HPB provides holidays for life. As it is an investment product, however, it is subject to charges, your capital is at risk and you may not be able to cash in during your first two years. Please read "How HPB works" for a summary of the principal risks and benefits.
Enjoy a Tuscan spring

Enjoy a Tuscan spring

Tuscany is world famous for its beauty and its culture. It is worth a visit at any time of the year, but if you're in Stigliano this spring here are some top tips for getting the very best out of your holiday.

Why is spring such a great season in Italy? Where to start? 

 

Of course, one obvious one is the weather.

In the spring, the Tuscan sun is already shining warmly and you are guaranteed to have better weather than you would in England at this time of year. During April the temperature is starting to creep up and in May it can even reach the 20s. This is great for if you're out exploring. It is much more comfortable to be walking around while the weather is mild and sunny rather than in the stifling heat of the summer. You'll be able to get out, see the sights and make use of the whole day!

 

Landscape

Spring sees new growth and flowering fields. The region is loved for its countryside and picturesque farmland; in spring all the colours begin bursting to life. Why not visit the Maremma Natural Park? It's located on Tuscany's west coast where the rolling hills, pine woodlands and fields descend gently towards the cliff-lined coast. Or take a stroll in the Alto Merse Nature Reserve, a fantastic place for nature. It's crossed by the River Merse and has an incredible range of habitats, from wetland to deciduous woodland.

 

Produce

There will always be great food and produce in Tuscany. The food festivals or sagre that take place throughout April and May are sure to tempt you into trying new and interesting flavours.

From the smaller celebrations like the truffle market in Volterra, or a little festival of trout in Loro Ciuffenna to larger festivals: the annual Val d'Orcia wine festival is a good one, as is the Spring Festival in Castiglione della Pescaia which takes place along the seafront. Castiglioncello's Foodies Festival is a three-day extravaganza of talks and demonstrations as well as lots to taste and try.

 

Gardens

Tuscany is really loved for its gardens. This is a great time of year to see them come into themselves. There is a fantastic botanical garden and herbarium in Siena that is free of charge and the botanical garden of Pisa is the oldest university botanical garden in Europe!

There is a pretty iris garden in Florence that starts looking colourful from April and is open daily with no charge for most of May. Don't forget the famous Boboli Gardens while you're there too! There are stunning botanical gardens all across Tuscany, you're bound to find a beauty and they shouldn't be too busy at this time. Which brings us to... 

 

 

Low season

Despite all the many charms of Tuscany in the spring, it's still quieter here than in the summer, when the youngsters are off school. So make the most of the low season and get a nice lot of sight seeing done while there are fewer people around forming queues or wandering into the background of your photos! You'll find it easier to visit the key attractions: museums, cathedrals, churches, monuments and town centres will all be considerably quieter.

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Take out a Holiday Property Bond before 31st October 2024, and not only will you be giving yourself, your friends and your family a lifetime of top-quality holidays. You, and the family, could also be spending a day in a winter wonderland; and meeting Father Christmas himself

For a party of up to six (a mix of adults and children), this day-trip to Lapland includes snowmobiling, husky sledding, and a reindeer sleigh ride – plus the highlight: a private family meeting with Father Christmas, where you can tell him of your Christmas wish list!

After an overnight stay at Birmingham airport’s Novotel (parking included), your flight to Finland’s northernmost region departs early in the morning of 16th December – to give you and the family as much time as possible enjoying Lapland’s Christmas magic. And after your day playing in the snow you’ll return tired but happy, to another night in a comfortable hotel bed before heading home with a boot-full of happy memories (and perhaps a gift or two).

Meals are provided on the outbound and inbound flights, plus a hearty lunch in Lapland, thermal snow suits, winter boots – everything you need to keep warm and get the most out of your day.

Invest before the end of October for your chance to win this fantastic prize. And don’t forget to keep 16th December free. Good luck!

Prize Draw rules
1. Invest by 31st October 2024 and you will be entered into the draw. 2. The winner will be drawn by a solicitor. 3. The winner will receive the prize of a day trip to Lapland for a party of six (mix of adults and children) on 16th December 2024 from Birmingham Airport. Return flights with hot meals, a range of activities and overnight accommodation and parking at Birmingham Airport at the start and end of the break is included. The trip is not suitable for infants under 2 years old. 4. The winner will be drawn from those who invest by 31st October 2024 and existing Bondholders who top up their Bond or refer friends. 5. The prize can only be claimed by those who are 18 or over and is not available to HPB employees, associates or those in their households. 6. No cash alternative available. 7. The winners will be notified by 22nd November 2024.

User Charge

The no-profit user charge is all you pay when you book your holiday. It covers the actual costs of servicing the properties, including housekeeping, laundry and maintenance of the many free-to-use-onsite facilities. It is charged per property - NOT per person. And it does not vary with the season: instead, the user-charge remains constant all year round.

For example:
A week for two in the Scottish Highlands could cost around £324 user charge, including VAT*, even at the height of the season.

A week for a party of eight in a four bedroom villa at Physkos, Turkey in August could cost around £577 in user charge

We're so confident you'll be delighted with HPB that we offer you a 'Money Back Promise'!

In regular surveys, Bondholders tell us how happy they are with HPB holidays. That's why we feel confident in giving you the extra reassurance of our unprecedented 'Money Back Promise':

If you take your first HPB holiday within three years of investing and are not, for any reason, entirely happy, you can cash in your HPB investment within 14 days of your return.

Whatever the encashment value, the parent company of the issuer of HPB will make up any difference so that you get back the full amount of your original payment, including charges.

This offer applies to a holiday at any HPB owned property which is taken by at least one of the Bondholders themselves.

Full details of the offer will be provided before you invest.

Restrictions

If you do not use our "Money Back Promise" offer explained in "How HPB works", you may cash in after two years at a value linked to that of the properties and securities but you should not expect to get back the full amount you paid because of charges and changes in the value of HPB’s properties and securities. In exceptional circumstances cashing in may be deferred for up to twelve months.

Your inflation-protected Holiday Points

HPB's holiday benefits are provided through a Holiday Points system. Each £1 you invest (including any adviser charge) adds one Holiday Point to the allocation of Holiday Points that you receive every year for as long as you hold your bond. Each time you book a holiday, you exchange Holiday Points for the accommodation you want, with the number of Holiday Points required depending on the location, size of property and season.

Here are some examples of how it works in practice (2022 rates):

For two people, holidaying out of season:
A week in Stigliano, Tuscany from 1,530 points
A week in The Trossachs, Scotland from 2,430 points
A week in St Brides Castle, Pembrokeshire from 2,260 points

And in the height of summer:
A week in Rocha Brava, Portgual from 8,190 points
A week in the Lake District from 9,760 points
A week in Le Mont de St Siméon, France from 14,180 points

If you have a minimum qualifying investment you can also book Short Notice Points Free holidays, subject to availability. Bookings can be made up to 28 days in advance for UK holidays and up to 56 days in advance for overseas. Even if you do not have a qualifying investment, you can still book Short Notice Points Free holidays up to 21 days ahead in the UK and up to 42 days ahead overseas.

Inflation protection: Your Holiday Points allocation is re-valued every year in line with the cost of providing additional holiday accommodation for new investors. This means your holiday accommodation booking power is fixed and protected against inflation. So you can look forward to top quality holidays for life.

A unique way to enjoy exclusive holidays year after year

Q. How does it work?

A. The way the Bond works is simple. Families like yours invest from £5,000 for exclusive access to a portfolio of over 1,500 top quality villas, cottages and apartments in 32 locations across 13 European countries, including over 600 properties in 19 locations in the UK. For each £1 invested you will receive one Holiday Point each year which you can use to book the properties. And when staying in them you do not pay a commercial rent, just a no-profit user charge covering actual running, maintenance and refurbishment costs. This charge is level throughout the year so there are no high season premiums. The average charge for a studio is around £360 and around £540 for a two bedroom property, for a week. Larger properties are also available. This no-profit user charge is only payable when you want to go on holiday. Your only ongoing commitment is a quarterly fee under £38 (that is around £150 a year), linked to RPIX.

Q. Will there be more properties in the future?

A. As we attract more investors the more properties we will add to the portfolio – increasing your holiday choice still further.

Q. How long can I holiday with HPB?

A. For life if you wish – the holiday benefits last as long as you hold the Bond. In due course you can pass it and the holiday benefits to your children and grandchildren, as many of our earlier investors have already done. If, however, at some point you and your family no longer wish to holiday with us you can surrender your Bond back to the company after two years or more (subject to deferral in exceptional circumstances). You will not get back the full amount you invested, although we would hope that you will have had some wonderful holidays. What you do get back will reflect initial charges (25%) taken before your money is invested in the HPB fund of holiday properties and securities. The fund itself also pays annual charges of around 2.5% of its net assets at cost, calculated monthly, as well as overheads. The value of the fund’s properties and securities can also go up or down and so, like most investments, your capital is at risk.

Q. Is the Bond available anywhere else?

A. No. HPB is available exclusively through HPB Management Limited.

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