This year, we celebrate a quarter-century of Unique Homestays – 25 years since Sarah Stanley founded a brand that came to define a new category of luxury travel in the UK. Today, our collection encompasses around 180 extraordinary private homes across the UK and Ireland: homes that stir the spirit, ignite wonder in the landscapes they inhabit and express the individuality of their owners. Some are centuries old, some are sensitively transformed and others are newly imagined. A number come from owners who have returned to entrust us with a second, third or even fourth home. There is no single archetype for what makes a Unique Homestay, but the homes we represent remain united by what Sarah describes as “an intention to bring people together, in spaces where they can connect with what matters most.”
Over time, the ways in which we seek to escape have evolved, and our collection has evolved alongside them. Today, it spans sprawling farmstays with facilities to rival those of destination wellness hotels and secluded retreats designed for slipping off-grid and disappearing into the wild. Anticipating the changing desires of the modern traveller has never been about following trends, but holding fast in a belief in simple luxury, says Sarah; that “it’s tethering a home to the lives lived there that holds meaning."
Our 25th anniversary offers a fitting opportunity to reflect. To celebrate the milestone, we asked the people who know the collection from the inside out to share the homes that, to them, embody the spirit of a Unique Homestay.
Hannah Jones
PR and Communications Lead
Pictured: hannah, The Knapp
- Hannah’s edit: The Knapp, for sumptuous Cotswolds comfort; Charlotte’s Folly, for swoon-worthy designer interiors; and Tincture and Morwell, for a restorative off-grid escape.
One of my selections has to be The Knapp. It's a gorgeous Cotswolds farmhouse that is the perfect blend of comfort, rusticity and eclecticism. I stayed here during a cold February and spent hours drifting between lounging beside the statement open fire in the living room, reading novels in the snug and making good use of the copper pans in the kitchen. Plus, the divine Woolpack Inn is just a short stumble away, serving the best kind of British grub. There’s a splendour to this home that’s difficult to put into words: something it seems to save for those lucky enough to step within its four walls.
Next up would have to be Charlotte's Folly in Shropshire. It holds such a special place in my heart, and the interiors by designer Emma Ainscough are swoon-worthy. Particularly the baby blue bedroom with the tented ceiling! I've found telling its story such a privilege, resulting in press coverage with publications from House & Garden to Vogue; the Financial Times to Condé Nast Traveller.
Finally, the homes I'm longing to book myself. Tincture in Wales' Cambrian Mountains is a delectable chocolate-box cottage surrounded by wilderness, only accessible via 4x4 and running off solar and water. The trend of being off-grid and indulging in a digital detox has never felt so appealing – Tincture provides this in spades but remains rooted in luxury and cosiness. Likewise, Morwell in Cornwall is a 400-year-old farmhouse with a wonderfully Dickensian feel: all open hearths and original flagstone floors. It's surrounded by a 50-acre valley complete with woodland, a kitchen garden, natural swimming pool and access to a private slice of river – when you stand amongst its vast grounds, the sense of peace is utterly restoring.
Chris Hugo
Finance Director
pictured: Chris, anthology farm
- Chris’s edit: Anthology Farm, for combining the facilities of a destination hotel with the exclusivity of a private country estate and The Black Cabin, for having everything you need wrapped into a single bedroom property.
Looking at the collection from a commercial perspective, I’m always interested in the homes that balance an exceptional guest experience with enduring demand. Anthology Farm in The Cotswolds does both particularly well – and it has long been a favourite of mine.
It has everything you could possibly want for, and, despite its size, the flexible booking options we can offer allow it to maintain one of the highest occupancy rates of any of our properties. Its amazing facilities provide plenty of options for families and corporate groups alike, from the pool, sauna, gym and tennis court to gardens complete with streams and caves.
The catering available means Anthology Farm can genuinely rival a stay at a high-end destination hotel, but here, guests also have the privacy, flexibility and freedom of enjoying an extraordinary country estate entirely to themselves.
And at the other end of the scale, The Black Cabin near Hay-on-Wye exemplifies what being a Unique Homestay is all about – in this case, wrapped up in a one-bedroom property. Fantastic interiors, a beautiful location and well-curated facilities come together to make this a firm, year-round guest favourite.
Lucy Thompson
Property Consultant
pictured: lucy, redmere hall
- Lucy's edit: Redmere Hall, for the way its layout enables generations to gather with ease; Limehouse Cottage, for its playful take on rustic design; and The Find, for its bold architectural interplay between old and new.
Every so often, I walk into a property and immediately know it is a Unique Homestay. Redmere Hall in Wiltshire is exactly that. What I love most is the way the layout creates such a natural sense of connection – from the moment you enter and see the internal courtyard, the house feels warm and joyful. Glazed corridors allow its light-filled spaces to flow beautifully, while the interiors, designed with Anna Burles from Run For the Hills, introduce a playful palette.
For me, the bunk room is one of the real highlights. Sleeping eight, with individual lights, curtains and animal-print wallpaper beneath the upper bunks, it feels completely magical for children. Combined with the family room, wheelchair-friendly bedroom, pool, tennis court, hot tub and outdoor kitchen, it really is a house designed for everyone to enjoy. It's a perfect multigenerational escape, and somewhere I would love to stay myself.
Then there are homes with distinct architectural character. Limehouse Cottage is rooted in the remote County Kerry landscape, its careful restoration bringing a fun, contemporary edge while remaining loyal to its humble origins. The agricultural authenticity of the original building is elevated by a corrugated-iron extension and sculptural form. It’s a brilliant example of modern-rustic design: raw, honest and grounded, yet striking, luxurious and completely individual.
Stepping inside feels like arriving at a loved one’s house. The cocooning interiors play with shape and texture through lime-plastered walls, a layered chimney breast with spaces for candles, the softened edges of the hand-moulded bath and the low, rounded ceiling of the en suite, set against the triple-height slope of the living room. Then, of course, there’s the magical picture window – where you want to sit in stillness and watch the dramatic scenery unfold across Coomasharn Lake.
I love The Find in Cheltenham, too, for the confidence of its architecture, recognised with a RIBA National Award. The original stone cottage sits in stark contrast to the elongated modern structure beside it, while a glazed link draws the raw external stone and concrete floor into a memorable, gallery-like arrival.
The most powerful moment comes when you walk into the open-plan living space. With its entire front elevation in floor-to-ceiling glass, the bold new structure almost seems to vanish, as though you are sitting within the mature trees themselves. For me, the cleverness of The Find is that it feels architecturally striking yet allows the landscape to become the focus.
Rebekah Bowler
Social Media Executive
pictured: awen, rebekah
- Bec's edit: Awen, for adventure from your doorstep and immersion in nature; and Mirana, for its restorative, retreat-like feel and sparkling natural pool.
I was fortunate enough to visit Awen ahead of its launch into our portfolio. Settled in the heart of Eryri National Park, the journey alone had me spellbound – with winding lanes, slate-roofed villages and mountains welcoming your arrival. As both a heritage and nature enthusiast, I felt immediately how holistically Awen honours its history, through the original stone masonry and the windows framing the elemental landscapes that have long looked over this former mill.
Here, I'd recommend days spent reading in the sunlit garden room and evenings sinking into the William Holland spa bath, watching the light shift across the valley. Perhaps a morning coffee beside the inglenook, wrapped in a traditional Welsh blanket, or on brighter days in the garden with the gentle murmur of the river beside you. Awen holds a rare combination of feeling wrapped up and entirely free, all at once.
Mirana is a step closer to home for me, near one of my favourite corners of Cornwall: the Helford River and its hidden coves. This is a home for total restoration, moving between the twinkling natural pool, the Finnish sauna and hot tub until you lose track of the hours.
There's a clear thread running through my favourites: homes that embrace nature and invite escapism. Social media can often feel saturated with sales, moving at high speed, but part of the joy of my role is sharing that sense of escapism with our audience. I like to think our corner of it offers something gentler: an invitation to what awaits beyond the screen, a place for sharing your next dream getaway with a friend or saving interiors into your 'dream home' collection. Both Awen and Mirana have resonated deeply with our audiences, and Mirana in particular has gone viral more than once. It's easy to see why.
Jess Clark
Head of Property Curation
pictured: firefly, jess
- Jess’s edit: Charity, for its authentic farmhouse feel; and Firefly, a personal design project, for its immersive, character-led design and the way it still resonates with guests 11 years on from launching.
I love the way homes on our portfolio have such distinct personalities. Charity in Herefordshire combines a wilderness setting with authentic farmhouse flavour, and I particularly love that the owner Henry hand-built so many of its elements, learning new skills to create the vision he had for the house.
Its simple, modern-rustic aesthetic, with the heart of the house centred around the fire, has a relaxed, Welsh family feeling. There’s nothing showy or bombastic about it. It’s very much: “I am what I am, and I’m not going to try to be something else.” At the same time, the sauna, hot tub, snooker room, cinema and pizza oven bring the house into the 21st century in a way that remains true to simple living. None of the facilities feel showy or out of place. Charity feels like it belongs to an artist – an authentic private home with character and imperfections, but real soul. It's been on our portfolio for over ten years, and feels every bit as individual now as it did when it first joined.
Firefly near Mawgan Porth is different, but equally transportive. I oversaw the architecture and interiors, taking inspiration from Australian huts I had stayed in. They can often be quite dark, so we decided to open the sides right onto the veranda. This created a space where there is little distinction between inside and out, whatever the weather.
I had a bearded woodcutter in mind as the “owner” when I devised the scheme and tried to imagine how he would live... hence the reclaimed scaffold boards, handmade kitchen cupboards, open fire and internal tin roof. Weaving concrete through the design created an agricultural aesthetic in keeping with the building’s origins as a pigsty. We commissioned a local artist to create the willow wall hangings, while the headboard was fashioned from a salvaged turning mat from the building site. I wanted every touchpoint to reflect the person who “lived” there.
I think Firefly resonates so well with guests because it is far removed from their everyday lives – almost like luxury camping. It feels thematic without being gimmicky, with a warmth and cosy allure. It’s the kind of cabin you would want to stumble across in the middle of the woods; that's where it would look most at home!
Joe Barthorpe
Property Performance Lead
pictured: The fish store, joe
- Joe’s edit: The Fish Store, for its layers of maritime and family history; and Atticus, for its remarkable former life as a courthouse.
Before even talking about The Fish Store, we need to talk about Mousehole: a proper Cornish fishing harbour, full of history, tight winding alleyways and a close community. The Fish Store is right in the middle of it all, and there is history here too. The building was once used to store pilchards before they were sent to Italy and Spain, while the oil collected from them, used for lighting lamps, was mostly sent to London. You can understand how it was collected just by standing upstairs: the floor slopes ever so slightly so the oil could drain towards what is now the garage.
Its family history is another story. The owners' grandparents Betty and Edwin fled Paris as war approached and found themselves in Mousehole, where they bought a home in considerable disrepair. They enjoyed many summers together before it passed through the generations; today, watercolours by the owners’ father and life drawings by their great-grandfather, British artist Augustus John, hang on its walls. The hope is that everyone who stays can make memories here just as they have.
Then there’s Atticus in Burford, another home with a remarkable history. The original building was reduced to ashes in 1868. Just a year later, the plot was bought by the Oxfordshire Clerk of the Peace, who hired British Gothic Revival architect William Wilkinson to create a courthouse. You understand this history the moment you walk upstairs into what has become the main living room, where the scale of the space is magnificent.
Atticus is also a wonderful family home, with four bedrooms and plenty of room to enjoy together. There is even a small snug; perfect for a quiet moment away. Burford is a wonderful town, too, with some great independent shops, cafés and pubs along its high street.
Gemma Horton
Guest Experience Manager
pictured: Gemma, liminal
- Gemma’s edit: Little Inka, for the warmth of its hospitality; and Liminal, for becoming an instant guest favourite.
Working in guest experience means seeing our homes through the impressions people carry away with them. Little Inka on Bodmin Moor is a home that really stands out for the consistency of its guest response. It has all the ingredients for a memorable escape for two – a wonderfully peaceful setting on an alpaca farm, with those thoughtful touches that encourage guests to properly switch off. But guests don’t just rave about the home itself – they talk about how they feel while they’re there: genuinely looked after, while still having the privacy and space to enjoy it as their own. From a guest experience perspective, that balance is incredibly valuable; it’s often the warmth and personal touches surrounding a stay that guests remember just as much as the home itself.
Liminal has made an impression on guests incredibly quickly. It’s already proving to be one of our most popular Cornish homes, with some guests naming it their favourite Unique Homestay to date. For me, that’s really exciting to see. As Guest Experience Manager, so much of what we do is about understanding what our guests are looking for, and Liminal feels like a brilliant example of getting that right – an exceptional home, certainly, but more importantly an experience that guests are genuinely connecting with and wanting to come back to.
Charlotte Hayes
Business Development Lead
pictured: gulliver's hall, charlotte
- Charlotte’s edit: Gulliver’s Hall, for the way it's suited to gatherings of every kind; and Isolde, for its thoughtful hospitality and sense of occasion.
As our property portfolio expands, so, too, do our guests’ requirements, and I have been fortunate enough to see first-hand the passion each owner pours into creating an exceptional experience, whether for a celebratory stay, a wedding, a more corporate booking or as a photoshoot location.
A particular highlight is Gulliver’s Hall in Stroud, which is such a wonderfully versatile home, whether you’re looking for a relaxed self-catering stay or somewhere special to celebrate one of life's milestones. Its location is key to its brilliance: the tree-lined drive builds a sense of arrival, and the gardens are never-ending, with hidden forests concealing sculptures by the owner's dad. It’s the kind of home where you can imagine a group settling in for a long weekend, gathering around the giant oak table for meals and making the most of the beautiful surroundings, while a separate event barn on site lends itself brilliantly to larger scale events. The home is well established in its own right, with a dedicated team that can be called upon to support with catering requirements and wider events organisation, making it particularly well-suited to those looking for a really seamless experience.
I also recently visited Isolde on Bodmin Moor, a new addition to our portfolio, and absolutely loved it. The owner has added so many thoughtful touches, including personalised bathrobes and homemade cakes, making it somewhere I think our guests would be completely blown away by.
Its lovely, calming atmosphere would make it a wonderful venue for wellness retreats – somewhere to bring a group together, switch off and spend quality time in a beautiful environment. Looking ahead, I could also imagine it being a really special setting for wedding celebrations, too; it has a real sense of occasion while still feeling personal and intimate.
Mark this milestone with us. Discover more about our 25 years in business, or find your next Unique Homestays escape.
