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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
£3813 /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

Delabole Vintage Bus

Delabole, Cornwall, England
Exclusive hire of a vintage bus with relaxed Scandi-style interiors, parked in a scenic setting in Delabole, with incredible Cornish beaches a pleasant 45-minute ramble away.
Bedrooms: 2
Sleeps: 10
From
£110 / night

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

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

The Secret Yurts

Welshpool, Powys, Wales
A haven of adults-only, dog-friendly eco-luxury with private hot tubs, deliciously hidden away in the midst of magical woodland at the heart of mid-Wales countryside.
Bedrooms: Open plan
Sleeps: 2
From
£93 /nt for 7 nights

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

The Hideaways

Poltimore, Devon, England
Thoughtfully-crafted cabins with private hot tubs and saunas hidden in nature, blissfully secluded among 30 acres of woodland, meadow, and wildlife-rich brooks on a family-run Devon farm.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£190 /nt

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

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)

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
A luxurious collection of architect-designed, off-grid cabins-in-miniature, complete with indulgent spa facilities and surrounded by wildflower gardens in peaceful Isle of Wight woodland.
Bedrooms:
Sleeps: 4 per unit
From
£110 /nt

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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