Have you ever fancied sleeping in Ginger Spice’s bed or spending the night on a UFO?
Or maybe your idea of the perfect holiday would be a trip to Middle-earth to stay in a hobbit house.
All of these are possible – and what’s more, you don’t even have to leave the UK to experience them.
There are hundreds of weird and wonderful holiday lets in the UK that can turn a simple staycation into a fairy tale or even a trip to outer space.
Holiday rental giant Airbnb has some really quirky offerings – and it has pledged to gift £80,000 to 100 creative folk who can turn their holiday rental into a dream destination.
If weird and wonderful staycations are for you, check out the country’s quirkiest offerings…
The flying saucer
Want a night that’s out of this world? Then you will love this flying saucer.
Guests can imagine what an alien abduction would be like at this unique holiday rental, which has been modelled on an UFO.
It has space helmets, neon lighting, a Tardis-shaped toilet, a hot tub and even a resident alien.
Owner Toby Rhys Davies said: “Behind every unit, there’s a wacky concept.
“The UFO is shaped like the iconic flying saucer and is decorated exactly how you imagine a real UFO would be. At night, it lights up neon and there are retractable stairs and a mist effect when the doors open for the full lunar landing experience.”
The one-bedroom property, in Redberth, Pembrokeshire, sleeps four. Stays start from around £179 a night.
The Windmill
This quaint Victorian windmill is packed full of charm and wouldn’t look out of place in a Disney fairy tale.
The Old Smock Mill in the tiny Kent village of Benenden, has a French kingsize bed and copper bathtub.
Owner Clare Winchester’s pet chickens roam freely around the grounds, and guests are welcomed to the romantic mill with a fresh basket of eggs.
It costs around £400 to rent the property for a weekend. The minimum stay is two nights.
The Conker
The Earth Conker, which is described as “a ball of molten sunshine dropping from the sky”, is a real treat – and will leave you wondering how it ever got to its mountaintop home.
The spherical holiday let was designed by inventor Jag Virdie, who previously produced cars for Bentley and McLaren.
He said: “Years ago, I designed a suspended tree-house for my children – a perfect sphere we hung from a large tree at the rear of our garden, called The Conker.
“I wondered if something similar couldn’t be created to serve as a self-sufficient living space for a student or first-jobber so I started drawing and came up with the next-generation Conker, which does everything you want and looks beautiful too.”
The Earth Conker, which sleeps two, is situated in remote Llanafan-fawr, Powys.
Overnight stays start from £170 a night but you can also buy your own version for £21,000.
Visionary Jag said: “I envisage that people will look to live in The Conker as their home.”
The cowavans
These udderly unique shepherds’ huts are cow-shaped, cow-themed and have even been painted to look like giant black and white cows.
You’ll find them on Easton Farm Park near Woodbridge in Suffolk – a site that is steeped in history.
Once upon a time, it used to be home to Easton Mansion, the 19th Century home of the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton.
But just before the Second World War, Scottish farmer William Kerr took over the site and turned it into a museum and farm, which is still in the family today.
These quirky glamping pods are so beloved by the Kerrs that they’ve named them –Daisy, Carabelle and Buttercup. And if you fancy sleeping under the stars like an old-school cattle rancher, Daisy also boasts a hammock.
The prices, starting from around £100 a night, won’t milk you dry, either.
The Hobbit House
Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien will love this hobbit house, expertly buried in a bank with views over the Rother Valley in East Sussex.
Even better, the quirky cottage – which looks like something out of Tolkien’s very own Middle-earth – is nestled in a vineyard and has its own hot tub.
But just like the coveted ring in Tolkien’s fantasy books, it comes at a high price – £1,500 for a minimum two-night stay in July.
The spaceship
If you love Star Wars, then you’ll love this modern glass-fronted home which looks like it was inspired by a Galactic Starcruiser.
The AirShip2, tucked away in the remote Highland village of Drimnin, is the brainchild of architect Roderick James and his wife, Amanda Markham.
Roderick said: “Our guests have said it’s the best place they’ve ever stayed in – and that’s good enough for me.”
The couple say the sustainable rental, which has a wood burner and impressive views of the Sound of Mull, “doesn’t pretend to be a 5* hotel” but it is “comfortable, quirky and cool”.
The AirShip2 sleeps two people and costs around £165 a night.
The treehouse
Off-grid glamping at its best.
Stay at The Phoenix Tree and you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the barn owls who stalk the meadow at dusk or hear a parliament of tawny owls as you settle down in bed for the night.
This unusual one-bedroom rental has been modelled on a safari lodge and boasts an outdoor shower hot tub and spectacular views across open countryside.
Manufactured by local craftsmen, the staircase alone was built using reclaimed caterpillar tracks, conveyor belt steps and gas pipe rails.
The Phoenix Tree, in Walterstone, Herefordshire, lies next to the Welsh border and will provide you with a true escape from reality. It costs around £133 a night for two people.
