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Splendid isolation: The world's 20 finest 'bubble' holidays

Splendid isolation has become key to holidays - Istoria Hotel
Splendid isolation has become key to holidays - Istoria Hotel

You don’t have to strain your synapses terribly hard to understand the appeal of the so-called bubble holiday. The exclusive-use villa, the full-takedown hotel, the buy-out island, the private jet to get you there and back.

The concept makes me think of Lucian Freud and his arrangement with the National Gallery in London. The directors gave Freud a key so he could let himself in after hours and commune with the Old Masters, all alone or in the company of a small party of favoured supermodels, wastrel dukes and small-time crooks. Slightly spooky, I imagine, to be in the National Gallery in the ­middle of the night, as well as being fundamentally anti-social – and nothing at all like visiting a museum in the real world. In short, heavenly. What a beautiful bubble.

A lot of people travel for reasons that have little to do with engaging with new cultures, meeting new people or having new experiences. The reasons tend to have to do with replicating familiar experiences in places that have better weather, prettier scenery and nicer furniture than they have at home. Which is where the bubble holiday really comes into its own.

Because of Covid-19, most of the mind-opening stuff is off the menu for now. It is not feasible to mooch around in faraway lands and mingle with locals. You do not even have to pretend to want to do such things. The bubble approach to travel is not only sensible in a time of global pandemic, but commendable too. It is an expression of respect and altruism. By staying put once you get to your villa/hotel/island, you are not turning your back on your foreign hosts, ignoring their customs or snubbing their culture. You are doing the right thing by observing social distancing and keeping yourself and others safe.

Having spent a small fortune to make it happen, you are also making sure the economy ticks over. How entirely like you. What class. What largesse. I would not be surprised to see your name on a wing of the National Gallery one of these days.

The 20 best bubble holidays

1. Brownber Hall

Cumbria, England

Replete with original William Morris wallpaper, contemporary art and Moroccan rugs, Brownber Hall is hidden in the relatively less-trodden Lune Valley, where the Lakes meet the Dales. Owners Peter and Amanda can point you towards heavenly wild swimming or fishing spots, lonely walks in the Howgill Fells, and the loveliest places to see wild flowers or starling murmurations. Amanda’s sister Georgina is a former Soho House architect who helped them to change their offering from luxe small hotel to post-pandemic perfection. This August also sees them launch Brownber House, with smart, stylish new kitchen and bathrooms; the two properties are separated by a 55-yard path, so book either or both, and feel safe and secluded.

From £3,200 a week for up to 15 guests. Brownber House, from £1,900 a week for eight guests (brownberhall.co.uk)

A brilliant escape for stressed Londoners - Heckfield Place
A brilliant escape for stressed Londoners - Heckfield Place

2. Heckfield Place

Hampshire, England

Already a brilliant escape for stressed Londoners, with its lake, biodynamic farm and Skye Gyngell heading up all the kitchens, Heckfield Place has come up with some very sensible new-­normal offerings, such as outdoor yin yoga, more secluded running trails around its 483 acres, and a training area on the farm where you can do milk churn press-ups or lift hay bales. The whole place can be yours during summer, so pig out on the artisanal trimmings, ancient woodland, wild flower meadows and wild swimming.

From £85,000 a night, for a minimum of two nights, for up to 90 guests (heckfieldplace.com)

3. Fife Arms, Braemar

Scotland

High-end Highlands fun at the Fife Arms might include lunch in a contemporary hut on a nearby estate, a whirling, twirling ceilidh, distillery visits, foraging for cocktail ingredients, or simply stretching your legs around the Cairngorms. The 46-room hotel, launched in 2019 and now available for exclusive use, is hung with 14,000 works of art – perhaps not so astonishing when you learn that the Fife’s owners are Iwan and Manuela Wirth, of Hauser & Wirth renown. Their gillies are locals who know every twig of the estate and wider area (to minimise ­contact, each room now gets a single dedicated gillie), and families can relax 100 per cent, thanks to loads of bikes, superior picnic wherewithal, and a teenage breakout area with massive cushions and a big screen.

From £30,000 a night for up to 92 guests, including breakfast (thefifearms.com)

4. Inishail Cottage & Kirk

Argyll, Scotland

An adventurous retreat five years in the making, Steven Matson’s Loch Awe idyll is now being offered on an exclusive-use basis, since planned communal ­activities such as yoga or foraging have become trickier. Happily, sightings of osprey, owls, red squirrels and martens have not been curtailed by world events. Matson, a rock-star chef in normal times, spent his months off building a sauna and finessing the lochside dining area. He made many of the internal fittings himself from local woods: note the ash window seats and yew bookshelves. A harmonium, ukulele and music-industry related artworks nod to his other life. Say the word and he’ll treat you to local scallops and pickled mushrooms or share a tip-off about where to pick chanterelles. Access is by rowing boat from the bottom of the garden, and it’s a hilly, wild place, so bring your outdoorsy A team.

From £150 a night for four to seven guests (07813 061644)

This is just minutes from St Martin-de-Ré - Villa Clarice
This is just minutes from St Martin-de-Ré - Villa Clarice

5. Villa Clarisse

Ile de Ré, France

It’s an antediluvian life on Ile de Ré, where hollyhocks wave beneath sea-green window shutters, and 60 miles of cycle paths lead past oyster beds, vineyards and deserted beaches. Hidden minutes from the centre of St Martin-de-Ré, with its star-shaped ramparts and fantastic fish and seafood restaurants, Villa Clarisse is a calm and ­classical refuge with nine understated bedrooms, a swimming pool set among topiary, olive trees and lavender, and a discreet team who sort out bicycle hire, interesting outings and light lunches.

From £2,275 a night for up to 18 guests (villa-clarisse.com)

6. Chartreuse de Cos d’Estournel

Bordeaux, France

If your greatest fear at the height of lockdown was draining your cellar of its last drop of claret, a few nights in Bordeaux, in the heart of the Cos d’Estournel estate, surrounded by reassuringly old merlot and cab sauv vines (and topiary elephants), should restore morale. The hilltop winery looks a riot, thanks to the early 19th-century orientalism of its original owner, and there are suitably glamorous Jacques Garcia interiors in the new residence, which shares some design DNA with its sister property, La Réserve in Paris, though bristling with incredible finds salvaged by Garcia in Rajasthan. It sleeps up to 16 in two suites and six bedrooms, with a library, great big living room, pool and steam room and, naturally, a stupendous wine cellar.

Price on request for stays up to a week (michelreybierhospitality.com)

7. Pan Deï Palais

St Tropez, France

The Riviera? Now? Absolutely – in a muralled, panelled, four-postered mansion with private chef, yoga instructor on request, steam room, and big, beautiful walled garden with thatched cabanas around a large swimming pool. The 10 bedrooms and two suites have an Indian theme (the mansion was built for a Punjabi princess by a besotted French general), with dark-wood floors, rich patterned fabrics, and carved Hindu deities looking out for you. There’s a sister property with spa and fitness centre, and guests also get to use the sunbeds at beach club Jardin Tropézina.

From £145,000 a week for up to 24 guests (pandei.com)

The pool at Pan Dei Palais - pan dei palais
The pool at Pan Dei Palais - pan dei palais

8. Chalet Hibou

French Alps, France

There are only 30 full-time residents in the tiny mountain village of Le Miroir, where you’ll find Chalet Hibou, perfect for families with teenagers thanks to rafting, bouldering and mountain ­biking opportunities, plus private freshwater pool, outdoor hot tub and media room for down time. It can easily be twinned with Chalet Pelerin, close by; the newly Covid-conscious offering allows you to choose your own staff-guest ratio, and take simple self-catering over full-on full board, if you prefer.

From £6,550 a night for 14 guests all-inclusive. Chalet Pelerin, from £4,600 a night for 10 guests, all-inclusive (elevenexperience.com)

9. Son Brull Hotel & Spa

Pollença, Mallorca, Spain

The restaurants of this countryside boutique hotel with Moorish and monastic past lives are supplied by an ­organic kitchen garden that harks back to the estate’s origins as a 12th-century farm; the cocktail bar occupies an 18th-century olive mill that is largely intact. All different, its 23 airy and understated rooms and suites include four new villa suites that emphasise Mallorcan crafts in their design; all bathroom products are made at Son Brull using oranges from its estate. Walk in the Unesco Heritage park and kick back in the luxury spa, with indoor/outdoor pool, thermal circuit, sauna, steam bath and yoga studio. Available for private hire from November.

From £22,500 a night for up to 46 guests (sonbrull.com)

10. Castello di Ugento

Puglia, Italy

Home to the D’Amore family for four centuries, and now in the care of 22nd-generation Massimo, ex-CEO of Pepsi, and his wife Diana, the honey-coloured Ugento castle has been lovingly ­restored over six years. Sandblasted, frescoes refreshed, cooking school constructed, modern art installed, it opened as a boutique hotel in 2017; this summer it becomes a private bolt-hole where families or groups of friends can bubble together, gathering for breakfast feasts, learning to cook with local produce, picnicking in the gardens or taking over the destination restaurant for modern Puglian cuisine. The rooms combine ancient bone structure and acres of golden stone with modern ­Italian design from Poltrona Frau and ­Minotti, and examples of Puglian craft such as handwoven linens and covetable ceramics.

From £18,500 a night for 19 guests, full board (castellodiugento.com)

Castello di Ugento has been home to the D’Amore family for four centuries - Castello di Ugento
Castello di Ugento has been home to the D’Amore family for four centuries - Castello di Ugento

11. Lopud 1483

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Ascetic goes aesthetic at this brand-new, centuries-old monastery ­overlooking the Mediterranean island of Lopud, super-styled by its creative director, the art collector Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza. Renaissance furniture from the family vaults sits alongside bespoke colour-pop pieces by Paola Lenti, and contemporary art from the TBA21 collection. It has taken two decades to get Lopud 1483 ready for guests; this summer, all five suites, looking out over the sea or on to the medicinal ­garden, can be taken together. Spa treatments, alternative practitioners and sessions with in-house meditation experts can all be arranged; sunset cocktails and canapés are served on top of the fortress, and the monks’ bread oven has been repurposed for exceptional pizzas.

From £10,000 a night for 10 guests (lopud1483.com)

12. Istoria

Santorini, Greece

A ruined mansion that became a boutique beach hotel, made up of 12 suites – all with their own terrace and many with hot tubs or pools – Istoria is ­pivoting to pop-up private villa status this summer. It’s far from the bustling parts of the island, secluded and secure, with private beach access, a spa with two treatment rooms, giant lap pool with bar, dedicated chef and discreet ­housekeeping staff. The design is contemporary and muted, with lots of stone and slate, in keeping with the close-to-nature, volcanic setting, and well-styled equestrian relics, a nod to the estate’s previous incarnation. Apart from walking in the hills, there’s not much to see or do nearby – in a good way.

From £80,000 a week for 24 guests (istoriahotel.gr)

13. Private sailing charter

Greek Islands, Greece

Board stylish Le Bougainville, new in 2019, for a cultural boat party accompanied by A&K’s own classicists, who will supply context as you glide around historic sites in Athens, Mykonos, Syros and Patmos, where you can hike up to the monastery where St John wrote his Gospel and the “Book of Revelation”. Less contemplative pit stops include Santorini for wine tasting and Rhodes for beach basking.

From £9,165 per person for up to 148 guests for nine nights (abercrombiekent.co.uk)

1000 Dream Trips
1000 Dream Trips

14. Halas 71

Aegean Sea, Turkey

How about a private tootle about the Aegean or Mediterranean coastlines of Turkey, setting off from the northern edge of the Bodrum peninsula in a converted 1940s motor launch? Halas 71 was used by British Armed Forces during World War One, then became a passenger ferry; no sign of any ticket stubs now she has been transformed by the owners of the trendy Macakizi resort into a luxury yacht with 12 rooms, a brass-clad bar, sitting room and library, as well as a sundeck and lots of seagoing toys like inflatables and canoes. The itineraries are thrilling, whether it’s wildlife or ancient civilisations that float your yacht.

Price on request, for up to 24 guests (halas.com.tr)

15. Deplar Farm

Iceland

Trollaskagi, aka Troll Peninsula, is far-flung, scenic and thrilling even by Icelandic standards, and should definitely meet all your social-distancing one-upmanship needs. Head there with company to take over Deplar Farm, a cosy, stylish lodge sleeping 26, with tons of room in its library, entertainment room and giant wellness area (indoor/outdoor sauna, ­flotation tanks, indoor/outdoor pool with sound system and bar…) There’s even a full band set up for jamming whenever you fancy that. The real kicks, though, are out in the wilds: heli-skiing, sea kayaking, whale watching, fat biking on valley trails and wonderful stargazing.

From £28,000 a night (inclusive of meals, activities and transfers) for 26 guests (elevenexperience.com)

16. Owner’s Cabin

Norway

Easily accessible (just a quick hop from downtown Alesund) yet utterly cut off from any urban hurly-burly at the same time, the Owner’s Cabin at Staurneset on the island of Giske has very few neighbours, except for the seals and whales swimming nearby. Step outside your three-bedroom cabin and choose between white-sand beach to one side, or tidal rock pool to the other. Go kayaking, biking between forest and farm country, sit by the fire, look out to sea or into the peaks of the Sunnmore Alps. It’s simple, yes, but perfectly elegant, since this is the getaway of the owners of local luxury hotel 62˚Nord; you can borrow their private chef, helicopters and boats, too.

From £500 a night for up to six guests (62.no)

Bathroom with a view - Six Senses Zil Pasyon
Bathroom with a view - Six Senses Zil Pasyon

17. Six Senses Zil Pasyon

Seychelles

Taking up a third of Félicité, a granite chunk in the Indian Ocean a 20-minute helicopter ride from Mahé, this Six Senses resort, which opened in 2017, is on offer as a whole for a family or group of friends who fancy infinity pools (every villa or residence has its own), sunset cruises, sensational birdwatching, and the run of several bars and restaurants, serving Seychellois cuisine, seafood and rum galore.

From £14,750 per person per week, all-inclusive with activities, for up to 20 guests with Turquoise Holidays (turquoiseholidays.co.uk)

18. Bawah Reserve

Indonesia

The sustainably inclined Bawah Reserve, occupying a handful of barely touched islands in the Riau archipelago, has a completely new addition this summer in the shape of Elang ­island, where six lodges have been designed using recycled natural materials, bamboo, driftwood and stone, offering plentiful living space, balconies with glittering ocean views and paths winding down to little coves. The clubhouse is constructed around a natural rock formation, and the saltwater infinity pool, which is refreshed every time the tide comes in, uses an existing hollow. Butler ­service, daily spa treatments and activities around the reserve’s 13 beaches and three ­lagoons are all part of the deal.

From £223,580 a week for 14 people, including business class flights and private transfers, and one night in seven suites at Raffles Hotel Singapore with Carrier (carrier.com)

19. Joali

Maldives

Suffice to say the 73 gorgeously designed beach and over-water villas at Joali, an ultra-creative sustainable resort on tiny Muravandhoo in the Raa Atoll, leave no desire unquenched in terms of ocean access, private pools and extravagant volumes of space. Children can be entertained with treasure hunts, storytelling, dressing up and cookery, and there’s an Espa spa, as well as restaurants serving spectacular Italian and Nikkei cuisine plus fabulous breakfasts. And if turtle quests and sunset yacht cruises don’t hit the spot, how about helping the marine biology team to grow coral – the elite version of a drystone ­walling holiday?

From around £70,000 a night for up to 140 guests (joali.com)

Leave no desire unquenched in the Maldives - joali
Leave no desire unquenched in the Maldives - joali

20. Thanda Island

Tanzania

Is 15 miles off the coast of Tanzania in a marine reserve safe, clean and ­secluded enough for you? Thanda Island is literally all yours, as long as the owners Christin and Dan Olofsson aren’t on their hols too. When they unveiled their island paradise four years ago, they also set up training and employment projects for young ­locals, and support vital conservation projects protecting the whale sharks, dugongs and turtles that you can swim with off the beach. There’s plenty of gear for snorkelling and scuba-diving, paddleboarding and kayaking, or you can banish stress with yoga, meditation or a relaxing massage on the beach. Your digs: five suites in the New England-style beach house, and a pair of ­traditional Tanzanian bandas on the beach.

From £8,000 per person per week (assuming a seven-night duration), including flights, based on 18 guests, with Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent.co.uk; thandaisland.com)

Introduction by Steven King, round-up by Sophie Dening