Not your average getaway: What makes a stay truly quirky?

One of the clearest markers of a quirky stay is its shape, structure or setting. These are the buildings that stop you mid-scroll — the ones that look entirely different from the house next door.

Across the UK, that might mean staying in a converted windmill in Norfolk, its curved brick walls and panoramic views offering a completely different sense of space. Or bedding down in one of the UK’s iconic lighthouses perched on the coast of Cornwall, where the architecture is defined by sea views and dramatic skies.

Elsewhere, you’ll find treehouses in Devon suspended among the canopy with wraparound decks, converted railway carriages in Yorkshire thoughtfully restored with clever layouts, cast-iron water towers in Suffolk reimagined as multi-level retreats, and Martello towers on the Kent coast turned into characterful escapes.

The key difference? These places don’t just look unusual — their history or structure shapes the entire experience. Spiral staircases become part of the adventure. Thick stone walls create natural calm. Round rooms encourage creative layouts.

Quirky architecture isn’t random. It’s rooted in story, landscape and place.

Quirkiness often goes hand in hand with location. Many unusual stays are found slightly off the beaten track, tucked into woodland, perched on hillsides or settled into wildflower meadows.

In the forests of Herefordshire and Shropshire, contemporary cabins with vast picture windows blur the boundary between indoors and out. In the valleys of Snowdonia and along the edges of the Lake District, architect-designed hideaways sit quietly within the landscape.

Then there are traditional structures reimagined: a handcrafted yurt layered with woven textiles and a wood-burning stove; Scandinavian-inspired cabins, minimal on the outside and warm within; shepherd’s huts, compact but cleverly designed; off-grid retreats where starry skies are part of the offering.

These spaces feel quirky not because they’re uncomfortable or remote for the sake of it, but because they offer a different rhythm. You notice the weather more. You wake with the light. You sit outside with a coffee and actually hear birdsong.

Importantly, though, they’re still designed with care offering proper beds, good insulation, well-equipped kitchens and bathrooms that feel more boutique than basic.

Quirky design isn’t cluttered or chaotic. At its best, it’s bold, inventive and a little unexpected — but always intentional.

You might step into a converted double-decker bus where the driver’s cabin has become a reading nook, or a decommissioned aircraft transformed into a surprisingly sleek hideaway. Perhaps it’s a glass-walled house shaped like a cube, a subterranean eco-home built into a hillside, or a restored windmill where each circular floor serves a completely different purpose.

It’s not about a feature wall or a few vintage finds. It’s about spaces that feel genuinely different from the moment you walk through the door.

Truly quirky stays might include suspended beds hung from beams, curved rooms with no straight lines in sight, indoor slides connecting floors, secret staircases tucked behind bookcases, or panoramic bedrooms perched at the very top of a tower. You may find a yurt with a stargazing roof panel, a cabin designed entirely around a central tree trunk, or a lighthouse where the lantern room has become your living space.

And yet, for all their originality, these places still work beautifully. Kitchens are fully equipped. Bathrooms are thoughtfully finished. Heating, lighting and layout are carefully considered.

The quirkiness reflects imagination and ambition — not compromise. You won’t trade comfort for novelty.

Instead, you get somewhere that feels extraordinary and liveable at the same time — character layered onto genuine quality.

Part of the appeal of a quirky getaway is delight — a sense that someone has thought beyond the obvious.

Perhaps it’s a hidden door leading to a snug cinema room in a townhouse. Or a glass floor panel revealing original stonework below. Maybe it’s a slide connecting two levels in a contemporary home.

But the defining feature is that these playful touches are integrated into spaces that still feel calm and liveable.

You might encounter a roll-top bath in a lighthouse keeper’s cottage overlooking the sea, a suspended fireplace in a modernist cabin, a rooftop hot tub in a converted warehouse apartment, or a wood-fired sauna beside the water.

The fun elements never tip into gimmick. They enhance the experience rather than distract from it.

There’s sometimes a misconception that unusual stays feel exposed or impractical — that architectural drama means sacrificing warmth or comfort.

In reality, many of the quirkiest properties are also among the cosiest.

Think thick stone walls inside a converted tower keeping things snug in winter, wood-burning stoves glowing at the heart of a cabin, underfloor heating warming polished concrete floors in a former barn, or soft linen bedding layered inside a yurt beneath canvas curves.

Cosiness isn’t accidental. It’s designed in. Lighting is warm and layered rather than harsh. Textiles are chosen for texture as much as style. Seating invites you to curl up rather than perch.

Quirky doesn’t mean cold or uncomfortable. It means different — in a way that still supports proper rest.

Another common question: can quirky be luxurious?

Absolutely.

Luxury today isn’t only about marble foyers or uniform hotel suites. It’s about privacy, space, thoughtful amenities and the feeling that everything has been considered.

A converted windmill might feature a top-floor bedroom with sweeping views and a rainfall shower tucked into curved brickwork. A restored lighthouse could offer hotel-quality linens, a private garden and uninterrupted sea views. A glass-fronted cabin might include a hot tub, carefully curated interiors and a fully equipped kitchen worthy of a dinner party.

Luxury in quirky stays often shows up as high-spec kitchens in unconventional layouts, spa-style bathrooms in unexpected buildings, carefully sourced artwork and furnishings, secluded outdoor spaces with fire pits or hot tubs, and access to settings you wouldn’t normally experience.

It’s about elevating the unusual, not diluting it.

The most memorable quirky stays feel connected to their surroundings.

A lighthouse makes sense because of its relationship to the sea. A former agricultural building retains details that reflect its working past. A croft house or converted chapel still carries traces of its original purpose.

Even contemporary builds can feel grounded — timber-clad cabins that echo natural tones, hillside homes designed to frame wide views, or eco-homes built into the landscape rather than imposed upon it.

This connection builds trust. The property isn’t unusual just to stand out online — it belongs exactly where it is.

In the age of social media, it’s easy for “quirky” to become shorthand for photogenic. But the best stays are designed for living, not just for images.

That means storage that actually works, comfortable dining areas for long meals, proper soundproofing where needed, outdoor seating positioned for both sun and shelter, and bedrooms that prioritise sleep over spectacle.

A treehouse might look dramatic from the outside, but inside you’ll find blackout blinds and thick duvets. A converted chapel may boast soaring ceilings, yet still offer intimate corners for quiet evenings.

A truly quirky stay works just as well in practice as it does in pictures.

Perhaps the most powerful element of a quirky getaway is how it makes you feel.

Staying somewhere different interrupts routine. You approach your break with more curiosity. You pay closer attention to your surroundings. You notice architectural details. You explore the space simply because it invites you to.

A windmill’s spiral staircase becomes part of the ritual of going to bed. The lantern room of a lighthouse becomes your morning coffee spot. A yurt’s circular layout subtly changes how you gather and move.

It’s not about constant novelty — it’s about gentle perspective shifts.

At Coolstays, the aim isn’t to list every unusual structure available. It’s to curate places that combine individuality with standards.

That means clear attention to cleanliness and maintenance, transparent photography and detailed descriptions, properties that feel intentional rather than improvised, and comforts that meet modern expectations.

When you book a quirky stay, you shouldn’t have to compromise on basics. The WiFi works. The shower is hot. The bed is genuinely comfortable. The heating functions properly. The kitchen has what you need.

The quirkiness adds personality — it doesn’t replace practicality.