ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Arrival and departure day for a full week’s holiday is usually Saturday. Please check the details of the specific property before booking. You will receive full details of arrival time, directions and key arrangements after you have paid the balance of the hire charge. Please do not arrive early, unless previously arranged, as time is needed to thoroughly clean the property between lets. We also ask that you vacate the property promptly on departure day for the same reason.
Key collection times:
Monday – Saturday 3pm-5pm
All properties must be vacated by 10am to allow for cleaning, ready for the next guests to arrive.
There is a £20 charge for Late Key Collection.
LOCATION AND CONTACT
You will receive details of the Owner or their representatives’ name and instructions on how to find the property upon receipt of full balance unless you have any special arrangements which should be clarified by contacting the office. The key holder’s telephone number and any special arrangements will be made clear and we can advise on parking arrangements.
PARKING
If your property has private or designated parking this will be clearly noted on the property details therefore please check carefully before requesting permits.
Please be aware there is a defined parking structure in Whitby. On street parking on the West Cliff area is subject to a charge. Whitby Holiday Cottages can provide parking permits at £7 per week or £3.50 per 4 night short break (this includes admin fee plus VAT) for first come first served on street parking in designated zones. If you require parking permits, please advise us at the time of your booking. Your permit will be with your keys for collection.
Upon receipt of the permits please check the reverse for instructions.
LINEN AND TOWELS
In all cases bed linen is provided and the beds will be made up ready for your arrival. The provision of linen is as stated within the brochure description for each property. If cots are provided you will need to bring your own linen in all instances. Towels are only included where stated and you should always check the individual property details carefully. Where towels are provided, this will not include beach or swimming towels. If you are staying in a property for more than one week, linen, when provided, can be changed weekly on request.
EV CHARGING
Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly common and we want to ensure they can be catered for wherever possible. Not all Properties will have a suitable and safe place to charge vehicles, so it is recommended you check prior to booking. If you are keeping an electric vehicle at the Property, you must use designated charging points (where available) and manufacture approved cables for charging any vehicles at the Property.
PLEASE NOTE the Owner reserves the right to refuse to allow electric vehicles to be charged if they do not believe, in their reasonable opinion, it is suitable or safe to do so. It may also incur a charge.
COTS AND HIGHCHAIRS
Availability is shown in the description but we ask that you please bring your own bedding. Cots are only available to children two years or under. Please let us know if a cot or highchair is required.
CENTRAL HEATING AND FUEL CHARGES
In most cases the property price includes fuel and services. If specifically excluded however the extra charge will be made clear within the description of the property.
PETS
Many properties will allow one well behaved pet and it is entirely your responsibility to see that the animal is under control both inside and outside at all times as you will be held responsible for any “accidents”. Bookings that include pets are taken on the understanding that all flea and worming treatments are up to date. Pets should never be left in the property unattended and you must be aware of the rules about dogs on the beaches and the countryside code, since this is an area with many free-roaming sheep where farmers do not hesitate to take action should any dog worry their stock. Pets are charged at £40 per week or short break with additional animals being considered by separate arrangement. Some properties may not charge for pets, this will be clearly stated in the property description.
VISITORS WITH MOBILITY DIFFICULTIES
We are keen to advise such visitors as to the suitability or otherwise of each property in terms of individual requirements. Due to the nature of some villages, the location of some properties is via steps and narrow paths and the properties may have spiral staircases etc. Others are ideal for older visitors or wheelchair access. Please read the access statement provided for each individual property or contact the office for more information.
EXTRA PERSONS
Under no circumstances should any property be occupied by more than the maximum allowed number of persons at any time during the holiday.
In addition, caravans, campervans and tents may not be parked or erected at the property without the owner’s consent.
ALTERATIONS TO BOOKINGS
We cannot accept a change of holiday property once we have received your payment. We may be able to change your holiday week providing you advise us not less than 8 weeks prior to your original holiday start date. This is not always possible, although if we are able to rearrange this for you, a charge of £60 incl VAT will be made to cover administration costs. No change of dates is operative until the administration fee is paid and written confirmation is sent to you. Please see Conditions of Hire.
SHORT BREAKS
Short breaks are available in most of our properties at the owners’ discretion. You can easily identify in the property description those properties which offer short breaks. Our short breaks are up to 6 nights.
PRICES
Prices as shown are inclusive of all charges except those specifically referred to in the individual property description ie pet charges (£40 for 1st pet, additional charges may apply thereafter) or parking permits (£3.50 for 4 day permit, £7.00 for a week) where applicable. There are postage charges if you require an invoice posting out to you rather than by email.
Please note that where the start date of the holiday or short break is not a Saturday, the price will fall into the following Saturday’s price band. Short breaks, where applicable, can start on any day of the week.
BOOKING FEES
There is a booking fee of £60 inc VAT for all bookings. In the event of cancelation your booking fee is NON-REFUNDABLE.
INSURANCE
We recommend that you obtain your own Travel Insurance.
CLEANING
All our properties are cleaned between stays and made ready for the new holidaymakers so it is essential that you vacate the property by the time advised on your departure day. We do ask that you leave the property clean and tidy and that the contents are left as you found them.
STAR RATING
All of our properties are independently quality graded by Visit England and these are shown with a star rating award in the property description. Each property graded under the scheme must meet an extensive list of minimum requirements and then levels of quality and presentation determine the final rating. Quite simply, the more stars, the higher the overall level of quality, facilities and service you can expect to find.
PERIOD PROPERTIES
Many of our properties are older cottages dating back to the 19th century or earlier. It is important to remember before booking your holiday that part of the charm of such properties are the characteristically low ceilings, doorways and beams. They often have steep and narrow stairs and because of low or sloping ceilings, may have limited clothes hanging facilities. Many were also built before the introduction of damp proof courses and cavity insulation. These points are particularly important to note if your party has any elderly or very young members. Beams can attract spiders, and cobwebs reappear very quickly after being removed. We feel that these are aspects of the properties which add character and charm and would not hesitate to recommend them to you given the afore mentioned features are understood.
CUSTOMER SERVICE / COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE : AGENCY
At Whitby Holiday Cottages, we do everything possible to ensure you have an enjoyable stay. However if you are unhappy with any aspect of the service you have received from our staff and the manner in which it has been handled, please inform us immediately.
CUSTOMER SERVICE / COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE : PROPERTY
On arrival or during your holiday and in the unlikely event that you feel you have a cause for complaint then you should contact the homeowner or keyholder immediately. The contract for your accommodation is between you and the owner so any queries or concerns should be addressed to them and it’s important that you make contact immediately so that any issues can be quickly resolved. Complaints not reported at the time cannot be entertained subsequently and it is regretted that no correspondence can be entered into in the case of complaints made after you return home when it will be appreciated that it is quite impossible for them to be effectively investigated. Contact details are given on your confirmation letter and travel details and, generally, will be in the cottage too. If for some reason you can’t make contact with the named person you should telephone our offices during office hours. We will do all we can to rectify the matter – if we are unable to do this and in the owners’ opinion your complaint is justified, we will try to find alternative accommodation for you. This may involve an increase or decrease to your holiday cost, depending on the price category of the alternative property. It may not be possible to re-locate you in high season. If you, or a member of your party, has any requirements which may mean some of our properties are not suitable for your holiday, please speak to our team prior to booking. Our team know the properties very well and will be able to advise you on which properties best match your requirements.
This information supersedes previous issues.