Q: What experiences as both parents and travellers lead you to create tiny travelship? Q: You are both clearly passionate about travel. Can you each describe a particularly memorable family trip? Q: You have designed several gardens for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, winning the ‘Best Tradestand’ award in 2018: what is the process of designing a garden of this nature, and where do you gain your inspiration for these pieces? Q: What are you and the Tiny Travelship community looking for when searching for a family-friendly place to stay? Q: Congratulations on launching your new website! What does the future look like for Tiny Travelship Q: What are your top holiday reads? The Alps: Hotels, Destinations, Cultures The Island Great Circle The Best of Sherlock Holmes Why do book collections matter? Book a consultation with a ~personal curator Contact Quick Links Follow us @ultimatelibrary Join our community
An Interview with Tiny Travelship, Pioneers Of Family Travel
7 Jul 2023
In early July, Ultimate Library was invited to collaborate on the launch event for a ground-breaking new travel search engine, designed exclusively for families. Tiny Travelship was co-founded in London by new parents Frankie Collinson and Becky Penninson-Bates, united by a shared refusal to compromise on their love for stylish travel once they had children. What originated as an Instagram community, has now developed into a website, which offers discerning travellers a carefully vetted selection of family-friendly accommodation, destination guides, travel tips and even packing lists. For their launch event at The Ampersand Hotel, Ultimate Library were asked to select some of our favourite destination-focussed holiday reads for guests of all ages to take home with them. Before the festivities began, we sat down with Frankie and Becky to hear more about the vision behind Tiny Travelship, its revolutionary approach to family travel and what they like to read on holiday.
Pre-children we were both avid travellers with a passion for under-the-radar destinations and more boutique hotels. Frankie would spend hours reading every article on CNT whereas Becky would scour Airbnb, exhausting the search results. After having children we found we barely had time to shower, let alone spend hours combing the internet for holiday ideas appropriate for us as parents. We were looking for the same type of gorgeous places we’d visited before having kids, but needed to know our offspring were also warmly welcomed. The sites we used to frequent had very minimal information on family facilities and a lot of the time we found this information was conflicting. Knowing what to expect when travelling is so important when travelling tiny. For example, Becky turned up to a homestay in Switzerland which had the provided cot but also had huge panoramic windows with no curtains – stunning during the day, not ideal at 4 am! There were sites out there talking about family holidays, but these felt hugely outdated and didn’t excite us in any way. We created Tiny Travelship to showcase stylish family travel ideas, proving to parents they do not need to sacrifice their taste for their toddlers.
Frankie
~~We’ve just returned from a few days in Daios Cove in Crete. I haven’t stayed in an All Inclusive hotel since I was a child, usually opting for boutique bedrooms instead, but Daios Cove completely blew us away. The food was sublime – we didn’t eat a bad meal, and everything from ice cream to cocktails to champagne was included. Our son isn’t a fan of car seats so it was really relaxing for us to find somewhere gorgeous we could fly & flop – there’s a reason their infinity pool is an insta icon. From the private plunge pool in our rooms to the sumptuous double-day beds, we were all able to lean into a life of luxury!
BECKY
~~
For me, our most memorable trip to date was definitely driving around Montenegro, which involved everything I love about travelling in a super family-friendly way. We got to experience lesser explored corners climbing fortress walls and hiking National Parks, ate a tonne of great local food, and spent days on deserted beaches with no one else in sight – and as everywhere was so laid back and the crowds so sparse our toddler was in her element too, free to run wild. It’s a massive cliche, but I think children should grow up believing the world is their oyster – though let’s be realistic, money doesn’t grow on trees so I am always on the lookout for budget adventures! You can find my top tips for finding the perfect purse-pleasing trip
here.
The process of designing a garden for anyone whether it be for a show or a private client, I think really begins with the brief. This comes from the client and generally consists of a list of wishes that the client hopes to realise from their newly reconfigured outdoor space. We ask a series of questions which helps to guide us and informs our design process and choices. The architecture and setting of the house also play a significant part as a starting point and inform our decision-making process first and foremost throughout. I find being out in nature, and walking along the River on the weekends provides me with the time and space I often don’t have during the week to think more creatively. Finding moments of quiet, when my brain is not filled with the day-to-day running of the business is when I feel most inspired and creative.
Caserio del Mirador
Daios Cove
Parent-pleasing travel means different things to different people. Our community spans the whole price spectrum (from seriously budget-friendly boutiques to no expense spared luxury boltholes). Whilst some people are looking for all-singing, all-dancing, family facilities and Kids Clubs, others want somewhere with more adults-vibes where they can create memories together as a family. There is no minimum requirement in terms of equipment for a Tiny Travelship family-friendly stay, as long as the hotel or homestay warmly welcomes tots in tow.
Bright! We’re constantly updating our site with gorgeous new property finds and expert edits on our Tiny Talk blog. We’re already working on phase 2 of our website plans, with the ultimate aim of making stylish family holidays even more hassle-free for our community.
by Sebastian Schoellgen
This beautifully illustrated book is the go-to guide for luxury Alpine travel. Curated by hotel expert Sebastian Schoellgen, the book features 84 of the finest hotels in the Alps, showcasing their unique charm through gorgeous photographs and lively storytelling. An essential resource for discerning travelers seeking the best boutique and luxury hotels, along with insider tips for a memorable Alpine experience.
BY VICTORIA HISLOP
Frankie – I also love reading books which storytell the location I’m in. I reread Victoria Hislop’s
The Island
whilst in Crete recently, as it was a stone’s throw away from Spinalonga.
BY MAGGIE SHIPSTEAD
Becky – A recent holiday read that has really stuck in my mind is
Great Circle
by Maggie Shipstead, the tale of a daredevil female pilot resolute on charting her own life course – the only trouble being I was torn between my real life adventures and getting too absorbed in those contained within the book.
BY SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
Becky – And putting practicality aside, I think my favourite ever holiday read was a giant, battered
Best of Sherlock Holmes
paperback I carted around New Zealand for months on end – the tales are the perfect length for an afternoon beach read or post dinner unwind (though this was pre-kids, so maybe optimistic now!)
We want to thank Frankie and Becky for being our experts this month, you can find out more about Tiny Travelship at their
website
and on
Instagram
.
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