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Find Your 2024 Summer Holiday Inspiration: Our Favourite Sunshine-Inspired Retreats!

4 January 2024

Happy New Year! We hope 2024 has started well for you and your loved ones.

As much as we love the party atmosphere and sense of togetherness that lead us into a brand new year, we also have to confess that January and February are our least-favourite months.

Sorely lacking in sunshine and smiles, our carefully-made resolutions start falling by the wayside (it’s not just us, surely?) the festive decorations are finally boxed away, and the roads are suddenly scattered with worn out, unloved Christmas trees.

In other words, we need something lovely to look forward to!

If you feel the same way as us, why not let these spectacular retreats lift you up? Each one boasts the most beautiful setting that makes the most of the sunshine. Meanwhile, their sleek furnishings and cheery surroundings evoke an irresistibly warm feeling of summer on the horizon.

(Well… only a few months to go, and it will be!)

Oh, and you’ll also get to feel insufferably smug that your summer holiday preparations have been taken care of nice and early, with no last-minute rushes to try and find the perfect place.

Browse the collection here… beach-style cocktail optional!

Author: Nina Jervis
Main image: Belle Tout Lighthouse B&B, East Sussex

HMS Bond

Newport, Isle of Wight, Isle Of Wight, England
Relax with a Vesper Martini aboard the jaw-dropping submarine replica HMS Bond that once starred in a Bond film, now nestled on a quirky Isle of Wight campsite that's full of surprises!
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: up to 5
From
£450 (4 nt)

Woolbrook Reservoir

Sidmouth, Devon, England
A unique, breath-taking former Devon reservoir that’s perfect for entertaining friends and family, with glass-lined rooms, an incredible al fresco courtyard, and a beautiful garden with a bar and hot tub.
Bedrooms: 6
Sleeps: 16
From
£4249 /week

The Observatory at Frieda and the Moon

Lanreath, Cornwall, England
A uniquely romantic, ‘wow-factor'-packed celebration of the universe in an off-grid Cornish hideaway.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£95/ night

Hideaway Camping

Okehampton, Devon, England
Hideaway Camping offers eclectic family accommodation and soothing therapies, on a friendly campsite secluded amongst enchanting Devon woodland.
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: 2-5 per unit
From
£65 /night

Moat Island Glamping

Haveringland, Norfolk, England
Whimsical, luxurious glamping accommodation with generous facilities and a natural swimming pond, enchantingly secluded within the moat of a rural Norfolk estate.
Bedrooms: Open plan
Sleeps: 5 per unit
From
£65 / night (bell tent)

The Silo at Cosy Camping

Bucklesham, Suffolk, England
Go against the holiday grain with a romantic stay in a creatively-converted silo, styled for comfort and peacefully nestled on a family-run Suffolk farm.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£130/ night

The Water Shed

Chichester, West Sussex, England
An award-winning, eco-friendly Grand Design with a vast natural swimming pond, surrounded by the soul-soothing charms of nature and endless coastal walks in a West Sussex AONB.
Bedrooms: 5
Sleeps: 10
From
£8000/wk

High Trodigal

Machrihanish, near Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
A luxurious earth-sheltered cottage built to blend with the ancient hills of Kintyre, for a romantic five-star retreat to remember.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£718 (1 week)

Cove Beach House

Cove, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
An atmospheric coastal escape on the Scottish Borders, complete with its own private pebble beach and an indulgent hot tub.
Bedrooms: 5
Sleeps: 10
From
£2,039 (7 nights)

Pilot House

Drimnin, The Highlands, Scotland
A unique aluminium cabin for two, architect designed and perfectly set in the remote Scottish Highlands, for spectacular views over the Sound of Mull.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£160 / night

Clifftop Railway Carriage

Aberporth, Ceredigion, Wales
Perhaps one of the last things you'd expect to find overlooking Cardigan Bay is a converted Edwardian railway carriage, but that's just one reason why the Clifftop Railway Carriage is so special.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£390 / week

Mor y More Beach House

Marros, Pembrokeshire, Wales
A family-sized beachside retreat on the Pembrokeshire coast, with private gardens and breath-taking panoramic sea views that lead all the way to Devon.
Bedrooms: 5
Sleeps: 10
From
£2500 /week

Haelarcher Helicopter Glamping

The Lizard, Cornwall, England
A welcoming ‘home-from-home’ Cornish stay with a delicious farmhouse breakfast, beautiful sea views, and a comfy bed in an ex-Royal Navy helicopter!
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£138/night

English Garden

Padstow, Cornwall, England
A jaw-dropping retreat, created by award-winning architects to showcase the dramatic natural beauty of Cornwall's Camel Estuary.
Bedrooms: 6
Sleeps: 12
From
£1,100/nt

Forest Holidays Blackwood Forest

Blackwood Forest, Hampshire, England
Luxury, tranquillity and woodland adventure - a break with Forest Holidays in the stunning Blackwood Forest lets you design an unforgettable escape to the heart of the Hampshire countryside.
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: Varies
From
£345 (3/4nt)

Sperrinview Glamping

Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Gaze at the stars from the warm comfort of your cosy pod, dreamily positioned at the foothills of Northern Ireland's Sperrin Mountains.
Bedrooms: Open plan
Sleeps: Up to 5 per unit
From
£110 / night

Dream Motor Yacht

Brixham, Devon, England
A sumptuous vessel with a bow sun deck that faces the shimmering water at Brixham's five-star marina, perfectly nestled on the scenic English Riviera.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 4
From
£80 /night

Cooks Beach House

Pevensey Bay, Sussex, England
Why not reconnect with your favourite people in a stunning setting on Pevensey Bay beach, complete with outstandingly memorable coastal views and hot tub?
Bedrooms: 4
Sleeps: 10
From
£3,541 (1 week)

Defender Camping

Yorkshire, England
Unleash your inner adventurer, with a nomadic, dog-friendly break exploring the UK at its ruggedly scenic best, from the comfort of a Land Rover and a rooftop tent!
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2 (+1)
From
£200 / night

The Carriage Ely

Coveney, Cambridgeshire, England
Two elegant and luxurious retreats with private hot tubs, housed in a beautifully restored GWR train carriage for a first-class break in the tranquil Cambridgeshire countryside.
Bedrooms: 1 per carriage
Sleeps: 4
From
£159 / night

Grey Willow Yurts

Cullompton, Devon, England
A laid-back, off-grid glamping site where everyone is welcome (especially dogs!) beautifully set in the star-studded midst of the Blackdown Hills AONB.
Bedrooms: Open plan
Sleeps: 5
From
£99.50/nt

The Sussex Roundhouse

Beckley, East Sussex, England
A romantic, timelessly rustic hot tub retreat, privately set amidst 40 acres of meadow, woodland and grassland.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2 (+1 small child)
From
£360 (2 nights)

Jetstream

Friskney, near Skegness, Lincolnshire, England
Fasten your seatbelts for a thrilling glamping break aboard a converted military plane, grounded at RAF Wainfleet with beautiful rural scenery and family attractions in easy reach.
Bedrooms: Open plan
Sleeps: 4 (+1)
From
£100 / night

Belle Tout Lighthouse B&B

Beachy Head, East Sussex, England
A historic Lighthouse B&B perched on the white cliffs of Beachy Head, with show-stopping panoramic views and many original features.  
Bedrooms: 6
Sleeps: 2 per room
From
£155 / night

Tiny Homes Holidays

Newport, Isle of Wight, Isle Of Wight, England
Good things come in small packages - nourish your mind, body and soul by strolling in life's slow lane for a while, on the beautiful Isle of Wight.
Bedrooms:
Sleeps: 4 per unit
From
£175 (2 nights)

The Transmitter Bunker

Ringstead, Dorset, England
A pet-friendly, Grade II-listed hideaway from World War Two, rich in quirky character and secluded in a Dorset AONB with incredible sea views.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 4
From
£733 / week

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