Sony Pictures
Key Points
Nancy Meyers' The Holiday hit theaters on Dec. 8, 2006.
Fans fell in love with the quaint English cottage featured in the film.
Though the cottage was built for the film, it was inspired by a similarly cozy real-life home.
What if a home swap for the holidays led to more than just a change of scenery? That's the story of the 2006 rom-comThe Holiday.
After a painful heartbreak, London columnist Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) lists her idyllic cottage in the English countryside on a home exchange website. Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz), a movie trailer editor looking to escape her life for a little while, comes across the listing, and the two agree to swap homes for the holidays. Amanda heads to Iris' cozy cottage, while Iris soaks up the sun at Amanda's luxurious Los Angeles mansion.
Quaint and snug, the snow-dusted Rosehill Cottage charms with its warm, inviting rooms and classic English character, making it the perfect festive getaway. Fans have been enchanted by it the cottage for years, but is it real? Here's the truth about Rosehill Cottage — and the home that inspired it.
Is the Rosehill Cottage fromThe Holidayreal?
Sony Pictures
No, the Rosehill Cottage isn't real. We are just as devastated as you are.
In a November 2024 interview with BBC Radio,Jude Law confirmed the heartbreaking truthafter the hosts eagerly asked if they could "Airbnb that cottage."
"That cottage doesn't exist," he revealed. "Oooh, yeah," he added as gasps and a number of stunned reactions filled the studio. One of the hosts even wailed, "That's my dream home!"
Law went on to explain that writer-directorNancy Meyerssearched high and low for the perfect cozy English hideaway, but never found a real one that could be used in the film.
"So the director, she's a bit of a perfectionist," he said. "She toured that whole area and didn't quite find the chocolate box cottage she's looking for." As such, she hired some magical gnomes (we assume) to build one for her.
Law also dished on a major behind-the-scenes detail: "So, we were shooting in the winter here. And every time I'd go in that door, we'd cut, and we shot the interiors in L.A. about three months later."
When the hosts begged him to stop talking, calling the news "really upsetting" and something they "couldn't bear," Law laughed. "Just burst the bubble. Sorry!"
Was Rosehill inspired by a real English cottage?
Columbia Pictures/ Everett
Although the cottage was built specifically forThe Holiday, its design reportedly draws inspiration from Honeysuckle Cottage, an actual English cottage tucked away in the Surrey village of Holmbury St Mary. Thehome made headlinesin 2018 when it hit the market for roughly $821,000.
Inside, the cottage offers more space than its quaint exterior suggests. According to thelisting, it includes three bedrooms, a kitchen, a cloakroom, a living room, and much more (though it apparently has just one bathroom).
The listing describes the Honeysuckle Cottage as a "stunning extended period cottage with ironstone galleting and brick quoins under a tiled roof complemented by leaded light windows."
It also boasts an "inglenook fireplace," and "delightful landscaped gardens," with several pubs and shops just a short walk away (very much in line withThe Holiday).
In late 2022, Airbnb listed the Honeysuckle Cottage for roughly $340 per night,per House Beautiful. As of this writing, however, it no longer appears to be listed.
What about Amanda's mansion — is it real?
Sony Pictures
While Rosehill enchants with its storybook appeal, Amanda's Los Angeles mansion is a decidedly different kind of dream home. Lavish, sprawling, and undeniably glamorous, it lends itself to the big screen.
Although the movie's interiors were filmed on a soundstage at Sony Pictures Studios, fans ofThe Holidaywill be pleased to know that the exterior is very real and can be found at 1883 Orlando Road in San Marino, Calif.
Designed by architect Wallace Neff, themulti-million dollar estate is enormous, featuring seven bedrooms, six-and-a-half bathrooms, and an automatic gate.
Holidayfans will instantly recognize the balcony, where Amanda confronts her cheating boyfriend just before swapping homes. They'll also note the expansive backyard with its in-ground pool that Arthur (Eli Wallach) uses get into shape for a gala held in his honor.
The househit the marketback in May 2018 for $11.8 million and sold almost a year later for $9.5 million. Despite being a private residence, it's become a popular tourist stop. "We have to keep the gates closed 24/7," realtor Brent Changtold CNBCin 2018. "If open just five minutes, we find someone in the front yard taking a selfie with the house. It's that recognizable."
Where can I watchThe Holiday?
Sony Pictures
The Holidayis currently available torent or buy on Prime Video.
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