A warren of Hobbit homes and a converted pump house are among the winners in a search to find the best holiday lets in the UK and Ireland.
The awards, which were organised for a second year running by Sykes Holiday Cottages, saw holiday home owners from across the UK and Ireland competing to be crowned a winner in five separate categories.
The overall winner, named UK and Ireland’s Best Holiday Let, walked away with a £10,000 cash prize, while smaller cash prizes were awarded to the individual category winners.
Despite only being up and running for four months, Nant y Garnedd bagged the top prize.
Located on a family farm in Snowdonia, the hobbit-style holiday pod is owned by brothers Dylan, 36, and Gwion Jones, 26, and their partners Mared Jones, 34, and Catrin Owen, 26.
The group decided to diversify their farm with the addition of eco-friendly holiday accommodation back in 2020, spending the past two years creating two luxury lets.
Each sleeping up to four guests, the pods come complete with wood-fired hot tubs, walk-in showers and private gardens.
It has an unusual look and luxury feel which has attracted holidaymakers from far and wide, and is already booked up until the end of the year.
Meanwhile, other categories in the competition saw winners crowned for Best Renovation, Most Quirky Holiday Let, Best Interior and Best View.
Winners included a stunning stone cottage in the Yorkshire Dales with breath-taking panoramic views of Grimwith Reservoir, as well as a unique Grade II listed property in the Peak District which was formerly a working pump house.
Properties were judged on a number of factors, including customer reviews, location and facilities on offer.
Judges were also asked to consider if each property could be described as first choice staycation option for holidaymakers.
Catrin Owens said: “We can’t believe we are the winners of this competition, we’re still in shock.
"We could have never predicted that our dream of creating hobbit houses on our land would lead to this - but what started as a small project alongside the farm has turned into a booming business in just a few months.
“The prize money will help us build on our sustainable ambitions for the huts. When we first started, we wanted to install a hydro scheme so that electricity will be generated by running water, but the installation was too far over our budget.
"We want to make sure people can enjoy the beautiful Welsh countryside while not harming the area and now we will be able to fulfil our original objectives with this prize money.”
The winners are:
Winner of Britain’s Best Holiday Let and Best Glamping: Nant y Garnedd – Snowdonia, Wales
Winner of Best Interior: Prospect House – Ambleside, Cumbria
Winner of Most Quirky: The Pump House Art Studio - Peak District
Winner of Best Renovation: Lilac Cottage - Wells, Somerset
Winner of Best View: Skyfell – Appletreewick, Yorkshire Dales
