There is something timeless about an English Christmas. Chocolate-box cottages come into their own: snug rooms brimming with friendly faces, and fires aglow. Grand country manors play host to glamorous evenings of canapés, boardgames and that bottle of vintage fizz saved for special. And beach houses provide cosy refuge in the form of festive films and cocoa during winter storms. Here, we round-up some of the UK’s best holiday cottages to book for Christmas 2026.
Best for cottagecore:
The Fable, Cornwall
- Standout features: Outdoor hot tub, woodburner
- What we love: The original cob cottage features
- Sleeps: Up to four guests
With its thatched roof, wibbly walls and low ceilings, The Fable has all the makings of a Cornish The Holiday-esque getaway: lazy mornings in pyjamas, windswept beach walks and evenings snuggled by the Christmas tree.
Best for families:
Scarlet Hall, Cheshire
- Standout features: Indoor swimming pool, sauna, tennis court, barn with bar, games room, piano, woodburner
- What we love: It's got something to suit all generations
- Sleeps: Up to 22 guests
Scarlet Hall is for the year when everyone comes: cousins racing to the indoor pool, generations going head-to-head over board games and 22 places set around the table for Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.
Best for festive spirit:
Holanen, Cornwall
- Standout features: Sea views, woodburner
- What we love: The walkable distance to the sea and village
- Sleeps: Up to four guests
Stay beside the sea at Holanen and spend Christmas amongst the famous lights of Mousehole, where the harbour glitters after dark, old pubs fill with merriment and the whole village seems to join in on celebrations.
Best for luxury:
Honeystone, Suffolk
- Standout features: Sauna, steam room, gym, cinema
- What we love: The opulent interiors and furnishings
- Sleeps: Up to 14 guests
At Honeystone, Christmas is an excuse to dress for supper: black tie and cocktail dresses beneath antique chandeliers, Champagne in coupes and a table laden for feasts that stretch long into the evening.
Best for entertaining:
Kober, Cornwall
- Standout features: Hot tub, sauna, cinema room, bar/games room
- What we love: The sociable living and entertaining spaces
- Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
At Kober, Christmas is made to be shared: long lunches in the soaring open-plan living space, cocktails over games of pool and a private cinema for settling in when the evening draws on.
Best for romance:
Wishbone, Worcestershire
- Standout features: Private fishing lake, woodburner, fire pit
- What we love: The romantic setting amidst 16 acres of National Landscape near the Malvern Hills
- Sleeps: Up to two guests
For a Christmas made for two, retreat to Wishbone, where presents are opened beneath ancient beams, fizz is poured before noon and the fire needn’t go out until Boxing Day.
Feeling inspired? Discover a place to stay this Christmas or New Year.
