15 Holiday Homes To Book For New Year’s Eve
15 Holiday Homes To Book For New Year’s Eve

15 Holiday Homes To Book For New Year’s Eve


If New Year’s Eve plans have slipped your mind until now, you’ll be pleased to hear there are still some great properties out there available to rent. From cosy cabins for couples to party houses for multi-family get-togethers, here are the best options.
Words Heather Steele
Glen Dye Cabins & Cottages, Aberdeen, Scotland
Glen Dye Cabins & Cottages, Aberdeen, Scotland

FOR 2-4 GUESTS

The Cabin At Welcome Beyond

Wales

Welcome Beyond has a great selection of handpicked hotels, villas, beach houses and holiday home across the world. Fresh to the collection is this cosy cabin in Presteigne, Wales. Surrounded by beautiful scenery with forests, hills and trails right outside, the cabin was restored by the owner who was inspired by Edwardian drawing rooms. Inside, you’ll find Persian silk tapestries and 1960s furniture. There’s a kitchenette and diner, a spacious double bedroom with a freestanding bath that overlooks the scenery, and two single beds – perfect for small families. A 15-minute walk from the cabin will take you to the Harp, which has won Pub of the Year.

Visit WELCOMEBEYOND.COM

The Photography Loft

London

For a memorable couple of days in the capital, book this spacious apartment in Clapton, just a short walk from some of east London’s best bars and clubs in Hackney. The open-plan flat includes a modern kitchen/diner with quirky accessories (like oversized lamps and cool artwork), a large sofa with plenty of space for four, and a king-sized bedroom and fold-out bed. There’s also a fold-down TV projector, plus a spacious courtyard with garden seating. 

Visit AIRBNB.CO.UK

West Cottage

Dungeness

This Grade II-listed cottage was once a lighthouse keeper’s house. Many of its original features have now been restored, including its distinctive red chimneys and fireplaces. Inside, shades of cream and greys are the backdrop for pops of colour in patterned cushions and striped curtains, and every room has a great view – either of the wildflower garden or sweeping dunes. The cottage has two double bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and a cosy living area with an indoor wood burner. Climb to the top of the Old Lighthouse next door for panoramic views of Dungeness and the RSPB nature reserve, then tuck into scallop rolls and dressed crab at the Fish Shack, just a 15-minute walk from the cottage.

Visit KIPHIDEAWAYS.COM

Little Eden, Loch Lomond
Little Eden, Loch Lomond

Buckingham Mews Cottages

Broadstairs

There are five cottages in this collection of holiday homes, tucked away in a little mews just a few minutes from Viking Bay beach in Broadstairs, Kent. Each one sleeps four guests across two cosy bedrooms (with space for an extra person if they don’t mind a pull-out sofa bed). Following a recent renovation, the cottages have chic country interiors, with stripped-back wooden floorboards, wicker furniture, bespoke kitchenettes with a butler's sink, and double bedrooms that lead onto bathrooms with rolltop baths. Each one has an open-plan living and dining area, an indoor wood burner, and a snug with a TV. Over at Viking Bay, you can spend the day on the beach and eating ice-cream at the famous Morelli Parlour.

Visit COOLSTAYS.COM

Glen Dye Cabins & Cottages

Aberdeen, Scotland

Glen Dye estate in Aberdeenshire has a lovely collection of colourful holiday cottages. It makes the ideal NYE spot – snow falls often, it’s surrounded by pine forests and there are plenty of roaring fires. All Glen Dye cottages are dog friendly, have a wood-fired hot tub and have access to the full 15,000-acre estate. including its charming BYOB pub The Glen Dye Arms. There’s also a new Discovery & Adventure Centre on site, where there are icy cold water immersion tanks to slip into before warming up in the wood-fired sauna – ideal for a New Year’s Day dip.

Visit GLENDYECABINSANDCOTTAGES.COM

Limehouse Cottage

Glenbeigh, County Kerry

Between mountains, valleys and lakes, Limehouse Cottage in Kerry has it all. The self-catering hideaway embraces Ireland's elements. On the Iveragh Peninsula, the area is surrounded by Coomasaharn Lake – just the place to take a bracing swim on New Year’s Day. And if that sounds too hardy, the cottage has its own outdoor stone bath, plus a fire pit to warm up afterwards. Inside, you’ll find a king-size bed and a daybed, which can fold out to create a second double bed if there are four of you.

Visit UNIQUEHOMESTAYS.COM

The Find, Cotswolds
The Find, Cotswolds

Little Eden

Loch Lomand

Remote yet within an hour of Glasgow, this luxury self-catering Highland cottage offers a slice of luxe country living. Bordered by untamed woodlands and a secluded inlet on Loch Lomond, Little Eden is a Scottish retreat with the popular West Highland Way on its doorstep – and it’s the ideal spot to head out and about by day and return to in the evening for a soak in the claw-foot bathtub. Suitable for up to four guests, there are two fire pits to cosy up to and its location on a sheltered bay makes it the perfect launchpad for kayaks and SUPs.

Visit UNIQUEHOMESTAYS.COM

FOR GROUPS

Horizon

West Sussex

This Scandinavian-inspired house is right on the beach at Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex. With beautiful views of the surrounding Downs, there are six bedrooms of various sizes for up to 12 guests, as well as a spacious open-plan kitchen/diner with everything you need for a memorable NYE – including a wine fridge and plenty of seating options for dinner parties or drinks. Guests can also use the pebbled garden with further outdoor seating and a fire pit, and play music on the Sonos sound system.

Visit AIRBNB.CO.UK

Spring Cottage

Cotswolds

One of the prettiest options on this list, six-person Spring Cottage is the perfect setting for a cosy NYE in. Tucked down a quiet lane in Chipping Norton, the cottage is surrounded by greenery in every direction. There’s a homely kitchen with wicker baskets hung from the ceiling’s beams, as well as a long dining table for mealtimes. Guests can relax in the light-filled lounge, spend New Year’s Day cosied up with a book in one of three double bedrooms, and head out on a long walk to blow the cobwebs away. At this time of year, the roaring log burner comes into its own, and there are boardgames and plenty of local pubs to add to the entertainment.

Visit KIPHIDEAWAYS.COM

Gulliver's Hall, Cotswolds
Gulliver's Hall, Cotswolds

The Art House

South Downs

Bordering the South Downs National Park, the Art House is a carefully curated retreat in a beautiful setting. Whether you choose to relax by the pool or enjoying cosy evenings gathered around the fire pit, this luxurious self-catering residence in West Sussex feels special and sophisticated. The open-plan space can accommodate up to 12 people across the three floors, and there's a grand piano for singalongs and a beautiful outdoor dining set-up – complete with a rose pergola. There’s even a heated outdoor pool.

Visit UNIQUEHOMESTAYS.COM

The Find

Cotswolds

For design buffs, this 12-sleeper property in the Cotswolds is sure to impress, having won the RIBA National Award for British architecture. Down a long country drive, surrounded by a 16-acre wooded valley, this unique property has thoughtfully merged the old and the new. It has the hallmarks of a uber-modern house – a huge open-plan kitchen with floor-to-ceiling windows and glass roofs. But then, open another door and it changes to natural stone, wooden doors and beams, and huge open fires. This really is a one-of-a-kind estate, with all the amenities to make sure you’ll remember your time there – from emperor-size bedrooms to a huge roof terrace to see the new year in with sparklers. 

Visit UNIQUEHOMESTAYS.COM

Oran Na Mara

Isle Of Harris

Òran Na Mara is a contemporary self-catering holiday home for six guests on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. This building is curved to take full advantage of the beachside views, with floor-to-ceiling windows and best-in-class interior design. Case in point: the bespoke sofas follow the soft curves of the building and lead guests to the snug, which has a wood stove for winter nights. Known for its mountains, beaches and wildlife, it’s the ideal island base for those wanting to spend the start of the year exploring the Isle of Harris and its wonderful scenery.

Visit ORANNAMARA.COM

Gulliver's Hall, Cotswolds
Gulliver's Hall, Cotswolds
Scottish Highlands Lodge, Perthshire
Scottish Highlands Lodge, Perthshire

Scottish Highlands Lodge

Perthshire

This lovely eco lodge sleeps eight and offers an immersive Highland experience. Combining the exclusivity of a private rental with all the bells and whistles of a hotel (think a private chef and butler, and full concierge services), guests will arrive with an itinerary tailored to their wishes, whether that’s independent self-catering and walks from the front door or excursions such as golfing at Gleneagles or whisky tasting at a local distillery. Surrounded by woodlands and wildflower meadows on a private five-acre estate, the lodge itself is a calm, chic space with four ensuite bedrooms, complete with bathrobes and slippers.

Visit KIPHIDEAWAYS.COM

FOR XXL GROUPS

Gulliver’s Hall

Cotswolds

Close to the picturesque village of Bisley, Gulliver's Hall is a luxurious Cotswold farmhouse steeped in familial history. Combining ancestral stories with elegant maximalism, every detail – from the stained-glass windows to the dining table carved from an oak tree that was felled in the grounds 50 years ago – carries a story. It can sleep up to 21 guests, and for parents seeking a bit of respite, the south-facing spa is a real sanctuary, complete with sauna, steam room and sunken hot tub. Meanwhile, the expansive grounds include acres of woodland and wildflowers, offering a playground for children to explore during the day.

Visit UNIQUEHOMESTAYS.COM

Bay View House

Pembrokeshire

Bay View House, on the cliffs of Pembrokeshire’s Waterwynch Bay, offers a chilled-out escape. Spend the days exploring rocky shores or trying to spot bottle-nose dolphins out at sea. The house itself can sleep 30. It has a double-height entrance, sea-inspired interiors and its own cinema room, billiard room, gym, music room, and even an art studio. The pièce de résistance is the sky room, where guests can unwind and take in the sunsets and sunrises. As evening sets in, have a game of billiards on a vintage table that dates to the 1920s – and there’s plenty of space for a convivial meal to draw 2024 to a close.

Visit BIGHOUSEEXPERIENCE.COM

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