Ten of the best vintage vacations

By Catrin Davies, Jan 7, 2011
Filed under: World travel

Time travel holidays may be just about the best ways to avoid the recession. Holidaying through the decades means vintage fans can relish in the nostalgia of a 1950s-inspired B&Bs or channel trail park chic at retro Airstream parks.

Editor's picks: Vintage vacations

The Midland Hotel, Morecambe
A relic to Art Deco splendour on the North West coast, <a href="http://www.elh.co.uk/hotels/midland/" target="_blank">The Midland</a> reopened in 2008, fully restored to its original 1933 stature. In comparison to the listed, circular staircase, the pristine white columns and reproduction period carpets, the 44 guest rooms are actually very contemporary, albeit it in a pseudo-retro style. But for architecture buffs, The Midland is a real monument to Modernism, with its curving white exterior wrapping Morecambe's coastline, offering unadulterated sea views from the front rooms.
Romany Caravan, Black Mountains
A bracing backdrop for any holiday, the <a href="http://www.underthethatch.co.uk/accommodation.php?accomid=18" target="_blank">Black Mountains</a> will add a little rugged drama to your holiday snaps. Spending a few nights in this rustic, bowed gypsy caravan in a secluded spot near Abergavenny, is bound to earn you a few extra brownie points too, with it's little Queenie stove and hand painted folk art interior.
Romany Caravan, Black Mountains
Cosy enough for two but versatile enough for a little one as well, the compact caravan comes with plenty of blankets to keep out the cold, but for those who can't live without their creature comforts, there's a small cabin alongside for bathroom and kitchen needs.
Vintage Airstream caravans, Isle of Wight
One of the original vintage vacation resorts, <a href="http://www.vintagevacations.co.uk/" target="_blank">Helen and Frazer Cunningham</a>'s alternative holiday park on Hazlegrove Farm on the Isle of Wight is all about the trailer park chic; a little vintage village consisting of seven airstreams and three luxe spartans offering a portal into Sixties California.
Vintage Airstream caravans, Isle of Wight
Everything from the crochet blankets, to the vinyl records, the dressing table ornaments, board games and reading materials are totally of the period. The only danger is, it might be a bind to tear yourself away from the wood-burning stove and game of Connect 4 long enough to enjoy the country idyll location.
The Shepherd's Hut, Dorset
Sam, <a href="http://www.canopyandstars.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Shepherd's Hut</a> in Shaftesbury, Dorset is a little window into the 1950s; with its bakelite tins and jam jars, vintage boardgames and patchwork curtains made from the owner's old Laura Ashley dresses. The beautifully, and simply restored hut looks out onto the Dorset moors, offering endless views of rolling countryside. Its make do and mend, with blustery, outdoorsy romance thrown in for good measure.
La Rosa hotel, Whitby
A hotel for pure escapists and day-dreamers, <a href="http://www.larosa.co.uk/hotel/" target="_blank">La Rosa</a> is a beautiful homage to the eccentric British seaside and the fantastical stories of Lewis Carroll - a previous resident at Number 5 East Terrace. Eight double bedrooms and a lovely tea room, have been inspired by literary classics - from Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, to J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan and even Bram Stoker's Dracula. Each room is furnished on a theme, using salvaged and vintage furniture, flea market paintings and covetable antique nik-naks, making the whole house feel like a living cabinet of curiosities.
La Rosa caravan park, Whitby
A veritable kitsch paradise, the <a href="http://www.larosa.co.uk/" target="_blank">La Rosa caravan park</a> is a haven of retro guilty pleasures - featuring everything from pink plastic flamingos to an outdoor, roll-top bath. There's a wide selection of vintage-themed accommodations to chose from - stay in a traditional tipi, a chrome Traveller's caravan, an antique Romany or Airstream trailer - each individually decked out in La Rosa's quirky-kitsch style. The nostalgia-trip continues when it comes to technology - La Rosa is all about the low-fi and creating a traditional camping experience - so expect fairylights and candles and outdoor loos, over flat-screens and power showers.
Snooze, Brighton
A collision of Sixties kitsch and classic 1950s B&B collide at <a href="http://www.snoozebrighton.com/" target="_blank">Snooze</a> - a six room guesthouse in Kemptown, which takes a non-decade specific approach to decor. Literally bursting with colour, Snooze takes at the best bits from the 50s, 60s and 70s, to create its unique style; which seamlessly goes from vintage-chic to Seventies bachelor pad and your grandmother's front room. The breakfast room is a cosy combination of retro caff and traditional pantry, with everything served on chintzy vintage crockery.
Love Lane Caravan park, Cornwall
Finding your pink caravan at the end of Love Lane, on Lizard Peninsula, sounds more like the start of a children's book than the beginning of a family holiday. But indeed, on the idyllic <a href="http://www.lovelanecaravans.com/" target="_blank">Love Lane Caravan Park</a>,...
Love Lane Caravan park, Cornwall
... there exists a little holiday time warp, where seven vintage caravans, pretty in pink are found in a meadow just down the lane from Roskilly's organic farm (yes, where they make the ice cream). The eclectic range of classic caravans are decorated in homely variations of chintz and patchwork, with homemade curtains, little vases of flowers and faded florals, storm lamps and fairy lights.
Kate's Lazy Meadow, Catskills New York
Take your vintage affair across the Atlantic to the artsy Catskill Mountain range, northwest of New York, and to the rustic 1950s paradise of <a href="http://www.lazymeadow.com/" target="_blank">Lazy Meadow</a>. Run by the singer from the B52's - Kate Pierson - Lazy Meadow is the consequence of years spent on the road and the quest to find the ultimate bolt hole, furnished with trinkets and souvenirs picked up on her travels. The result is an homage to 1950s Americana; motel suites, log cabins, Airstreams and a tipi are dotted over nine acres along Espous Creek; each decorated with true attention to detail (check out the B52's Love Shack video for an idea of what to expect - Lazy Meadow was put together with the help of designers Phillip Maberry and Scott Walker ,who's original home was used for the location shoot). And with a communal fire pit for midnight toasted marshmallows, Lazy Meadow feels like a proper little hipster holiday commune.
Belrepayre Airstream & Retro Trailer Park, France
In <a href="http://www.airstreameurope.com/" target="_blank">Belrepayre</a> there's not a knife and fork or vinyl record that isn't decade-appropriate. Each original Airstream in this flashback holiday park, in the shadows of the Pyrenees, is kitted out in authentic 1960s or 70s style, where even your own little garden comes complete with retro sun loungers and the televisions are black and white. The resident's bar is another converted Airstream (the 'Apollo Lounge') where owners Perry and Corine have been known to hold impromptu quiz nights. Informal, friendly and with a pretty spectacular setting, Belrepayre also boasts some of the best on-site facilities and activities, including outdoor film screenings, viewed under a canopy of stars.

Tags: Budget holidays, Glamping and camping, Unusual holidays

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Adults (19+)

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Seniors (65+)

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Adults (19+)

Children (0-18)

Room 1

Room 2

Room 3

Adults (19+)

Children (0-18)

Seniors (65+)

Room 1

Room 2

Room 3

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6 Comments

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ptravis78

woo i love old holidays all that fun we used to have me my 3 brothers and a sister and not forgetting my parents, the old guest houses with a hot chocolate machine on the stairs, all squashed in 1 room with 2 beds nothing finer I would go back anyday. I still love to stop in the holiday flats and just enjoy yes I can afford to stop in better but its just the feeling of being back in the old days. missing the old days Paul

January 08 2011 at 5:44 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

hambakia

Id love to take a holiday somewhere in britain,,exept it cost me less to go to kenya for two weeks than it does for a weekend in the lake district

January 08 2011 at 2:31 PM Report abuse Permalink -3 rate up rate down Reply

gbholidayhomes

Don`t see why anyone would want to stay at the Midland i live in Morecambe and theres nothing here other then a nuclear power station! long traffic jams into Morecambe due to poor road infrastucture! and all you see accross the front is old hotels that are nothing more then boarding houses for the higher then average amount of junkies and Polish immigrants we have here! my business is holiday homes and the only people that come to Morecambe are people who want remanise from what is was like in the 60s and 70s remmebering the good old days and too be honest all you here back is that it used to be a lovely place i sue the words use to be!

January 08 2011 at 2:06 PM Report abuse Permalink -3 rate up rate down Reply

billhaywood52

what is vacation!

January 08 2011 at 1:28 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply

valeriejbsmith

Stayed at Midland Hotel on a few occasions. Definately should try here, wonderful hotel, the penthouse with outdoor hot tub is fab - with great seaviews. Also stayed in other rooms, and they are equally great with a great restaurant, and rotunda bar - try the Lancashire Tapas, fantastic local produced food. One of my favourite UK hotels.

January 08 2011 at 12:54 PM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down Reply

cchrisr20045

Brings back the days c. Butlins etc, and the Ausitn Maxi towing the caravan to Clacton on the old single lane eachway A120, and causing head-on crashes.

The Caravans in particular bring back the memories when you could set up anywhere, providing it was safe, and you were not clogged up with a whole pile of legislation. They were also an escape from the stickly Guest House where in some cases you were timed to break-fast to the nearest 4 minuets. And of course if you had kids, you could come and go as you please, they could run around get sand in the feet without some land-lady getting snotty.

January 08 2011 at 12:39 PM Report abuse Permalink +4 rate up rate down Reply