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.

For me it's not make a cuppa as soon as we check in, it's use the loo!

I don't think we've ever used the tea/coffee that's been left as I always take the decaff brand that we like, but any individually wrapped biscuits are gone almost instantly! (Sometimes I don't even get a lookin ... 'cos I'm in the loo ).

Doesn't arranging an online delivery for just after you arrive add another layer of stress? I'd be worried that we could be late because of traffic or car problems and we'd miss the delivery. But then I tend to take at least the first evening meal and breakfast with us anyway.

There are some strange buggers on this thread.

Regular cottage renter here. Later check in - not ideal, but I'll cope. A small box of teabags and an unopened packet of biscuits would be nice. Extra cleaning materials would be welcome too, and maybe a note detailing what has been cleaned? I work in a school and we now have a cleaning checklist that anyone can look at to see what has happened - if you left a sheet showing that you had cleaned touch points, for example, I would know that I didn't need to do that.

Toilet roll is the main thing. As long as there is a roll and a spare, I'm good.

I feel for owners and housekeepers. Some families leave the cottages in a hell of a state, leave late, don't report breakages...one family in a cottage on the same grounds as us one year left a note saying 'We've left four quid for the breakage - it should be five, but we lost a pound coin on the floor somewhere so when you find that it will be the full amount'.

Leave lots of cleaning products, clean cloths and any food only in sealed packets. Leave crockery and cutlery in the dishwasher. Otherwise, it sounds fine.

That way, I can clean stuff again if I feel I need to (I would).

Oh and toilet paper, soap etc. in a sealed packet too.

I’ve always touched games/books/toys without thinking about it, never caught anything. Maybe some of you should relax!

Err, that was before coronavirus. I'll relax when there isn't a virus that might kill me about.

We often "check in" as soon as we can, dump the luggage, and then go and do something, like grocery shopping, going to a restaurant, maybe even going to an attraction. If we're hanging around until 5, that effectively scuppers the opportunity to do any of that on the first day, and may mean things like grocery shopping then eat in to the next day too

You can do any of that with a car full of luggage. Maybe not a weeks worth of food but a few carriers in footwells, between DC etc. We do any or all of these things while waiting for a 3pm check-in.

Pint of milk is the must-have, it’s much easier to bring your own teabags and coffee than it is to faff around with chill bags for the milk.

@Jaxhog there have always been, and will always be, viruses that can kill you in all manner of exotic ways.

This one isn’t particularly special for its persistence on surfaces or contagiousness (something like measles would get the prize there).

I'm a guest - we hire holiday cottages all the time both in the UK and overseas.

Honestly I would not expect you to be sanitising everything. The virus is spread by close physical contact with an infected person. There is little to no proof that you are going to get it from surfaces, and your regular cleaning routine will be completely fine. I would be REALLY pissed off to arrive and discover that all the extra stuff like board games, jigsaws, DVDs, cushions, throws and the homely touches had been removed - that's exactly why we choose a self-catering property. It's a home from home, not a sterile, sanitised box.

There's some right germaphobes on here

I could do without all those extra non relevant cushions you usually get on a bed. I've never established what the purpose of those are as they aren't pillows. Are they just meant to be decorative?

There's some right germaphobes on here

If people practiced good hygiene etc., we wouldn't be where we are re Covid. Same with Norovirus in hospital wards, cruise ships and hotels. It really doesn't take much to wash your hands regularly, wipe things down properly, etc. We're having to go over the top to hammer it home that cleanliness and hygiene really does matter.

Even in those couple of weeks before lockdown, when we all knew Covid was here and were being told to wash hands regularly etc - lots of people were too lazy to do it.

I would be REALLY pissed off to arrive and discover that all the extra stuff like board games, jigsaws, DVDs, cushions, throws and the homely touches had been removed

Which is why it's important that holiday home owners are clear on their websites etc what they're doing re covid, so people can make a decision before booking, hence they won't be disappointed on arrival.

You can do any of that with a car full of luggage.

No, we can't because we take pets with us who wouldn't appreciate being locked in a boot for longer than necessary, nor would there be any space for grocery shopping as our car is already full. We also want to wash and change before we go out for a meal. People have different needs etc. For us a 5pm check in doesn't work and we won't be booking a place that does it. But that's fine as long as the owners make it clear on their websites and prior to booking - we'll just move onto the next website.

Err, that was before coronavirus. I'll relax when there isn't a virus that might kill me about.

Can you point to one single case where it has been proven that someone has caught the virus and died (because thats quite clearly the only possible outcome of covid) from touching a DVD, lightswitch or making a cup of tea in a mug which hasn't soaked in bleach for 72 hours?

Thought not.

The government and media have done a right job of putting the FEAR into people.

@enjoyingscience there may be other viruses around, but Measles, for example, has an effective vaccine. Covid 19 does not. It doesn't help those of us who are seriously vulnerable when you trivialize what is still a serious threat.

I wouldn't go somewhere with a 5pm check in. What's the point of that? You've wasted a whole day

The government and media have done a right job of putting the FEAR into people.

Do you seriously think the governments of ALL major countries would impact their economies like they have unless COVID was a major threat?

I've seen and heard enough suffering due to COVID, including several painful deaths, to be rightly afraid. I don't need more proof. You take the risk if you want, but don't put the rest us at risk too.

Exactly, Kazzy, it needs to be clear what's provided and how the cleaning is handled so customers can decide if they want to go through with the booking or not.

We've stayed in Golden Oak cabins through Forest Holidays as a treat and I'd not be impressed to find all the extras removed on arrival when they've been advertised and you pay quite a steep premium. If the business cannot afford to maintain them than I'd rather they increased the cost rather than remove them and leave the booking up to the client.

No one is trivialising anything, but going over the top doesn’t help either. An ordinarily cleaned cottage, with changed beds, clean surfaces etc, is not an infection risk, especially where the previous occupants were not symptomatic.

Any virus left by an asymptomatic previous occupant on books or games would be dead in around 24 hours (longer for hard plastic or metal surfaces, which is why cleaning is important - I’m not saying it isn’t), so even if the previous occupants were busily kissing all the books goodbye the night before they leave, by the time the new guest arrives the risk for these objects is close to zero. And this is only for the cases where an previous occupant is in the pre- symptomatic phase or is asymptomatic. Symptomatic guests should be telling their hosts who could them close for a deep clean.

The seriously vulnerable shouldn’t be travelling to go on holiday anyway.

So, reading the latest posts the MN position seems to be:
You want to arrive as early as possible and leave as late as possible- earliest departure at 10am and latest arrival at 4pm.
You want everything spotless but not smelling of bleach or chemicals.
Your cars are all full so you probably don't want to bring your own bedding or towels.
You want all the little extras - comfy cushions (but not in the bedroom) games, heaps of kitchen stuff, dvds, some (wrapped) welcome basket food stuffs....
You don't want to do any cleaning before you leave - some even think emptying waste bins is too much, although most seem ok with stripping beds.

But you don't want to pay extra to cover the cost of any disinfection procedures or the purchase of extra items so the owner can swap stuff in and out each week for quarantine.

@averylongtimeago

So, reading the latest posts the MN position seems to be: You want to arrive as early as possible and leave as late as possible- earliest departure at 10am and latest arrival at 4pm. You want everything spotless but not smelling of bleach or chemicals. Your cars are all full so you probably don't want to bring your own bedding or towels. You want all the little extras - comfy cushions (but not in the bedroom) games, heaps of kitchen stuff, dvds, some (wrapped) welcome basket food stuffs.... You don't want to do any cleaning before you leave - some even think emptying waste bins is too much, although most seem ok with stripping beds.

But you don't want to pay extra to cover the cost of any disinfection procedures or the purchase of extra items so the owner can swap stuff in and out each week for quarantine.

Personally I just want it to be normal. Normal amount of cleaning as it would have been, normal decor and and the usual 3pm check in / 10am check out. I don't think I'm going to catch COVID19 from a cushion or a light switch and I don't want there to be changes that take account of that minuscule possibility.

avery I don't think the list is unreasonable. Just how expensive is disinfectant, and would they not be using it anyway?!

I am sure those cottages that charge enough to come with bedding and towels, would have factored into the costs of running it no?

ALL cottages I have visited have done exactly as you describe, why would I assume otherwise? Given I have PAID for the advertised services and cottage.

People are going into work in shops and factories etc every day without them being deep cleaned overnight. Why is that different to a holiday let?

I would like extra cleaning materials, like a spray bottle in each bathroom and by the kitchen sink.
Gam aes, books and leaflets packed into a clear plastic box with a sticky label sealing it showing the date the cottage owner last sealed it. That way I can choose whether to leave for 48 or 72 hours.

Same for additional throws and cushions.

I would appreciate a list confirming that you have done doorknobs, cooker switches, light switches, sofa fabrics tv remotes etc and taken additional handwashing precautions when making beds with clean sheets.

I would appreciate confirmation that a plates, cutlery mugs per person plus a pan ans had been through the dishwasher as
an additional wash after the last guests and put away with clean gloves.

I would not mind if this was less than there normally is, as long as spare stuff was available separately. I would understand that the basics had been done as an extra clean so I could be confident on arriving but some kitchens have masses of stuff and I wouldn't expect you to do all that every time.