What will you expect/ not expect in a UK holiday cottage when they reopen?

[Movinghouseatlast]

I'm just writing my new guidelines for guests as we are hoping to reopen on 4th July. There have been some changes to cleaning etc. I was just wondering what guests will think?

Check in is now 5pm instead of 3pm to allow for extra cleaning.

Guests have to strip the beds and put bedding in cotton bags.

They have to put the rubbish out. I have also asked to leave the cottage as you would wish to find it.

They are asked to leave all windows open.

All extras are being removed- throws, cushions on beds, games, additional kitchen equipment as we just don't have time to wash and disinfect it all.

I usually leave a welcome hamper of an afternoon tea, homemade bread and granola, jam and butter decanted into dishes, croissants. I am still going to do this, but wonder what people will think? I think it is safer for the guests for me to cook all these things than to buy them.

I am only going to provide a few wrapped tea bags and coffee pods- usually unlimited and loose in a jar.

I would be interested to know your thoughts! Thanks.

averylongtimeago if guests regularly leave unsealed sanitary items and used condoms then I'd imagine you'd already be using a mask and gloves even pre covid . Some people are so manky.

Most guests are lovely- but every so often there is a group who are just minging.

I don't care about steaming things particularly. As long as you do a normal clean with good cleaning products, I'm happy! And leave enough cleaning products and gloves for us to clean too (including enough dishwasher tablets if you want it leaving running!). Many places we've stayed have failed on this front.

As others have said, if I was scared of a cushion I wouldn't be going on holiday at all.

These are the rules in Ireland. Unnecessary items (cushions, extra pillows) to be removed and only available on request. Thorough disinfecting. All kitchen equipment, used or not, to be 'washed in the correct temp and detergent'.. So empty all kitchen cupboards and wash everything. It is definitely going to take longer to clean between guests. Delighted to be allowed to open though!!

Interesting how most posters weren't bothered about extra cleaning. I'm looking at options for late summer and one of the things I'm looking at is whether they are taking the additional cleaning seriously.

I guess it's very variable.

The places I've looked at are describing "deep cleaning" between visits, and I'm happy with that. I'd be happy with a later check in as a result, but then I'm quite laid back and easygoing.

Mask and gloves for cleaning are standard practice for me. I have encountered pretty much every "personal" item over the course of 20 years...

I can’t wait til we can go on holiday, and am very appreciative if the measures and adjustments that may be out in place to make it possible.

Check in at 5? Fine, doesn’t take long to get sorted in a basic sort of way and a stroll to the pub or chip shop (if open) or bring a nice ready meal with us.

Can’t believe how ‘spoilt’ some people are being about all this. The world is not the same as it was. Prices cannot remain the same. Businesses can’t absorb ALL the extra, it has to be shared with customers at some point.

We had two weeks booked in different cottages end of August and early September. I would be dismayed by later check in time and expect a small refund. Also not be happy with cushions and throws being removed. I am not one of the obsessive disinfecting people. I expect the place to be thoroughly cleaned anyway. That’s all. I would also put my rubbish out as a matter of course. I would forget the afternoon tea and leave a wrapped cake or something like that.

A stroll to a pub which probably can't fit you in because of social distancing? Or the chip shop where you have to pre-book in order to collect, so can't just show up?

As you say, things are different now. What you could easily do to mitigate a later check in before might not work now.

We've not been told if our check in has changed or not, but we're booked into a Welsh cottage at the end of August (moved from the end of July a little while ago as I thought we'd have a better chance of going then). If it is, we'll manage, it'll be a bit of a pain though.

Our local chippy you have to book a day in advance at the moment!

That's fine though, you book in advance for your first night takeaway, it's easy enough to do online. We're booking them the day before at home, I assume we'll do the same for our first night on holiday, or take ready meals.

Fine: take a ready meal with you!

I am sure holiday cottage owners will make their usual visitor information available: I am looking at campsites who are giving local info, including arrangements at local pubs / takeaways.

We are all needing to make compromises.

If you are going to let a later check in it lack of board game ruin your holiday and out you in a foot stamping mood, write off this year and relax at home... some more!

so we're looking to book a uk break this year, i would be GUTTED if throws cushions etc were removed, that snug cottage feel would really be ruined for me, can't you buy a few more throws and wash between guests.

board games, id also be tempted to buy a few more, and rotate between guests. these little touches make a big difference

it is worth investing as you may get people like me coming as a trial in first time mini break and then get a lot of repeat business if you impress.

i would include lists of local places and what exactly they are offering etc.

@movinghouseatlast
Thank you for starting this thread!
I have a holiday let in the south west so it's really interesting to hear what you are doing and also what guests expect!

I only have a small 2 bed apartment, which is comfortable but fairly basic. I don't have toys and books but I do have a lot of Blu-ray Discs/cushions/throws/tea/coffee etc. I usually provide biscuits but they are all individually wrapped anyway.

I've moved my check in from 2pm to 3pm to allow for extra cleaning, but I hadn't planned on fogging or anything like that!

I have pretty much back to back bookings July and August but I offered everyone the chance to cancel with full refund. A couple of guests have moved their bookings to next year but the spaces have been booked almost straight away again so I think people are pretty desperate to get away.

Not one person has contacted me to ask about cleaning routines though. I think if people are concerned they wouldn't be travelling. My apartment is always very clean anyway and being quite small the changeovers are easy. I'm worried about not having a dishwasher now though...

We booked a year ago for a UK cottage this year. If the choice is check in 2 hours later or lose the holiday we will check in later. 2 hours out of a week really isn't a massive proportion of the holiday.

Please don't take out all the toys and games as they are always lots of fun. But maybe if cases and r numbers don't reduce further then have half in each week.

A small box of sealed tbags would be gratefully received as would a sealed washing up sponge and pack of cloths so we can also wipe and clean things.

@passthemustard don't worry about not having a dishwasher. Your guests that are worried can just wash up before using things. (My hubby has always done this . . Me....i just use stuff.)

@mumdiva99 😂 I'm the same as you when I'm away.

arf at then I'm quite laid back and easygoing. when you want a deep clean from your sc holiday rather than just a normal clean, which as many people on here have stated is clean enough for them

How many people who are, shall I say, very 'health conscious' are actually going to believe that a cottage has been steamed/fogged/deep cleaned anyway? Are they not immediately going to spend their first day's holiday cleaning everything 'just in case'? Because anyone can say that a cottage has been steam cleaned or fogged and just not do it?

If you're really worried about germs, stay at home. Holiday cottage owners have enough to do without trying to disinfect all the bedframes in case an asymptomatic toddler might have touched somewhere virtually unreachable.

Exactly @Zaphodsotherhead! 😆

The problem with a later check in is it doesn't just affect 2 hours. Any holiday with DC is already a gamble on will they settle, day 1 especially, and the first thing you will need to do on arrival is identify which room(s) will work best for DC, clear obvious hazards and try to get them sorted with dinner/bed having barely unpacked the car.

Depending on lay out you might then struggle to get the car emptied that night without waking the unsettled monsters and then you've lost a good chunk of the next morning. I certainly wouldn't be prebooking an attraction for the morning after a 5pm check in - strong risk of grouchy overtired children and stressed adults!

Realistically late check in/early check out will tip the balance away from a "holiday" towards day trips from home - very few people have done everything within a reasonable day trip from home!

Some of the comments from holiday makers here really want to make me give up my holiday cottage that I rent out.

Things have changed, guidelines have changed - for your safety!! But the number of people in here immediately expecting that they should receive partial refunds (for a 2 hr delay check in out of a week long holiday, or for not having cushions) makes me furious!! Small business owners are taking on more costs and spending more time to try and adhere to guidelines. But according to a lot of posters there should be be compromise from their side - only from the owners. Perhaps owners should be putting their prices up instead to try and cover themselves for the extra time and money spent on cleaners, additional cleaning products and other expenses.

@florabella
I'm definitely considering increasing my prices!

Sorry I haven’t read the full thread. But does anyone know if there is a recommendation for anyone who has stayed in a cottage to agree that they will inform owner if they have symptoms appear during or immediately after stay? This is the thing that would assure me most.

I wouldn’t remove kitchen things, even before CV19 I’d give something a wash before we used it for the first time, I don’t trust previous guests to give stuff a decent wash.

People are also going to need things like games /books etc more than they did as the likely hood of being out and about all the time is cut down.