A BEAUTIFUL house sitting on an English lake has been named the best holiday rental to stay at this year.
Holiday rental franchise, Pass the Keys, has announced the winners of its Property of the Year 2026 Awards – and this holiday home has nabbed top spot.
The property on the website is called ‘stunning 5-bedroom lake house with a hot tub and views‘ has been named ‘Overall Property of the Year 2026’.
In their feedback, judges praised the pretty house for its “total wow factor” and described it as “a luxury leisure stay.”
The house is in the Cotswolds sitting on Minety Lake, with has five bedrooms, five bathrooms – sleeping up to 12 guests.
On the ground floor is an opening kitchen, living and dining space, as well as a private hot tub and access to the shared swimming pool.
There’s also a cosy snug ideal for children to play in, or stream their favourite shows on the TV.
The living area has a plush orange sofa with squishy chairs and a wood burner.
Open the glass doors to step out onto the private deck with a hot tub, BBQ and jetty for paddleboarding or even a swim.
Thanks to its south facing position, each room and the deck outside is flooded with natural light.
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Up on the first floor is one of the two super-king bedrooms which has an en-suite shower room and its own balcony overlooking the lake.
The first floor has another two king-size rooms, one with an en-suite and the other with access to the family bathroom.
If you’re booking a stay, make sure you get first pick of the bedrooms and head up to the second floor.
Described as the ‘jewel of the house’ the master bedroom has an enormous gable-end window with incredible lake views.
On the top floor is a children’s bedroom with a bunk bed that sleeps four, and a small double bed – not to mention it’s filled with toys.
You can pack everything but the kitchen sink as each room has built-in wardrobes too for multiple outfit changes.
There’s plenty of exploring to do as the house sits on the Lower Mill Estate, which is surrounded by a nature reserve that has even more lakes and rivers.
It has private woodlands too, which are ideal for walking, running and cycling if you’re after an activity holiday.
The estate also has amenities that anyone staying in the house can use too, including the two heated pools, a spa, steam room, sauna, gym, restaurant, and soft play.
If you fancy heading somewhere livelier, the market town of Cirencester is a 15-minute car drive away.
The town is often nicknamed the ‘Capital of the Cotswolds’ and has a huge market place as well as lots of independent shops.
Meanwhile, the Malt and Anchor was named one of the best fish and chip shops in the UK.
The holiday home is available to rent from £582 per night.
As the property sleeps 12 people this works out as £48.50 per person per night.
For more staycations, here are six deals across the UK from Cotswolds cottages to lakefront lodges.
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