Cockington Cottages

Terms and Conditions of stay including our dog policy

 

 Dear Guest, we value you choosing us so we do everything we can to assure you of a great stay in our cottages.

We have invested heavily in making the cottages top quality and they provide us our livelihood. The Booking Terms and Conditions of Stay may seem strict, but they assure you of a quality stay by safeguarding our cottages and help protect us when we reserve your holiday, often many months before your stay.

Our other objective is to respect our environment so we manage our cottages to minimise their impact both on us, living next door, our neighbours and the wider environment.  

Cockington is in general a very peaceful setting but we have no control over our neighbours, visitors to the area and the surroundings.

We accept small dogs but we wish to manage their impact on our cottages so our Dog Policy is also strict.

By making any Booking to stay with us you agree to accept the following Booking Terms and Conditions of Stay, including Dog Policy (the ‘terms and conditions’).

 

Booking Terms

  1. Bookings

 

  • All guests staying at our cottages are subject to these terms and conditions.
  • The Booking is with the person making the booking request (the ‘Lead Booker’) who must be 25 or over
  • The names of all guests, and ages of any children who will be staying in Mallock Cottage must be provided at the time of the Booking.
  • The Booking is made when we have confirmed your reservation and received an agreed payment as a booking fee.

 

  1. Payments

 

  • Payment should normally be by an accepted credit or debit card via our web site; or by agreement: cheque, cash or bank transfer.
  • A booking fee of 10% of the total cost is payable at the time of Booking. This fee covers the costs and risks associated with reserving your holiday for the chosen period and is non-refundable unless we subsequently cannot provide your chosen cottage. The fee is deducted from the total cost of your stay with us.
  • The full cost of the stay less the booking fee is due 10 weeks before arrival at the latest.
  • In the event the cost of the stay is not paid before 10 weeks, then the Booking will be deemed cancelled by you and will be subject to the Cancellations and Amendments condition below.
  • By making a Booking, you agree to pay us any additional charges arising from breaches of the terms and conditions

 

  1. Prices

 

  • The price includes linen, towels, energy, water, welcome pack and logs (for winter bookings and those cottages with a wood burner)
  • Please note: you may be, at our discretion, liable for additional charges in the event of breaches of these Booking Terms and Conditions of Stay.

 

  1. Availability

 

  • In the event that we cannot provide your chosen cottage or need to close the cottage for the duration of your booking for whatever reason prior to your arrival we will help you find alternative accommodation of a similar standard or offer you a holiday deferment or a credit note or a full refund, whichever you request.
  • If we need to close the cottage during your stay, we will help you find alternative accommodation and will refund you the pro-rata rate for the period remaining.
  • We will not be liable for any other costs whatsoever arising from the closure.

 

  1. Arrival and departure

 

  • Normal check-in is between 16.30 and before 22.00; normal check-out time is 09.30. These times are to allow the cleaning protocols required to keep you safe.
  • We may be able to offer times outside of these but this must be agreed with us prior to arrival or during your stay and cannot be guaranteed.
  • A late check-out for whatever reason, unless previously agreed, will be subject to a minimum £50 extra charge as this affects the cleaning/servicing of the cottage or the arriving guest.
  • It is normally acceptable to pack up and leave your car here until 2 pm latest and enjoy the rest of your final day; but this must be agreed with us and is at our discretion and subject to other guests’ arrival time.
  • In the event you are unable to vacate the property you will be liable for the full costs of the normal booking periods for the property and you will indemnify us for losses arising from claims from guests with bookings for the property that have been affected.

 

  1. Corona Virus

 

  • Guests must not travel to us if they will be in breach of Government guidance or the law on Covid-19.
  • We will not be liable if a guest cannot travel and in the event that all guests cannot travel then the booking will be deemed cancelled by you.

Special note: you are responsible for taking out suitable insurance to cover illnesses (such as Covid-19) and other occurrences that prevent you from travelling. We will not be liable for any costs or claims whatsoever from cancellations arising from these events.

  • If any guest while staying with us is informed that they have been in contact with a person who has tested positive for Covid-19 then that guest must follow Government guidance or the law.
  • Any guest will immediately inform us if, during their stay they exhibit symptoms of Covid-19 and/or test positive for Covid-19 and will follow Government guidance or the law. We will not be liable for any costs or claims whatsoever arising from this requirement.

 

  1. Cancellations and Amendments

 

  • We strongly advise that you have adequate travel insurance for illnesses (including Covid-19) and other unexpected events that could affect your holiday.
  • To amend or cancel your Booking, call us on 01803 606938 between 09.00 and 21.00
  • If you cancel your booking before 10 weeks, we will refund any payments made less the non-refundable booking fee.
  • If you wish to amend your booking before 10 weeks prior to arrival, we will normally allow deferment within 12 months of the original booking date, subject to availability and any price change. Any payments made will be held as part payment for that stay.
  • If you are unable to travel to us or cancel or amend your confirmed booking within 10 weeks of the arrival date we will try and re-let the accommodation. Whatever the outcome we will normally charge for any loss of income arising from the cancellation or amendment up to the full value of the original booking less costs saved.

 

  1. Our right to terminate your stay

We reserve the right to terminate your stay without being liable for any refund or compensation where you engage in what we consider as unacceptable behaviour that causes a disturbance or nuisance to us or our neighbours or other guests; or you breach any Booking Conditions or Conditions of Stay which includes the Dog Policy.

  1. Liability

 

  • Other than for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or misrepresentation, our total liability to you is limited to the value of the Booking and to the fullest extent permitted by law all warranties are excluded and in no circumstances will we be responsible for any indirect or special damages.
  • We do not accept liability for any accident or loss from your car while on our premises, or the loss of valuables while left in the cottage.
  • We will not be liable for failure to perform to the extent that the failure is caused by any factor beyond our reasonable control.
  • You are responsible for any damage or loss caused to us or our property by your act, omission, default or neglect and you agree to indemnify us and to pay us on demand the amount reasonably required to make good or remedy any such damage or loss. For clarification this includes breakages, damage (other than reasonable normal wear and tear) and includes damage to mattresses and any extra cleaning due to failure to comply with the Booking Terms and Conditions of Stay.
  • We do not accept liability for noise or nuisance arising from neighbouring properties or the surrounding area.

 

 Conditions of Stay

These conditions of any stay and Dog Policy are applicable to all guests that occupy the cottage and any agreed visitors.

General Conditions

We have the following general conditions of stay to enhance the comfort and wellbeing of all our guests. 

  1. To reduce hygiene risks to us and our staff:
    • All linen and towels must be bagged up in the laundry bags provided and deposited outside the front door prior to departure.
    • All table cloths, oven gloves, tea towels, throws, covers and bath robes must be placed in a plastic bag and deposited outside the front door prior to departure.
    • Food must be removed and disposed of and all waste bins emptied in to the general or segregated recycling bins provided by the main entrance.
    • All crockery and utensils must be washed and stored. Last minute items may be left in the dishwasher.
    • Interim servicing of the accommodation will not normally take place.
    • Normally no maintenance will be undertaken within the property while guests are staying unless it is deemed by us as essential for your enjoyment, or a safety issue or an emergency.
  2. There is STRICTLY no smoking or vaping while inside the cottage at any time. We will terminate your booking without notice and without being liable for any refund or compensation and we will charge a special cleaning surcharge of £100 if you smoke or use a vaping device while you are anywhere inside the cottage or there is a smell of smoke inside the cottage on your departure. Care must be taken to stop smoke or vapour entering the property by closing adjacent doors and windows if smoking outside.
  3. There must be no recreational drugs
  4. On arrival or during your stay, you must bring to our attention anything you feel may be missing or damaged or unsafe or not as expected. We will do our best to rectify any issues within our control.
  5. We accept one clean, small (typically less than c. 7.5 kg) well behaved dog subject to our Dog Policy in Mallock Cottage and Magnolia Cottage only. See Dog Policy below.
  6. Children must be 10 or over, well behaved and supervised at all times and are accepted in Mallock Cottage only.
  7. The cottages are for the sole use of guests registered as part of the Booking process and any visitors must be by prior arrangement with us and are bound by these Conditions of Stay.
  8. The quiet and peaceful ambiance of our properties are very important to us and therefore guests must not make any noise that we deem unreasonable, particularly between 22.00 and 09.00
  9. The cottage must be left reasonably clean and tidy. If extra time is required by our cleaning staff then we reserve the right to charge you for that cost.
  10. Accidents do happen. Any minor breakages or damage should be reported to us at the earliest possible time so that alternatives can be purchased or repairs made prior to the arrival of subsequent guests. This may be charged to you at cost, at our discretion.
  11. If there is substantial breakage or damage or theft you will be charged for any costs or loss of income due to closure of the cottage arising from this. The police may be informed.
  12. There is parking for a maximum of 2 small to medium sized cars parked considerately and in tandem for Mallock Cottage and one car each for Magnolia and Wisteria Cottages. The head room is limited due to a large magnolia tree in the car parking area so care must be taken when manoeuvring. No commercial vehicles, motor homes or camper vans are allowed. We have an additional parking space that may be offered in exceptional circumstances.

 

Dog Policy

We accept a small dog in Mallock Cottage or Magnolia Cottage.

We live in a great area for dog walking but our top quality cottages have limited outside space and are enjoyed by many guests who do not have dogs and may have allergies. Therefore, our policy is super-strict and you need to be aware of and comply with the following requirements before booking and during your stay. Failure to comply with these rules may result in your booking being terminated and/or we will levy additional cleaning charges.

  1. We only accept small breed dogs (no puppies) typically less than c. 7.5 kg that are well behaved, house trained and are not breeds known to be boisterous.
  2. You must advise us at the time of booking that you wish to bring your dog and the type and size. We have the right to refuse the reservation based on our assessment of risk. If, when you arrive, the dog is not as described at the time of the booking (or as subsequently agreed with us) we reserve the right to terminate your stay and your booking will be deemed cancelled by you.
  3. Dogs must be clean and free from parasites/fleas.
  4. We make a £25 charge per week or part thereof.
  5. Dogs must be under strict control at all times while in the property and grounds.
    • Dogs must not be allowed to roam or foul in the wider garden area. The deck area in Mallock Cottage is not secure so your dog may need to be kept on a lead whilst enjoying the outside space.
    • The courtyard of Magnolia Cottage is secure.
  6. Any fouling of outside areas must be cleared up without delay. Any ‘accidents’ inside on hard floors should be thoroughly cleaned. If carpets are soiled you should advise us immediately so that we can use a carpet cleaner to thoroughly clean the area to prevent damage or smell.
  7. The pet owner must bring the dog’s bed, cage or basket for sleeping in.
  8. Dogs MUST NOT be left alone in the property or elsewhere, at any time.
  9. Dogs MUST NOT lie on soft furnishings unless covered with an owner supplied clean blanket or throw.
  10. After walks, soiled dogs must be washed and dried outside the property, before entry.

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