One very interesting thing about travel is the range of people that you encounter; diverse and disparate they as much form a part of the journey as the location itself. Don’t worry, I shall explain.
My first encounter with HomeAway was actually a recent one, when I heard the announcement that they were creating a luxury flat in the Eiffel Tower as part of the Euro 2016 tournament ‘celebrations’. I say ‘celebrations’ because – as sure many England fans will agree – there has been very little, if anything to celebrate in that regard, other than the departure of Roy Hodgson. Alas I digress. Imagine that: as the blissfully gleeful melee of (French) football euphoria is taking place around central Paris, you could be watching from your vantage point in the Eiffel Tower, relaxed with a chilled one in hand.
APARTMENT IN THE EIFFEL TOWER
It turns out that HomeAway don’t only do extraordinary stays but extra-ordinary ones too, as I was to find out in my recent trip to region of Bath where I encountered the Whitley Coach House in Chippenham as a guest of HomeAway. Many will be familiar to with the private-ownership-come-hotel model from AirBnB and HomeAway is not dissimilar. A world-leader in holiday rentals for over 10 years, HomeAway provides spacious holiday rental properties for families and groups of friends.
As I started by saying, one of the most interesting things about travelling is the people that you meet and on this occasion my encounter was with the property owner Tim Wood. A bespoke furniture designer & maker by trade Tim’s attention to detail was microscopic; both with his property and the experience of your stay itself. His regional knowledge Wikipedia-esque; from fry-ups and pubs to sightseeing and artefacts, Tim’s your man.
The tardis-like property itself was expansive and as described, a classic coach house of Georgian design, but the interior exhibited a mix of modern features, the showpiece being the palatial oak king-sized bed – that Tim built himself. I later was to find out in conversation, that Tim has also made a bed for none other than the Mr Dyson. So after a good nights sleep and brief farewell to Tim and the family, I left with my horizons truly broadened and reflecting on what had been an enlightening stay.
HOMEAWAY.co.uk
Stay in the Whitley Coach House, a detached former coach house with HomeAway, which is based in Whitley, Wiltshire. The one bedroom luxury Coach House sleeps 5 and is available to rent for £139 for a 1 night minimum stay for the whole property. You can book the property at – www.homeaway.co.uk
