Luxury solo holidays
Eat, stay, love. With a candlelit table set for one, the television all to yourself, and no one to share the eiderdown with but the dog, luxury solo holidays in the UK are all about dancing to the beat of your own drum.
As Freya Stark once said, "to awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations." There's no travel quite like luxury solo travel. We love romantic getaways and big group gatherings as much as the next person, but we also know that inserting a little solitude into the schedule is the tried-and-true way to take well-being off the back burner. From a restorative stay by the sea to a mindful long-let where you can pen the beginning chapters of your novel, these coastal boltholes and remote wilderness retreats wait for you with roaring fires and luxury hampers.
Here are homes with main character energy; where protagonists sip wine on seaward terraces and twirl themselves around the kitchen table. For some, luxury solo holidays in the UK are about finding the mental (and physical) space to begin a creative project. For others, reading glossy magazines in the hot tub, ambling from coffee shop to pizzerias, and poking about in antiques shops is all that's on the itinerary. From surf retreats in Cornwall's quietest bays to adventures with your dog far out in the Hebrides; here's to choosing for you, and you alone.
Juneberry
Cubert, Holywell Bay, Cornwall, UK
Tucked away between the trees on Cornwall’s north coast near Holywell Bay, Juneberry is a luxury self-catering cabin settled in the quiet idyll of rural bliss.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £995 per week, £750 per short break
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Yoga deck with mats and blocks, heated outdoor shower, firepit
Over Lemon River
Ashburton, Dartmoor, Devon, UK
A light-filled, luxury cottage near Ashburton on heather-cloaked Dartmoor, Over Lemon River is a couples' hideaway with a woodfired hot tub and fire pit in Devon’s wild heart.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,250 per week, £995 per short break
Pets: Two dogs are welcome
Features: Al fresco living space with wood-fired hot tub and fire pit
The Cotton Tree
Tresean, Holywell Bay, Cornwall, UK
A luxury cottage inspired by tropical beach houses and barefoot living, this is The Cotton Tree; a hot tub hideout on the coast of Cornwall, close to Holywell Bay and Polly Joke.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,250 per week, £950 per short break
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Hot tub
Orlagh
Perched high above the golden sands of Cornwall's Whitsand Bay, a fusion of designer-led interiors and Miller-esque seascapes combine at Orlagh.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,495 per week, £1,195 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Hot tub and outdoor heated shower
Libertine
Goonhavern, Perranporth, Cornwall, UK
A luxury woodland cottage with a hot tub, Libertine hides just outside of the village of Goonhavern in North Cornwall, close to Holywell Bay, St Agnes, and Perranporth Beach.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £995 per week, £750 per short break
Pets: One large or two medium well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub and garden deck
The Studio
Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
In the heart of Upper Slaughter, one of England’s “doubly-thankful” villages, The Studio is a luxury Cotswolds barn that wouldn’t be out of place in New York's artsy Tribeca.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,495 per week, £1,195 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Pizza oven and fire pits
Dragonwood Boat House
A unique, romantic space Dragonwood Boat House is a traditional Victorian home with an Italian twist, sitting pretty on the water near Oakham in Rutland.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,350 per week, £995 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Kayaks, well-stocked fishing lakes
Romany
Romney Marsh, Brookland, Kent, UK
Earthy hues, industrial accents, and an abundance of natural light; Romany is a luxury wooden cabin on the edge of Romney Marsh in Kent.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,350 per week, £995 per short break
Pets: One well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Hot tub and fire pit
Sundance
Trebudannon, Newquay, Cornwall, UK
Set off the beaten track, just ten minutes inland between Mawgan Porth and Watergate Bay in North Cornwall, Sundance is a handcrafted wagon made for rustic, inside-outside living.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £850 per week, £695 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Aurora
Freathy, Whitsand Bay, Cornwall, UK
Facing the rise and fall of the sun as it journeys from day to night, Aurora and its al fresco hot tub clings to the tumbling cliffs above Freathy Beach at Whitsand Bay.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,495 per week, £1,150 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Hot tub
Little Inka
St Breward, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, UK
Hidden on the northern edge of Bodmin Moor, Little Inka's hot tub, roll top and king-size bed beneath a window looking up to the stars make this secluded escape the perfect couples' retreat.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,350 per week, £995 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Hot tub and fire pit
The Edge
Up on a clifftop, with a bird’s-eye view of Whitsand Bay, The Edge is lovers' dream on Cornwall's sought-after coast; a luxury beach hut with a hot tub and heated outdoor shower.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,750 per week, £1,395 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, heated outdoor shower
The Hide
Callestick, Perranporth, Cornwall, UK
An unexpected discovery at the end of a Cornish country lane, this modern luxury cottage hideaway near Perranporth beach combines rusticity with contemporary clean-line appeal.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,450 per week, £995 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Hot tub, fire pit, yoga deck with mats
Aphrodite
Trevalga, Boscastle, Cornwall, UK
Found between the popular villages of Boscastle and Tintagel, Aphrodite is a luxury coastal home in North Cornwall; flaunting magnificent sea views across five renovated stories.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,295 per week, £995 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Figgy Court
Billingshurst, West Sussex, UK
A 700-year-old grain barn in West Sussex, Figgy Court is a luxury couples’ retreat with a riverside hot tub that affords a slice of country living on modern terms in Billingshurst.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,295 per week, £1,095 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub
Firefly
Trebudannon, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall, UK
Made for couples and nomadic types, Firefly is a luxury woodcutter's cottage with a hot tub near Mawgan Porth in North Cornwall, bursting with earthy, back-to-nature appeal.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,250 per week, £950 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Hot tub
Idlewylde
Machynlleth, Snowdonia, Wales, UK
From the sweet seclusion to mountain vistas, hot tub to glittering skies uninterrupted by city lights, Idlewylde is an impossibly romantic escape for couples in North Wales.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,595 per week, £1,150 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Hot tub
Little Portion
Tresean, Holywell Bay, Cornwall, UK
Crooked and quaint, and full of reclaimed finishes and trailing plants, Little Portion is a luxury coastal cottage with a hot tub just one mile away from Cornwall's Holywell Bay,
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,250 per week, £950 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome, or three on prior request
Features: Hot tub
Inkwell Cottage
Burford, Oxfordshire, The Cotswolds, UK
Handcrafted, atelier in style and ever-so fun, this self-catering home in Burford is a pocketful of luxury throwing all conventionality out of its mullion window
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,195 per week, £950 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
The Meadows
Retyn, St Newlyn East, Cornwall, UK
There's a hint of the Balearics to luxury cottage The Meadows, a simple retreat occupying a secret inland spot between Crantock and Watergate Bay on North Cornwall's coast.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,495 per week, £1,095 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, outside fire
Seaglass
Tregonhawke, Whitsand Bay, Cornwall, UK
A luxury romantic beach hut with a hot tub in Tregonhawke in Cornwall, Seaglass is a stylish surf home with eco credentials that boasts awe-inspiring views across Whitsand Bay.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,950 per week, £1,450 per short break
Pets: Sorry, no pets
Features: Hot tub and heated outdoor shower
Ebony Wood
Dark, mysterious and ever-so romantic, Ebony Wood on the edge of Snowdonia National Park is an atmospheric couples’ escape surrounded by sweet scented pines and rustling hedgehogs.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,595 per week, £1,150 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, infrared sauna, yoga deck, outside shower and outdoor food prep area and sink
Hinterland Cabin
With views of the Conwy Valley, Hinterland Cabin is a luxury log home with a hot tub, sauna, and yoga deck bordering Snowdonia in Wales, enveloped by big skies and wild mountains.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,595 per week, £1,150 per short break
Pets: Two medium well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, sauna and yoga deck
The Limit
As seen on ITV's Cornwall with Caroline Quentin and George Clarke's Amazing Spaces, The Limit is an iconic luxury beach hut with a hot tub hiding in the sand dunes of Holywell Bay.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,795 per week, £1,350 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub and fire pit
Suki
Torpoint, Whitsand Bay, Cornwall, UK
Made from earthy materials, Suki is a luxury beach house with a hot tub on Whitsand Bay’s Tregonhawke Cliff in Cornwall; it has all the markers of a romance, but with a Japandi twist.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,850 per week, £1,395 per short break
Pets: One small, well-behaved dog is welcome
Features: Hot tub
Pepper Shack
Lymington, New Forest, Hampshire, UK
A luxury cabin that feels like a winter cave, Pepper Shack is a moody home with a hot tub, pizza oven, and couples' bikes, made for romantic stays near the New Forest in Hampshire.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,795 per week, £1,350 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Hot tub, Kadai fire pit, outdoor pizza oven, two cruiser bikes, powerboat charter can be arranged on prior request
The Sanctuary
Lymington, New Forest, Hampshire, UK
Bordering the New Forest in Hampshire's Lymore Valley, The Sanctuary is an industrial luxury cabin with a hot tub, fire pit, and a pair of cruiser bikes for peddling to the beach.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,550 per week, £1,350 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Jacuzzi hot tub, Kadai fire pit, cruiser bikes, powerboat charter can be arranged on prior request
Saffron Tower
Beaumaris, Isle of Anglesey, Wales, UK
Standing watch from the corner of a beautiful walled garden, Saffron Tower is a true wellness retreat where couples can indulge in a spa-like experience on the Anglesey coast.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,995 per week, £1,395 per short break
Pets: Two medium well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Heated indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, gym with running machine, Echelon Exercise bike, Hydrow rowing machine, weights, yoga mats and portable air conditioning unit
Hansa
Weston-under-Lizard, Shropshire, UK
A Victorian gothic cabin with a woodfired hot tub, set in 200 acres of wild woodland on Shropshire's Bradford Estates, Hansa is a luxury fairy-tale cottage in Weston-under-Lizard.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,450 per week, £1,095 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Woodfired hot tub, two vintage-style bicycles, a row boat
Atlanta
Freathy, Whitsand Bay, Cornwall, UK
Studded into a cliff in Freathy, with a hot tub and outdoor shower, Atlanta is a luxury coastal home in Whitsand Bay that promises a unique escape in Cornwall’s forgotten corner.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,795 per week, £1,295 per short break
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Italian spa bath, heated outdoor shower, hot tub
Filly Island
Cirencester, Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds, UK
Blending tiny proportions with a big dose of style, Filly Island is a luxury cottage in the Cotswolds; find it on a little island accessed by a humpback bridge near Cirencester.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £950 per week, £795 per short break
Pets: Two small well-behaved dogs are welcome
Supernova
An idyllic writers' retreat, this luxury chapel conversion on the Isle of Skye in Scotland is a mountainous sanctuary, offering a spa bath, sauna, and views over Loch Harport.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,850 per week, £1,350 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Sauna
Limehouse Cottage
Coomasaharn, Glenbeigh, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland
In a land of mountains and valleys, Limehouse Cottage is the poster child for simple living; a luxury home with an outdoor bath in County Kerry that embraces Ireland's elements.
Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
From: £1,450 per week, £1,150 per short break
Pets: Two well-behaved dogs are welcome
Features: Outdoor bath tub and fire pit