New eco-luxe holidays promise style & sustainability

Three eco-luxe properties have been added to the Babyfriendlyboltholes.co.uk range of stylish family-friendly holiday accommodation. A cluster of designer lodges in the Yorkshire dales, a funky farm estate in the Algarve and a boutique bolthole in Cornwall are the latest additions and all three are equal parts style and sustainability.

‘Natural Retreats’ boast a floor to ceiling eco-policy from the turfed roofs that camoflague and insulate them, to the underground badger sets maintained beneath them. Their contemporary design incorporates large south-facing picture windows, bringing in both heat and light, recycled paper wall insulation and wood chip boilers. They use 100% renewable energy and water from a local spring. The feel good factor is further enhanced by complimentary organic hampers, flat screen TVs and rain soak showers.

Their location, within a pedal powered few minutes of the market town of Richmond, makes the lodges ideal for the urbanites amongst us whose rural retreats are all the better for the security blanket of a nearby gastro-pub! The three-bedroom lodges sleep six and can be rented from £250-£770 depending on dates and length of stay.

‘Mesmear’ near trendy Rock in Cornwall has its own borehole, enough solar and geothermal power to save 12 tonnes of carbon emissions a year, and interiors designed by the decor queen Emma Oldham, of Space Boudoir. The main building (Mill) sleeps 10 and comes with a cook, housekeeper and a driver at your beck and call; the adjacent barn sleeps four and is for self-caterers but still has bathrobes, an honesty bar and an iPod docking station. As close as you’ll come to your own private boutique hotel! Mill from £3,200 per week, full-board; Barn from £1,353, self-catering.

The 18th century Quinta da Alfarrobierra near Lagos on Portugal’s Algarve has been given a unique blend of bohemian luxury and environmental sensitivity by the young Dutch family who now live there. Solar power, grey water recycling and a PYO organic fruit and vegetable garden are a few of their recent initaives added to the two pretty guest houses they’ve built incorporating timber and ironwork reclaimed from a disused railway station. Inside the guesthouses are a pretty blend of whitewashed walls, antique iron beds and beautiful locally made hand-painted tiles. The guesthouse may be rented year-round from €65 to €150 per night, depending on the season.

For further information see Babyfriendlyboltholes.co.uk.