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Tap into your creativity at one of Unique Home Stays’ inspiring retreats. Perfect for writers, artists and musicians, these special properties offer the magical atmosphere and absolute tranquillity needed to tease the words, music and pictures onto your blank canvas. Fix your gaze on a wild sea view, squirrel yourself in a lush country valley, hideaway in a manor steeped in history, or soak up the exotica of Morocco and the romance of Italy. Cradled by creature comforts, far from the distractions of every day life and with no obligation to socialise, our inspirational retreats cater for a range of individuals and groups.
THE WHITE HOUSE RIAD, Essaouira, Morocco
Be inspired: Listen to prayer calls from the hammock and soak up the exotica of Morocco from the rooftops to the ocean; or huddle away in the library with its floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Feel your toes in the sand, stand on historic ramparts and watch the waves crashing against the rocks, or witness the castles in the sand that allegedly inspired Jimi Hendrix. Essaouira is a laid-back creative hub where you can escape the hustle and bustle of the souks and follow winding streets, lined with Moorish architecture, to cobbled courtyards where musicians and artists hang out.
The basics: Sleeps up to 8 guests in a stylish riad moulded around 200 year-old sandstone columns and decked out with retro-chic furnishings.
Other things to do: Blast your senses in the souks of the Medina, ask the local fisherman to cook up the day’s catch, or rejuvenate your creativity with a Hammam or yoga session.
Costs: From £900 to £2,400 per week
Find out more: www.thewhitehouse.uniquehomestays.com
ARTISTS’ BEACH HOUSE, Whitstable, Kent
Be inspired: Take up residence in a working artists’ seaside house where you can batten down the hatches and get down to work in a study with serene sea views. The Beach House opens its doors straight onto Tankerton beach, so you can set up your easel on the veranda or enjoy the beachy hues of an interior adorned with coastal treasures, books and art works. Situated on a private road, the only interruption is the relentless picture of the ocean, which is why this pad is so popular with photographers, writers and painters.
The basics: Sleeps 6-8 in a New England style beach house built in 1906.
Other things to do: Meander through the chic and trendy fishing port of Whitstable – crammed with arts and crafts – and shuck oysters in the famous Wheelers Oyster Bar.
Costs: From £1,750 to £2,500 per week. 3-night breaks from £1,050.
Find out more: www.artistsbeachhouse.uniquehomestays.com
ORIENTAL COTTAGE, Lamorna Cove, Cornwall
Be inspired: Curl up by the fireside or kick back on the decking in the holiday home of Dylan Thomas, who penned many beautiful words inspired by the views of the river trickling through verdant gardens of this quaint cottage abode. Tap into the creative ambience that characterises this beautiful riverside cottage set in a hidden valley just a five-minute walk from the beach.
The basics: Sleeps 3 adults (plus 2 small children) in a Cornish stone cottage built from the timbers of The Oriental – a ship that foundered off the coast by Lamorna.
Other things to do: Take a gourmet picnic to the beach, head to the sub-tropical gardens of Trewidden, Trebah and Trengwainton, or take a fishing trip from Penzance.
Costs: From £1,600 to £3,000 per week; £1,250 per weekend
Find out more: www.orientalcottage.uniquehomestays.com
POLIDORA, Lake Maggiore, Italy
Be inspired: Let the romance of Italy be encapsulated in your words, paintings and music. Roam the 17-acres of lush gardens, watch sunsets over Lake Maggiore, peer over the islands to the Alps, and feed your creativity with fine Italian food.
The basics: Sleeps 9 in an original farm building that has been lovingly converted into comfortable accommodation with rural charm.
Other things to do: Explore the Borromeo Islands, hike in the mountains that border the lake, or cross the Swiss border and head into the Alps.
Costs: Double rooms from €120 per night
Find out more: www.polidora.uniquehomestays.com
ISLAND BEACH COTTAGES, Cornish Isles, Cornwall
Be inspired: Escape to a sand-fringed island and stay in one of these swanky seafront cottages where you can’t fail to be inspired. Wake up to ocean views that flood the rooms, pad along the sandy beach footsteps from your private terrace, and hunker down with a notepad by the roaring log fire when the storms come in. A wild, remote and uber-luxurious retreat where the stunning sunsets beg to be painted, and peaceful island life hides a cast of interesting characters just waiting to be penned into a novel.
The basics: Each of 12 contemporary, New England style beach houses sleeps from 6-9 people. Available out of peak season only – when the island is quiet, wild and utterly inspiring.
Other things to do: Visit the sub-tropical oasis of the Abbey Gardens – the only place where you will find 300 species in bloom in the UK in January. Take a boat trip to neighbouring islands, stock up on local produce from the island’s only shop, swim in the bay, gather inspiration in the Island Gallery or enjoy a sauna, swim and gym session at the private beach club.
Costs: From £1,375 per week for a cottage sleeping 8
Find out more: www.islandbeachhouses.uniquehomestays.com
QUARRY COTTAGE, Llangattock, Wales
Be inspired: Soak up the views from your vantage point high up on the Welsh hillside, fling open the doors to bring the countryside into your bedroom, climb the secret staircase to a private sitting room, or retreat to the separate Garden Room – the perfect writer’s or artist’s studio. The Hay on Wye Festival of Literature (May/June) and Brecon Jazz Festival (July/August) are both within 20 minutes of the property.
The basics: Sleeps 8 in a contemporary country cottage with flagstone floors, sea-grass carpet and beamed ceilings.
Other things to do: Step outside the door and explore the landscape drama on foot, visit a range of jazz, food and literature festivals, get active with a choice of fishing, horse riding, paragliding and canoeing, or go underground in part of Europe’s largest cave network.
Costs: From £995 per week; 3-night weekends from £495 available out of season.
Find out more: www.quarrycottage.uniquehomestays.com
PENTONWARRA, Trevone, Cornwall
Be inspired: Write, paint and make music to the beat of the waves. At this beachside property the ocean echoes in every room, and wild seascapes break in through the windows. Surround yourself in the elements in the cliff-top gardens, play the piano with the accompaniment of the crashing seas, take windswept walks along the rugged coastline or seek your inspiration in the ever-changing views that flood the sitting room.
The basics: Sleeps 8 in a comfortable seaside abode with polished floors and eclectic furnishings.
Other things to do: Take a dip in the low-tide rock pool, take up surfing, order delicious home-cooked feasts, or head a stone’s throw up the coast to the arts, crafts and foodie haven of Padstow.
Costs: From £1,600 to £3,000 per week
Find out more: www.pentonwarra.uniquehomestays.com
THE TOWER, North Berwick, Scotland
Be inspired: Climb the spiral staircase and play king of a private castle with fairytale turrets. Perched on a hilltop, this grand fortress steeped in history is a magical residence swirling in inspiration. Daydream by the lake, sip single-malt by the log fire, sink into a slipper bath and enjoy lavish banquets. Just make sure you take time to indulge your creative bursts and make the most of the state-of-the-art facilities.
The basics: Sleeps 10 in a listed ancient fortress tower that has been meticulously restored to showcase its original features.
Other things to do: Play golf on one of a number of courses nearby, visit Edinburgh (just 20-miles away), and enjoy an array of country pursuits including horse riding and loch fishing.
Costs: From £900 per night based on 6 guests; single occupancy rate on application
Find out more: www.thetower.uniquehomestays.com
THALASSA VILLAS, Crete, Greece
Be inspired: If you fancy panoramic sea views, oodles of tranquillity to feed your inspiration, and the added convenience of hotel facilities within walking distance, head to one of these six beachfront properties in Crete. Take a dip in your private, seawater pool to refresh your creative juices, enjoy the services of a maid, butler and room service at your fingertips, and indulge in a life of luxury perched above a secluded rocky bay.
The basics: Sleeps up to 5 adults and 1 child in each of six luxury villas brimming with mod cons.
Other things to do: Explore the Cretan villages and the ruins of the Minoan Palace of Malia, or take a step further away from it all when you island hop to the natural island reserve of Kri-Kri.
Costs: From €450 per day
Find out more: www.thalassavillas.uniquehomestays.com
For more information contact Sarah Stanley or Jess Clark
Tel: +44(0)1637 881942
Email: sarah@uniquehomestays.com
Web: www.uniquehomestays.com
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