Categories
Cruises

Protecting Commissions in a Coronavirus World

Few would dispute that suppliers have been working hand-in-hand with their travel advisor partners to help them cancel, refund and rebook their clients in the wake of the coronavirus.

However, moving forward, agents would like suppliers to do more when it comes to protecting their commissions.

“We would love to see a change in the industry to pay agents once the reservation enters full penalty as opposed to waiting until after guests travel, as the livelihood of our businesses rely on it,” said James Berglie of Be All Inclusive.

As an example, Berglie is moving 13 groups scheduled to travel over the next two months to future travel dates. “These groups are paid in full, and in full penalty, so the resort is not issuing any refunds for them,” he said. “The vast majority of the work on our end has been completed, but now our expected income has been moved with those groups to 2021.”

European suppliers such as Trafalgar “have decided to pay agents their commission early since the company is only issuing future travel credits to guests in full penalty,” Berglie said, “but we have not seen that come from the tour operators we work with in the Caribbean.”

Berglie noted that the vast majority of resorts throughout the Caribbean have not altered their penalties for existing groups scheduled to travel in April, May and June. “Those contracts are in full penalty, but the resorts are allowing groups to move to future travel dates into 2021,” he said. “Group contracts are quite different than individual travel—which have a lot more flexibility.”

While he discussed the subject with a number of hotel companies, “they advised the issue is not with the specific hotel, but lies with the tour operators,” he said. “The tour operators collect the payments for the group, and we have hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to them right now that they hold and then pay the hotel the net amount—usually around 30-45 days prior to travel. The tour operators hold our commission and then pay us that portion after guests travel.”

With one large supplier, which accounts for about 90 percent of Be All Inclusive’s business, groups are being moved “all the way up to December 2021—groups we have already done the bulk of work for, and who are in full penalty periods, so will only be issued future travel credits, and now we won’t see a dime of income that was expected in May 2020 until possibly December 2021.”

He added, “With cash-flow obviously being an issue right now, we need a better solution.”

Be All Inclusive groups have specific contracts outlining due dates and penalties. “What I’d like to propose to the suppliers is that once a group enters full penalty, meaning the guests will not be getting any refunds, that they go ahead and pay the commission earned to the agents at that point, as they are guaranteed their money and we have done the vast majority of our work.”

Claire Schoeder of Elevations Travel agreed that commissions should be paid in full once the reservation enters the nonrefundable/full penalty stage. “There’s no reason to sit on that money rather than paying the agency the money due,” she said. “When it is nonrefundable the [the supplier] has the money and should remit payment to the agency. And if rescheduling, they should not include an increase in price as the circumstances are beyond the control of the agent and the group—as long as new dates are in the same season of the year. Moving from shoulder to high season would incur an increase but using the same week of the year should not unless a holiday with a variable date falls in that week—Easter being a prime example.”

Meanwhile, Angela Turen of Churchill & Turen said “some suppliers are not paying commissions on the bookings they have canceled—even though the bookings were paid in full—[while] other suppliers are paying commissions.”

She added, “Since we are in the distribution industry, we give the clients on a platter to the suppliers [yet] we cannot partake in their decision making. This has resulted in many lost commissions.”

All things considered, Schoeder noted that things have gone more smoothly than she anticipated through all the coronavirus chaos. “There have been a few bumps in the road and I have lost a lot of commission,” she said. “But this too shall pass.”

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Transport

Delta Donates 200,000 Pounds of Food to Hospitals and Food Banks

After Delta Air Lines reduced its services due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, the lack of customers has left the airline with an excess of food. To support the efforts of front-line responders and help those in need, Delta has donated 200,000 pounds of its food to hospitals, community food banks and other charity groups.

In a press release on Tuesday, the airline confirmed that the food is distributed through its long-time partner, the Chicago-based nonprofit Feeding America organization.

“So far in 2020, Delta has donated over 200,000 pounds of perishable food items from warehouses to Feeding America partner agencies across the U.S. and other charities, including Georgia Food & Resource Center and Missouri’s Carthage Crisis Center,” said Delta.

According to USA Today, Delta is also working to provide food from its Sky Club lounges to first responders and charities in cities heavily impacted by the coronavirus, such as Philadelphia, Los Angeles and New York.

In the airline’s home base of Atlanta, Delta has teamed up with local chef Linton Hopkins to supply meals for first responders at Emory University Hospital and locals employed in the hospitality industry who have been furloughed.

Additionally, Delta is sending boxed meals to the employees at the airline’s reservations and customer care centers, who continue to help customers adjust their travel plans due to the pandemic.

In addition to its latest services, Delta announced last month that the airline would be flying healthcare workers to coronavirus focal points for free.

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Transport

Alaska Airlines Responds to RavnAir's Suspension of Service

WHY IT RATES: Since RavnAir Group, Alaska’s largest regional airline, shut down nearly all of its operations on April 2, 2020, filing for bankruptcy and laying off most of its remaining laborforce, Alaska Airlines is taking steps to help the state stay connected and extend employment to aviation workers.—Laurie Baratti, TravelPulse Associate Writer

With the announcement on Sunday of RavnAir Alaska stopping all operations, Alaska Airlines expressed deep concern for the Ravn employees and communities in the state impacted by the news.

“Having served Alaska for 88 years, Alaska Airlines has a special appreciation for the unique reliance most Alaskan communities have on air service,” said Brad Tilden, Alaska Airlines chief executive officer. “During this difficult moment, our hope is that air carriers across Alaska will make every effort to ensure continuity of service to all the state’s remote communities. We are committed to working with those airlines, the Governor’s Aviation Advisory Board, Alaska Air Carriers Association, and the affected communities to connect Alaskans now and into the future.”

Given the impact to residents of the state caused by the Ravn service suspension, Alaska Airlines, which currently serves 19 communities in the state of Alaska, is announcing the following actions:

—Alaska will maintain service to all points it currently serves in the state.

—Alaska will continue service to Kodiak with its own aircraft.

—Alaska will move up its normal summer seasonal service to King Salmon and Dillingham, starting earlier than scheduled.

—In support of the communities in the Aleutian Islands, as well as the seafood industry, Alaska is working with partners and regulatory agencies to initiate service to Cold Bay with the intention of providing access to Unalaska/Dutch Harbor. Service to Cold Bay will be with Alaska’s own aircraft.

—Alaska is working with the seafood industry and other key sectors of the state of Alaska economy on charter service to ensure critical workforce movements during this period of reduced air service.

—Alaska will review other markets impacted by the Ravn suspension of service to consider how best to support affected communities.

—Alaska Air Cargo, a unit of Alaska Airlines, is optimizing use of its 3 dedicated freighter aircraft in the state of Alaska to ensure medical supplies, groceries and other essential shipments are delivered during this period of reduced air service.

—While currently under a hiring freeze driven by the COVID-19 crisis, Alaska Airlines’ human resources group will nonetheless host a job fair for Ravn employees impacted by that company’s cessation of service. We will work to provide these experienced airline workers with support in seeking new employment, including connecting with other companies that may be hiring.

“We believe these are important steps that Alaska Airlines can take to support the infrastructure of the state of Alaska and ensure the people and communities of the state remain connected during this incredibly challenging time,” said Tilden.

For more information, visit alaskaair.com.

SOURCE: Alaska Airlines press release.

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Categories
Cruises

Branded Airline and Hotel Google Search Volume Drops

Unquestionably, the coronavirus has had a devastating impact on the airline and hotel industries, a fact that has been further evidenced in findings from SEMrush, a trends data analytic firm, which tracked Google search volume for the two travel segments.

The company’s industry-wide, branded airline searches found a 17 percent decline from January through February.

The hardest hit carriers were Bangkok Airways (-33 percent), China Eastern (-33 percent) and China Southern (-45 percent.)

On a brighter note, searches were expected to increase on average by 16.5 percent in March, according to SEMrush.

Meanwhile, airlines were extremely active on social media in February and March in order to conduct “damage control,” the company said.

SEMrush also conducted a Twitter sentiment analysis to gauge reaction to each global carrier. The most tweeted airlines were, respectively, Delta Air Lines, Ryanair, EasyJet, American Airlines, British Airways, Lufthansa, Qantas, Southwest Airlines and KLM.

Interestingly, the data analysis uncovered that Twitter activity was typically more positive than negative – with the exception of Alitalia. Lufthansa “had the highest amount of tweets that used a negative tone,” SEMrush said.

Qatar received the largest amount of tweets “using positive language to describe the airline,” followed by Southwest, Turkish Airlines and SAS, the company said.

On the hotel front, SEMrush data uncovered that Google search volume for major global chains dropped, on average, by four percent from January to February. The hardest chains were Raffles Hotels & Resorts (-33 percent), Choice Hotels (-19 percent); and Belmond Aman Resorts, Ritz-Carlton and Disney Resort Hotels, which were down by 18.5 percent.

“While search volumes for airlines are projected to recover in March, those for the major hotel chains are projected to decline even further in March by an industry average of 14.9 percent,” SEMrush said.

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Categories
Destinations

Caribbean, Latin American Countries Coordinate Food Supply

Some 25 countries in the Caribbean and Latin America have joined forces and signed a declaration of cooperation, ensuring that food is not lacking in the region during the coronavirus global pandemic.

Ministers and secretaries of agriculture, livestock, fishing, food and rural development from each nation signed the pact, committing to coordinating the supply of sufficient, safe and nutritious food for its 620 million inhabitants, Dominican Today reported.

There is no current need for alarm, the group stressed, as the region’s markets have enough food to ensure supplies. Global stocks of major foods are at a good level, and harvests in major producing countries have been good.

“Unlike previous crises, the food supply has remained stable in the world and in our region,” the group said in a statement. “Therefore, there are no reasons to justify significant increases in international food prices, so we call on all actors in the food system to prevent speculation at this time of emergency. However, if the pandemic spreads over time, food supply chains will come under increased pressure. In this sense, if all countries strive to keep local, national, regional and global supply chains operating, we can ensure food in a sustainable way for the entire population.”

Presumably, this also includes preparing for the return of tourists when the virus finally dies down.

According to ForwardKeys, which analyses global aviation capacity, flight searches and over 17 million flight booking transactions a day, tourism to the Caribbean grew by 4.4 percent in 2019.

Analysis of the most important origin markets shows that the increase in visitors was driven by North America, with travel from the U.S. (which accounts for 53 percent of visitors) up 6.5 percent, and travel from Canada up 12.2 percent.

The gains are likely to be wiped away by the global impact of the virus, which has curtailed travel worldwide.

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Categories
Travel

Japan has the world’s most powerful passport – but it’s currently meaningless

The latest ranking of the world’s passports is out, with Japan’s crowned the most powerful – but the current situation renders the results meaningless, according to the study’s authors.

The Henley Passport Index, first launched in 2006, is one of the leading rankings of countries’ travel documents, determining their strength by the number of destinations passport holders can visit visa-free or by getting a visa on arrival.

However, for the first time in its 14-year history, the Index is defunct, as nations around the world have imposed strict travel bans amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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“A Swiss citizen can, in theory, travel to 185 destinations around the world without needing a visa in advance, but the last few weeks have made it apparent that travel freedom is contingent on factors that occasionally can be utterly beyond our control,” said Dr Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners and the inventor of the passport index.

“This is, of course, something that citizens of countries with weak passports in the lower ranks of the index are all too familiar with.

“As public health concerns and security rightfully take precedence over all else now, even within the otherwise borderless EU, this is an opportunity to reflect on what freedom of movement and citizenship essentially mean for those of us who have perhaps taken them for granted in the past.”

Some 3.5 billion people, nearly half the global population, are presently living in voluntary or mandatory confinement.

However, when the restrictions list, we could see a greater rise in the movement of people, according to some experts.

Founder and managing partner of FutureMap, Dr Parag Khanna, said: “Once quarantines lift and airline prices stand at rock bottom, expect more people across the globe to gather their belongings and buy one-way tickets to countries affordable enough to start fresh.”

Although only theoretical at present, Japan was followed in the rankings by Singapore, with a score of 190, followed by Germany in third place, joint with South Korea.

The UK is currently ranked 7th on the index, with a visa-free/visa-on-arrival score of 185. It shares the position with the US.

Although its travel freedom score has increased by 19 points over the last decade, in 2010, the UK ranked number one worldwide.

The UAE has seen the biggest increase in travel freedom over the past 10 years, going from being ranked 65th in 2010 to 18th this year, having added 107 visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations in that time.

Afghanistan currently has the world’s least powerful passport, with a score of 26.

World’s most powerful passports

1. Japan

2. Singapore

3. Germany

3. South Korea

4. Finland

4. Italy

4. Luxembourg

4. Spain

5. Austria

5. Denmark

World’s least powerful passports

1. Afghanistan

2. Iraq

3. Syria

4. Pakistan

5. Somalia

5. Yemen​

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Categories
Holiday

Flocking to ewe tube: farm webcams live stream animals in action

Lamb cams

The UK lambing season peaks in March and April, so Easter is the perfect time to tune in for newborns taking their first steps – or even to witness a birth. The live stream from the barn at Walby Farm Park, Cumbria, shows a herd of ewes, including north of England mules and black-and-white jacobs, many of whom have had triplets. Farmer Neil also recorded a video message from inside the barn last week, to introduce viewers to the new arrivals.

Naturalists flock to Chris Packham’s DIY ‘Springwatch’ on Facebook

In the fields of Marlfield Farm, on the border of Yorkshire and Lancashire, the sheep can be seen roaming the meadow as their babies frolic. Their small flock includes the UK’s rarest breed, the boreray, and the north ronaldsay, another rarity.

There are two lamb cams streaming from the barns of National Forest Adventure Farm in Staffordshire, which at time of writing captured a lot of heavily pregnant sheep, but also a couple of wagging lamb’s tails if you closely.

Kidding around

The live stream from Folly Farm in Pembrokeshire is currently focused on a large pen of kids in the barn. Expect climbing, jumping, head-butting and eating everything in sight. (Perhaps not unlike family life under quarantine.) Its herd includes pygmy, anglo-nubian, saanen, toggenburg and Welsh mountain goats. These baby goats are occasionally videobombed by neighbouring sheep and donkeys.

Mountain goats of Great Orme hit Llandudno – in pictures

There are plenty of joy-inducing streams being beamed across the Atlantic too, including from Beekman Farm in Sharon Springs, New York state. The small herd here helps produce goat’s milk soap and other cruelty-free skincare products. As it’s kidding season, the camera focuses on the nursery, so you may catch a pile of sleepy characters or, when dinner arrives, plenty of mischief.

The goat cam page for family-run Symon Says Farms in Salem, Connecticut, includes a list of all the babies born this season, with names and weights to help viewers get to know the herd.

Chick this out …

The chickens at Flying Skunk Farm live in the yard of a small farm on the Massachusetts coast. The page also includes a live chat feature, to talk to fellow friends of the fowl, who told us some of their names. They include Big Al, the cream amberlink, and Goldie, a gold hen, alongside barred rocks and a Polish crested polka dot breed with a spiky hairdo. The site is so popular that a hall of fame has been created using image stills from the site.

Taking virtual farm experiences to the next level, the Coop Cam from Joe Vitale in New Jersey allows viewers to actually feed the chickens. For every 20 new subscribers, or for a “Super Chat donation” added in the comments, the hens will get an automated treat from the feed dispenser. The brood here includes Houdini, who lays blue eggs, Sassafras, Cluck Norris and the Triplets. The stream also includes a picture-in-picture view of the upstairs of the coop, where eggs are laid throughout the day.

Other farms we’ve herd of …

Spy on sunbathing piglets from Centennial Farm, part of the Orange County fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California. And on the green hills of Wisconsin Pasture Farm Sanctuary in upstate New York, there are grazing alpacas, sheep and cows hanging out together, plus a turkey barn and a pig named Honey – with her recently adopted babies, Cameron and Ben David.

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Categories
Travel

Disneyland tickets aren't refundable due to coronavirus, but you can still use them


While the coronavirus pandemic closed Disney’s parks last month, the company is sticking with its policy of not issuing ticket refunds.



a group of people in front of a building: Orlando's Disney World, Disneyland Paris, Disney Cruise lines and Universal Studios are shut down temporarily due to the coronavirus pandemic.


© Provided by USA TODAY
Orlando’s Disney World, Disneyland Paris, Disney Cruise lines and Universal Studios are shut down temporarily due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The iconic Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California has been closed since March 14, and does not have a reopening date.

The good news: Once the park reopens, Disneyland’s nonrefundable single-day and multi-day tickets can be used for a future visit through the end of their validity period, according to the park’s website. 

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Promotional tickets for Southern California residents will be extended on a day-to-day basis for each day the park is closed.

The expiration date for promotional child tickets will be extended to Dec. 15, 2020, or 13 days after the ticket’s first use, whichever comes first.

Military Salute tickets expire on Dec. 18, 2020, and can be used on non-consecutive days.

Walt Disney World resort tickets in Florida are also not refundable, but can be used on any date through Dec. 15, 2020. Tickets that have not been used by that date can be used toward the purchase of a future ticket.

Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort hotel reservations can be made for June 1 or later.

Both resorts are waiving Disney-imposed change and cancellation fees for vacation packages for arrivals through June 30.


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    2021 cruise bookings are on the rise despite coronavirus chaos
    The cruise line industry has taken a major beating due to covid-19, still analysts say the number of bookings for 2021 cruises have increased since this time last year.

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    Two Holland America cruise ships with coronavirus patients aboard were finally allowed to dock at a port near Fort Lauderdale, resolving a days-long impasse that drew the attention of President Donald Trump. Jillian Kitchener has more.

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Categories
Travel

‘Taxpayer faces £4.5bn bill if no change in law on holiday refunds’

Change the law on refunds for cancelled holidays, or half-a-million jobs are at risk: that is the warning from Abta, the travel trade association.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought almost all domestic and international tourism to a standstill.

With the Foreign Office now warning against travel abroad indefinitely, Abta calculates holiday firms face paying customers back an estimated £4.5bn.

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Under the Package Travel Regulations, a tour operator has 14 days from the date a holiday is cancelled to return the traveller’s money in full. But suppliers such as airlines are in no hurry to issue refunds — or are insisting on providing only vouchers, despite rules stipulating cash.

To compound the problem, future bookings have almost dried up.

Abta is pressing for the two-week refund deadline to be extended to several months, with customers given a “refund credit note” that will allow them to select an alternative holiday from the same supplier or, at the agreed date, get their cash repaid.

If the law does not change, says Abta, it will force many companies into bankruptcy. Refunds would become ultimately the responsibility of the taxpayer under the Atol scheme, which was drained of cash by the collapse in September 2019 of Thomas Cook.

The association’s chief executive, Mark Tanzer, said: “We know the government has a lot to manage with the current crisis, but its failure to make these temporary changes to refund rules defies logic and is leaving the consumer in no-man’s land.

“The rules around 14-day refunds were never designed for the mass cancellation of holidays, which we’re now seeing as result of government measures to contain the pandemic.

“It’s in nobody’s interests for normally healthy, viable businesses to be pushed into bankruptcy. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are at risk and the UK taxpayer will have to foot the bill for customer refunds if there is an industry-wide collapse.

“This is about supporting businesses through an entirely unforeseeable and short-term cash-flow crunch. Customers will not lose their right to a refund, and their money is not at risk.”

But one of the travel industry’s most eminent figures, David Speakman, said changing the rules governing existing contracts would undermine customers’ confidence.

“A public that mistrusts the industry in future will be far more damaging in the long term than any financial impact at present,” he said.

Mr Speakman, who founded the home-working firm Travel Counsellors, criticised airlines for failing to hand back cash — and said that after the crisis the whole structure of the travel industry should be reformed.

“The travel industry is particularly vulnerable to a stop or slow down, as it has operated as a massive ‘Ponzi scheme’ — borrowing and using upfront customer cash to operate.

“Cash taken from customers booking today for future journeys, pays for travel executed today that was paid for by customers two, three or even 12 months previously.

“The industry is now suffering from its own virus and its very survival and trustworthiness is at stake.”

Abta says the UK travel industry employs more than 500,000 people directly and indirectly across the UK.

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Categories
Travel

Discovering the exquisite work of the Arts and Crafts movement

The arts and crafts of a truly stylish break: Our guide to discovering a world full of natural beauty and exquisite craftsmanship

  • Winsford Cottage Hospital in Devon was designed by the eminent Arts and Crafts architect Charles Voysey
  • Llangoed Hall is a country house hotel in Wales that has art by Augustus John and James McNeill Whistler
  • Rodmarton House in Gloucestershire is packed with 20th Century treasures, including furniture and pottery

Millennials love to think they discovered everything and have even come up with a whizzy term – cottagecore – to describe an appreciation of the aesthetic beauty and romance of rural life. 

Fuelled by the power of social media, the cottagecore trend is currently sweeping the United States, but this idealisation of style has been around in Britain for more than 150 years thanks to the Arts and Crafts movement. It was driven by William Morris and his followers, who set about championing the quality of design and celebrating traditional workmanship.

Hipsters before their time, every detail mattered; the Arts and Crafters wanted to design everything from door knobs to drawers, often using flowers and plants as inspiration. Railing against industrialisation and mass-produced furniture, pioneers headed to the Cotswolds and set up guilds to protect ancient trades. Morris’s Cotswolds home, the 16th Century Kelmscott Manor (sal.org.uk/kelmscott-manor), is currently closed for renovation, but there is still plenty for devotees to see when travel restrictions are lifted.

Winsford Cottage Hospital, Devon

Winsford Cottage Hospital, pictured, is located in the village of Beaworthy in Devon. It was once a local hospital treating First World War soldiers 

Conservation charity the Landmark Trust has highlighted the Arts and Crafts trend with its new property in the village of Beaworthy.

Built in 1900 and designed by the eminent Arts and Crafts architect Charles Voysey, this was once a local hospital treating First World War soldiers wounded on the front line.

Voysey created everything from the motifs of hearts and trees to the windows and the doors. He also designed the wards so that patients could look out on to the sunny, south-facing garden.

Everything has now been serenely updated, with proper kitchens and tasteful bathrooms.

The property sleeps up to six people, and four-night stays cost from £503 (landmarktrust.org.uk).

Gravetye Manor, Sussex

One of the bedrooms at Gravetye Manor in East Grinstead, which dates back to the 16th Century. It was transformed into a hotel in 1958 

Gravetye Manor is ancient – it dates back to the 16th Century – and in 1885 it was bought by William Robinson. Originally a gardener’s boy, Robinson became one of the most influential horticulturalists of his era and Gravetye was his home until he died in 1935.

The manor, near East Grinstead, was transformed into a hotel in 1958, and today the rooms still adhere to Arts and Crafts principles: they are grand yet serene.

Guests can also sign up for daily tours of the meadows, kitchen and flower gardens.

B&B doubles cost from £295 a night (gravetyemanor.co.uk).

Perrycroft, Herefordshire

Perrycroft in Malvern, which was built by Charles Voysey in 1893. It has been refurbished to contain plenty of modern conveniences 

On a smaller scale, Perrycroft, near Malvern, was built by Charles Voysey in 1893 for John Wilson, an MP and industrialist. It’s a private home but it is open to the public between May and September. There are three holiday cottages on the estate too, including The Lodge, which was also built by Voysey.

Although The Lodge has been refurbished to contain plenty of modern conveniences, much care has been taken to maintain Voysey’s vision, thanks to whitewashed walls, green painted woodwork, red curtains, and antique furniture and fittings. 

The property has three bedrooms and sleeps up to six people. A four-night stay costs from £585 (perrycroftholidaycottages.co.uk/the-lodge).

Llangoed Hall, Wales

Llangoed Hall was originally an ancient manor house near Hay-on-Wye. It has an art collection that includes works by Augustus John and James McNeill Whistler

Originally an ancient manor house near Hay-on-Wye, Llangoed Hall was rebuilt as a mansion in 1912 by Clough Williams-Ellis. He was fascinated by the notion of village life and would later go to build the Italianate village of Portmeirion in North Wales.

Keeping the Arts and Crafts flame alive, in the 1980s Bernard Ashley, husband of designer Laura Ashley, turned Llangoed Hall into a country house hotel, with kitchen gardens and an art collection that includes works by Augustus John and James McNeill Whistler. 

The property has since changed ownership but the ethos remains the same. B&B doubles cost from £160 a night (llangoedhall.co.uk).

Standen House, West Sussex

Inside Standen House, which was built in 1891 by Philip Webb, an influential Arts and Crafts designer

Philip Webb was another influential Arts and Crafts designer and in 1891 he built Standen House, near East Grinstead, for a wealthy family. 

Now owned by the National Trust, the place is an Arts and Crafts time capsule, with William Morris furnishings and wallpaper, and you can still see the original electric light fittings. Guests staying in the property’s Morris Apartment can explore the gardens after visitors have left for the day.

The one-bedroom apartment sleeps up to four people and features an elegant sitting room and a light and airy kitchen. A two-night stay costs from £494 (nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/the-morris-apartment-sussex).

Rodmarton House, Gloucestershire

This house was built by Ernest Barnsley, a follower of Morris, and is still owned by the family who commissioned it in 1909.

Rodmarton is packed with early 20th Century treasures, including furniture and pottery by Alfred and Louise Powell, wall hangings by Hilda Benjamin, lead and brass designed by Norman Jewson, and ironwork by Fred and Frank Baldwin and Alfred Bucknell. 

Visitors can take tours of both house and garden, and craft events take place regularly (rodmarton-manor.co.uk).

Hidcote, Gloucestershire

The beautiful gardens at Hidcote in Chipping Campden, which are among the most charming in Britain 

The 17th Century property was bought by Lawrence Johnston in 1907 and he quickly set about putting into practice all that he had learned from books by Arts and Crafts devotees. 

Today, the gardens at Hidcote, in Chipping Campden, are among the most charming in Britain – a series of colourful and intricately designed outdoor ‘rooms’. 

The site is now owned by the National Trust (nationaltrust.org.uk/hidcote) and continues to attract 175,000 visitors a year. Also in Chipping Campden is Court Barn (courtbarn.org.uk), a museum that showcases the Arts and Crafts period.

London

The William Morris Gallery, pictured, in Walthamstow, East London, houses the largest collection of his designs

However much the Arts and Crafters loved the countryside, they couldn’t escape London entirely. The William Morris Gallery is housed in Morris’s very grand childhood home in Walthamstow, East London, and has the largest collection of his designs (wmgallery.org.uk).

Following their marriage, Morris and his wife Jane went on to live at Red House in Bexleyheath, Kent. 

Built in 1860 by Morris and Philip Webb, it’s another jewel, with paintings and murals by Pre-Raphaelites Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Rossetti and a touch of utopianism – the servants’ rooms are unusually light and airy (nationaltrust.org.uk/red-house).

Cotswolds

Martin Randall Travel has been conducting Arts and Crafts tours of the Cotswolds since 2016, offering guests a chance to visit museums, churches and private houses.

A four-night tour in September starts at £1,890pp including all transport and accommodation, and most meals. The itinerary includes visits to a branch of the world-famous Ashmolean Museum in Broadway, which includes a collection on vernacular British decorative arts, and the Museum and Art Gallery in Cheltenham, which has a nationally important Arts and Crafts collection (martinrandall.com/arts-and-crafts-in-the-cotswolds).

Meanwhile, Historic Houses also arranges tours of privately owned Arts and Crafts houses, including Owlpen Manor in Gloucestershire (historichouses.org).

Scotland

Hill House in Helensburgh, near Loch Lomond. It was built by renowned architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret

Renowned architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife Margaret built Hill House in Helensburgh, near Loch Lomond, between 1902 and 1904 for publisher Walter Blackie.

The house is considered to be his domestic masterpiece – Mackintosh and his wife built the furnishings too and even gave the owners instructions on what colour flowers should be put in to vases.

However, the exterior materials used have not withstood the test of time, so the National Trust for Scotland is embarking on a ten-year restoration project. A protective steel structure has been built over the house so that work can continue away from the elements (nts.org.uk/visit/places/the-hill-house).

TREASURE TROVES OF THE LAKES 

Troutbeck Church in Cumbria, which has Arts and Crafts interiors 

They were built largely as holiday homes for Manchester industrialists, and nowhere in Britain has a better collection of Arts and Crafts mansions than the Lake District.

Even though many of them are still private homes, you can visit Blackwell (blackwell.org.uk). Overlooking Windermere, it was built in 1898 by Baillie Scott for a brewing magnate.

It’s an Arts and Crafts treasure trove, with peacock friezes, an all-white drawing room and leaf-shaped door handles.

The garden is just as important, with a series of terraces framing the water below. Blackwell’s craft connections are kept current with a shop that showcases contemporary artists, particularly ceramicists.

There are many churches in the area worth seeing too – those at Staveley and Troutbeck have Arts and Crafts interiors, including stained-glass windows by Morris and the Pre-Raphaelites.

Brantwood was the home of the art critic John Ruskin. Overlooking Coniston Water, it has eight gardens to explore plus a museum containing his art and belongings. 

If you want to soak up the view a bit longer, you can even stay here. The Lodge sleeps up to nine while the Eyrie is a one-bedroom apartment overlooking the water. Two-night stays start at £247 (brantwood.org.uk).

Birkdale House in Bowness- on-Windermere shows off its Arts and Crafts roots with fireplaces and stained-glass windows, although the cellar’s transformation into a cinema room may not fit in entirely with Morris’s views on modernity. 

Three-night breaks at the property, which sleeps ten, start at £3,675 (birkdalewindermere.co.uk).

 

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