A Staycation Summer: Your Insider Guide to the UK’s Most Wholesome Locations

This summer will see a rise in staycations thanks to the jet fuel crisis, which is leading to cancelled flights and soaring costs. The BBC has reported that booking platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com are already seeing a spike in UK travel plans, with many deciding to swap flights for a Land Rover Discovery-worthy road trip instead. If the pandemic taught us anything when it comes to travel, it’s that you don’t need to go far for a memorable holiday. Whether you are looking to explore untouched beaches, reach an all-time high daily step count or simply have some time away from your emails, below is a guide to some of the best places to stay and explore this summer.

Farm Stays

While Soho Farmhouse has had city types donning wellies and taking a turn through stables for several years, a more authentic agritourism concept is currently flourishing. “There’s something about being properly surrounded by nature that feels increasingly precious,” says Aimee Hodgkin, curation and hotels director at Mr and Mrs Smith, highlighting Louma in Dorset as a key property. “What makes it special is how immersive it feels. Life here unfolds around the practical realities of the farm—animals moving through the day, fires tended, meals prepared and shared—with time shaped by the land rather than a timetable.”

Fowlescombe in Devon opened in May 2025 and is the blueprint for how luxury farm stays should look—it is a working farm where guests are encouraged to learn about the land, whether that’s picking vegetables, feeding livestock or a guided tour of the mechanisms of this sustainable farm. Influencer Lucy Williams, who has impeccable taste when it comes to hotels, hosted a stay here for the launch of her With Nothing Underneath collection, where guests collected eggs and enjoyed the farm-to-table offering. As a working farm, this is much more than a gimmick for TikTok, as everything is a genuine celebration of local biodiversity—even the mattresses are made using wool from Fowlescombe sheep.

The Restairies at Paradise Farm in Suffolk is another leader in this category, as Gem Boner (formerly of Soho House) and her husband Thom, opened a five-bed retreat in a 16th-century farm. “Farm stays are special because they reconnect you to all the things modern life quietly steals from you—space, nature, slow mornings, proper food, muddy boots, fresh eggs, fires, stars, and conversations that aren’t interrupted by inboxes,” says Boner. “We wanted to create more than a beautiful place to stay. We wanted to build an off switch. Also, frankly, life is better when there are alpacas involved.” We can’t argue with that.

For something more intimate, the cottage Homestead in the North York Moors is a family-run business with an attached restaurant where the menu is based around the flourishing kitchen garden.

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Surf and Turf

Cornwall is hardly a groundbreaking staycation idea; however, there’s been a wave of London influencers and editors moving here for the surf-filled lifestyle. Think coastal walks, seafood platters and salty hair. “Cornwall is super special all year round,” says Lindsey Holland, a fashion influencer who runs a surf retreat company, Marnie Rays. “The best waves tend to be in the winter, but spring and summer are also putting on a show at the moment! I love surfing at Godrevy and Gwithain—the beach cafe at Godrevy is amazing and there’s also an incredible coastal path walk that starts there too.” While she adds if you’re heading to the north coast, you need to visit Gorse Bakery for a bacon butty. If you don’t want to do any organising, the Marnie Rays retreats are ideal for those learning to surf.

“Obviously Newquay is Cornwall’s surfing hotspot, with great surf schools and some of the best beaches for all levels, from Watergate Bay to Fistral beach,” says Emily Dawes, a fashion editor who lives in Cornwall. “But if you want to experience surf culture like a local, it’s worth heading (way) out west to the wild and beautiful Sennen Cove (next door to Land’s End), which has a legendary surf school, miles of white sand and clear blue Caribbean-like seas. For post-surf fuel, the Sennen Surf Lodge is a chic beach bar with barefoot vibes, a killer sunset and delicious food and drinks. Don’t miss their Pizza Roja pop-up for the best pizza in Cornwall (or maybe even the UK).” For days when you want to avoid the crowd, she recommends going to Gwynver Beach which is an “off-the-beaten-track surfer’s paradise.” For heading West, Dawes recommends you stay at Farraway House in Sennen or at Pembrooke Lodge or Little Pembrooke, the Cornish house which was thoughtfully renovated by fashion PR Bianca Fincham and is far more elevated than your typical rental.

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Saltburn Cosplay

Stately homes and grand estates will always be an indulgent option for a UK staycation, whether you’re pretending you’re the lady of a manor house or reign over a castle in the Highlands. Emerald Fennell, eat your heart out. “There are certain houses that come into their own in summer, and Cowley Manor is very much one of them,” notes Hodgkin. “Set deep within the Cotswolds, it has the quiet confidence of a grand estate that knows its place in the landscape—elegant without being imposing, and best enjoyed slowly. What draws me back, time and again, is the sense of space and ease. The gardens—originally laid out by Capability Brown—unfold with a natural rhythm, dense woodland giving way to open lawns, water moving gently through the grounds.” British heritage brand Barbour just hosted a trip at Aldourie Castle in Loch Ness, which is an exclusive-use house for those wanting to have something truly luxurious. Send your group chat a photograph of the formal dining room as your sales pitch.

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A Londoner's London

If you’ve done the Tower of London and don’t want to go anywhere near the M&M store, why not Lime bike your way around the city like a Londoner, sticking to neighbourhood haunts only. No Pret allowed. “There are London hotels made for sightseeing — and then there are those that feel entirely of the city,” says Hodgkin. “The Broadwick sits squarely in the latter camp. Set on a quietly storied street in Soho, it has the relaxed confidence of a place designed for people who already understand London’s rhythms. From here, the capital is best explored instinctively: hopping on a Lime bike, slipping down side streets, cutting between favourite restaurants, record shops and late‑night haunts rather than following a map.” Plus this summer, El Fenn has a rooftop residency at the hotel. Add onto your itinerary lunch at Cafe Cecilia (where Jonathan Saunders recently hosted industry friends to celebrate his creative directorship for & Other Stories) and a stroll of Broadway Market (Rites is excellent for second-hand designer finds on this street) and a visit to the recently opened V&A East, which has an exhibition ‘Music Is Black’ and quite possibly the best museum eatery in the city, Café Jikoni.

Right now, Marie Claire has some exclusive discounts on hotel booking sites such as 8% on select hotels at Hotels.com and Expedia.com—well worth checking out for more options in the UK and beyond.

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Coastal Path

When visiting the coast this year, why not branch out beyond Margate. Hannah Almassi, MD of Marie Claire and Who What Wear, has seen first-hand the rise in visitors to the South Downs. "When I moved to Eastbourne four years ago, it felt like a little untouched pocket of calm, palm trees and retirement properties. Lately, there's been a noticeable increase in people hiking across the South Downs and the town and walking paths have become full of well-dressed Gen Z groups—and I’m not mad about it! It feels like it’s experiencing a renaissance many years after its original Victorian seaside town boom.” As for what to do when you get there, Almassi recommends you visit the Towner Gallery, stay at the Port Hotel and book a table at Foundry for brunch and have a romantic dinner at Skylark. And because what is a UK staycation without a walk to a pub, she recommends you take a small hike via Butts Brow to the Eight Bells in Jevington. If you’re driving, it’s always worth detouring via Charleston House, the magical home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant.

There is also a rise in properties that combine the coast with countryside, such as Fowlescombe in Devon. Updown Farmhouse near Deal is another hotel that masters this concept, with a charming main country house, quaint cottages on site and a serene terrace restaurant, where you can eat breakfast in the cottage-style garden. It’s one of the most relaxing hotel breakfasts I’ve ever had and is the perfect place to unwind after a day navigating crowds at the beach.

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A Great British Menu

Dining in the countryside can have a reputation for mediocre pub grub, however one of the most exciting restaurants in the UK is nestled in a seemingly sleepy corner of Somerset. Bruton might be a small village, but people plan holidays around a dinner reservation at Osip, where chef Merlin Labron-Johnson puts an artistic spin on seasonal local produce and was awarded a Michelin star in 2021. There are four rooms for those who want the full Osip experience, while The Newt is just down the road and is without a doubt the best place I’ve ever stayed in the UK. Opened by Babylonstoren, everything about the property is magical, from the Alice in Wonderland-style gardens to the hearty breakfasts to the outdoor hot tub. The restaurants are a celebration of British produce, with cider made from apple trees on site and vegetables plucked from the sprawling estate. Holm is another new addition to the Somerset line-up, and Hodgkin notes that here “the excitement comes from immediacy—open‑fire cooking, exceptional ingredients and a closeness to the land that makes each meal feel elemental, tactile and completely absorbing.”

The Lake District is also a foodie destination and hub for fine dining: 13 Cumbrian restaurants featured in the 2026 Michelin guide. The gothic country house Forest Side has one of the most in-demand restaurants, with an eight-course tasting menu that uses lots of ingredients from the expansive kitchen garden and local Cumbrian farmers.

If you are in the mood for a very fancy pub experience, then head to The Three Horsehoes in Batcombe, Somerset. With the menu crafted by chef, caterer and writer Margot Henderson OBE and Head Chef Nye Smith, this is the perfect, low-key destination for delicious food with friends or family and to take in the charming sights at nearby Petworth.

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