As Soho House continues to build its empire of city centre clubs for its members, it’s simultaneously increasing the number of members who can’t wait to get the hell out of the city centre. So, yes. As a non-member, getting a booking at Soho’s Cotswolds Farmhouse is pretty impossible. But no worries, the UK has no shortage of luxe countryside retreats with chic cabins and cottages, extravagant amenities and hip design details. Let’s check out a few of the alternatives that give Soho Farmhouse vibes, but have a fair few charms of their own. And are maybe a little easier to book…
Soho Farmhouse alternatives: The original Soho country house
Also from The Soho House group, Babington House in Somerset is like Soho Farmhouse on a smaller scale. It has the grounds, the indoor and outdoor activities (spa, pool. cinema, croquet lawn etc.), the cool accommodations inside the 18th century Manor House and outbuildings and complimentary cream teas every afternoon. And – bonus – booking is a little more accessible to non-members.
As a travel obsessive, I routinely browse booking pages for flights, hotels etc. for the places I want to go. I open up the month-at-a-glance pricing grids, scroll through and see if I can spot a random bargain. This is how I managed to snag a night in a small coach house room a couple of years back for a much lower rate than expected – it was midweek, it was at two days notice and when I got there, it turned out there was a load of rooms booked out for a wedding on-site, which might have had something to do with my luck? Less of a bargain, after I impulsively booked it and took the days off work, I realised that the train from London and taxi to and from the station would cost almost as much as I was paying for the room. Oh.
This is when my ‘backpack’ superpowers kicked in and I found a National Express – local bus – 1.5km walk(!) combo at a fraction of the price. The look on the receptionist’s face when she asked for my car registration… Insane? Slightly. But I had an amazing stay, so totally worth it.
Soho Farmhouse alternatives: The quirky, fun foodie farmyards
OK, not really farmyards, but rather than hotels, The Pig’s describe themselves as ‘restaurants with rooms’. With a ‘litter’ of 7 properties across the south of England, they have a strong focus on locally sourced produce – from their own gardens or suppliers within a maximum 25 mile radius – and sustainability. Across all you’ll find a mix of great restaurants, cosy bars, unique spas (in converted potting sheds and shepherd’s huts) and an eclectic mix of accommodation.
You’ll find sties (I’m running with the theme…) in The New Forest, historic Southampton, The Mendip Hills in Somerset, Studland Bay in Dorset, Combe in Devon, Bridge in Kent and Harlyn Bay in Cornwall so take your pick of city, country or coastal locations to explore. Warning: they book up FAST, especially the most affordable entry-level ‘snug’ rooms.
Soho Farmhouse alternatives: The iconic country estate
If the horse riding and clay pigeon shooting at farmhouse caught your eye, go full-on country pursuits at the iconic Gleneagles estate in the Scottish Highlands. Fishing, falconry, off-road driving, country walks, spa, championship golf – you get the idea.
When all that outdoorsing is done, there are 10 restaurants and bars to eat and drink your way around before bed, including Scotland’s only 2 Michelin starred-restaurant, Andrew Fairlie and the grown-and-sexy decadence of the American Bar. All vintage glam and Gatsby-style excess (they have cashmere walls!), your elegance needs to be on point if you want sip your champagne cocktails in this lounge. Pack something fancy.
Soho Farmhouse alternatives: The glamping pop-up
If it was Farmhouse’s bell tents that caught your eye, how about my fave Hoxton’s seasonal pop-up posh campsite Camp Hox? Proper beds and bedding, private ‘powder rooms’ with hot showers, breakfast in bed, bars, barbecues and biking around the estate…rainy campsite in Clacton this is NOT. Included the price of a 2 night break (this year £370 for 2 people) was a free night at any of their 3 London hotels to be taken later in the year – bonus bargain staycation. I was gutted to miss them in August 2020 – fingers crossed for 2021?
Soho Farmhouse alternatives: The one where you can bring all your friends
Designer cabins? Check. Cosy wood burner? Check. Freestanding feature bathtub? Check. All that and room for you and 5 of your closest friends? Check, check, check…
Set in 500 acres of wild Yorkshire woodland, the North Star Club makes cosy, rustic glam a thing. The 8 cabins or ‘suites’ hidden in the woods are decked out in deer antlers, fur throws, wood-burning stoves and the most insta-gorgeous spa bathrooms where you can book the on-site therapist to come and give you a treatment at ‘home’.
Snuggle under rugs playing board games, barbecue on your terrace or venture out for a walk, to hang in the guest lounge (they have a tea and cake honesty bar. SOLD.) or to stargaze round the nightly campfires. Add in a list of award-winning pubs in the neighbourhood…I’m in.
A 2-night off-season midweek break for 6 starts at less than the price of the overnight in the Soho Farmhouse cabin. So there’s that. And if your head was turned by glamping but wanted something more permanent than pop-up, their sister retreat has tents and huts available in the warmer months (ain’t nobody camping in a northern winter…).
Bonus: The one where you don’t break the bank
Not going to pretend that all of these options are necessarily CHEAPER, but just because you’re watching your coins, doesn’t mean you can’t get a little ‘taste’ of the Farmhouse vibe.
Find your country house hotel/glamorous estate/hipster holiday park/whatever, do your research . Do they welcome non-guests to visit the property? Yes? Then (respectfully) abuse the facilities as a day visitor. Yeah, you heard me.With the money you save by not staying there, book a lunch and spend the afternoon walking the grounds. Book a spa treatment and eke out every last second of ‘robe time’ in the relaxation room and anywhere else you can. Book an activity. Stay for afternoon tea or a drink in the bar or dinner or all 3. Some things might be off-limits, but you can definitely dip your toe into the experience and (again, respectfully) act like you own the place. No shame, you are still spending money.
Make it a mini break. Find a quirky airbnb to get that country cabin vibe, or just a cheaper hotel. I am a Premier Inn STAN and with places like Mollie’s bringing the sexy back to budget, you don’t necessarily need to break the bank to find a cool place to rest your head. I’ll take a staycation any way I can get it and, if I can fit something fabulous into a very tight budget, it is all the more satisfying.
The end bit
You can’t always get what you want, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a damn good alternative. Even researching this I’ve added so many properties to my bucket list that not being able to travel so freely internationally right now seems a little less daunting. (A little less…). Get booking.
What caught your eye? What other suggestions do you have for alternative stays that capture that Soho Farmhouse vibe? Hit me up in the comments!
