Cynera Rodricks

🏚 Mazzard Farm Holiday Cottages in East Hill, Ottery St Mary, East Devon, are on the market for £1.99 million. The estate includes a 17th-century farmhouse and five holiday cottages, converted in 2008. In 2023, it won the South West England Tourism Award for sustainability. Current owner, Ruud Venneboer, purchased the property in 2007. The UK staycation market is growing, with a 11% increase in domestic holiday trips in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024.

🌎 Whatley Manor, a Wiltshire hotel, achieved EarthCheck Silver certification for the fourth year, recognizing its energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste management. In 2024, it recorded 907 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions, a 14% reduction from 2023. Since 2022, the hotel collaborates with Greenly for emissions tracking. It retired 1,000 carbon credits from Mexico's San Jerónimo Coatlán project, supporting local communities and biodiversity. The hospitality sector contributes nearly one-sixth of Britain's greenhouse emissions.

🦋 Horwood House hotel in Buckinghamshire launched the UK’s first “butterfly resort” on its 38-acre estate near Milton Keynes. This initiative supports eight native butterfly species, developed with local schools' input. A “butterfly butler” uses surplus hotel fruit to feed the insects. The hotel also collaborates with Urban Bee-lievers to install beehives, engaging youth in beekeeping and cooking with on-site honey. The project aims to enhance biodiversity and conservation education.