FROM grand castles to a picturesque treehouse featured on Robson Green's BBC Weekend Escapes, some of Northumberland's most unique places to stay are being managed by a Hexham-based company.
Wooden Star Cottages, founded in 2018 by co-directors Sam Perkins and Vicky Collingwood, now looks after around 30 properties across the county: from large estates and Georgian apartments to secluded countryside retreats.
Dotted around Northumberland, its portfolio stretches from the commanding eight-bedroom Beaufront Castle, overlooking Hexham, to the peaceful Greystead Old Church in Kielder Water and Forest Park.
Alongside overnight stays, properties are routinely booked out for large-scale events, including weddings, business conferences and wellness retreats.
Based at their Beaufront Business Park headquarters in Hexham, Sam, Vicky and their 12-strong all-female team work tirelessly servicing and managing their clients' homes to keep them in top condition for arriving guests.
"When we set up the business, nobody did everything from the advertising through to the guest interaction, all the payments, all the cleaning, all the linen and then all the guest communication afterwards," said Sam.
"It really sits well with people that have properties out in the area, but equally we've got quite a lot of people that have estates out in the National Park where they've got several properties, and we manage a group of them for them because their lifestyle doesn't fit doing it themselves."
Waiting for guests at the properties is a welcome pack filled with local produce such as Northumberland tea, locally roasted coffee and Northumbria Bakehouse biscuits.
It's these touches alongside their general customer service, which, Sam added, are "welcomed fondly" and "really touch most guests", and have helped the business accumulate a rating of 4.92/5.0 on Airbnb (2,376 reviews, at the time of writing).
Wooden Star Cottages' glowing reputation has also led to celebrity and TV interest. The Treehouse at Roses Bower, near Great Whittington, recently featured on an episode of BBC Two's Robson Green's Weekend Escapes.
"The production team contacted us and just said, 'Could Robson come and stay?'", She added.
"He stayed at the Treehouse at Roses Bower, which is a collection of three cottages with an events barn where we host small weddings or yoga and wellness retreats.
"I thought he just did a bit and went home, but he does actually stay overnight.
"He's doing a brilliant job for us in Northumberland. He's really helping drive people to the area to stay in the properties."
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