11 Great Party Houses For Summer
The Art House
Best For Smaller Groups
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. Plus, The Art House has abundant green space – from the formal garden to Mediterranean-style dining areas to the wildflower meadow and a vegetable garden – and there’s a 50m swimming lake and a tennis court.
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Durns
Best Luxury Service
Durns is a historic Georgian farmstead with plenty of period charm but all of the luxuries you’d hope to see. It has an outdoor kitchen, heated pool, games room and outdoor cinema, and can sleep up to 18 guests across four double rooms, a dormitory and a shepherd's hut. Inside, period features like timber-framed ceilings complement the modern amenities, including a fully equipped kitchen and cosy sitting room with a wood-burning stove. Plus, there is a fully stocked pantry and a concierge service available to fulfil every need. Activities include kayaking and cocktail making classes – and you can also book private chef services and fitness trainers.
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The Island House
Best Escape
Within Oxfordshire’s Hardwick Parks, this unique house sits on an island in the centre of a lake and is accessible only by boat. The house can accommodate up to 22 guests across eight bedrooms, including a dorm-style room and an additional sitting room with a roof terrace. With five bathrooms, a dining room, and a family room featuring a pool table, foosball, Xbox, and a large wood burner fireplace, it provides ample comfort. Outside, guests can enjoy a bar, Arctic Spa hot tub, BBQ area, pizza oven, table tennis table, hammocks, swings and expansive green spaces.
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Still Waters
Best Modern Aesthetic
On the edge of Avington Park estate, Stillwaters House is a modern seven-bedroom lakeside property that can accommodate up to 14 guests. With floor-to-ceiling windows and a contemporary take on 1950s Italian design running throughout the interiors, it offers fine views of the Hampshire landscape. Guests can make use of a private pool, games and a fire pit, or explore the grounds once frequented by King Charles II. The open-plan kitchen, and dining and living area serve as the heart of the home, while a private pool and manicured lawns offer further chances for relaxation.
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Atlanta House
Best Sea View
If you are after the fresh sea air, Atlanta Trevone has a collection of five freshly renovated self-catering holiday houses a stone’s throw from Padstow. For bigger parties, guests have the option to take over the entirety of Atlanta Trevone, which sleeps 29 without the Net Loft, or 33 including it. For slightly more intimate affairs, our pick is Atlanta House. It is the largest of the properties, sleeping ten people, and is the ultimate party pad with a spacious, open plan kitchen, dining room and sitting room, topped up with sea views over the bay. The interiors are Hamptons beach house meets British Traditional, complete with a Neptune kitchen with Lacanche cooker and Yeti cool box at the ready for seaside adventures. As for the area, Trevone is the hidden gem of the Northern Cornish coastline and offers beach life without so many crowds. Padstow is just a short drive, or scenic walk along the clifftops, away – where there are a range of activities and dining destinations, such as Rick Stein’s Seafood Bar, Barnaby’s and Four Boys. Alternatively, Atlanta Trevone is able to organise chefs, such as Duchy Grub, to cook at home for guests or organise delicious deliveries from Dine with Iris which can either set up an incredible beachside picnic or drop off pre-made meals.
Atlantic Terrace, Trevone Bay, PL28 8RB
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JOHN HERSEY
Bay View House
Best For A Beach Stay
Bay View house, perched on the cliffs of Pembrokeshire’s Waterwynch Bay, offers a chilled-out escape from the pressures of everyday life. Spend the days wandering through bluebell woods or exploring rocky shores, or trying to spot a few 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 piece de resistance 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 back to the 1920s.
Visit BigHouseExperience.com
Gulliver’s Hall
Best For Kids
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 a sauna, steam room and sunken hot tub. Meanwhile, the expansive grounds include acres of woodland and wildflowers, offering a playground for children to explore.
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ALEX COLLINS
Hesdin Estate
Best For Hen Parties
Within picturesque Wiltshire landscape lies the Hesdin Estate, a collection of lavish holiday homes. Whether you're planning an intimate weekend retreat or a grand reunion, Hesdin offers accommodation for groups ranging from two to 30 – plus, the homes come fully equipped with private pools, saunas and hot tubs. Our pick is the corn crib: with party-ready interiors, it also has a roof terrace bar, barbecue kitchen, heated pool, hot tub and sauna. The fully stocked games room will keep everyone entertained.
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Daylesford Village
Best For A Country Escape
Daylesford Village is a quaint hamlet of 15 Tudor-gothic Cotswold cottages nestled in the rolling hills of the 2,500-acre Daylesford Estate. The best part? All of them can be booked as one unit – meaning you can take over the whole village and have it all to yourselves. With varying setups and sleeping arrangements, it is perfect for an intergenerational stay as everyone can have their own space but come together in one of the bigger abodes. Each cottage has an AGA, private garden, fire, Bamford products, washer dryer and private parking, and the interior design is traditional and considered – making sure to maintain the distinctness of each cottage. Plus, it is just across the way from Daylesford Organic Farm, where there is dining and a wellness spa, as well as plenty of seasonal events to get involved in.
Visit TheWildRabbit.co.uk
Kin House
Best Interiors
This incredible restored Georgian manor in Wiltshire offers a luxury hotel-type experience. Its modern art deco-style finishes still have that country house feel, and there’s space to host 20 to 200. The main event space, the grand Kilvert Hall, is geared towards big celebrations, while the Study and the Hearth Room are ideal for intimate dinners. It has 12 beautifully decorated double bedrooms – so it can comfortably sleep 24 – but the lush grounds also have plenty of room for glamping. While you’re there, the house team act as concierge and can organise activities like movie nights, pottery classes, cocktail making, yoga and foraging.
Visit KinHouse.co.uk
The Find
For Architecture Lovers
For design buffs, this 12-sleeper property in The Cotswolds is sure to impress – it even 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 – to an interesting effect. 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 never forget your time there; from emperor-size bedrooms, alfresco-ready dining and a huge roof terrace.
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