Holiday homes 2-3 hours from London
Plotting a romantic escape from the city? These luxury retreats within two to three hours’ drive of London are just the ticket. Kick heels off under the office desk, throw a weekend bag in the boot and roll the windows down – the coast and country are calling!
Picture it. It is Friday afternoon, deadlines loom but you find yourself bending paperclips at your desk in desperate search of inspiration. Now imagine this. Within two to three hours you could be reclining on the veranda of your very own beach house, ice cold rosé in hand, sea salt on your lips and not a care in the world. Why imagine? With a hand-picked collection of luxury holiday homes, each personally visited and granted the Unique Homestays stamp of approval, your swift self-catering escape from the city has never been easier. Luxury car hire is also available for those without their own transport, or wanting to try a shiny new set of wheels for the weekend. Rental company, The Out, will deliver a car to any doorstep or airport in the capital.
As the crowds pile into to London for the weekend in search of theatre and Soho nightlife, the clever ones are slyly departing. While the UK offers an array of luxury accommodation within two to three hours from London, self-catering homes are the perfect option for those wanting a little privacy. Choose from chic beach houses on the Kent coast, or hole-up with your loved one in a characterful country cottage where roll-tops and real fires come as standard. For big groups, gather the troops and burn down to a lavish country house in rolling Sussex countryside. Think indoor bowling alleys, at-home cinemas and outdoor swimming pools with not one novelty inflatable in sight. Waitrose delivery at the ready! We can even ask the housekeeper to pop the bubbly in the wine fridge prior to your arrival.
The Hop Store
Set within 150 acres of perfectly aligned hop yards, rolling meadows and juicy apple orchards, The Hop Store is idyllically situated on one of the last remaining hop farms in the UK.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
From: £1,695 per week, £1,295 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Hot tub and fire pit, heated garden room, games room with bar, pool table, dartboard and giant jenga
Distance: Approx. 106 miles from central London as the crow flies
The Sculptor´s Gardens
A luxury country escape overflowing in vintage fizz, this unique pairing of riverside properties offer the perfect retreat for large groups and families.
Sleeps: Up to 18 guests (16 adults and 2 children)
From: £5,250 per week
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: William Holland spa bath, tree house, cinema room, games room with pool table. From March 2022, there will be a second William Holland spa bath and an outdoor kitchen
Distance: Approx. 127 miles from central London as the crow flies
Hollyhocks
Wend through Herefordshire’s patchwork countryside and find this chalky Tudor cottage nestled on the banks of the river Arrow in the fairy-tale village of Eardisland.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests (ideally 4 adults and 2 children)
From: £1,995 per week, £1,495 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: William Holland spa bath and outdoor kitchen
Distance: Approx. 127 miles from central London as the crow flies
Atelier Rose
This luxury riverside home is a wonderland of vintage charm. Ring the old pull-string bell and push open the door to botanic coving, four-poster beds, an orangery with giant tin spa bath and secret topiary gardens.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests (10 adults and 2 children)
From: £3,250 per week, £2,450 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Large William Holland spa bath, cinema room, pool table room
Distance: Approx. 127 miles from central London as the crow flies
Charity
Black Mountains, Herefordshire, UK
Modern rusticity, clever artistry and divine seclusion combine to make Charity the ultimate wild retreat for friends and family gatherings; set down a winding mountain road in the Olchon Valley near the Brecon Beacons.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
From: £2,995 per week, £2,295 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, sauna, outdoor shower, outdoor pizza oven, table tennis, snooker room, cinema barn
Distance: Approx. 129 miles from central London as the crow flies
Weddings at Charity
Black Mountains, Herefordshire, UK
A big and beautiful celebration house hidden deep in the heather-clad hills of the dreamy Olchon Valley, yet just three hours from London, Charity embodies the very essence of wild and free.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests and accommodates up to 100 day guests
From: £6,650 per week, £5,495 per short break
Alternative Group Option: Up to 50 & Up to 30 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Wood-fired hot tub, sauna, outdoor shower, outdoor pizza oven, table tennis, snooker room, cinema barn
Distance: Approx. 129 miles from central London as the crow flies
