Culture-wise, we’re living in deeply nostalgic times. 90s bands are hitting the road once more, while theatres are awash with musicals adapted from our favourite childhood movies.
Is it any wonder, then, that “nostalgia tourism” is such a growing trend? So much so, research shows over a third of us are planning a 2026 holiday that’s inspired by warm memories past.
Nostalgia-travel is popular across all age groups, so it’s not just about older people reliving their youth. It’s all about evoking emotions, through revisiting the places we loved as children or appreciating how far life has taken us. Perhaps there’s also a deep longing to be as free and happy as we once were, way back when.
Just as there are different kinds of nostalgia, there are different types of holiday to inspire the nostalgic memories and emotions we crave. For example, you may want to stay in a retreat with fun retro décor, or one dedicated to an era – or type of music – that brings you out in goosebumps.
We’ve listed a few ideas to help you begin that wonderful, wistful journey into the past, naturally with a generous twist of the unusual as an added extra. You could also choose to browse some of our nostalgia-rich categories, such as Vintage and Retro Stays , Treehouse Stays, or Caravans and Airstreams, for an even wider selection of stays!
Nostalgic Destinations
No matter where you stay, the mere mention of these destinations is sure to make your childhood spirits rise, perhaps even if you’ve never been!
(Don’t believe us? If we said, “I’m going on a beach holiday to Margate,” you’ll probably think of wonky sandcastles, salty fish-and-chip suppers, and laughter-filled promenade walks as a matter of course).
Margate
The Courtyard Suite Margate
Margate, Kent, England
A colourful coastal sanctuary with creative design-led interiors and a private courtyard, perfectly set in a Grade II-listed building that’s directly opposite Margate Main Sands beach.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 5
From
£145 /nt
Seventies Studio Margate
Margate, Kent, England
A self-contained ‘time capsule' apartment covering the entire top floor of a townhouse in the heart of Margate, with fabulous views of Dreamland and the beach.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2-3
From
£50 / night
Tenby
Nautilus
Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Nautilus is an architect-designed, family and dog-friendly hillside haven that ‘floats’ above the breath-taking Pembrokeshire coast, with panoramic windows for superlative views
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 6
From
£900 / week
Sonar the Submarine
Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales
An authentic British ex-naval sonar hull, creatively transformed into a unique, dog-friendly retreat on an alternative glamping site in Pembrokeshire
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£149 / night
Brighton
Snooze
Brighton, East Sussex, England
An award-winning, super-funky guesthouse that zings with retro character and quirky attention to detail, just a short stroll away from Brighton's iconic seafront.
Bedrooms: 8 rooms/suites
Sleeps: 2 per room
From
£97 / night
The Art Deco Apartment
Brighton, East Sussex, England
An elegant, light-filled apartment that's dripping with old school glamour, perfectly located in a chic Brighton house that faces the sea.
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 6
From
£450 / night
Newquay
Quesnelle
Newquay, Cornwall, England
An architect-designed Newquay family home with vintage style and modern comforts, dog-friendly and in easy walking distance of local attractions including the world-famous Fistral Beach.
Bedrooms: 4
Sleeps: 10
From
£150 /nt
Pentire Penthouse
Newquay, Cornwall, England
Experience an innovative circular penthouse apartment overlooking the golden sands of Newquay's famous Fistral Beach.
Bedrooms: 4
Sleeps: 8+2
From
£1300 /4nts
Blackpool
Lynx Helicopter at Ream Hills
Blackpool, Lancashire, England
Be prepared for a holiday with a difference, or, should that be a heli-day with a difference, close to the seaside action in Blackpool.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 4
From
£100 / night
Lantern & Larks Bleasdale
Garstang, Lancashire, England
Luxury glamping accommodation on Bleasdale Estate in Lancashire, set beside the Forest of Bowdale.
Bedrooms: 3 per tent
Sleeps: 6 per tent
From
£295
Scarborough
The Windmill Scarborough
Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England
A unique and mesmerising Grade II-listed retreat, less than five minutes' walk from the town centre in England's original seaside resort.
Bedrooms: 1 per apartment
Sleeps: 2 per apartment
From
£115 / night
Nostalgic Décor
Each one of these unique ‘time capsule’ retreats is styled and decorated to transport you back to gentle times past. In some cases, the entire retreat is themed for a particular era, too, with antiques, artefacts and accessories to inspire reflective wonder.
The Art Deco House
Menai Bridge, Anglesey, Wales
An elegant, time-travelling retreat with original period features and ornate styling, beautifully set in the town of Menai Bridge where the Anglesey Coastal Path runs almost past the door
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 6
From
£413 / week
Chert
Ventnor, Isle Of Wight, England
Welcome to Chert; a groovy, light-filled 70s-inspired retreat, complete with a record player, funky-chic interiors and incredible sea views on the Isle of Wight’s laid-back southern coast.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 4
From
£454 (3 nts)
House of Sunshine
Yucca Valley, California, USA
A seriously groovy time-capsule retreat with authentic retro décor and an al fresco soaking pool with desert scenery, gloriously secluded in California’s tranquil Yucca Valley.
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 6
From
£270 / night
The Retro Bungalow
Hoghton, Lancashire, England
An authentic Lancashire ‘time-capsule’ stay that pays funky homage to the 1970s, filled with warm nostalgia, vibrant décor, and seriously good vibes!
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 4
From
£140/nt 5 nts
PYTCHAir Private Jet
Brislington, Bristol, England
Live like an oligarch, on a jaw-dropping Boeing 727 with original retro-glam interiors, full on-board facilities and quirky upcycled elements, grandly elevated at the heart of a creative hub in Bristol.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 4
From
£300 /night
Vintage Hotel Brussels
Brussels, Belgium
A seriously stylish hotel with retro décor and a boutique wine bar, perfectly located mere steps away from the chic, prestigious Avenue Louise.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2-6
From
£71 / night
River House
Rye, East Sussex, England
A vibrant, design-led 70's-inspired retreat that offers direct access to the shimmering River Rother, with medieval Rye and Camber Sands in easy reach.
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 6
From
£200 / night
The Big Hoot Caravan
Cullompton, Devon, England
A retro, TV-featured showman's living van, vibrantly restored with authentic 1970s style, and secluded on peaceful a Devon farm that's surrounded by wildflower meadows.
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 4
From
£95 / night
The Old Railway Station
Petworth, West Sussex, England
Travel back in time to the beautifully restored station house and Pullman carriages at Petworth, first class all the way!
Bedrooms: 10 (8 carriages)
Sleeps: 2 per room/carriage
From
£130 / night
Madonna Inn
San Luis Obispo, California, USA
A vividly kitsch, grandly one-of-a-kind resort just off US Route 101, where the good times roll and no two rooms are the same.
Bedrooms: 110 rooms/suites
Sleeps: Varies
From
£143 / night
The Vintage House
Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England
Wind your clock back to the style and beauty of the late 1920s, with an authentic Suffolk period cottage that's also packed with contemporary creature comforts.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 4
From
£150 / night
Filter House
Ladock, Cornwall, England
A former waterworks bursting with spectacular Art Deco character, situated on the edge of a tree-lined quarry lake in the Cornish village of Ladock.
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 6
From
£130 / night
The Control Tower B&B
Walsingham, Norfolk, England
A restored Control Tower B&B bursting with history, period art deco features and furnishings on a former North Norfolk airfield.
Bedrooms: 4
Sleeps: 2 per room
From
£150 / night
Nostalgic Culture
These unusual retreats are all about the music, the books, the films, and the TV shows that are weaved into the fabric of our lives. Expect creative homages to pop icons, classic novels, and screen staples to make you smile.
Little Nan's Weymouth Holiday Home
Weymouth, Dorset, England
A vibrantly maximalist, detail-rich, multi-award-winning tribute to all things bold, kitsch and fabulous (including EastEnders’ Pat Butcher!), with idyllic Dorset sea-and-harbour views.
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 10
From
£495 / night
The Book Nook
Dartmoor, Devon, England
A sustainably-crafted Devon hideaway for two, with whimsical décor inspired by classic tales, and a Narnian wardrobe that opens out to the rolling hills of Dartmoor.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£125 /nt
The Layby Lincs
Skegness, Lincolnshire, England
A unique collection of creatively-themed vehicles with private wood-fired hot tubs, peacefully nestled on a sustainable, adults-only site in the rolling Lincolnshire Wolds, just 15 minutes from the coast.
Bedrooms: 1 per vehicle
Sleeps: 2
From
£120 /nt
David Bowie Themed Home
Kings Worthy, nr Winchester, Hampshire, England
A futuristic, architect-designed Smart House that’s styled and themed in detail-rich homage to David Bowie, peacefully secluded in a historic Hampshire village close to Winchester.
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 6
From
£186 / night
Looking Glass Cottage
Brighton, East Sussex, England
The oldest house in Brighton curiously re-imagined as Victorian Alice in Wonderland, filled with quirky surprises and sumptuous décor, superbly located in the heart of the Lanes.
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 8
From
£890/wk
Jurassic Retreat
Washougal, Washington State, USA
Take an authentic trip back to prehistoric times, in a unique movie-themed retreat that features life-sized dinosaurs and a private hot tub, secluded in rural Washington.
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 8
From
£550 / night
Let's Glamp Retro Madonna
Capel Cynon, Ceredigion, Wales
An ultra-glam family LodgePod that blends 80's style with 21st century mod-cons (and a wood-fired hot tub!) secluded on a themed glamping site in Cardigan Bay.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 6
From
£115 / night
Hollywood Barges
Liverpool, England
Get your sea legs ready for a completely unique break away on a themed Hollywood Barge, moored in Albert Dock, Liverpool.
Bedrooms: 2-3 per boat
Sleeps: 8-9 per boat
From
£150 / night
Joseph the Multicolour Dream Coach
Hartland, Devon, England
A vibrant and cheerful single-decker retreat for romantic couples, with self-contained facilities, friendly on-site animals, and rolling Devon countryside on the doorstep.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£70/ night
Fun Hotel Paris
Montmartre, Paris, France
Two gloriously quirky, spacious, and fully soundproofed large family suites with kiddie treats galore, at Fun Hotel in Paris Montmartre.
Bedrooms: 2 Suites
Sleeps: 7
From
£125 / night
Wonderland House
Brighton, East Sussex, England
A movie-themed, award-winning vintage haven by Brighton seafront, complete with teacup chairs and whimsical décor for a large group break that inspires the playful children in you!
Bedrooms: 6
Sleeps: 24
From
£1,200 (2nts)
Bertrams
Hartland, Devon, England
Step inside a classic mystery novel, in a characterful double decker bus set on the grounds of a North Devon country house.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 5
From
£135 / night
Author: Nina Jervis-Green
Main image: The Retro Bungalow | Lancashire
