Luxury Christmas and New Year breaks
Mulled wine and mince pies, bracing walks and stolen kisses under the mistletoe; make your Christmas extra special by whisking the party to a luxury homestay.
It's a time for togetherness, the most wonderful time of the year as the song goes. With your own home covered in tape and wrap, head to a luxury country house to enjoy a Christmas to remember. Gorgeously decorated in anticipation, our luxury Christmas holiday cottages are awaiting your arrival; all that's left to do is unpack the car, set the presents under the twinkling tree and uncork the fizz. The supermarket order will be along in a short while with further provisions, and the children are already exploring the far reaches of all the rooms. Little ones tucked up in bed, chink glasses to the most relaxing Christmas and New Year ever.
Just the two of you? Couples wishing to hide out for the festive season can hole up in a romantic retreat, escaping to a luxury self-catering cottage with no arguments about whose parents are hosting lunch. Stir from festive dreams at your leisure, sink into a rolltop or hot tub, then indulge in a simple Christmas lunch before setting out on a romantic walk along the coastline, greeting other festive ramblers with a cheery 'hello'. Maybe just a short walk though: back at your luxury festive retreat there's mulled wine to sip and old classics to watch by the fire. Staying in is the new going out this season.
Filly Island
Cirencester, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Blending style with a big dose of ingenuity results in something truly quite magical here at Filly Island. This unique cottage near Cirencester is sat upon a tiny island accessed by a humpback bridge. Pre-loved finds are revivified to bring about the unique interiorscape at Filly Island.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two medium well-behaved dogs are welcome on prior request
Little Scarlet
Burford, Oxfordshire, The Cotswolds, UK
This luxury Cotswolds cottage is set in the heart of pretty Burford in Oxfordshire. Little Scarlet offers lovers a romantic retreat for stolen weekends and holidays in the rolling countryside, pottering between tea rooms and boutiques.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Inkwell Cottage
Burford, Oxfordshire, The Cotswolds, UK
Handcrafted, atelier in style and ever-so fun, this self-catering home in Burford is a pocketful of luxury throwing all conventionality out of its mullion windows.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
The Hop Store
Ledbury, Herefordshire, The Cotswolds, UK
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
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Heated garden room, games room with bar, pool table, dartboard and giant jenga
The Walled Garden
Dyrham, Bath, The Cotswolds, UK
Perhaps the most ornate vegetable store in the whole of England, The Walled Garden began life as a potato house for Dyrham Park. This romantic retreat sits on the western edge of the Cotswolds, not far from Bath and all its gleaming treasures.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: One small well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Fire pit, use of the owners“ tennis court
The Flower Press
Bibury, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Luxurious furnishings, gentle tones and a vibrant garden brimming with anemones make The Flower Press a snug and intimate home-from-home.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Little Red Lock
Claydon, Banbury, Oxfordshire, The Cotswolds, UK
An English country home that truly embraces its idiosyncrasies, Little Red Lock's wooden picket fence and waterfront position on the Oxford canal oozes tranquillity, while inside its brick walls, a carnival of eclectic rustic charm awaits.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, fire pit, kayaks and life jackets for the canal
The Polo Farm
Cirencester, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Within a scene of tumbling hills, patchwork countryside and bluebell woods, this luxury self-catering homestay near Cirencester offers a picture-perfect escape in the rolling Cotswolds.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Cinema den, table tennis
The Find
Cranham, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Dynamic pairing of luxury architect-designed properties in a beautifully secluded valley location in the Cotswolds.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome on prior request
Features: Trampoline, rowing boat
Gulliver“s Hall
Bisley, Stroud, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Blending ancestral tales with elegant maximalism, Gulliver's Hall brings vitality to the soul; this is a secluded luxury self-catering home where escape where escapism and comfort are key.
Sleeps: Up to 21 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome on prior request
Features: Outdoor heated swimming pool (April-October), sunken spa bath, sauna, steam room, outdoor shower, outdoor kitchen with pizza oven, games and cinema room, grand piano, tennis court, croquet lawn
