log cabins with hot tubs

Back to nature: The best log cabins with hot tubs to rent in the UK

21 Mar 2024 | | By Anya Meyerowitz

Go back to (not quite) basics with these chic countryside hideaways

It is perhaps the long-enduring dream of every urban dweller to sometimes – and just for a short while – leave the concrete jungle behind and head out into the undulating rural landscape for some solitude. And, while the UK is peppered with honey-hued villages, boutique country house hotels and quaint holiday homes in abundance, it seems that it’s the humble log cabin that has captured the hearts, and minds, of discerning wanderers. It isn’t hard to see the appeal; they’re stripped back, cosy and often deliciously isolated. In fact, log cabins with hot tubs are some of the most sought-after staycation settings right now, offering visitors well-deserved R&R in spades.

From the sumptuous cliffside stays in Cornwall to brand new lakeside retreats in the grounds of a palatial Elizabethan manor, we’ve rounded up a clutch of our favourite wooden boltholes, where fresh air comes as standard and bubbles are easily added.

Boaty McBoatface at The Fish, Cotswolds

boaty mcboatface the fish hotel

Though the name may be tongue-in-cheek, this waterside cabin at The Fish actually takes luxury, off-grid living pretty seriously. Tucked away within the 500 acres of the much-loved Farncombe Estate in the Cotswolds, this romantic wooden hideaway offers guests a plethora of private outdoor activities, from evenings spent luxuriating in the wood-fired hot tub (with a direct line to room service) to a sunrise circuit of its personal lake, complete with paddle boat, just three steps from the back door.

And while it’s the outside attributes that make a popular spot for proposals, the inside is every bit as cottagecore too. Think wood-burning stove and roll-top bath, as well as a large sofa to curl up on once the al fresco bubbles have been sipped. If you fancy venturing out of your intimate retreat, the hut benefits from all the facilities of the wider estate too, including the award-winning spa at neighbouring sister property Dormy House and dining at popular on-site restaurant, Hook.

Sleeps 2, from £485 per night, thefishhotel.co.uk

Lake View Cabin, Norfolk

lake view cabin norfolk

Straddling the Norfolk-Suffolk border, this tree-swathed lake view cabin combines a clean interior aesthetic with a rustic, natural setting outside, though the two distinctive ‘spaces’ spill seamlessly into one another via floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. Inside, between three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a wood burning fire, the retreat provides everything a family, or clutch of friends, could need from a home-away-from-home, while outside, a sunken wood-burning hot tub offers front row seats to the galaxy’s nightly light show.

Eco-conscious in its design, the cabin treads carefully on the land on which it is built, though the owners have paid meticulous attention to not letting this limit the guest experience: beauty and wellness treatments can be organised within its wooden walls and there’s a swimming pool on site, while just a short welly-clad wander away, a beach, pub and local shop are thrown into the heady mix.

Sleeps 6, from £255 per night, kiphideaways.com

Cabin Tapio, Salisbury

cabin tapio salisbury

A short drive away from the horse-peppered New Forest National Park, this woodland cabin – encased by wizened trees – is an ode to slower living. Decked out with mid-century furnishings, the interiors are bright and upbeat, with a central wood burner adding to the cabincore experience during the colder (read: cosier) months. And though days here are filled with woodland exploration, long, leisurely walks and perhaps a trip to Stonehenge, it’s as the sun sets that this log cabin really comes into its own. Think sundowners in the wood-fired hot tub as birds chirp overhead, roasting marshmallows over the fire pit and then retreating to the bedroom, swathed in calming blue hues, for a peaceful night’s slumber.

Sleeps 2, from £895 for a four-night stay, uniquehomestays.com

The Railway Carriage, Melrose, Scotland

the railway carriage cabin melrose

As far as quirky stays go, this revamped railway carriage is up there with the best of them. In fact, such a thorough rework of the original structure has been completed that the kitchen area’s telltale, familiarly-curving roof represents the sole remaining reference point. The rugged, rolling landscape outside seems at direct odds with the calm Scandi styling inside, with its wooden accents, clean lines and soft textures and touches.

For a space so compact, the views across the Scottish Borders seem almost too big to contain – making the piste de resistance the wooden hot tub perched on the deck. From here you can bathe in the depth and beauty of the surroundings – complete with pockets of dense woodland and a cradle of softly-undulating hills – that such a unique location affords. The outdoor space also includes an oven (to maximise stargazing opportunities) and a concealed shower.

Sleeps 2, from £120 per night, crabtreeandcrabtree.com

Retreat Cabins at The Tawny, Staffordshire

retreat cabin at the tawny

One of the most talked-about hotel openings of the last few years, The Tawny and its collection of boathouses, treehouses, cabins and shepherd’s huts deconstructs the traditional hotel set up and distributes it across a 70-acre Staffordshire estate, all centered around an impressive glass-fronted building, home to The Plumicorn restaurant, a sumptuous lounge, a spa and large outdoor pool.

Dedicated to the preservation of the environment, immersing its guests in the majesty of its woodlands and landscaped gardens in the process, the hotel feels more like a secret garden, complete with bewitching follies and beautifully-bowing tree trunks. Tucked away among all this, the cedar-clad Retreat Cabins are decked out with private dressing rooms, super-king beds, sunken indoor and outdoor spa-baths and roof lights to keep the space feeling as bright and airy as the landscape outside. Yoga mats come as standard, as does a sense of unfolding peace.

Sleeps 2, from £490 per night, thetawny.co.uk

Suki, Cornwall

suki cabin cornwall
Suki Cabin, Whitsand Bay

A beach house-cum-cabin, this jaw-dropping property – reached via a discrete winding path from Whitsand Bay on the south-eastern coast of Cornwall – perches high above the sandcastles and salty sea below. Weaving together the feel of a traditional Japanese tea house and a laidback beach retreat, with the cosy cool aesthetic we’ve come to expect from the best wood-clad cabins, this hideout offers uninterrupted views across the bay through its vast glass windows and panels. Blush plaster walls and a minimalist aesthetic, though impressive, take a back seat, allowing the blue hues outside to do the talking. The gardens, tantilisingly close to the edge of Tregonhawke Cliff, promise a wooden hot tub and a south-facing sun trap setting perfect for bird watching or simply basking in the glory of the British coast.

Sleeps 2, from £1,395 for a three-night stay, uniquehomestays.com

The Treehouses at Chewton Glen, New Forest

chewton glen treehouses

Perhaps the most secluded, sought-after address in the New Forest, the treehouses at Chewton Glen have earned themselves cult status among the discerning staycation set. Set on stilts in line with the tree canopy, and so dubbed ‘treehouses’, these wooden lodges are seriously luxe but still give that off-grid feel and come with rustic features like a wood-burning stove – so we’re claiming them as part of our best log cabins with hot tubs selection.

Just a buggy ride away from the luxurious spa, string of lounges, formal restaurant and bar of the main house, this clutch of private wooden structures each come with their own deck, hot tub and compact kitchen space – complete with free snacks and drinks – as well as an oversized freestanding bath (we recommend making full use of the TV here for the ultimate bubble bath). Breakfast, and any other meal of your choosing, is delivered via a secret hatch meaning that seeing anyone else during your stay is completely optional, though if you do venture out, we recommend heading down the sloping path through the woodland to the beach. Wellies are provided and it’s a gorgeous 20-minute stroll each way.

Sleeps 2-8, from £995 per night, chewtonglen.com

Read more: The best luxury hotels in the Peak District