Features

Our Favourite Fantasy and Fairytale-Inspired Retreats

25 August 2022

The best kind of holiday is one that transports you far, far away from everyday life.  One in which your cares feel like they’ve been well and truly abandoned for a while, as you immerse yourself in captivating, completely new surroundings.

But if you thought all that would mean spending your precious time in long airport check-in queues, then jetting off to the farthest corners of the Earth, think again!

You could simply choose to step inside the pages of an iconic fantasy story, or a classic children’s fairytale, instead.

Think magical, out-of-this world furnishings and delightfully quirky accessories, all carefully crafted and chosen to take your senses on an enchanted journey.

Plus… who knows, with so much incredible creativity all around you, you may well return home feeling inspired to start work on an artistic masterpiece of your very own!

Each and every one of the following retreats feels like entering a whole new world, proving that you really don’t have to travel too far to indulge your imagination, or quench your thirst for a break that’s truly unique.

So get ready to browse our hand-picked list, and begin your own magical holiday story.

Who knows just where it will lead?
Author: Nina Jervis
Main image: Craighead Round Door Howfs | Perthshire

Blackberry Wood

Streat, Sussex, England
You may think you know glamping, but you haven't seen anything like Blackberry Wood - the only place a helicopter, a London bus, a cabin and a caravan - and even an Airstream - sit in the shadow of fairytale treehouses.
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: 2-4 per unit
From
£45 / night

The Boot

Tasman, Nelson, New Zealand
You've heard of the old woman who lived in a shoe, but have you ever actually imagined life in a fabulous piece of footwear? Wonder no longer at The Boot, a fairytale B&B on New Zealand's South Island!
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£170 / night

The Black Castle

Coolbaun, Tipperary, Ireland
Travel back through time with an ‘over-knight' stay for two in a majestically authentic 16th century Gaelic castle.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£274 / night

Les Ormes Domaine & Resort

Dol-de-Bretagne, Brittany, France
A welcoming, laid-back resort with unique retreats and fun-filled activities for all ages, set on a magnificent two-hundred-hectare nature estate in Brittany.
Bedrooms: Varies
Sleeps: Varies
From
£86 / night

The Enchanted Faraway Tree

Nr Canterbury, Kent, England
Spirit yourself away to The Enchanted Faraway Tree - a storybook-inspired hideaway in the form of a unique treehouse pod, cosily nestled in the Garden of England.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£450 (2nts)

Craighead Hobbit Howfs

Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland
Experience a magical stay in a quirky and authentic storybook home, built right into the windswept Scottish hillsides.
Bedrooms: 1 per howf
Sleeps: 2 per howf
From
£185 / night

Hobbitenango

Antigua, Central Highlands, Guatemala
Experience the fantasy world of storybooks, set high above the Antiguan hills with breathtaking volcano views.
Bedrooms: 1 per casita
Sleeps: 4 or 6 per casita
From
£60 / night

The Five Turrets

Selkirk, Scottish Borders, Scotland
Make like an auld Scottish baron, in a grand 19th Century townhouse that's ideal for exploring the historic town of Selkirk.
Bedrooms: 4
Sleeps: 8
From
£950 (7 nts)

Rufus's Roost

Husthwaite, Yorkshire, England
A luxurious family treehouse, privately secluded in medieval woodland with incredible views of the North Yorkshire Moors.
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 6
From
£275 / night

Melin Mabes

Templeton, Pembrokeshire, Wales
A Pembrokeshire Amazing Space that combines timeless home comfort with interstellar accommodation that's out of this world!
Bedrooms: Open plan
Sleeps: 2 (Mabel) 4 (Spodnic)
From
£100 / night

Hocus Pocus Tiny Hotel

York, Yorkshire, England
Escape into an immersive world of wonder, in the form of a boutique hotel with authentic magic-themed rooms, deliciously secluded in the heart of York.
Bedrooms: 5 Rooms
Sleeps: 2-5
From
£139 / night

Dragon's Eye

Aberaeron, Ceredigion, Wales
A wonderfully creative, TV-featured glamping pod with glass panels and a rotating bed to showcase the lush Welsh landscape.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£540 (7nt)

Woodland Chase Glamping

Felton, Northumberland, England
Escape from everyday life, with luxurious, grown-up glamping on a Northumberland family farm set close to the beautiful coast.
Bedrooms: 1 per unit
Sleeps: 2 per unit
From
£596

Eaton House Studio

Tiptree, Essex, England
An outrageously creative, completely unique ‘pink paradise' to live out those fairytale dreams, for quirky large group stays in Essex.
Bedrooms: 7
Sleeps: Up to 20
From
£2,400 / night

Meadow View Hill House

Newcastle, Shropshire, England
A magical and gloriously romantic storybook retreat, gently nestled on an organic farm in Shropshire surrounded by rolling hills.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£120 / 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)

Belle View Farm Shire

Poulshot, Wiltshire, England
Lovingly hand-crafted homes taken from the pages of an epic fantasy tale, complete with bespoke ‘water well' hot tubs, secluded in a tranquil meadow that overlooks the Wiltshire hills.
Bedrooms: 2 per house
Sleeps: 4 per house
From
£500 (2 nt)

The Hobbity Treehouse

Blean, Kent, England
Unwind amongst the whispering leaves, in a quirky tree-treat inspired by an epic fantasy tale, complete with a stargazing hot tub and acres of Kent woodland to explore.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£271 / night

Ursabear Cabin

Morebath, Devon, England
A sumptuous, hand-built Amazing Space that takes inspiration from the stars, filled with bespoke elements and mesmerisingly nestled on the edge of Exmoor National Park, with a cedar-clad hot tub for added indulgence.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 2
From
£220 / night

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

Glamping Under the Stars

Portlaoise, County Laois, Ireland
A private, magical haven with joyfully quirky retreats and idyllic wildflower meadows, peacefully secluded in Ireland’s ‘Ancient East’ close to bustling Dublin.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 6
From
£195 / night

The Wabbit

Wells, Somerset, England
A whimsical hill house (complete with private hot tub!), set on a friendly Somerset farm that features play areas, shops, and dining spots, for a fairytale stay with a little something for everyone.
Bedrooms: 3
Sleeps: 6
From
£207 / night

La Balade des Gnomes

Durbuy, Luxembourg, Belgium
Enter the mystical world of La Balade des Gnomes, where imagination is converted into reality in a series of fantasy themed rooms to take your breath away.
Bedrooms: 11
Sleeps: Varies
From
£149 / night

Quetzalcoatl's Nest

Naucalpan de Juarez, State of Mexico
A fantastical, fairytale stay in an architect-created sculpture garden, amidst the rugged landscape of the Valley of Mexico.
Bedrooms: 5
Sleeps: 8
From
£196 (2 nights)

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

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

Dozy Dotty

Easton, Suffolk, England
Discover a characterful ‘cow shed’ retreat for fun family getaways, dog-friendly and perfectly positioned on a laid-back East Suffolk farm that’s surrounded by rural loveliness
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 4
From
£37 / night

The Witchery by the Castle

Edinburgh, Scotland
A spellbinding retreat that boasts fine Scottish dining, and baroque, individually styled suites that look out over Edinburgh's famous Royal Mile.
Bedrooms: 9 Suites
Sleeps: 2 per Suite
From
£450 / night

Crazy House

Da Lat, Central Highlands, Vietnam
Crazy House is a jaw-dropping, world-renowned “fairytale house” built to resemble an enormous tree and boasting sculptured design elements throughout, secluded in the Vietnamese city of Dalat.
Bedrooms: 1
Sleeps: 4
From
£26 / night

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