Booking Terms & Conditions

Any reference to either ‘us’ or ‘we’ in these Booking Conditions refers to The Cottage Owners. “you” or “your” are references to the person making the booking and all members of the holiday party. So that you understand the basis of the contract between you and us when you book your accommodation, we have laid out as clearly as possible, the conditions on which your booking is made. Nothing in these conditions affects your normal statutory rights.

 

1.   Your booking:

You must be at least 21 years old when you book your accommodation. Your booking is made as a consumer and you acknowledge that no liability can be accepted for any business losses howsoever suffered or incurred by you. When we issue our written confirmation to you, either electronically or by post, we enter into a contract with you, the party leader, which is subject to these Booking Conditions. Any disputes or queries will be between the party leader and the owner. The party leader will assume responsibility for the whole party and the compliance with these rules of all party members. We have the right to refuse any booking prior to the issue of our written confirmation, and if we do this we will tell you in writing and promptly refund any money you have paid us. When your confirmation is received, the details must be checked carefully. If anything is not correct you should tell us immediately. You may not add to the party size stated on your booking form without prior consent from the owners.

 

2.   Paying for your accommodation

A deposit of 25 % of the booking price is payable by cheque or by credit card via PAYPAL at the time of booking. A £100 fee will be taken with your deposit to be used as a returnable deposit to cover any accidental breakages and damage. This deposit will be returned electronically to the account that was used for paying the deposit, after we are satisfied the property is not damaged in any way (see section 5). When funds have cleared, at this point your booking becomes binding. The balance of the booking cost must be received by us no later than 6 weeks before your arrival date. A demand for payment will be made prior to that date. If the payments are made by cheque the balance must be sent in time for the funds to be cleared by the due date on your contract. If you book less than 6 weeks before the arrival date, payment of the total cost is due straight away. If your bank returns your payment to us unpaid, we reserve the right to make an administration charge of £25.

 

3.   Cancellation of booking by you

If you need to cancel your booking you must contact the Owners as soon as possible in writing. The booking deposit is non-refundable under any circumstances. However we will make every effort to re- let the property once formal cancellation has been received and if we are able to re-let at the same price the balance will be refunded to you. If we are only able to re-let at a reduced price (with your approval) the reduced balance will be refunded. If we are unable to re-let the full balance will remain payable by you. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND you to take out guest cancellation insurance against cancellation due to ill-health, bereavement etc as the above refund terms are non-negotiable.

 

3a Changing the date of a booking; Your booking may not be normally moved from one date to another once made except either 1. There are over 3 calendar months left before the original booking date or 2. The owner’s discretion deems this worthwhile. If you are within 3 calendar months of the original booking date and you wish to change that booking date you will have to cancel the original booking and the normal cancellation policy will prevail regardless of any subsequent booking made.

 

4.   Cancellation of booking by us.

If we have to cancel your booking in advance for any reason, you will be refunded the full amount of the booking. If we have to terminate your holiday early for the above reasons you will be refunded part of the booking fee based on the time remaining of the booking. No additional compensation will be payable.

 

5.   Damage to property.

You are responsible to the Owner for the actual costs of any breakage or damage in or to the accommodation, along with any additional costs that may result, which are caused by you or your party. Any costs incurred will be deducted from the £100 returnable deposit given to us at the start of your stay (see section 2). If costs exceed £100 you may be billed for any excess that occurs. You will be informed within 48 hours of you vacating the property whether any damage to the property has been found, if not, the deposit will be sent back to you within 2 weeks. If damage does not exceed £100 the

 

remainder of the deposit will be returned to you. These costs may be billed to you if damages are not discovered until after you have vacated the property. Note: Never use any chemical including stain devils on carpets, tell us about the problem and we will try to deal with it. However, damaged or irreparably stained carpets are always replaced. Repairs: No repairs of any kind to the property or contents must be attempted by you or your party. Any damage must be reported immediately to the owners.

 

6.   Accidents, injury and personal property.

The Owners shall have no liability to you for the death or personal injury to you or any member of your party. You must take all necessary steps to safeguard your personal property. No liability to you is accepted in respect of damage to or loss of such property.

 

7.   Heating and Wood Burners.

Please ensure the heating thermostat is used responsibly and that it is turned down on departure. Wood burners in the property are used your own risk, please be aware that they are extremely hot when lit and that used irresponsibly could lead to serious injury. Wood is supplied for your own use, kindling etc to be supplied by you.

 

8.   Website and advertisements.

The Owners aim to ensure that the information and descriptions provided are accurately conveyed on the official website (www.wattishamhall.co.uk) and any authorized third-party websites or advertisements. There may be small differences between the actual accommodation and its description as we are always seeking to improve services and facilities Occasionally, problems mean that some facilities or services become unavailable, and if this is the case we will tell you as soon as reasonably practical after we have been made aware of the situation. Similarly, we cannot accept responsibility for any changes or closures to local area amenities or attractions mentioned on the website or advertised elsewhere. There are many unauthorised websites listing holiday cottages. We cannot accept responsibility for the descriptions on these sites.

 

9.   Hot Tubs.

You are responsible for your own safety whilst using your private hot tub as it is unattended. All reasonable care must be taken by you, and all tub rules displayed nearby and in the information pack must be obeyed. Failure to observe these rules may result in the tub being switched off. Children must be supervised at all times. If the tub cover, or any tub equipment is damaged you will be charged the full replacement cost. The tub is heated automatically and we usually keep it at 38°C, however the temperature will need to be decreased by you if it is to be used by small children or pregnant women. We make every effort to keep the tub operating all season however it may be necessary to close it due to contamination, mechanical breakdown or other circumstances beyond our control. No compensation will be paid in these circumstances.

 

Also please see relevant Notes on Covid-19 and hot tub use.

 

10.   During your stay;

You can arrive at your accommodation after 4 pm on the start date of your holiday and you must leave by 9 am on the last day. The Owner is entitled to refuse to hand over to you or to repossess the accommodation if they reasonably believe that any damage is likely to be caused by you or your party or can repossess the accommodation if damage has been caused. You cannot allow more people than you have booked to stay in the accommodation or allow any more people to stay than the property is advertised to accommodate, nor can you significantly change the makeup of the party during the duration of your stay in the accommodation . You may not carry out any form of trade or business from the property, nor may you sub-let any part of the buildings. The properties are entirely non-smoking and you agree not to smoke in any part of the house. You must allow the Owner or any representative of the Owner access to the property at any reasonable time during your stay.

 

NOISE: The house, although remote, does have neighbours and we have a zero-tolerance policy on late-night noise. All outside music is prohibited in consideration of the neighbours. A visit by Environmental health officers, who operate 24/7 can be embarrassing. Furthermore the owners are subject to a £5000 fine. Please bear this in mind before making a booking.

 

11. Pets:

 

One well behaved pet is allowed per property, dogs are to be kept off beds and other soft furnishings and must never be left unattended in the property. All excrement must be cleared up, if this isn’t done you will be charged for extra cleaning. Dogs must not be allowed to foul on the patio area for hot tub hygiene reasons.

 

12.   Fireworks

Fireworks are only allowed at the owners discretion and then only in an area and at a suitable time designated by the owner.

 

13.   Cleaning on departure

You agree to keep the accommodation clean and tidy as found and leave the accommodation in a similar condition. The following basic level of cleanliness is required on departure; Cookers and ovens clean and fat-free. Kitchen floors swept. Crockery and cutlery washed/dried and put away. Toilets cleaned. Carpets vacuumed. Beds stripped (not mattress protectors). Obvious spills and stains removed. Any furniture moved restored to original position. Barbeque to be cleaned and fat-free. Bins emptied into wheelie bins and bottles put in bottle bin. Failure to meet this standard will result in a cleaning charge.

 

14.   Problems & Complaints;

Every effort has been made to ensure that you have an enjoyable and memorable holiday and to date we have had no serious complaints or problems! If however, you have any problem or cause for complaint it is essential that you contact us immediately to give us the chance to resolve it. We value your custom and want you return!

 

15 Covid 19 Notes

You agree to adhere to the Government Covid-19 Regulations that apply to your situation during your stay. In terms of:

• The appropriate levels of social distancing, relevant to your group and other guests staying at Wattisham Hall Holiday Cottages, are adhered
• Appropriate levels of personal hygiene are carried out regularly
• Household or Social Group numbers are not exceeded and relevant rules adhered to
• If any guest develops symptoms of Covid-19, you agree to comply to any relevant government protocols in dealing with this at the time. In terms of 1. Testing. 2. Travelling. 3. Social Distancing and 4. Self Isolation
• If you or any other member of your group is restricted from moving away from the property after the booked (and paid for) dates of your stay because of illness, we reserve the right to charge you for the appropriate rental fee that would have been payable for the relevant time period that you or any other members of your group have to stay for
• You confirm that all guests are feeling healthy on arrival to the property, and are showing no signs or symptoms of Covid-19. If not, all guests that have travelled with that person may not enter the property and are advised to travel home immediately.
• If any government (or our own) imposed rules are blatently or repeatedly broken, we reserve the right to ask you to leave the premises immediately, without any claim to compensation for any of the remaining nights left of your stay, or any returnable deposit that would have been claimable

 

Other than the aforementioned, other rules include:

 

• Arrival and departure times are strictly adhered to (arrival not before 7pm, departure before 9am)
• Appropriate rules are kept to regarding personal safety around the hot tub and shared facilities (games room, playground, and laundry room)
• If at any time any government rules come into force that means that the hot tub, games room, playground, laundry room and any other facility, has to be closed down or restricted in its frequency of use, or hygiene measures aren’t being complied to in an adequate way to keep guests and staff safe, we reserve the right to shut down the facility without notice or rights to compensation.