For a low-key weekend break in the UK countryside, or a city sleepover amid the buzz of London, taking over a whole building via Airbnb is a brilliant option: lots of space to spread out in, no other guests to worry about and the chance to really live like a local. Before Airbnb was founded in 2008, tracking down a holiday home was much harder. Now it’s almost too easy – there are millions of properties listed on the site – but search fatigue can be overwhelming. Which is where we come in.
To point you in the right direction, we’ve started a round-up of our favourite Airbnbs – with one or two from alternative homestay sites – across some of the UK’s best places to visit, from the South West to Scotland. They are all in beautiful settings – by the sea, in the heart of the countryside, in the middle of buzzy towns or cities – and have pretty interiors and excellent reviews. Although 2021 has proven to be the year of the staycation, these Airbnbs should still have availability as we head toward 2022 and beyond.
Tried and tested Airbnbs
WEST SUSSEX
This annex to a private home in Lodsworth, a pretty little village of stone cottages and winding lanes in West Sussex, has been renovated by owners Rachel and Barney Rowe. Two bedrooms are clad in oak flooring, deep Farrow & Ball tones, Ralph Lauren rugs and antique furniture. Details draw on the local surroundings – vases are filled with pheasant feathers and lavender springs grown in Sussex landscape, there’s a print of nearby mansion Petworth House, eggs from the family chicken coop are left to use for breakfast. There’s also a treehouse (great for those bringing adventurous little ones) and a terrace overlooking the South Downs. Book lunch at the nearby, new-for-2021 Pig in Arundel for the full Sussex experience. By Sarah James
Sleeps: four
Price: from £400 for two nights
Website: airbnb.co.uk
HUNWORTH, NORTH NORFOLK
Cosy up in this charming one-bed cottage in north Norfolk’s beautiful landscape and lose yourself in its surrounding nature. Owners Ana Perez and Alan Flett have recently renovated the countryside den, bringing a fresh splat of colour with vibrant greens and earthy tones and decking it out with reclaimed furniture. The original flint of the building has been exposed as part of its stylish upgrade and vintage fabrics, such as beautiful Morris & Co curtains, animate the rooms. Venture out two miles to the lovely town of Holt and enjoy brisk coastal walks along the seafront, before retreating back for a snuggled-up evening in front of the wood burner. By Cordelia Aspinall
Cosy up in this charming one-bed cottage in north Norfolk’s beautiful landscape and lose yourself in its surrounding nature. Owners Ana Perez and Alan Flett have recently renovated the countryside den, bringing a fresh splat of colour with vibrant greens and earthy tones and decking it out with reclaimed furniture. The original flint of the building has been exposed as part of its stylish upgrade and vintage fabrics, such as beautiful Morris & Co curtains, animate the rooms. Venture out two miles to the lovely town of Holt and enjoy brisk coastal walks along the seafront, before retreating back for a snuggled-up evening in front of the wood burner. By Cordelia Aspinall
Sleeps: two
Price: from £220 a night
Website: airbnb.co.uk
WHITSTABLE, ENGLAND
This one-time grain warehouse in quirky Whistable was given a glow-up in the 1990s, when the space was converted into a house. Host Tanya has curated a gallery wall starring Iggy Pop and Jacques Tati film posters underneath soaring beamed ceilings, and thoughtfully curated a selection of art, ceramics, and books. The master bedroom is enormous, dominated by an antique French bed, with its own reading nook (Tanya can set up two extra camp beds in here if you’re a party of six). The smaller second bedroom is just as pretty, with the same whitewashed walls and floors that run through the rest of the house. Downstairs, there’s space for 10 to squeeze in around the dining table for drinks or supper. A 10-minute stroll finds you at Whistable’s thriving harbour, where you can shuck oysters from The Lobster Shack or drink pints of local Whitstable Bay Pale Ale at pub on the beach, The Neptune.
Sleeps: four-six and a dog Price: from £180 a night (minimum two nights) Website: airbnb.co.uk
PEMBROKESHIRE, WALES
The lovely south-western coastline unfolds from this traditional stone cottage. Overlooking a creek next to an estuary and with beautiful Sandy Haven beach at its foot, the house has an open-plan living area decked out in suitably nautical blues and whites and dotted with beautiful seascape paintings to mirror the natural surroundings. There’s a woodburner for cosying up and a neat kitchen for whipping up breakfast and supper. Spread out across the master bedroom and bunk room, and wake up with an invigorating stroll along the nearby coastal path. Make use of the bodyboards provided for an adrenalin fix or try crabbing before retreating back to your hideout for a peaceful evening taking in the glowing sunset.
Sleeps: five Price: from £130 a night (minimum four nights) Website: airbnb.co.uk
BATH
You can’t get more central than this tall, Grade II-listed townhouse squirrelled away down a quiet cobblestone street just footsteps from the ancient Roman Baths the city is named for. Built in 1748 by the same architect responsible for the Circus and Queen Square, it was previously run by the Freemasons – apparently it’s still possible to hear the occasional organ pipe and particularly loud high note waft down from the neighbouring Masonic Hall in one of the property’s ensuite bathrooms. Only available to rent since the end of 2020, it has interiors that are fresh and tastefully in keeping with the historic building – a four-poster here, an original Victorian loo there, and a couple of show-stopping huge round bathtubs to wallow in – though combined with some slick, modern conveniences, such as the electric oven brilliantly disguised as an Aga.
The housekeeper also handily lives just next door, and is on-hand to offer local tips or help with the house. The real wow moment, however, will strike you once you reach the very top of the third flight of stairs and step onto the spacious roof terrace looking out over Bath’s beautiful rooftops and famed abbey. (Insider tip: It’s ideal for those with little ones in tow. If you’re travelling with friends with babies, the three floors between the two basement rooms and the master bedroom mean new parents – or perhaps just seismic snorers – needn’t worry about waking the whole party at night.) By Becky Lucas
Sleeps: six, plus babies and toddlers Price: from £506 a night
Planning a quiet romantic weekend? Set in the Devonshire hills, this handcrafted shepherd’s hut is the perfect isolated hideaway. The cabin has a fully functioning kitchen, double bed and shower room with plenty of hot water and Bramley products. Go for long walks in the surrounding countryside before returning to cook up a feast on the fire pit on the front patio. After supper, head indoors to warm up by the log burner and linger by the double doors to listen to the sounds of nature – the resident owls begin hooting at dusk as they swoop down in search of food.
Sleeps: two Price: £95 per night (three nights minimum)
Tremanton Lodge
CORNWALL
The founders of House of Hackney own this lodge, which sits on the grounds of their castle near pretty Forder Creek. House of Hackney’s trademark style – clashing prints, bright colours – is present throughout, and there are nine acres of grounds to explore, an Indian-style swimming pool to take a dip in and misty woodlands to trample through.
Sleeps: Four Website: airbnb.com
Dom St John
EAST SUSSEX
Polish architect Marta Nowicka oversaw the reimagining of this Fifties former St John Ambulance station, footsteps from the main drag in the seaside village of Rye. Nowicka’s other properties include hideouts in Brooklyn and Warsaw. Here, details such as the tables made from reclaimed beach timber reflect the seafront location, and the master bedroom has views over the cobbled streets.
Sleeps: six Price: from £400 per night Website: airbnb.com
Chris Horwood
Wolterton Hall
NORFOLK
This Palladian pile was given a regal makeover in 2016 when the current owners bought it. Intricate tapestries, chandeliers and a hidden Champagne fridge in one bathroom add to the sense of grandeur. There are three spaces to rent – the biggest is the seven-bedroom East Wing – or a garden cottage to take over if you want more privacy.
Sleeps: 14 Price: from £1,117 per night Website: airbnb.com
A cosy beachfront hangout
WHISTABLE
The linen-pillow-scattered bed at Tides Cottage overlooks the shingles of Whitstable beach, calling for a long slow morning watching the tides come in. There’s a dinky kitchen with reclaimed parquet flooring and a sweet cobbled garden planted with lavender where you can eat supper on balmy summer evenings.
Sleeps: six Price: from £250 per night Website: airbnb.com
A super-smart Scottish castle
ARGYLL
A B&B for most of the year, this 16th-century castle can also be taken over for exclusive use. It’s set in Kilmartin Glen, near Oban, which serves as a jumping off point for much of the Hebrides. The old stone castle has been carefully renovated, so bathrooms are ultra modern with rainfall showers and copper baths, there are wood-burners in most of the bedrooms and there’s an onsite cook to enlist if you can’t face the idea of slaving over a stove.
Sleeps: 10 Price: from £900 a night (four-night minimum) Website: airbnb.com
For more grand stays, see our edit of the best castles to rent in the UK and Ireland.
Douglas Gibb
Lary
ABERDEENSHIRE
A stay at this lodge amounts to burrowing down in the vast wilderness of the Highlands. Interiors have plenty of classic Scottish touches – tartan fabrics, antlers hanging on the walls – and there’s a board-game-packed library to hunker down in on rainy days. For a proper party, call in a chef to take care of supper in the grand kitchen.
Sleeps: 20 Price: from £1,000 per night
Loma Beach House
EAST SUSSEX
This eco-friendly beach house that feels more Scandi than Sussex has been stuffed with thoughtfully curated antiques by stylist Gigi Sutherland and her partner Matt Sellers. The open-plan living spaces are industrial-looking, and there’s a swing hanging from the ceiling for kids or kids-at-heart.
Sleeps: 14 Price: from £500 per night Website: airbnb.com
More Airbnbs we like the look of
While we have not stayed in every Airbnb featured, we have done the hard work for you. We have carefully selected these as recommendations based on their location, design, previous guest reviews and the fact that they have achieved Airbnb’s Superhost status at the time of our research. All listings on Condé Nast Traveller are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Charming old-school apartment
GLASGOW
This large flat sleeps six guests – perfect for a family city break. The classic Glaswegian building has high ceilings, bay windows, antique chandeliers and old fireplaces, and the clever design effectively pairs its retro elegance with modern accents. In the living room, mustard-yellow sofas and patterned rugs stand out against midnight-blue walls, and in the kitchen navy cabinets contrast with dusky pink handles and chairs. Bedrooms have a more traditional feel, with Highland-green walls, deer ornaments and tartan touches. By Olivia Morelli
Price: from £84 a night (minimum two nights) Sleeps: four
CAMPERVAN
NORTH DEVON
For those craving something very different to the usual cottage or stately home, this vintage campervan is exactly what you’ve been looking for. It has been carefully restored by host Ralph, and the cool-again checkerboard floors, Bush radio and retro kitchenette keep it pinned firmly in the 1950s. There’s a hot tub built into a heritage Land Rover for backseat soaks with a view across the Devonshire countryside.
Sleeps: two Price: from £254 a night Website: airbnb.co.uk
Whitworth Locke City Studio
MANCHESTER
Set on buzzy Canal Street in Manchester, this 19th-century former cotton factory has been upgraded with pastel shades, rattan furnishings and hanging greenery. It is part of the self-described independent aparthotels which also has spaces in London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Cambridge and even Munich. Take over the studio apartment and enjoy the cosy space including your own kitchenette, blush-hued bathroom and king-sized bed, with access to the Conservatory Bar, set in a Victorian glasshouse. There’s also a co-working space, coffee shop and gym on site.
Price: £71 per night Sleeps: two Website:airbnb.co.uk
A glass-fronted home
DEVON
Close to Devon’s beautiful beaches, this contemporary glass-fronted house is a true country retreat. Styled with trendy furnishings and nautical, calming interiors, it’s the perfect place for a relaxing stay. Each room has floor-to-ceiling windows creating plenty of natural light into the space and the bi-folding doors leading to a south-facing terrace is a definite highlight. Walk down the floating staircases and take in the wonderful views of the surrounding southern landscape.
Website: airbnb.co.uk Sleeps: four
**Price:**£200 per night (two nights minimum)
Medieval retreat
EDINBURGH
This stone-cut cottage is the place to book for those who believe staycations are made all the better with a bit of medieval pomp. Formerly home to nesting doves, this renovated tower is hidden in a large private garden near the friendly, residential Bruntsfield neighbourhood. Downstairs, rough walls house a wood-burning stove, pull-out sofa bed and cedarwood kitchen, while upstairs in the tower lies a tiny, low-lit mezzanine with a bed surrounded by cubby holes and views of the garden. Stepping stones lead from glass doors across flower-filled grounds, where paths trail beneath rose-covered trellises and ancient garden tools are hung on the walls.
Sleeps: four Price: from £155 a night Website: airbnb.com
Stripped-back flat
HoveThis 19th-century property brings a dose of Mykonos to Brighton’s little sister constituent Hove. Inside, all feels deliberately Grecian-cool – whitewashed walls, smooth neutrals, hemp-linen sheets, rattan rugs and fringed light shades. Suitable for a small group, with two bedrooms in the main house as well as a third in the garden outhouse, it’s ideal for a pretend sun-kissed Mediterranean weekend away – it could practically be Scorpios.
Sleeps: six Price: from £159 per night Website: airbnb.com
Phil Rigby
Elegant boathouse
ULLSWATER
This waterfront boathouse once belonged to 18th-century Prime Minister William Cavendish-Bentinck. The property is grand, with dark mahogany and leather throughout and original beams, as well as a freestanding tub. The terrace looks out onto the lake, with views of the fells in the morning from bed, and a jetty for diving off on sunny days. Anna Prendergast
Sleeps: two Price: from £354 a night Website: airbnb.com
A seaview flat
MARGATE
The pastel subway tiling and overgrown greenery of this apartment are bang on-trend in Margate, teasingly dubbed Shoreditch-on-Sea. The living area has a sage-and-crystal-decorated meditation corner from which to gaze at the harbour. There’s a stripped-back aesthetic in the two chalk-coloured bedrooms, one of which has a roll-top bath. And best of all, it’s almost on top of Margate’s colourful promenade.
Sleeps: four Price: from £150 per night Website: airbnb.com
Secluded Treehouse
KENT
A tree trunk winds right into the living space of this quirky Airbnb in Elham. Micro-living fans will be delighted by its tiny dimensions – you can touch everything you need in one reach – but the rough wood panelling and views into the surrounding treetops make for some of the loveliest lofty accommodation we’ve seen.
Sleeps: two Price: from £99 per night Website: airbnb.com
A sea-facing stone cottage
CORNWALL
This three-bedroom cream structure is set right above the waves in the tiny Cornwall village of Portloe, about 20 minutes from St Mawes by car. From the outdoor patio, there are views of the water and tumbling countryside below, while interiors are fairly stripped back, all nautical whites and blues, with a huge dining table for group suppers and a breakfast table overlooking the traditional white-washed houses nearby.
Sleeps: six Price: from about £90 a night
A cabin on one of England’s loveliest shores
SUSSEX
The great swathes of soft sand in Camber draw down-from-London visitors, who go antiques hunting in nearby Rye. Stay overnight at The Blue House, a glass hut set right on the beach. Huge doors open onto a wooden terrace for breakfast with a view of the sea, and steps lead right down to the ocean for brisk morning swims.
Sleeps: eight Price: from £530 a night Website: airbnb.com
A smart nautical farmhouse in the hills
DEVON
Designed by Hungarian artist-architect Andras Kaldor, this property nods to its location by the sea in Devon – white shiplap walls, a sailboat sculpture on a beam in the living room – without being kitsch. Double doors open out onto views of the surrounding hillside, and there’s a garden for sunbathing or outdoor suppers, as well as a little pool for cooling off on hot days. We particularly like the carefully curated details: a vinyl player, a wood-burning fireplace and a wooden boat-seat set over a babbling stream.
Sleeps: two Price: from about £200 a night Website: airbnb.com
Alexis Hamilton
A quirky pit-stop for a Scottish road trip
THE HIGHLANDS
Built by the RAF in 1940, this jet-black hut on the eastern stretches of the NC500 – one of Scotland’s best-loved routes through the Highlands – is a bit like a hobbit house, if hobbits had really good taste in interiors. Inside, a domed ceiling makes you feel as if you’ve burrowed underground, but the white-washed walls and cool black accents – a wood-burner, a double stove – keep the whole place feeling airy.
Sleeps: four Price: from £95 a night Website: airbnb.com
A classic city-centre loft
EDINBURGH
This traditional Royal Mile flat has huge floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the rooftops. Bookcases in the sitting room are stacked with hundreds of books and the kitchen has an enormous dining table for hosting supper or drinks. The bed is cleverly hidden behind panelling, making the whole space feel more roomy than it is. And you’re right on top of Edinburgh’s best restaurants and shops, too.
Sleeps: two Price: from £94 a night Website: airbnb.com
A rural barn conversion
YORKSHIRE
This one-time stone barn in North Yorkshire has views of the surrounding countryside from the floor-to-ceiling windows in the bedrooms, beamed ceilings and plenty of eclectic pieces of art dotting the walls. Original features include the exposed stone walls and the biggest bedroom has a terrace for coffee overlooking the rolling hills below.
Sleeps: 4 Price: from £329 a night Website: airbnb.com
Carren Bach Cottage
Pembrokeshire
The covered deck and master bedroom at this Welsh cottage look out over the Pembrokeshire countryside. While the flagstone-floored, vaulted-ceiling living area is a roomy spot for dinner parties, there’s a cabin with a hot tub for sunset views. But it’s the location – plumb in the middle of Pembrokeshire National Park and a short walk from the beach – that’s the highlight here.
Sleeps: four Price: from £180 per night Website: airbnb.com
A historic Gloucestershire manor
COTSWOLDS
There’s bags of space at this buttery-stone Cotswolds village home, part of Airbnb’s Luxe listings, a curation of its finest, fanciest properties. Set in 14.5 acres of countryside, with its own pond and a clutch of outhouses, it has 14 bedrooms to pack out with friends and family. We particularly like the roll-top baths and original beams in the traditional dining room.
Sleeps: 36 Price: from £140 per person per night Website: airbnb.com
The Stables
HEREFORDSHIRE
Stamp across 150 acres surrounded by the Malvern Hills on this 19th-century estate. The one-time barn is now a roomy guesthouse with lots of smart original features, including exposed brick walls and parquet floors. Early-morning dips in the Scandi-inspired swimming pool should be followed by a two-mile stroll to the nearest pub for lunch.
Sleeps: eight Price: from £3,500 per night Website: airbnb.com
A cottage in the grounds of a country house
ABERGAVENNY, WALES
Set in a lovely garden surrounded by countryside, this pared-back cottage has high ceilings and muted, grown-up fabrics. There is one bedroom, a living room with white-washed walls and a wood-burner, and a kitchen with a retro Seventies colour scheme. Have breakfast at the table outside overlooking the Monmouthshire hills.
Sleeps: two Price: from £90 a night Website: airbnb.com
Molly Mishkas
An Irish seaside retreat
COUNTY SLIGO
Take over a 200-year-old country house on Ireland’s Atlantic coast. There are five bedrooms, nine acres of land with views of the sea (and one of the country’s best surf breaks) and lots of old-school furniture. A traditional Irish breakfast is served in the rustic kitchen, and there’s a games room and plenty of cosy nooks if the weather isn’t good enough to head out salmon fishing or to the beach.
Sleeps: 14 Price: from £469 a night Website: airbnb.com
A quirky art-district pad
LIVERPOOL
On the fringes of the edgy Ropewalks, Liverpool’s arty enclave, this eclectic flat has exposed brick walls and offbeat interiors. There’s a little wooden table for breakfasts of flaky pastries picked up from nearby tiny French patisserie Artisane or for drinks before heading out to the cobblestoned streets to seek out supper.
Sleeps: four Price: from £52 a night Website: airbnb.com
A flat that was once the home of Jane Austen
BATH
There’s a bohemian vibe at this apartment, which was the home of the Austen family from 1801 to 1805. Walls are stacked with art, and there’s creatively mismatched furniture in the flagstone study and original Georgian panelling throughout. The eclectic Holburne Museum is close by and the walk to the pretty town centre takes about 10 minutes.
Sleeps: three Price: from about £200 a night Website: airbnb.com
A Lake District hideout
LANCASHIRE
This cosy stone cottage in the Lake District comes with views of Lancaster Castle from the little window seat in the kitchen. Just big enough for two, it has a copper bath for a soak after days tramping across the hills. The bedroom is petite, but the living room is very sweet and minimal, with space to spread out. There’s a lovely patio, which you enter through a walled garden, giving the whole place a Secret Garden feel.
