With Covid-19 restrictions for overseas travel looking likely to continue into the summer, a UK staycation seems like a safer option. Finding the ideal staycation rental is not only time consuming but how can you be sure the reviews are reliable or that you’re getting the best price? Kip Hideaways offers a hand-picked, ever-expanding portfolio of 120 unusual and stylish UK boltholes, from cozy cottages and luxurious eco cabins to forest treehouses and sea view studios. The self-catering hideaways for two-six people are all privately owned and, starting at £80 a night, are affordable too.
For anyone looking for something really special and affordable in the prettiest parts of the UK, Kip Hideways offers under-the-radar rentals, carefully selected by two travel experts who have stayed in some of the best places around the world. If the idea of staying in an authentic circus showman’s wagon from the 1920s appeals, Kip Hideways is a must have service. Founders Liz Simpson and Sarah De-Vere-Drummond joined forces to launch Kip, after years of working together in the boutique travel industry at i-escape. Using their expertise in the boutique travel industry, they look at thousands of properties and carefully handpick the ones that they feel are really standout. Each property is totally unique, with a real soul that comes from the owner. Personal touches are a big must: carefully chosen books, a handpicked posy of flowers in a little vase, a homemade cake, a list of their favorite walks in the area and a must-try place for lunch.
Unlike i-escape, Mr & Mrs Smith, Chic Retreats and others, Kip is a membership club and it doesn’t include hotels. And unlike airbnb, Kip is more selective and its membership fee makes it feel more exclusive. The focus is on stylish, privately owned holiday properties that can be rented at reasonable prices (from £80-£300 per night). Both property owners and guests pay a modest monthly or annual membership fee and, unlike other holiday let companies, Kip doesn’t charge commission to owners, or booking fees to guests. Guests book direct with owners.
Many hideaways listed by Kip are in areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in secluded fields and woodlands. Although not all their listings are exclusive to Kip, a good number are including customer favorites like Vintage House in Suffolk, the Dairy Barn in Cornwall, Sunset Cottage in the South Downs and Brecon Beacons Hideaway in Wales.
Kip prides itself on providing unique and honest reviews and even highlight the potential drawbacks of each place to help guests choose the most suitable place. For instance, of the gorgeous architect-designed cabins, near Oban, Scotland on the shores of glassy Loch Nell, Kip says the location is stunning and the cabins provide a real wilderness experience. However, not everyone would enjoy the fact that there’s no WiFi, shops or pubs, the eco-toilet is a few steps away in a little cabin of its own and the shower is alfresco plus you’ll need to light a fire to warm the water.
Likewise, the Author’s Escape in North Devon is located in one of the UK’s most beautiful areas, with Exmoor to the east and golden beaches of Croyde and Saunton to the west; you can see the sea through the tall Monterrey pines that cradle the property. Kip points out that it’s not available for weekend breaks though as there’s a three night minimum for bookings, The property has two bedrooms but the beds can’t be twinned and it can be quite a windy as the cabin is on the top of a hill.
Or if you’re keen to stay in one of six off-grid treehouses, hidden in a woodland on the edge of Snowdonia National Park, to book a stay here you’ll need to plan almost a year ahead. It does sound like it’s worth it though as “these handcrafted huts are like something out of a fairytale, with spiral stairs leading up to a living pod. Interiors are rustic luxe, by a Swedish designer; three even have a wood-fired hot tub.”
Kip Hideaways membership is just £14 a year or £2.99 a month (rolling subscription) giving access to 120 properties to rent throughout the UK.
