As we come to the end of 2024 we thought it might be a good idea to check out the most popular Cool Places of the Year. What kind of places did people love the most, and which places received the most clicks?
We discovered that you adore staying in the countryside, especially woodland or being beside a river or a lake. Maybe it's wanting to be a child again, but treehouses are very popular, especially if they are sustainable and eco-friendly. Secluded cabins and lodges score highly, and dog-friendly accommodation is right up there too! So read on and get inspiration for your 2025 trips with the 16 most popular Cool Places of 2024!
It came as no surprise to us that this luxurious, secluded lakeside cabin in the South Downs National Park was one of the most clicked-on properties on our site! With relaxed sofas, a log burner, an emperor double bed, roll-top bath and a lakeside hot tub and all manner of water-borne actviities, it's a beautifully romantic retreat for couples, but it works just as well for families too (and dogs are also welcome).
Straight out of a fairy tale, two magical, luxurious treehouses in the Herefordshire countryside. Spiral staircases, rope walkways, slides and outdoor baths! Lights dangle from the branches, stairs rise on trunks and the kitchen surface is a wavy-edged slice of a tree. Both have open-plan living spaces, log burners, two double bedrooms plus a bunk room for kids.
Contemporary and cool, these five luxury self-catering holiday homes in Bowness-on-Windermere can accommodate you in super-chic Scandi style. Each is designed with clean lines, simple colours and plenty of glass to let the outside in. Living rooms are open-plan, and have a log burner with sumptuous rugs, upholstery and cushions. Everything is high-end: WiFi is fast, TVs are Smart, and there are Sonos speakers throughout and Neff appliances in the kitchen.
A boutique slate-and-stone cottage for two in the beautiful North Wales countryside, with leather sofas, sumptuous rugs and cushions, a handsome wooden bed and log-burner inside, and outside a garden, hot tub and even a covered lounge! There's a pub just over a mile's walk away for a start, and it's only ten minutes to the nearby river, where you can enjoy wild swims and riverside picnics.
A high-end eco-lodge near Hastings, with front and back walls that are entirely glass that darken at dusk, letting you enjoy your woodland view at any time. The interior is pretty special too – a cosy sofa corner with a floating log burner, a kitchen island and a combined bedroom and bathroom with a statement white stone pebble bath. Many people arive with the intention of exploring but once here can’t bear to leave!
This North Norfolk boutique seaside hotel has comfy and extremely well-equipped guest rooms, a swish restaurant featuring local ingredients, a clubby bar and guest lounges that make an ideal spot to collapse after a bracing walk. It's dog-friendly too, and the beach is a half-a-mile stroll away. You couldn't ask for a better base from which to explore the glorious North Norfolk Coast!
Eco-friendly cabins with sea views, on the edge of a forest in the Scottish Highlands. Huge windows allow plenty of light and connect you with the beautiful outdoors! They are also as sustainable as it gets: the timber used in their construction was felled and hewn right here, and insulation, underfloor heating and all-round energy efficiency keep things so cosy, so there’s no need for a log burner.
A romantic treehouse for two, close to Canterbury and the North Kent coast. With underfloor heating, a double bed, well-equipped kitchen, hot tub and log burner, it makes for an ideal romantic escape for two, within easy reach of London and with plenty of walks to be enjoyed in the nearby Blean woods and surrounding countryside. It's also very handy for Canterbury and Whitstable and the North Kent Coast.
Yet again Cumbria comes up trumps, with this contemporary lakeside hotel on the shores of Ullswater. Family- and dog-friendly, with plenty of activities to enjoy, it's part of the group that owns Cornwall's Watergate Bay Hotel, and couldn't be more welcoming, and it has a memorable pool and a couple of top-notch restaurants. It also has a treehouse and a few shepherds huts just in case you don't fancy staying in a regular hotel!
These luxury family lodges have stunning views overlooking Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales.They're also warm and stylish with extensive facilities, including solid wood flooring, stylish kitchens, king-sized bedrooms and spacious bathrooms. They're all dog-friendly, and some have disabled access and facilities. As for the location, it couldn't be better, with the charming town of Richmond just a short walk away and delights of the Dales on your doorstep.
This quirky 'deconstructed' hotel is set on a lavish 70-acre Staffordshire estate, and boasts a selection of beautifully styled treehouses, cabins and huts, plus an outdoor heated pool and spa. There's also the hotel's superb restaurant, the Plumicorn, which not only serves great food but enjoys a magnificent setting, with high ceilings and huge windows, overlooking the estate's largest lake and just above its outdoor heated pool.
Located deep in the heart of rural Shropshire, this multi-award-winning riverside cabin retreat is just the place to recharge your batteries or inject a bit of romance in your life. You can go wild swimming, enjoy riverside rambles plus there's a wellness studio that hosts for yoga and pilates and cinema evenings. There are e-bikes for hire, and stand-up paddle boards and kayaks to borrow for free, or you could just sit and listen to the birds in the trees.
These fabulous high-end timber-framed safari lodges with hot tubs, located in a young forest of beech and oak trees in the Nottinghamshire countryside, take glamping to the next level, indeed it's questionable whether these luxurious abodes are really glamping at all. They have underfloor heating throughout, dishwashers and Smart TVs, fast wifi and games and books for rainy days, and each lodge has its own own firepit area, reachable by way of a a wooden walkway. Four are also dog friendly – just as well as there are plenty of walks on your doorstep.
These warm and welcoming woodland cabins, deep in a valley on the edge of the North York Moors National Park, are as comfortable and well-equipped as all Forest Holidays properties, and the location is really something special, deep in a valley on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. This is Dark Sky country, ideal for star gazing on the porch while wallowing in your hot tub!
A lovely B&B in Grasmere, one of the Lake District's most charming villages. A guest house since opening in 1872, and lovingly updated with flair and style, the guest rooms here are elegant and cosy at the same time, with lots of natural light and garden views. 'Stargazer' rooms at the top of the house have views through large feature glass windows over the fells, and telescopes are provided. Some rooms are spacious enough to accommodate extra beds or travel cots for families, or you could book interconnecting rooms for a real family-friendly stay.
Top-end treehouses and a converted cowshed provide a super-luxury stay at this secret spot in a wild valley in north Devon, with gold or copper roll-top baths, underfloor heating and a bottle of fizz chilling when you arrive. Each of these super-comfy accommodations has been clverly designed to connect with the outdoors, and besides the plentiful indoor luxuries there is outdoor seating, a barbecue and pizza oven, a hammock - and a hot tub too!