Seeking Out Quirky UK Accommodation

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With UK lockdown restrictions now almost completely lifted, my thoughts have turned once more to the humble mini break. Or a “staycation”, if you’re not offended by the term. Whenever I post about a cool cottage or a quirky glamping option I’ve found, I always get lots of questions. “How DO You Find All These Cool Places To Stay?” So I’m going to share my secrets with you about how to seek out the best quirky UK accommodation.

Where to stay?

There are two ways to approach this. Maybe you know the area that you want to stay in. For our upcoming trip, we knew we wanted to explore the South East, therefore I searched for accommodation that fit the bill in these locations. On other occasions, I’ve spotted an accommodation that I’ve loved the look of, and then I’ve researched the area to see if there is enough to see and do to justify a stay.

For our recent stay at Middlestone Farm, and for our 2020 trip to Choo Choo Moo, it was very much the latter approach. Dropping the location on a Google map, it’s easy to see what’s in the local area. Middlestone Farm was in the foothills of Exmoor and close to the Somerset and North Devon coast. Choo Choo Moo was pleasingly close to the Norfolk/Suffolk borders, meaning we could cross places like Lavenham and Southwold off our list.

For our November wedding anniversary we want to head down to Mousehole in Cornwall as this was where we spent our minimoon 13 years ago. So my accommodation search for this trip will be narrowed down to what is available in Mousehole or the surrounding villages. If anyone has any cosy-Cornish-cottage-for-two recommendations, please let me know!

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Where to find inspiration for quirky UK accommodation

But where to find those unusual and quirky UK accommodation options? This can be the hard part or the fun part depending on how much you enjoy travel planning. I’m definitely the latter, so I’m happy to spend hours scrolling the Internet for inspiration. But I have a whole load of go-to sites and lists which help me narrow down my search. I follow a whole host of accommodation providers and inspiration sites on social media. Host Unusual, Canopy & Stars and Cool Stays are some of my favourites. I subscribe to their email lists so I get notifications of new properties they are showcasing.

I tend to use Booking.com mainly for hotel stays, but if you’re trying to find accommodation based on location it’s a good option. It’s handy if you’re trying to find a boutique hotel, or something a little more quirky than a Travelodge or Premier Inn. I found the perfect hotel for our upcoming Brighton stay through Booking.com. I booked directly with the hotel on this occasion as I found the costs were similar but I was able to select the specific room I wanted to book. Don’t discount Airbnb either. Our 2017 Rotterdam barge stay was booked through the accommodation listing site. I can’t remember if I was researching barge stays or Rotterdam but it turned out to be the perfect combination.

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Fancy an Airbnb stay? If you’re a first time booker, you can get money off your first trip here!

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And of course, if you can’t trust a travel blogger, then who can you trust? Particularly if they’ve paid for a trip on their own dime rather than an invited opportunity. I’ve cultivated quite a list of bloggers around the UK, and they can often recommend the best places to stay both in their own town and around the country. I never would have known about Hesleyside Huts in Northumberland if it hadn’t been for a blogger friend writing about her stay. I also trust Weekend Candy for their recommendations – UK staycations are indeed their niche!

So once you’ve found the sites to inspire you – and who knows, maybe A Brummie Home and Abroad is one of them? – save them all in a list. This could be a notes app on your phone or laptop, a Twitter list, an Instagram collection or a Pinterest board. Subscribe to email lists where you can, and follow them on social media. And of course, share recommendations of your own to family and friends.

Finding quirky UK accommodation – a real-life case study!

Lets take my latest booking as a real-life case study. I’ve just booked an amazing looking converted static camper van in Kent, just outside Whitstable. But how did I find this gem?

Slowly creeping out of lockdown (and hopefully for good this time) important things for me to consider were:

1. Self-contained accommodation with contactless checkin and strong cleaning policies

2. Somewhere away from the holiday hotspots where lots of people may flock if the weather is nice

3. Planning a break outside of school holidays, again to minimise the possibility of crowds

I already had Whitstable in mind for its seaside charm and seafood delicacies. So using some of the sites mentioned above I searched for available accommodation. At first I looked in the town itself, but widened my search out to the surrounding area where we’d have good proximity by public transport to both Whitstable and Canterbury. I found Gulliver through the Coolstays website initially. It ticked all the boxes for a perfect quirky UK accommodation stay. Close to both the coast, the city and to nature. Beautifully thought-out indoor and outdoor areas. And of course, infinitely instagrammable. If you’re into that kind of thing. Which lets face it, I am.

Coolstays is largely an inspiration site rather than a booking site, so you’re taken through to the Kent Cottage Holidays website to check availability and book. This means that any communication during the booking process and before travel is directly with the accommodation provider. And since booking, we have received lots of useful information about our stay in Gulliver and the local area. With our stay just a couple of weeks away now I can’t wait to share yet another quirky UK accommodation option with you!

What’s the cost of booking quirky UK accommodation?

Let’s be brutally honest here. UK holidays aren’t cheap. And we’re all reminiscing this year about how we could previously book two weeks all-inclusive in Spain for the same cost as a week in a self-catering caravan in Skegness. To stay in an accommodation that is quirky, a little bit luxurious, with all the home comforts and more, you’re going to be paying a minimum of £150 a night. And if you’re the type of traveller that barely spends any time in their accommodation then this may not seem financially sensible. However, if you are able to factor some downtime into your trip – long lazy breakfasts, afternoons sunning yourself on a private deck, sundowners in the hot tub, evenings of Scrabble – then having the perfect base is ideal. And let’s face it, we’ve all stayed in grim accommodation, and probably spent more money trying to avoid the inevitable return.

I hope this post has given you some ideas of how to find the perfect quirky UK accommodation! I’d love to hear where you’ve stayed that may have been a little out of the ordinary, and please feel free to share your own tips and tricks for booking travel!

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