Adults Only Staycations: Where to Find Genuine Quiet

Adults only is a slippery phrase. At some properties it is a formal policy with a minimum age. At others it means the owners have decided a converted mill with an open staircase and a pond is not a sensible place for a toddler. And a great many genuinely quiet places carry no such label at all, simply because nothing about them appeals to children in the first place. Knowing which of the three you are booking is most of the work.

The three kinds of quiet

Formally adults only

Usually hotels and larger guest houses, with a stated minimum age. This is the only version that comes with a guarantee, and it is worth seeking out if the trip depends on it. Spa hotels and country house hotels are the most common examples, and towns like Bath, York and Ludlow have a reasonable concentration of them.

Unsuitable rather than prohibited

Single-unit cottages, barn conversions and shepherd huts often have no policy but are plainly built for two. A property with one bedroom, a spiral staircase and no garden fence will be quiet whether or not it says so.

Quiet by season and geography

The simplest route to a peaceful trip is to go somewhere that is not a family destination, or to go outside the school holidays. Mid-week in October in Northumberland or Shropshire needs no policy at all.

Where to look

Small towns with good food

Ludlow, Bakewell, Hay-on-Wye and Richmond are the sort of places built around eating, walking and browsing rather than around entertaining children.

Islands and remote coast

Mull, Arran and Orkney are quiet by virtue of the effort required to reach them. The same is true of the far end of Pembrokeshire and much of the Scottish Highlands.

What to check before booking

If the trip genuinely depends on quiet, ask directly rather than inferring it. Two specific questions are worth more than any description: how many other units share the site, and whether the walls between them are original or partition. A converted barn split into four is a different proposition from a detached cottage in a field.

Also check what is next door. A beautiful property beside a family park is still beside a family park in August.

What quiet is actually for

Reading, eating and walking

The trips that benefit most from an adults only booking are the ones with no schedule: a long lunch, an afternoon walk, a book by a fire. Somewhere with a good pub within walking distance is worth more to this kind of holiday than any facility on the property.

Sleep

For a great many people the honest reason for booking adults only is uninterrupted sleep. If that is the goal, ask about the road as well as the neighbours. A quiet property on a through route is not quiet at six in the morning.

Practical points

Adults only properties tend to be smaller, which means fewer rooms and earlier booking, particularly at weekends. Mid-week stays are usually easier to get and cheaper. If you are looking for the combination of quiet and a treatment or two, our spa staycations guide covers the spa towns, and romantic weekend breaks covers the rest.