Why not book a holiday cottage as a gift?

No matter how creative you are, it's not always easy to find the perfect gift for a birthday, anniversary or other significant event - and as the years go by, those ideas often start to get ticked off, leaving fewer options remaining on the list!

One thing you might not have done before - or enjoyed so much that you want to do it again - is to book a holiday cottage as a present for your partner, family member, friend or loved one, either as a break just for the two of you, or to get a group of friends or family together in one place.

This can work amazingly well as a surprise, as your unwitting victim - uh, your lucky recipient - doesn't need to know where they are going, the size of the cottage, or how many of their nearest and dearest will be waiting for them there!

Holiday cottage gift experience ideas

We have thousands of holiday cottages to compare, and that means we cover pretty much every possibility, including ideas like:

• A short stay in a lighthouse or windmill.
• Hire out an entire castle for the whole family.
• Find a quirky holiday cottage in your local area.
• Book a pet-friendly holiday cottage so nobody gets left behind.
• Use our holiday cottage concierge service to find the perfect place.

When you book through Holiday Cottage Compare, your contract is directly with the accommodation's owner or lettings agency, making it even easier to set up any kind of secret plans or surprise for when you arrive.

Why give a holiday cottage gift experience?

Physical gifts are not for everyone. Especially as the years go by, it's easy for people to start feeling cluttered by all the things they receive, but would never have bought for themselves.

Yet those people who are too sentimental to get rid of things that they received as gifts are exactly the kind of people who would treasure the memories of a break with their best friend, partner or extended family.

If you haven't had everyone together in one place in a few years, or there have been new additions to the family - either by birth or by marriage - or even if there's just a big wedding anniversary or birthday coming up, then a holiday cottage break in a picturesque location could be just the thing.

Remember, giving an experience as a gift sets up several opportunities for mischief:

• Have a surprise (or a surprise party!) waiting at the accommodation on arrival.
• Pretend you have forgotten the occasion but have a bag packed in secret.
• Send an invitation inside a greetings card to invite your friend or loved one to the cottage.

Can I book a holiday cottage for somebody else?

When you book a holiday cottage online with Holiday Cottage Compare, our secure website handles the payment transaction, and your contract is directly with the property's owner.

Although you, as the person who entered into the contract, will be expected to occupy the property throughout the booking, naturally larger premises allow for one or more other guests to stay at the same time.

Because of this it's easy to make the booking yourself, and then take along your partner, family member or friend as a surprise for them, or even to arrange for a group of people from different locations to meet you at the property once you've checked in.

Need a hand finding the perfect holiday cottage?

You can also send us a concierge enquiry for any other specific needs, from pet-friendly holiday cottages, to holiday accommodation with good disabled access, so we can help you to find the perfect venue for a party to remember.