Louma Farm and Retreat, Dorset
SLEEPS 20+ (across the estate)
There will be times in life you need to Eat Pray Love, and if it can’t be Italy, then let it be Louma. Set across 100 acres near the Jurassic Coast, Louma Farm & Retreat is less sleepover house and more Stanley-Tucci-does-Dorset; complete with sourdough, two vineyards, and on-site piglets. This isn’t one-size-fits-all, with rooms, cabins, barns, huts spread across the estate, everyone can have their own space but drift back together for the important bits: long dinners that turn into drinks, and drinks that turn into more drinks.
Days drift between the wellness barn (pool, sauna, good intentions), slow walks through vineyards and woodland, and the odd wholesome activity. Nights are slower; cosier, warmer. At around £300 per person, it’s not cheap, but can you really put a price on frolicking in a vineyard?
Cothelstone Manor
SLEEPS 14
Tucked into the Quantocks and lovingly restored in 2023, Cothelstone Manor is Saltburn-esque in the best way: honeyed stone, old fireplaces, big proportions. The layout does a lot of the work: long dinners in a dining hall that roll into drinks, fires lit early in front of cosy couches, and a natural drift between drawing room, billiards, and a cosy snug. You’re never all in one place, but never far from each other.
Days start slow, and plans have a habit of quietly dissolving. Mornings drift, evenings are made for yapping well into the night. It can sleep up to 14 comfortably, so a great option if you’ve somehow managed to hold on to that many friends.
Good to know: It’s a historic house, so expect character over perfection. Also, once you’re in, you won’t feel much need to leave.
Pamella’s Place at Bonnington Farm, Leicestershire
SLEEPS 8
Four stacked double beds, soft lighting, and a wood-fired hot tub on at all hours: Pamella’s Place on Bonnington Farm is poised to be the most wholesome weekend of the year. The space is warm and slightly playful: open-plan living and dining, a Gozney pizza oven, and a BBQ that takes over the night.
Days slow down properly, with in-house treatments if you want them (or doing absolutely nothing, which is also the plan). Reserve the on-site Film House and sink into velvet sofas to relive the magic that was (and still is) 27 Dresses.
Good to know: At around £730 for two nights between eight, this might be the most affordable luxe sleepover going. Just know that the bunk-style setup is the whole point; if you want total privacy, this isn’t it.
Cottage Orne, Cornwall
SLEEPS 14
Sleepover Club meets Cornish hamlet. With a pool, a tennis court, and a sauna hut (to name but a few), you can arrive at Cottage Orné with vague plans and quickly realise you don’t need them. Big groups belong in The Manor House. Don’t let the name fool you, it’s far from stuffy. It’s big, warm, and full of personality — two living rooms with fires, a conservatory that turns into games and drinks by evening, and a dining room built for long, slightly chaotic dinners that no one’s in a rush to leave.
By day, coffee turns into a swim, which turns into a sauna, which turns into shall we just open a bottle? By night, it’s hot tub, cheese platters, and a bedtime later than anticipated.
Good to know: It’s part of a wider hamlet, so you’ll have access to the pool, sauna, studio and more; but the Manor House is your base. Also, you’ll need cars to explore, but most groups don’t get very far.
Villa Vista, Cotswolds
SLEEPS 8
If you’re looking for a tiny slice of Palm Springs deep in the Cotswolds (said no-one ever), then Villa Vista is the only real option. When I think of Cotswold cottage, I think of Iris’ quaint home in The Holiday, and this, will this isn’t that. Set within the Heythrop Estate, Villa Vista is a part mid-century modern, part modern-luxe house with arched doorways, dark wood, and gingham bathrooms that will be on your Pinterest board before you’ve checked out.
Like most houses on this list, you’ll find a fire pit, a sauna, and a rather special butter-yellow hot tub that feels like going back in time. A house for the ages, crucially, for the girls’ weekend of all girls’ weekends.
Good to know: You’re close to all the Cotswolds’ usual suspects, but expect more low-key luxury than blowout house energy.
Kip and Nook, Yorkshire
SLEEPS 8
In the emphatic words of Miss Montana, Kip & Nook is the best of both worlds: off-grid in the Yorkshire countryside, phones on DND, and in the wood-fired hot tub for way longer than you should be. Follow with cocktails, pizza, and… padel? It’s a retreat with every bell and whistle, and The Barn begs for a sleepover.
Sleeping eight, The Barn is their biggest and most luxurious space, a stunning mix of rustic character and modern comfort, perfect for slow mornings, slower dinners, and cosy nights in the snug.
Good to know: A lot is going on, so don’t over-plan. Also, the mezzanine beds are part of the fun, not for early nights.
ARC Next-the-Sea, Wells-next-the-Sea
SLEEPS 20
Set in the centre of Wells-next-the-Sea, ARC Next-the-Sea is a former set of church rooms reworked into a bright, modern house that understands a good girls’ weekend. Ten en-suite bedrooms, open-plan living space, and dare we say it, a heated pool year-round,
The beach is a short walk away: a postcard wander through pinewoods, past boats, and with an inevitable stop for the (undisputed) best fish and chips in Norfolk.
Good to know: You’re right in town, with the beach about a 30-minute walk. Also, ten en-suites means no bathroom politics; worth noting.
ARC Peaks, Peak District
SLEEPS 30
If you thought a house for 20 was overwhelming, we raise you a house for 30? This is less sleepover and more summer camp, but still.A house for 30 could easily feel like too much. This one doesn’t. It’s big, yes, but oh, it’s good.
Set in a former printworks in the Peak District, ARC Peaks mixes old with a clean, modern extension, giving you scale without losing warmth. There’s a huge dining space that carries most of the weekend, an indoor pool that gets used at all hours, a cinema room that starts with good intentions and ends with half the group asleep, and an outdoor space set up for long, slightly over-ambitious lunches.
Good to know: It’s a big house, but the layout makes it feel homely.
Restaries at Paradise Farm, Suffolk
SLEEPS 6
And, back to reality. A more realistic sleepover. Fewer people, slower pace, and a stay where the plan is mostly just to be there. Set within a 16th-century farm, Restaries fits the bill. Pygmy goats wander past the windows, sheep in the distance, and everything else is calm, considered, and very easy to settle into.
It’s low-key, but it absolutely works. In an unexpected twist, there are some techy features (a TV that moves around the space, which feels slightly unnecessary but also quite fun), but mostly it’s about switching off. Small group, good conversations, and a house that doesn’t try to impress.
Good to know: This is more low-key than some of the others — better for a smaller group who actually want to slow down. Also, you’re on a working farm, which is part of the charm.
Lady Ava’s Tower, Hesdin Estate
SLEEPS 24
Hesdin Estate has six houses in total, all of which would work for this kind of weekend, but we’ve got a soft spot for Lady Ava’s Tower. Set right on the edge of the estate, it’s big, slightly theatrical, and made for a group that’s not planning on an early night. The pool is the obvious focal point — stainless steel, glass viewing wall, the whole works — with the terrace and hot tub quickly becoming home base.
Shuffleboard, pool table, two game rooms, and a dining space that ends up hosting long, slightly chaotic lunches that carry on far later than intended. It’s bold, a little bit extra, and very good at being the centre of the weekend, which is exactly what you want.
Good to know: You’ve got the full run of the estate, but this house easily holds its own. Also, keep an eye out for Phil the pheasant — minor celebrity.
