Luxury May half term breaks
May marks the turning point when spring gives way to summer across the UK and Ireland. Later sunsets bring longer days, whilst the countryside erupts into colour and birdsong. Our luxury May half term breaks are designed for making the most of precious family time.
The Studio
Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
In the heart of Upper Slaughter, one of England’s “doubly-thankful” villages, The Studio is a luxury Cotswolds barn that wouldn’t be out of place in New York's artsy Tribeca.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Pizza oven, fire pits
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 window
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
Pets: One small well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Artist studio
Four Hundred Summers
Ablington, Bibury, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
With an ashlar chimney that sends smoke signals curling above the gable roof, Four Hundred Summer is a luxury Cotswolds cottage with a hot tub that brings Nordic clout to Ablington.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Wood-fired hot tub
The Flower Press
Bibury, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Emerald green in spring, fire red in autumn; luxury cottage The Flower Press is a French countryside-inspired home and garden in the quintessentially Cotswolds village of Bibury.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs of small or medium sized breeds over the age of 12 months are welcome
The Walled Garden
Dyrham, Bath, The Cotswolds, UK
Perhaps the most ornate vegetable store in all of England, The Walled Garden began life as a potato house for Dyrham Park in Bath before becoming a luxury Cotswolds garden stay.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: One small well-behaved dog is welcome, or two on prior request
Features: Fire pit, use of the owners´ tennis court and use of the owners´ natural outdoor pool (pool available between 8am and midday, outside of these times available on prior agreement)
The Ruby Barn
Sandford St Martin, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, The Cotswolds, UK
Bringing a touch of Californian chicness to the Oxfordshire countryside, this luxury Cotswold stone barn conversion has been fashioned with soul.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well behaved small dogs are welcome
Features: Children´s play area with slide
Atticus
Burford, Oxfordshire, The Cotswolds, UK
Made of treacle-toned Cotswolds stone, with antique doors that hint at its history, Atticus is a luxury period townhouse at the end of a golden high street in Burford, Oxfordshire.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Baby Grand Piano and fire pit
The Knapp
Slad, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Settle yourself within the pages of Laurie Lee's Cider with Rosie at The Knapp, where the magic of a Slad Valley childhood meets the Cotswolds of the 21st century.
Sleeps: Up to 8 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Peloton bike, cinema/games room and an outdoor kitchen
Evania
Bentham, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Inspired by the colours and countryside of the Mediterranean, this Gloucestershire home with heated outdoor swimming pool and hot tub, is the perfect family retreat.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Outdoor heated swimming pool (Easter - October inclusive), hot tub, outdoor kitchen area with built-in gas barbecue, cinema screen, games room with table football, pool table, table tennis and television
The Find
Cranham, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
A dynamic pairing of luxury Cotswolds homes in Cranham, The Find is an old stone cottage and architect-designed glass extension in a beautifully secluded valley near Cheltenham.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
Pets: Two dogs are welcome
Features: Trampoline, hot tub hire is available (please enquire for details)
Nocturne
Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
A period home with a movie room and hot tub in Stow-on-the-Wold, Nocturne is a tincture for the kinetic whirl of city life, a luxury Cotswolds townhouse with a story to tell.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Pets: Three well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: William Holland hot tub, cinema room, games room
Saxon
Maugersbury, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Over a thousand years of history have unfolded between the walls of this elegant manor. Today, Saxon offers a serene escape near Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
Pets: One small to medium dog is welcome
Features: Hot tub, cinema snug with projector and games room
The Palladian
Ampney Crucis, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Georgian in style and grand in nature, this self-catering Cotswold manor offers a true countryside escape perfect for multi-generational groups.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests (6 adults and 6 children)
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Outdoor heated swimming pool and hot tub (both May - September), gym, tennis court, trampoline and small football pitch
Gulliver´s Hall
Bisley, Stroud, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
A playful Cotswolds farmhouse with all the frills of a luxury country house; Gulliver's Hall is a unique family home in the beating heart of the Cotswolds, complete with a heated pool, sauna, hot tub and padel court.
Sleeps: Up to 21 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 15 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome on prior request
Features: Outdoor heated pool (Apr-Oct), spa bath, sauna, steam room, outdoor kitchen (pizza oven, paella burner), games/cinema room, padel court, croquet lawn and gym (spring ´26). Please enquire for further details.
The Marlings
Standish, Stroud, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Made up of five beautiful dwellings in Standish near Stroud, The Marlings is a luxury family resort in the Cotswolds with a heated pool, hot tub, playground, and tennis court.
Sleeps: Up to 25 guests (20 adults and 5 children)
Alternative Group Option: Up to 12 guests
Pets: Three well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Heated outdoor pool (available April - October inclusive) with pool house, hot tub, tennis court, wooden playpark
