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.

Mea culpa on the 4 days 72 hours bit but my point remains. Even 3 days is going to mean cancellations unless guests are happy to travel on random days of the week which most won't be.

No more Saturday to Saturday holidays or a slightly late check in?

Even though things are re-opening slowly we will all have to face a "new normal".

Wow, I didn’t realise you’d be held to such extreme guidelines. But if they are only guidelines, it might be worth giving the guests you have already booked the option.

You could offer for them to come the next day and refund the night, or offer the late check in for the same price, or the option of continuing as normal and having normal check in time and cleaning standards.

I think I’d rather sign a disclaimer and carry on without the need for you to clean everything twice.

Surely you just get more people to do the clean if needed?

Ideally yes but getting them is the hard part - it's a horrible job at times.

Cleaners have to be prepared to work at the drop of a hat. Work to a high standard - far higher than ordinary domestic cleaners and be 100% reliable. The thought of my cleaners letting me down and not doing a clean between guests is the stuff of nightmares.

Add in the risk to the cleaners themselves from Covid - they will need to go straight in more or less. We could protect them by delaying a couple of hours after check out when most of the airborne virus has settled but that cuts 2-3 hours off the cleaning time.

I advertised locally for a new cleaner last summer - got 4 replies and scheduled interviews for all of them. Not one actually showed up (and this is a job that pays £25 an hour)

No @Elphame I’m happy to pay ££ for a 3pm
Check in. I don’t want a nice cheap cottage. I just wouldn’t want to lose hours of my holiday, especially if I was only going away for say a 3 day break. Plenty of others on here have said the same

. Therefore I would book with someone else.

For those saying they will book elsewhere you might not have a choice, this might be the new regulations.

I wouldn't want the later check-in. No need to steam mattresses etc. Kitchen equipment can be washed before use so I wouldn't remove anything.

I haven’t booked a break yet. If I could only get a 5pm check in anywhere due to guidelines. I just wouldn’t bother going and I’d stay at home.

Some of the guidelines do seem extreme. I know the 'fogging' is an option that some owners are considering, but it's not something I'd like to do in our house, I think a lot of guests wouldn't like the idea of so many chemicals in the air, especially where there are babies and small children.

It may be that if there is a need to leave some free days between lets, plus costs for extra cleaning staff, it may become uneconomic for many owners to carry on, especially since many have already lost a huge chunk of their income for this year.

We've booked somewhere (Ireland) but they're doing Saturday to Friday to allow for the extra cleaning.

Seriously not happy with 5pm v 3pm check in and check out has been moved to 9am from 10am. Seriously already pissed off with ours.

I agree the additional cleaning just makes me think it’s not been done properly to start with. What are you not cleaning that needs cleaning now??

Removing cushions and kitchen equipment? Truly the world has gone mad. We always wash plates, cutlery etc before we use it anyway.

Don’t fog stuff with anti virals and steam stuff/ throw disinfectant around. Ugh chemical fog soup sounds vile. I don’t want to sit in that.

I’m spending 4 figures for a week in Cornwall. I’m not stripping beds particularly if you want me out at 9am.

And please don’t leave a welcome pack, it goes straight in the bin and it’s such a waste - we don’t eat eggs or dairy.

Understand these might be the new regulations regarding late check in but at least that way we still have a choice, not something imposed after booking.

I feel in that case unfortunately hotels might be the way forward, for shorter breaks, if they are able to do quicker turnarounds.

Agree everything that we know is going to change at least for the short term.

It's not that we are cleaning things that we didn't clean before, it's that the guidelines say clean first with hot soapy water and then do again with a bleach solution or anti viral product. So going over absolutely everything twice.

@bottlenose301

Understand these might be the new regulations regarding late check in but at least that way we still have a choice, not something imposed after booking.

I feel in that case unfortunately hotels might be the way forward, for shorter breaks, if they are able to do quicker turnarounds.

Agree everything that we know is going to change at least for the short term.

But holiday cottages don't have a choice but to change the regulations - otherwise presumably they can't open.

They're not changing their terms for shits and giggles.

Original Cottages, who I think are the fourth largest UK cottages group (with 30 local agencies) have told us (owners) they are changing check in to 7 pm, check out 9 am. So I think you'll find all the agencies will be doing this.

I've got a few bookings in July/August/September already but I've just looked and none are same day changeovers yet, so, having read all your comments here about check ins, I'm thinking of blocking out the night before each guest, so i can allow normal check in/out times (10 am check out, 3 pm check in) and additionally provide some reassurance to guests about the gap between bookings reducing the infection risk. I'll just need to speak to my agency to get this info updated on my cottage's listing page and make sure they update all guests that for my cottage, the new check in times don't apply.

That sounds like a good idea @Tarararara
I’m sure your guests would appreciate it.

I do think if I was told to check out at 9am I also wouldn’t bother booking. God knows what time you’d have to get up to do all the cleaning/pack up and get out. It wouldn’t feel like much of a holiday!

In fact I've just looked, and Original Cottages have already changed the check in times listed on their website to 9 am/7 pm across every cottage in their portfolio!

7pm!! That’s really off-putting.

I’d definitely be considering a hotel with an earlier check in.

@Delatron

7pm!! That’s really off-putting.

I’d definitely be considering a hotel with an earlier check in.

Hotels will probably have similar restrictions in place.

I would expect no pets allowed inside holiday let.
a dishwasher is a must, especially now.
washing machine as well.
all bedding, not just the covers washable. ideally newly washed (hollow fibre bedding would wash/dry within a few hours.)

I’m quite happy to not go anywhere then. Was umming and errring as to whether it would be much fun anyway with pubs/restaurants shut etc. This has just made my mind up for me. Happy to wait until next year.

We're due to go on the 10th, check in time has gone to 4pm and checkout time is now 9am.

It was 3pm and 10am, so only two hours lost - a minor inconvenience, but with everything else going on not something I'd raise. We're normally out by 9am anyway as we have breakfast en route home.

What time do other holiday lets do check-in? Most we have stayed in have been 4pm anyway so 5pm doesn't feel like such a big deal. I suppose if you're used to 1pm check ins it is a good chunk of the day lost - particularly if you've got kids in tow.

9 am check out and 7 pm check in would stop me booking. In effect your paying for 2 days you hardly use. If I had children a 7 pm check in would be terrible.

If I were so vulnerable to illness that the tiny trace of any virus that may be on surfaces was likely to cause me problems, then I wouldn't be going away on holiday.

I'd just do what you do now. Don't worry about removing everything (you can't remove rugs and carpets and furniture and you couldn't guarantee to clean every single inch that may have been touched). I don't think there's any (?) quantifiable evidence that sufficient virus can be left on surfaces to infect a previous healthy person, so I'd just state the that the cottage has been cleaned but is occupied at your own risk.

I only ever go on U.K. holidays and always self cater in a cottage.
I wouldn’t mind a later check in time of 4 pm, 5 pm seems a bit too late for some reason.
I love seeing a welcome pack and always enjoy the (usually home made) cake, but at the moment I would prefer to see a shop bought one.
I always take my own tea and coffee anyway but occasionally use stuff provided if I run out. I would prefer it if these were currently new sealed packs.
I wouldn’t think twice about cushions and throws. I always (naively????) thought that these were removed and washed each week anyway.
I would hate excess kitchen stuff being removed. How do you know what I need to make my meals in the evening?
I would really like you to let me know the extra things you have done between holiday let’s, and I would really appreciate it if you left in plain sight, extra bleach and cleaning products with a note to say I could use as much as I liked.
If you told me I had to take my own cushions, towels and bedding I would expect a HEFTY discount!

I feel for you op, I would actually book your cottage over another because of your extra measures taken and I always take half my kitchen with me on holiday anyway, (I'm a bit wired like that) I would prefer a slightly later check in and know that it's safe especially over an earlier check out.
Maybe I understand where your coming from slightly more than most, I'm a home hairdresser and the rules and regulations re cleaning and clients coming back into my home in July to meet government guidelines is ridiculous but it had to be done and my services are going to reduced but my prices aren't to allow for my extra time and money spent on cleaning and PPE equipment.
Good luck.