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.

I think the "guidance" is ridiculously over the top, and if things like kitchen equipment and books and games were going to be removed and the check in time ridiculously late, I wouldn't bother tbh.
I'd rather be refunded a day and be allowed to check in earlier the following day- say from 10am, but find everything there that was supposed to be there.

I would be perfectly happy with the standard level of cleaning - and rooms being "fogged" with anti viral would actively put me off going.

Those measures should be reserved for if you have had a guest who turned out to be infected, otherwise your standard cleaning should suffice.

I emailed the place we're due to stay at - have been before so thought I'd let them know that we're perfectly happy with their existing high standards of cleaning.

All good except they would like us to arrive at 6 and leave at 9. I have asked if we could access the kitchen earlier- if we can at least pack foodstuff away then we're ok with 6, and as for the 9 I've said fine but means we won't do the tidying up we normally do between 9-10. Am waiting to see what they come back with - we'll go regardless, but it will make the morning tricky with teens and young adults who like to sleep in.

I don’t really get the vitriol on this thread eg ‘dead of rage’ against people with different viewpoints.

I haven't seen any vitriol. That feels like an exaggeration.

I’ve just had an email from the owner of the self catering accommodation we are staying in late summer. They are saying they cannot meet the requirements and guests have a full weeks holiday. They are asking people to change to four day breaks or arrive during the week. Also say they will be removing books games cushions and some kitchen equipment. I’m really not sure I want to go now.No reduction in rent. We’re already supposed to bring our own sheets. I think I’d rather go abroad .

They want you to reduce from 7 to 4 days without a reduction in cost?! Cheeky bastards!

Well I assume there will be a partial refund. They haven’t said how much that will be though! They are saying some weeks will have to be cancelled. I need to know so I can book something else but with the quarantine rules I am nervous about booking somewhere abroad at the moment. Basically it depends how many people cancel or go for a shorter break whether we will still get a week.

I just don’t feel it will be much of a holiday anyway if many of the home comforts are removed.

If I got ill with Covid-19 on a self-catering holiday I wouldn't assume I had caught it from the accommodation. Surely I'm much more likely to have caught it from human contact at the shops, petrol station etc?.

What is the kitchen equipment that the Gvt are suggesting is removed?

I was wondering that too. My list of essentials is probably not the same as yours.

We’ve been told bring own oven gloves etc

Not sure if we are going though!

We’ve been told bring own oven gloves etc
Surely this falls in the category of "can't possibly make anyone ill" followed by the category of "if you are an obsessive with health anxiety YOU can bring your own".

No I think they don’t plan to provide any kitchen linens. Also told they ‘prefer’ us to provide own pillow and case but will supply if needed

Why on earth can't they take them away and put them on a boil wash, and give each set of guests a different set?

I know - totally agree!!

We are booked to go to a holiday cottage in July, I wouldn't expect too much to be changed.
I think people who are really worried would cancel anyway.
I'd be rather upset if I didn't get my cream tea and bottle of prosecco on arrival and no tea, coffee or milk when I arrived would be awful.

Just heard from the place we are staying at They have said,

“The PM has finally spoken and we are now allowed to stay away overnight, along with pubs, restaurants and coffee shops getting the green light too, so we are all systems go once again! Whilst we are going to be extremely busy once more, I must reiterate, we are fortunate that we are surrounded by the river, open countryside, and social distancing from others is easy.

Additionally we have a very strict cleaning regime and now have virucidal products for all of our housekeeping, with surfaces sprayed down in between guests. Just to put your mind at rest, we not only change the bedding and towels, but we also change the mattress and pillow protectors each time too. We have also removed all of the cushions and throws that we like to 'accessorise' with under normal circumstances. This is purely to minimise risks. Sorry it won't be quite as pretty.

Can you please let me know in advance if you would prefer to bring your own bedding and towels as some may wish to do this. Feel free to bring cushions and throws of course, but don't forget to take them home!

We will also be operating a slightly altered departure and arrival time to allow for the extra work involved to clean thoroughly and treat all surfaces. So arrival is from 3pm, and departure needs to be by 10am please.”

I think that holiday home owners need to offer some recompense if homes are going to be stripped down and arrival and leaving times changed. I know this situation is hard on everyone, but if you pay for a holiday house because you want books, games and soft furnishings as part of the experience, it’s not the same if those things are removed.

Movinghouse most of your list sounds good, apart from the leave the house as you found it. I never know if that means give it a full clean, or don't leave any visible debris and empty bins. It takes a lot of the enjoyment out of a self catering break for me not knowing what's expected so it would be great to be very specific about what you expect guests to do at the end of their stay.

So we've been told to empty the bins, strip the beds and not much else as we now need to leave at 9am.

Oh whoops thought I was answering latest message not first one 10 days ago. Ignore me

We’ve booked a holiday home for the 4th of July. Checkin at 4, checkout at 10. I cannot wait to be more than 5 miles from these 4 walls!

I've just tried to book then and it takes so long to find something only for them to say it's not going to be available till 25th July - why are you on the site then with those dates showing

I've had an email saying that check in is now 5pm, but checkout still 10am. I'm OK with that, even though it'll make the first evening slightly less relaxed than a 3pm check in would allow for. It's better than 7pm, after all, so thank god it isn't that!

We are in the holiday apartment now. There is a note to say some soft furnishings have been removed, but there are cushions on the sofas and a throw. I suspect they have removed pointless cushions etc from the beds, which we would have removed anyway. The kitchen is fully equipped but absolutely no foodstuffs.

They are probably rotating them which is what I’m doing when I reopen next week.

We’ll be binning any left foodstuffs too.

This afternoon Im installing a hand sanitiser unit and hopefully finishing up our cool new guest app