Five small, independent cottage rental providers have been voted the best in the UK by holidaymakers.
All of the firms at the top have fewer than 1,500 properties, while some of the country's biggest cottage rental companies failed to even make the top 10 in a survey, Wales Online reports. The Landmark Trust - a charity that restores old, historical buildings and transforms them into holiday rentals - came out on top.
Travellers said the company offered 'memorable' and 'unique' holiday experiences. Family-run firm Classic Cottages was voted into second place, as guests appreciated the 'beautiful' locations and high standard of customer service on offer.
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Also in the top five was Sally's Cottages, which operates solely in the Lake District, as well as the National Trust and Rural Retreats. All were ranked five stars for value for money, cleanliness, and quality of cottages on offer.
The survey of more than 3,000 people - carried out by Which? - revealed household name Sykes Holiday Cottages was in the bottom three. The company, which has around 22,000 cottages, was rated just three out of five starts for customer service, and and scored a refund satisfaction score of just 62 per cent, the lowest of any provider.
Also in the bottom three was Norfolk Hideaways, also with a score of 62 per cent, followed by Suffolk Secrets, with a rating of 69 per cent. Huge Amaze-owned brands Cottages.com and Hoseasons both also failed to make the top ten, ranking at numbers 11 and 14 respectively.
Research showed that around 11,000 cottage holidays were still available for the month of August. The Lake District was the fastest selling region for cottage trips this year, with prices to match - on average a week’s stay in a cottage could set you back around £1,183.
Staying in the Peak District instead would save as much as £354 per week. Cornwall tops the charts for most expensive rental region, with average prices of £1,401.
While still pricey, swapping a Cornish holiday for a trip to Devon could nonetheless save you around £118 a week, with an average cost of £1,283. Holidaymakers could also consider retreating to Northumberland, with an average week’s stay coming in at around £872.
Guy Hobbs, editor of Which? Travel, said: "The UK has a wealth of unique properties on offer for a memorable stay and our research shows that thousands of properties have come down in price over the course of the year as people opted to brave the travel chaos and head for sunnier climes.
"Readers told us they value the personal touches, hand-picked properties and excellent customer service you get from smaller companies, which triumphed over the household names."
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