CORYLUS RETREATS LTD

What CORYLUS RETREATS LTD does

Corylus Retreats Ltd is a privately held, family-owned Scottish limited company operating a design-led short-term-let accommodation business from a single hillside site above Ullapool on Scotland's west coast. Co-founded and run by Sam Planterose and Andrea Jud, the company offers two self-contained, architect-designed apartments — Fjell (one bedroom, sleeps two) and Fjord (two bedrooms, sleeps four) — bookable individually or together as a whole-property exclusive-use stay for up to six guests. The physical product is purpose-built using contemporary sustainable construction (timber cladding, birch plywood, triple glazing, air source heat pump, MVHR, underfloor heating) and includes EV charging and mesh WiFi.

The company's commercial model is a direct-to-consumer short-term holiday rental with quote-based nightly and weekly pricing, a 30% non-refundable deposit at booking, balance due six weeks before arrival, and a £300 refundable damage deposit. Distribution runs through a direct booking engine on staycorylus.com (powered by SuperControl) supplemented by third-party OTA presence on Airbnb and Booking.com and curated listings on Premier Cottages, Coolstays, Sawday's, ToWander, and Host Unusual. Demand generation is primarily via the website, an Instagram presence (@staycorylus), a sparse newsletter, and editorial coverage. The company holds Scottish Short Term Letting Licences HI-11054-F and HI-11055-F.

Customer segments are individual leisure travellers — couples, families, small groups, slow-travel and wellbeing-focused visitors — all served on a one-off stay basis. The business has no external investment, no employees beyond the founders, and no disclosed revenue. Connected entities include co-founder Sam Planterose's North Woods Construction (which built the property) and sister brand Ecotone Cabins at Leckmelm, indicating a small, integrated family-of-businesses operating model rather than an externally scaled venture.

Name

CORYLUS RETREATS LTD

Legal name

Corylus Retreats Ltd

Website

https://staycorylus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Corylus Retreats Ltd is a family-owned, design-led self-catering holiday-let business operating two architect-built apartments (Fjell and Fjord) above Ullapool in the Scottish Highlands, serving couples, families, and small groups seeking restorative short-term stays.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vacation Rentals / Holiday Accommodation

NAICS

Rental and Leasing Services (532)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mixed-use / residential-hotel serviced apartments (condo-hotel style) (THAMACAJ)

Keywords

• Self-catering accommodation
• Holiday apartment rentals
• Vacation rentals
• Boutique retreats
• Highland short-term lets

Headquarters

HQ city

Ullapool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Short-term Holiday Rental: Self-catering apartment rentals at nightly/weekly rates. Offers Fjell (1-bedroom, sleeps 2), Fjord (2-bedroom, sleeps 4), and whole-property exclusive use (sleeps 6). Minimum 3-night stays with Monday/Friday arrival patterns. Revenue from direct bookings via website and third-party platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Corylus Retreats operates two architect-designed self-catering holiday apartments (Fjell, a one-bedroom apartment for up to two guests, and Fjord, a two-bedroom apartment for up to four guests) above Ullapool in the Scottish Highlands, plus a whole-property exclusive-use option accommodating up to six guests. The properties feature contemporary sustainable construction with triple glazing, underfloor heating, air source heat pump heating, MVHR ventilation, mesh WiFi and an on-site EV charger, oriented to maximise views over Loch Broom. Short-stay letting is regulated by Scottish Short Term Letting Licences HI-11054-F and HI-11055-F.

Product overview

Corylus Retreats Ltd operates as a luxury self-catering hospitality business offering two architecturally designed apartments above Ullapool on Scotland's west coast. The portfolio consists of Fjell (one-bedroom, sleeps 2) and Fjord (two-bedroom, sleeps 4), which can be booked separately or together as a whole-property exclusive use (sleeps up to 6). Each apartment is self-contained with private entrance, kitchen, living area, and covered deck, designed around landscape views over Loch Broom.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fjell: One-bedroom self-catering apartment designed for two guests, oriented east along the loch and shaped by the morning light.
• Fjord

Products and services

• Fjell (one-bedroom apartment) A one-bedroom self-catering apartment at Corylus Retreats oriented south and east along Loch Broom, designed for up to two guests and shaped by the early morning light. Targeted at couples and solo travellers seeking a quiet, design-led Highland retreat.
• Fjord (two-bedroom apartment) A two-bedroom self-catering apartment at Corylus Retreats facing south and west towards Ullapool and the evening sun, accommodating up to four guests with a super-king or twin bedroom configuration. Targeted at families, small groups and slow travellers seeking flexible, design-led Highland accommodation.
• Whole Property exclusive-use stay Exclusive-use booking combining both the Fjell and Fjord apartments, accommodating up to six guests across three bedrooms with a private entrance to each apartment. Targeted at families, multi-generational groups and small friend groups wanting both shared and independent space during a Highland stay.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North Woods ConstructioncoreTechnology or IntegrationLocal construction company that designed and built Corylus. Led by Sam Planterose's expertise in bespoke timber design and build. Focused on clarity, proportion, and practical use of space.
• Ecotone CabinscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected through wider family and design/build work. Offers carefully designed cabins in family woodland at Leckmelm, three miles south of Ullapool. Same team behind both Corylus and Ecotone Cabins projects.
• Premier CottagesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMembership platform that features Corylus Retreats on their accommodation listing website.
• CoolstaysminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAccommodation platform featuring Corylus Retreats for discoverability among travelers seeking unique stays.
• Sawday'sminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQuality accommodation platform that has inspected and selected Corylus for their collection of trusted stays.
• SuperControlcoreTechnology or IntegrationBooking and property management system used by Corylus for availability calendars, booking management, and payment processing.
• Saltbox Sauna at LeckmelmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal sauna business recommended in guides as pairing activity with cold-water swimming near Ullapool. Bookable separately by guests.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Coolstays: UK accommodation marketplace focused on cool, design-led, and unique stays. Corylus is listed here; relevant as a discoverability and distribution partner for design-conscious guests rather than a competing operator.
• Canopy & Stars: UK marketplace for unique and unusual self-catering stays. Comparable distribution channel for design-led holiday rentals in regional/remote locations; ecosystem participant rather than direct operator-competitor.
• Sawday's: Curated UK accommodation marketplace where Corylus is listed as 'Inspected & Selected'. Acts as a distribution and credibility channel for independent, characterful stays; relevant as an ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
• Premier Cottages: UK consortium of high-quality independent self-catering cottage operators. Corylus is a member; acts as a curated channel reaching guests seeking quality-assured self-catering accommodation, positioning alongside comparable properties without directly competing on inventory.

Direct peers

• Ecotone Cabins: Sister business to Corylus Retreats, also founded and operated by the same family team at Leckmelm near Ullapool. Offers design-led cabins in family woodland on a similar Highland self-catering model targeting the same design-conscious and slow-travel guest segments.
• Wildland: Operator of architect-designed luxury accommodation across the Scottish Highlands. Comparable in offering high-design, remote Highland stays to a similar premium, slow-travel guest base, though at significantly larger scale and with multiple properties.

Broad incumbents

• Artist Residence: UK boutique hotel group with art- and design-led properties in regional locations. Comparable on design-driven positioning, curated decor, and rural/regional locations appealing to creative travelers, though at larger scale and as full-service hotels.
• Soho House: Global design-led hospitality and members' club brand. Comparable on design-led accommodation targeted at discerning travelers seeking restorative, considered environments, though at very different scale and operating full-service hotel/house models.
• Lime Wood Group: UK luxury hotel collection operating Lime Wood (New Forest) and Lainston House. Comparable on design-led rural luxury positioning and restorative-stay brand narrative, but at significantly higher scale and as full-service hotels.
• The Pig Hotels: UK boutique hotel group with design-led, food-and-restorative-stay positioning across multiple properties. Comparable on design-led, restoration-focused hospitality and curated rural/regional locations, though operating a full-service hotel model rather than self-catering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/staycorylus

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CORYLUS RETREATS LTD