Before we add any cottage to our collection we spend a great deal of time assessing it and talking to the Owners. We also visit every cottage at least once a year, but the most important part of our quality control process is the questionnaires you return to us after your holiday. They are invaluable and really help us to stay one step ahead of your expectations. We log every questionnaire received and here are the results gleaned from the 3,872 questionnaires returned by 25th July 2007.
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75% Good |
100% Excellent |
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Location (91%)
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Cleanliness (91%)
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Comfort (89%)
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Decoration and Equipment (87%)
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Value for Money (84%)
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Brochure Description (90%)
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You can book your chosen cottage on the telephone, on-line or by completing the Booking Form at the back of our Brochure. If you would like us to hold a cottage while you confirm your decision or while you send us the Booking Form and deposit, we are happy to do this for five days unless we are within two weeks of the holiday date in which case we need a full payment to secure the booking. Full guidance on booking and reserving your cottage is on the inside back cover of the Brochure.
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Total Number in the Party. Each property can only handle a certain number of guests, so the number of people stipulated in the property description may not be exceeded in any circumstances and only those listed on the Booking Form may occupy the property. A cot may only be occupied by a child aged 24 months or less.
Composition of Parties and Age Limits. We are essentially providing family holidays and it is our policy not to accept bookings from groups of young people under the age of 25 and/or large all male or all female parties. This policy is not intended to be discriminatory, but is merely to protect our Property Owners’ interests.
Pets. We always try to persuade Owners to take pets when the property is suitable and you will find they are allowed in several of our properties at a cost of £17 per pet per week or short break. They are only accepted on the strict understanding that they are kept under control, exercised off the premises and are not permitted in the bedrooms or on the furniture. They should not be left in the property unsupervised as this can result in considerable damage to the property and distress to the pet. The most common reason for Owners changing their minds and deciding not to accept pets is failure to comply with these conditions. Before deciding to bring your pet in the summer you should bear in mind that they are not permitted on many beaches at this time. For further information please contact the local tourist board. No more than two pets are allowed unless otherwise specified – and do remember to include them on your Booking Form! We indicate in the description if a property has an enclosed garden to help you in your choice of property, however this does not necessarily mean that it is totally escape-proof to all pets – very few gardens would pass this test. We should also point out that pets, possibly the Owners’, may have been in a property despite a notice in the description that pets are not allowed.
Smoking. Certain properties are specified as non-smoking, and we would ask you not to smoke under any circumstances.
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Old Properties. Many of you will be looking for the character and atmosphere of an older property and we have several of these on our books. These properties may be well over 100 years old and were built a long time before the days of damp-proof courses and cavity insulation. As a result they sometimes have a tendency to feel damp and, despite the fact that we take special care when inspecting an old property, the occasional damp patch may appear – particularly after a long wet winter. Another problem in an older property is the West Country climate. The air can be very warm and moist at times, leading to heavy condensation, especially in those properties featuring natural stone walls. The problem can usually be alleviated by leaving one or two windows open and letting the air circulate. However, as a general rule, we would advise against taking elderly people, very young babies, or anyone particularly susceptible to damp, to an older type of property particularly between the months of October and April.
Property Ownership. We take great care in selecting the properties we market and in working with Owners who share our views. However, it is important that you are aware that, as with all holiday cottage agencies, the rental agreement is directly with the Owners. In the unusual circumstance that the Owners or Housekeeper are unable to sort out any problems you may encounter with the property, we are at hand, but our role is that of an arbitrator. In that capacity, we will do our utmost to ensure that any problems are resolved quickly and to your complete satisfaction.
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Linen is included. All properties provide linen, so this is not mentioned in the property descriptions. A change of linen will be provided weekly for bookings of two weeks or more. Where towels are provided, it will be stated in the description. They must not be removed from the property so you should bring your own beach towels.
Satellite Television. Satellite television is available in some properties, but the number of channels will vary according to the subscription package.
Mobile Telephones. Many of our properties are in remote locations and may not have mobile telephone reception. Please ask for more details if this is important to you.
Minimum Inventory. To help you decide what you need to bring, the following list of items is included at all of our properties (*additional items required for properties sleeping more than six). If there are items that you think should be included as standard at each property then please let us know, as we review this list each year.
One per property
Door mat
Ice cube tray*
Electric kettle
Coffee pot/Cafetiere
Teapot
Tea strainer
Electric toaster
Tea caddy
Saucepan & lid large*
Saucepan & lid medium*
Saucepan & lid small*
Frying pan
Colander
Gravy boat
Oven roasting tray*
Tray*
Bread/chopping board
Meat chopping board
Salad bowl & servers
Bread bin
Cake baking tin
Baking sheet
Scissors
Tin opener
Grater
Corkscrew
Bottle opener
Potato peeler
Garlic press
Whisk
Potato masher
Fish slice
Ladle
Small vegetable knife
Bread knife
Knife sharpener
Carving knife & fork
Wooden spoon
Slotted spoon
Rolling pin
Oven gloves
Casserole dish & lid*
Pie dish*
Large fruit dish
Butter dish
Sugar basin
Milk jug (large & small)
Water jug
Orange juice squeezer
1 Pint measuring jug
Kitchen scales
Condiment set (2 pieces)
Meat plate
Washing up bowl
Pot scourer/dish mop
Bucket
Dustpan & brush
Broom
Floor cloth
Iron & ironing board
Laundry basket
Clothes airer
Electric vacuum cleaner
Radio
Hair-dryer
Covered refuse container
Fire extinguisher
Fire blanket
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Two per property
Mixing bowls or basins
Vegetable dishes*
Tablespoons*
Dusters
Dustbins*
Ash trays
Flower vases
Full set of keys*
One per person (& two spare)
Plate (large & small)
Tea cup & saucer
Coffee mug
Cereal/soup bowl
Tumbler
Beer glass
Wine glass
Egg cup
Knife (table & dessert)
Fork (table & dessert)
Spoon (dessert, soup & tea)
Per bed
Bed linen
3 blankets & bedspread or 1 duvet
2 pillows per person
1 underblanket
For the bathroom
Bath mat
Disposal bin
Mirror
Lavatory brush & container
For open fires or wood-burners
Coal scuttle
Fire irons
Ash container
Fire guard
Household Items (initial supply)
Toilet cleaner
Hand soap
Disposal bags (small)
Bin liners
2 rolls lavatory paper
Washing up liquid
General purpose cleaner
Dishwasher powder (if applicable)
Washing machine powder
J cloths
Miscellaneous
Spare light bulbs
Clothes pegs
Washing line/drying facilities
Tea & hand towels
4 coathangers per person
Torch
Cottage Information folder
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Arrival and Departure Times. The majority of rentals commence at 3pm on the first day of your holiday and end at 10am on the day of departure unless otherwise specified in the property description and on the Reception Details. This ensures that the Owners or Housekeeper have time to prepare the property for incoming guests and your co-operation in this matter will contribute towards a trouble-free changeover.
Access and Parking. If the parking is a bit tight we will include a phrase such as ‘Private parking for 1 medium-sized car’ in the Miscellaneous section of a description. We consider a medium-sized car to be equivalent to a Volkswagen Golf. Equally, many of our properties are in unique settings, so the access may not be on a metalled road. If the access to the property is down a track, we will state this in the description. Some tracks will be challenging or unsuitable for vehicles with low ground clearance. If you have such a vehicle or have any other concerns about parking or the access to the property, please ask to speak to the relevant Property Manager who will be able to provide you with more details.
Access for All. Please notify us if you have any special requirements, for example, if one of your party has mobility problems. Each of our properties is very individual so please draw on our personal knowledge so that we can provide you with the relevant information to help you to choose a property that is suitable for your needs.
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We are keen to reduce our impact upon the environment and have started in our own offices with low energy lighting, recycling everything possible (including mobile phones) and even replacing our boiler. We are now printing 20% fewer brochures than a couple of years ago and our new, two-part brochure saves 16 tonnes of paper a year. As is often the case with such simple measures, we are saving money as well as redusing our environmental footprint. Many of our Owners are keen to do the same and, where facilities are available, we encourage you to continue your recycling habits whilst on holiday. Awareness of energy usage is another way of helping - simply turning off lights and heating when you are out or when they are not needed makes an enormous difference. If you have any suggestions to improve our bid to 'get greener', please let us know in your questionnaires.
These Web sites may help you to identify recycling centres near your holiday location:
www.recycledevon.org
www.cornwall.gov.uk
www.dorsetforyou.com
www.recyclesomerset.info
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Discounts. We rarely offer discounts for late bookings as most of our properties are well booked by Easter. However, we may be able to offer substantial discounts on last minute cancellations. Most Owners are prepared to offer a 5% discount to those who re-book the same property within a period of 18 months.
Cancelling your Holiday. You are automatically covered for cancellation as a result of certain events when you book a property and you are advised to read carefully the details in Clause 6 of the Booking Conditions. Essentially, you are covered for the full refund of your rent if you should have to cancel your holiday for medical reasons or because of Jury Service. We do ask for certification of any medical problem from your doctor. This should confirm that you are unable to take your holiday because of your illness and that this condition was not known at the time of booking. For events not covered and listed in Clause 6, we operate a graded cancellation charge which depends upon the time remaining to the holiday date – please refer, once again, to Clause 6. The cover terminates when your holiday starts.
Losses and Damages. The occasional accident is bound to happen and any losses or damages during your holiday must be paid for. Before you arrive, your property will have been cleaned, the inventory checked and any missing items noted or replaced. If you find any deficiencies or damages on arrival which have not been noted, it is in your own interest to notify the Owners or Housekeeper, or failing that our own office, as soon as possible and at the latest by midday on the Monday following your arrival. You should also be aware that you have a legal liability to pay for any damages you may cause to the property during your holiday. We ask all Owners to insure the property in respect of the usual risks covered by a building and contents policy and, whilst these policies will vary in detail, the major perils should be covered. However, in certain circumstances, if you should cause any loss or damage by negligence, you could become liable and you would probably not be covered by the personal liability section of your own household policy. Equally, the Owner’s insurance is unlikely to cover your personal possessions. You would therefore be well advised to check on these points with your insurers and you may find that, providing they are given notice, they will extend your normal cover to include your holiday home.
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