that front door and you enter a world of ease. You feel instantly relaxed and comfortable in a space you can call your own – for however long you need. And, when it’s time to leave, you can’t wait to return; to create experiences that linger long after you’ve returned home. True luxury isn’t something you can buy; it’s something you feel.”
Over the last quarter century, the Unique Homestays collection has remained intentionally selective in its approach, to ensure the core identity remains true. Quality over quantity; authenticity over genericism. Over 180 of the UK and Ireland's most soulful homes – a Lake District farm once known to host Romantic poet William Wordsworth, an Isle of Wight beach house by the creators of Bestival, and an Irish cottage designed to melt into its wilderness – that, simply, cannot be found anywhere else.
Limehouse Cottage in Ireland, Carnivàle on the Isle of Wight
Come and celebrate with us. Discover more about our 25 years in business, or find your next Unique Homestays escape.
