Terms & Conditions

We (Unusual Retreats) act entirely as Property Managers for the owners of the properties offered and contracts accepted are between you (the person making the booking) and the owner (The Owner) of the property whose names and contact details are shown on the booking confirmation. Reservations are accepted by us on behalf of The Owners with the following Booking Conditions which supersede and extinguish all previous promises, representations and undertakings.

1. Your booking

1.1  You, as the person making the booking, must be at least 18 years old at the time of booking and will be responsible for the property and its contents. You will be responsible for ensuring that members of the party observe all aspects of the Booking Conditions and leave the property in a clean and tidy condition and returning the key to the person or place where it was obtained.

1.2  We can only discuss your booking (including any changes) with you – we can’t discuss your booking with another member of your party, unless you give express consent in writing for us to do so.

1.3  Your booking must be for holiday purposes only. The property must not be used for gatherings, parties, events or business purposes without the written permission of The Owner.

1.4  In the case of bookings for more than one week a change of bed linen and towels will be provided but there will not be any cleaning undertaken for each successive week.

2. Accommodation suitability, description and pricing

2.1  Any advertising and verbal representations relating to the property are made in good faith and agreed with The Owner, neither they nor any oral representations made by us form part of the contract. No warranty or representation is given as to the state of any property. 

2.2  The Owner has the right to change any decor, furnishings or fabrics shown on the photographs on the website and any advertising. It is up to you to check and have confirmed in writing that the property meets any specific requirements that you might have before making the booking. 

2.3  You must inform us in writing at the time of the booking, if anyone in the party is dependent upon a wheelchair or otherwise disabled, in order to ensure the suitability of the accommodation.

2.4  We reserve the right to alter prices in publicity material or on the website due to errors or omissions.

3. Paying for your accommodation

3.1  If you contact us by telephone or email we may offer you a provisional booking. We will let you know how long we can hold the dates for and if payment is not received within the period agreed the dates will be released. 

3.2  If the booking is made more than 8 weeks in advance a deposit of 33% of the total cost of your stay is required to secure the reservation (unless there is a promotion). We must then receive the balance (including any extras) by the date set out in your booking confirmation (8 weeks before the holiday is due to commence). If your stay starts within 8 weeks of the date you make your booking you must pay the total amount payable at the time of booking.

3.3  If you book during a promotion with a deposit lower than 33% and cancel you agree to pay the difference between the amount paid and 33% of the total cost of your stay. If this amount has not already been paid at the time of cancellation it will be collected from the card that you used to pay the deposit, unless otherwise agreed.

3.4  We will send a reminder via email when the balance payment date is close. If the final amount is not paid by the due date we shall try to contact you by telephone and send a further email reminder. If you fail to make payment and we do not hear from you within 7 days of the final reminder we will assume you want to cancel your booking, your booking will be cancelled and the cancellation charges set out in clause 4.2 will apply. 

4. If you want to change or cancel your booking

4.1  You can transfer your booking to a new date or property provided this is requested no less than 90 days before the holiday start date. If you change your booking a £25 administration fee will be charged to cover the costs we incur, plus any additional rent, at the rate set on the website. If you have paid in full and your accommodation costs are lower as a result of the change we’ll refund you the difference, after deducting the administration fee. No administration fee will be charged to transfer bookings cancelled due to Government COVID-19 restrictions which mean that the property must close (see section 5 below).

4.2  If you wish to cancel a confirmed booking you must notify us in writing by email, or by post. The cancellation will take effect from the day we receive your notification. If you notify us more than 180 days before the start date of your booking we will return the amount received less £50 administration fee. If you notify us 180 days or less before the start date we will immediately endeavour to re-let the property. In the event that we are successful in re-letting all or part of the period booked (which is very likely if sufficient notice is given) repayment will be made less £50 administration fee and any difference of the rental received. To achieve a re-letting we reserve the right to discount the period booked, or re-let part of it, at our discretion. If we cannot re-let the property then the charges below will apply from the cancellation date:

• 180 to 57 days before start date: 33% of the total rental
• 56 to 29 days before start date: 50% of the total rental
• 28 to 9 days before start date: 75% of the total rental
• 8 days or less to start date or early departure: 100% of total rental 

4.3  The 'total rental' means the total cost of the booking excluding any discounts and additional charges such as the pet charge. The ‘start date’ means the start of the original booking in cases where a booking has been transferred to a new date or property.

4.4  As we cannot guarantee that we will be able to relet the dates booked we strongly recommend you take out travel insurance to compensate for any losses incurred.

5. Cancellation due to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

5.1  In the event that Government restrictions mean that the property must close you’ll have the option to postpone your holiday for up to 12 months or have a full refund, with no administration fee.

5.1.1  You will be offered a 10% discount on alternative dates (15% for returning guests) and a partial refund if the total price is less. If the start date of the new booking is more than 90 days away a £50 deposit would be retained and the balance payment refunded. If you cannot commit to new dates immediately but wish to take advantage of the discount we can generate a £50 deposit voucher and discount code valid for up to 12 months. 

5.1.2  Where possible, we will contact guests affected by travel restrictions within 48 hours of a government announcement and discuss the options with you.

5.2  We recommend that you take out travel insurance that provides cover if you are prevented from travelling due to local lockdown restrictions or you or members of the party mentioned on the booking form test positive for Coronavirus and remain contagious or are required to self-isolate, and for additional travel and accommodation costs if you unexpectedly have to quarantine or self-isolate due to catching Coronavirus or being in close contact with someone who has Coronavirus while on holiday.

6. Visitor obligations

6.1  Unless agreed otherwise with The Owner the property will not be available before 5pm on the first day of your booking and you must leave before 10am on your last day. You will be held liable for any costs incurred through any delayed departure. 

6.2  Only the persons named on the Booking Form will be allowed to occupy the property. Excluding babies in cots, and unless agreed otherwise in writing, the number of people occupying the property and its grounds must not exceed the number shown on the website. This is very important to comply with regulatory requirements and because the properties are prepared, furnished and equipped for the number of people specified and greater numbers can cause damage and excessive wear and tear. You must not bring additional camp beds or allow the use of tents, caravans or camper vans at the property without agreement with The Owner. Daytime visitors may be permitted by prior agreement with The Owner, however they must not stay overnight. The Owner reserves the right to require you to leave the premises (without any compensation or refund) if you exceed the maximum occupancy limits.

6.3  When there are guests staying at other accommodation on site you must ensure that they are not disturbed and their privacy is respected.

6.4  Smoking and vaping are not permitted inside the property. You and your party must not use candles, fireworks or Chinese lanterns (or other lights or illuminations which have naked flames) at the property. You and your party must not cut any trees for firewood, nor light any fires in the grounds, nor use a fire pit unless The Owner has provided one. You must only use the barbecue provided. Rented/portable hot tubs and electric vehicle charging through the standard 13A sockets in the property are not permitted. 

6.5  If you or any of your party develop symptoms associated with Coronavirus (COVID-19) during your stay you agree to inform The Owner or their representative and follow government guidance. If you are unwell and cannot return home you will be expected to pay all reasonable costs for your extended stay.

6.6  Where a telephone is available for use at the property you agree to pay for all call charges incurred during your stay. You will not be charged for using the WiFi.

6.7  You agree to indemnify The Owner against all loss and damage arising (including more than normally and reasonably anticipated amounts of cleaning) directly or indirectly to the property and its contents from any deliberate or negligent act or omission by yourself, or any person or animal accompanying you, and, without limitation of the foregoing to pay The Owner forthwith upon written demand their costs in making good any such loss and damage and cleaning.

7. Companion animals

7.1  You may bring up to two well-trained companion animals to properties where they are allowed at £30 per booking (there is no charge for assistance dogs). You will be responsible for any damage caused and agree not to allow them into bedrooms or bath/shower rooms; and to use any throws provided by The Owner to protect the soft furnishings for future guests; and not to leave dogs unattended in the property or its gardens and to keep them under control at all times, and to provide suitable bedding and towels for them. Agreement in writing must be obtained for other species or for more than two dogs.

8. Problems during your stay

8.1  We strive to ensure that all properties we manage meet our high standards. If there is cause for complaint, you must take this up with The Owner or their representative within 36 hours to give them an opportunity to resolve the situation. If after contacting The Owner or their representative you are still not satisfied please telephone us and we will take reasonable steps to put the matter right. In the event that disputes cannot be resolved we reserve the right to refer the matter to the relevant local Tourist Board representative whose decision shall be final and binding. 

8.2  Under no circumstances can compensation be agreed or paid for complaints made after the tenancy has ended. All complaints made during the holiday must be confirmed in writing to us within 7 days of the last day of the holiday. We’ll work with you to ensure that any complaints are investigated and resolved as promptly and efficiently as possible.

8.3  The Owner or their representative may need to access the property if there is an unforeseen problem or to investigate a complaint you have made. If this happens, The Owner will do their best to agree in advance a convenient date and time unless in the event of an emergency.

9. Limitation of liability

9.1  All the members of the party accept that the property and any amenities provided are used at their own risk and no responsibility can be accepted for any injuries or inconvenience to persons or loss or damage to any belongings of persons who use them except where caused by the negligence of The Owner. 

9.2  We will not be liable for any act, neglect or default on the part of The Owner or any other person, nor for any accident, damage, loss, injury, expense or inconvenience whether to person or property which you or any member of your party may suffer arising out of or in connection with the holiday or resulting from any other cause whatsoever, including any activities as may be publicised on this website or elsewhere. Save insofar as death or personal injury to yourself or any member of your party resulting from our negligence.

9.3  If the property should not be available due to fire, storm or flood or other reason out of control of The Owner or for any reason they are unable to comply with this agreement, we will refund the full amount of monies paid on behalf of The Owner and our joint liability is limited to the refunding of such monies. 

9.4  These terms and conditions are governed by English law and jurisdiction.