Fans of The Holiday often assume the film’s cottage is a real place tucked somewhere in the English countryside. It isn’t. The exterior was a temporary structure, and the interior existed only on a set. That disconnect created years of interest in the idea of a real version—something people could actually visit instead of just watch.
Designer Lucy Small decided to close that gap by building a functional replica in Georgia.
A Replica Built for Real Use
View this post on Instagram
Small, a Georgia-based home designer with years of construction experience, announced her plan back in 2022 and immediately drew attention that most short-term rentals never see.
Close to 4,000 people signed up for updates before she even broke ground. By October of this year, the cottage opened for bookings, and the calendar filled so quickly that most available dates now fall in mid-2026.
Rates range from $399 during slower months to $499 in peak season, and demand hasn’t eased since the launch.
The original Rosehill Cottage from the movie was inspired by Honeysuckle Cottage in Surrey, but productions relied on a built exterior in nearby Shere and soundstage interiors.
Since the structure didn’t exist as a functional home, Small had to convert the film’s look into something structurally sound. While working with an architectural designer, she spent nine months building the replica from the ground up in Ellijay, a town in North Georgia known for its mountain setting and steady visitor traffic.
Turning a Fictional Structure Into a Code-Compliant Home
Construction revealed why the movie cottage couldn’t simply be recreated piece by piece. Window placement would have forced ceilings far lower than code allows, chimney counts didn’t match fireplace placement, and the sloped bathroom floor seen on screen made no practical sense.
Small and her team kept the recognizable style but corrected each element to meet real-world standards. They also added a second bedroom and bathroom upstairs to allow groups to stay without feeling like one couple was getting the only “true” cottage layout.
Inside, she aimed to recreate the film's atmosphere without replicating its more expensive set pieces. She tracked down antiques similar to the originals; many exact matches cost more than $15,000 each—and paired them with accessible versions of the movie’s design choices.
The replica features a stone fireplace, blue cabinetry, a round dining table, built-in shelving, and the narrow tub that fans remember.
How the Cottage Functions for Modern Guests
Image via Pexels/Jan van der Wolf
The house accommodates up to six guests between two king bedrooms and a downstairs sofa bed. A wood-burning fireplace anchors the main living area, and a hot tub sits outside for year-round use.
Small’s design firm, State and Season, created the cottage in partnership with HomeExchange, which happens to match the platform used by the characters in the film. The level of interest set this project apart from anything Small had built before.
Most renovations pick up attention only after completion, but this one attracted handwritten letters and email sign-ups while it was still in its early planning phase. When the booking site opened on October 4, reservations came in immediately.
Guests now leave notes in a house journal explaining why the stay mattered to them, often tied to family traditions or long-running affection for the film.
No Sequel Project In Sight
Small isn’t looking to build a series of movie-inspired rentals. She calls this project a one-off and says she prefers to take on ideas that have clear enthusiasm behind them rather than trying to chase another viral hit.
From her perspective, the appeal of this cottage came from years of built-in interest, and recreating that effect wouldn’t make sense on command. For anyone interested in staying there, the cottage sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, about an hour and a half from Atlanta.