Last minute luxury breaks
Car keys, travel bag, a quick booking and you're all set to head to golden sands or deep woodland: an impulse escape is so much better than a humdrum weekend at home.
There's nothing quite like slinging a few items in a weekend bag then running to the train station to adopt a new hometown. We all need to escape the rat race – especially for a last minute holiday. Impulse escapes are the very watchword in hedonism, leaving us free of all responsibilities; that dash of much-needed spontaneity is often all that's needed to recharge the batteries. Here at Unique Homestays, we've sourced luxury homes in the wilds of rural England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to offer country cottages that will have you striding out on long walks in no time, tucking into a fireside pub supper at the end of the route, or plunging into a hot tub with a cool sea breeze washing over your cheeks. These one-of-a-kind homes are available for a 3-night stay within the next fortnight, so take advantage of a rare free weekend; throw caution to the wind and book one of our last minute luxury holiday cottages, lodges, or coastal castaways, where you can be free to indulge in some serious down time. Out of office, officially on.
Supernova
For a far-flung romantic getaway or unique solo break, this luxury self-catering chapel conversion on the Isle of Skye in the Scottish highlands is the perfect sanctuary. Relax in the spa bath and enjoy views over Loch Harport after a day on the mountains.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Sauna
Pixie Nook
Warleggan, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, UK
This luxury moorland hideaway could easily be mistaken for Kate Winslet’s ‘The Holiday’ cottage. A secluded garden filled with beautiful blooms, wild strawberries and a hot tub makes it the perfect couples' retreat on the Cornish moors.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs are very welcome
Features: Hot tub
Sienna
Kenmare, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland
This luxury self-catering cottage is a romantic and remote retreat in County Kerry's "little nest", Kenmare. Think desert island beaches, crashing seas and spellbinding starry skies.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Hot tub and fire pit
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
The Oyster Catcher
This luxury holiday home in Mousehole flaunts exquisite interiors that exude a certain ethereal elegance and calm which, when combined with the gentle lapping of the tide on the doorstep, guarantee a perfectly relaxing and rejuvenating stay.
Sleeps: Up to 4 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two dogs welcome on prior request
Oska
Week St Mary, Widemouth Bay, Cornwall, UK
Contemporary yet soft, new but still humble, this luxury self-catering barn is a joyous, modern retreat just five miles from the North Cornwall coast.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Skyros
Schull, County Cork, Republic of Ireland
Lose yourself amidst the magic of the Emerald Isle by escaping to this unique coastal self-catering home at the foothills of Mount Gabriel in Schull.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Pollyanna
Birlingham, Worcestershire, UK
This whimsical thatched holiday cottage in Birlingham is plucked straight from the pages of a storybook and exudes beauty and charm in bountiful measure.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 & Up to 2 guests
Pets: One small well-behaved dog considered on prior request
The Carriage House
A stylish luxury home for all the family to enjoy some time out close to Dorset's Jurassic coast in quaint Litton Cheney.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Use of tennis court
The Matchbox
Winchelsea, Rye, East Sussex, UK
Natural, bright and just a five minute stroll from the sea, The Matchbox is an organic luxury beach house overlooking Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs are welcome
Madam Butterfly
Billingshurst, West Sussex, UK
A hunting lodge with rustic appeal, Madam Butterfly is like something straight out of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This magical dwelling tucked deep into West Sussex woodland is surrounded by carpets of bluebells and snowdrops; a red tiled roof and the treasures that lie within...
Sleeps: Up to 6 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 2 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Plunge pool set to 25 degrees (available between Easter and September)
Fernden Lane
Twisting blooms clambering around mullioned windows, an orchard bountiful with fruit and nuts and a Zen garden for mindful mornings of meditation; the grounds in which Fernden Lane so peacefully sits are a hidden slice of Eden just outside of sleepy Haslemere.
Sleeps: Up to 7 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 4 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
St Quentin´s
Lutterworth, Leicestershire, UK
In the same family since 1697, this Grade I listed manor is anything but ordinary. Quintessential in form but sidestepping conventionality through its conservation projects, St Quentin's challenges all preconceptions of the English stately home.
Sleeps: Up to 9 guests (plus 2 children at an additional cost and on prior request)
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Lakeside yurt, wild swimming lakes, treehouse, fire bowls, croquet, badminton, snooker room, table tennis
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 Zen Garden
Chiddingstone, High Weald, Kent, UK
Embodying the very essence of the Garden of England in the High Weald AONB, this large luxury Kentish barn, its outside pool and immaculate grounds radiate pure relaxation.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Outdoor swimming pool (heated May to September), gym, cinema and playroom, aquarium room, outdoor kitchen
Studio Fold
Nutbourne, Pulborough, West Sussex, UK
Meticulous design and eco-friendly credentials have seen this former water pumping station in Pulborough's sought-after village of Nutbourne transform into an award-winning self-catering home.
Sleeps: Up to 10 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Basement den with gym equipment
The Old Beach Stores
Porthcothan Bay, Padstow, Cornwall, UK
Tucked behind soft sand dunes which rise from the beach like billowing hot air balloons, this luxury beach house on Porthcothan Bay is the perfect base for a family break on the north Cornwall coast.
Sleeps: Up to 11 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 7 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved, medium-sized dogs are welcome
Features: Garden room with hot tub and bar, games room with pool table, outdoor shower and dunk tank
Rhapsody
A utopia of surreal garden sculptures, topsy-turvy architecture and glass-like pools, Rhapsody has fallen head first through the rabbit hole and landed in the heart of Wonderland.
Sleeps: Up to 12 (10 adults and 2 children)
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Outdoor heated swimming pool (May - September), with jet stream, sunken hot tub, yoga studio, glass reading room overhanging the pond and cinema room
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
Kilnwood
Tucked into the rolling Mendip Hills with views of Glastonbury Tor, this set of restored barns offer a rustic-luxe retreat in the heart of rural England.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests (10 adults and 2 children)
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Enclosed outdoor heated swimming pool and outdoor heated shower (May - September), fire pit, trampoline and table football
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 hot tub and secret topiary gardens.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests (10 adults and 2 children)
Alternative Group Option: Up to 6 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Large William Holland hot tub, cinema room, pool table room
Viola
Butleigh, Glastonbury, Somerset, UK
Between the rolling hills of Somerset, not far from Glastonbury, lies Viola, a luxury home of two wildly different personalities.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome or two on request
Features: Spa Jacuzzi, sauna, swimming pool, plunge pool, a lake, two full motion Formula 1 racing simulators (ages 14 and above only), full motion aeroplane simulator, tennis court, three hole golf course and badminton
The Tapestry
Witney, Oxford, Oxfordshire, The Cotswolds, UK
Muted greens and blues, thick drapes and stone floors, this Oxfordshire farmhouse oozes tranquility, with all the luxurious home comforts a weekender could wish for.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome on prior arrangement
Features: Television room and trampoline
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, small football pitch, table tennis and tree house
The Parsonage
A beautifully designed Grade-II listed old parsonage with stunning gardens, set on the outskirts of Ombersley in the rolling green Abberley Hills.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 & Up to 4 guests
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Tundra hot tub
Ariabelle
Iping, West Sussex, UK
Found at the end of a sweeping tree-lined drive, Ariabelle is the ultimate private country house, affording a luxury stay with lavish indoor pool and all the trimmings, all wrapped up within glorious South Downs countryside.
Sleeps: Up to 14 guests
Pets: Pets are welcome on prior agreement
Features: Indoor heated swimming pool, hot tub, tennis court, steam room and sauna, gym and bar
Dandelion
Kempsford, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Traditional on the outside but with flamboyance and flair within, this luxury Grade II listed manor near the Cotswolds has a rambunctious makeup of rich colour, bold patterns and unteachable taste.
Sleeps: Up to 12 guests (+2 children)
Alternative Group Option: Up to 18 guests
Pets: Pets are considered on request
Clementine House
Hatfield Broad Oak, Bishop´s Stortford, Essex, UK
With a powder-blue front door, window shutters reminiscent of the Provence and delicate floral prints throughout the interiors, this luxury self-catering country home in rural Essex is postcard pretty both inside and out.
Sleeps: Up to 14 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Heated outdoor swimming pool (available April - September), tennis court, electric car charging point
Elderwood Manor
Umberleigh, Barnstaple, Devon, UK
A pristine white wedding cake sat amid the rolling patchwork fields of North Devon, Elderwood Manor is idyllically situated to make the most of both coast and country.
Sleeps: Up to 14 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 8 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved medium dogs, or one large well-behaved dog, are welcome
Features: Hot tub, cinema room, games room with bar, table tennis table, croquet and badminton
Pearl´s Place
Hugged by a scrambling rose garden and woodland glades, this rock 'n' roll home brings together traditional country chic with gorgeous faded glamour. A unique setting for special celebrations and self-catering escapes.
Sleeps: 14 adults and 4 children
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Wood-fired hot tub
Bohème
Luxury self-catering boho farmhouse blends original features with stylish interior design in the most fashionable modern-rustic manner, all wrapped up in 100 acres of pastoral paradise.
Sleeps: Up to 20 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: 15 metre heated indoor pool, Tesla electric car charger, universal electric car charger, table tennis, pool table, fire pit, entertainment room with cinema projector
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
Scarlet Hall
Warm and welcoming, grand and rural, this luxury self-catering former farmstead offers the perfect spot for long family holidays and reunions.
Sleeps: Up to 22 guests
Alternative Group Option: Up to 12 guests
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Indoor heated pool, sauna, games room, snooker table, cinema room, badminton hall, boules, golf, table tennis, croquet
