Every year, Christmas arrives with the same promise: rest, celebration, meaningful time with the people we love. Yet for many, the festive season feels anything but restful. Diaries fill, schedules tighten, and the pressure to make the most of every moment creates a whirlwind that leaves little room for genuine stillness. Increasingly, people are searching for something different during the holidays: space, slowness, and the permission to step away.
One alternative is quietly becoming a favourite for those wanting a Christmas escape that prioritises calm over chaos. Unplugged, the UK’s original digital detox retreat, offers a simple proposition: three days in nature, phone locked away, and time that truly feels like your own. For individuals, couples, or anyone feeling the weight of a long year, these cabin stays might be the reset the festive season has been missing.
Located just one to two hours from major cities, Unplugged’s off-grid cabins sit in peaceful countryside settings across the UK and, more recently, Spain. Beautifully designed with floor-to-ceiling windows, solar-powered systems, and low-impact materials, each cabin is built to honour its natural surroundings while still offering a sense of quiet luxury. There is a well-equipped kitchen, linen bedding, a log burner, a fire pit, hot shower, calming toiletries, books, maps, and games. Guests also find analogue comforts: a polaroid camera with film, an old-school Nokia for emergencies, and a small collection of Calm Sleep Stories on cassette, narrated by familiar voices such as Harry Styles and Matthew McConaughey.
The centrepiece of the experience is a 72-hour digital detox, a timeframe supported by neurological research as the optimal window for meaningful benefits. Visitors report better sleep, reduced anxiety, improved focus, heightened awareness, and a sense of grounded clarity that can be hard to access in normal life. For those grappling with screen fatigue, brain fog or burnout—the all-too-familiar symptoms of a tech-driven world—it’s a chance to reset both body and mind.
Unplugged’s growing popularity reflects a wider shift toward wellness-focused travel. After a highly successful 2024, with occupancy rates exceeding 90 percent, the brand is on track to double its presence to 60 cabins by the end of 2025. With locations within easy reach of London, Manchester, Bristol, Brighton, Devon, Cornwall, Liverpool and Birmingham, as well as destinations such as Wales, Cheshire, Essex, the New Forest and the Chiltern Hills, the retreats are accessible while still feeling worlds away from everyday noise.
“My personal favourite? The Luna cabin — not just for its serene atmosphere, but because it shares its name with my Yorkshire Terrier.”
For those seeking a Christmas escape that replaces overcommitment with introspection, or simply a few days to breathe, an Unplugged stay offers a rare gift: the space to reconnect with yourself and with the quieter rhythms of the natural world. A holiday, in the truest sense of the word.
The Founders
Unplugged was founded by lifelong friends Hector Hughes and Ben Elliot. The idea was born after Hector experienced burnout and acute screen fatigue during a demanding period of his career. Determined to make intentional time offline more accessible, the pair launched Unplugged five years ago with a mission to help people switch off and reconnect with what matters.
Today, Hector is recognised as a leading voice in digital wellness. Having guided more than 10,000 guests toward healthier tech habits, he shares practical strategies for mindful technology use through media appearances, national broadcasts and speaking engagements. Alongside Ben, he continues to champion a slower, more intentional approach to modern life—one cabin, and one 72-hour reset, at a time.
What’s next? Book your location. You can find them in Bath, to Shropshire, Manchester to Liverpool – to name a few.
Images: Pasco Photography
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