To think that a 7pm check-in is too late when you have young kids

[sqirrelfriends]

I woke up to an email this morning from the company I booked a holiday cottage with for next month.

For corona reasons:

7pm check in (instead of 3pm)
9am check out (instead of 10)
Removal of all high risk items (they mentioned board games and the DVD player but I would imagine it's going to be barren)

We would have to drive about 4 hours to get there with a young child, 7pm just seems too late to me to check in, and equally 9am is too early to check out, especially with all the extra stuff we would need to bring. Am I being unreasonable to think it would never take 10 hours to clean a cottage? And would you be cancelling?

Surely on holiday you can relax the routine a little. Eat en route and skip the bath? Obviously they are doing this so they can deep clean.

I would say that's a total change of holiday. I choose self-catering holidays as a home away from home. Part of the attraction for the kids is different dvds, jigsaws, books, board games. Who wants to spend a week in a sterile box?

7pm is far too late to check in, 9am too early to check out. And you're not going to catch anything off a paperback or jigsaw.

@sqirrelfriends

The first day would be useless, DS's bedtime is at 7 and really relies on his routine for bedtime. I can't imagine he would be in bed much before 9 once we've fed, bathed and read him his story. Oh and lugged all his stuff in from the car.

It's not a cheap place either, about 1.5k for the week. We were meant to be staying with others but that can't happen now because Corona.

@sqirrelfriends I think that you are making it into more drama than necessary tbh. You won't be in the cottage, but presumably will be in the car and able to go to some sort of attraction, be it park, sea etc. If you're choosing to go, though 7pm isn't ideal, you can have lunch out, have picnic dinner you've brought with you, read story etc before arriving, then literally have a bag packed with Los overnight things, wash him and put to bed. Not really that dramatic. You've simply lost 3 or 4 hours in the cottage, not off your holiday. Likewise, pack up night before and either load car or leave ready to go.

If you still want to go then you need to accept that this brings with it compromises in terms of the owner safely managing the situation. If actually you've changed your mind about going, then just cancel rather than make excuses about safety measures that have been brought in to protect you!

I wouldn't be concerned about the changes in routine but I would be pretty annoyed that they were offering no discount when you're effectively losing a whole day of your holiday.

YABU, sorry. It's to accommodate the extra cleaning that they have to do and the cleaner(s) might have more properties to clean, not just this one.

Eat on the way (picnic, McDonalds or whatever is available) and relax/delay DSs bedtime routine on the first night at least.

COVID-19 has caused difficulties and extra costs for everyone so we all have to accept that there may be changes and not expect everything to happen as we're used to.

Don't forget, with foreign holidays being more or less impossible in the short term, demand for UK holidays is likely to increase, so the owners can probably rent it out three times over if you're going to argue about losing a few hours from the weekly rental.

I have been looking at rentals rather than hotels and have noticed these times on all the ones I have looked at
Times are different at the moment so we just have to adjust or not go
I would rather the place was thoroughly cleaned

I agree with SoloMummy.

Have his pjs to hand and put him to bed as soon as you get there. I’d be amazed if his stuck to his routine in a new place anyway regardless of when you arrive.

I also assume that the cottage is working to some sort of industry guidance, so it's probably not their decision to remove games and DVDs.

Just take some of your own from home if that's an important part of your holiday.

Maybe we are going to the same place! I got the same email last night and has the same thoughts. Our dcs will be so tired and hungry by then it will be a horrible first evening!
Then we thought it over and thought that we would set off in the morning as usual and get there mid-afternoon. We will take A LOT of food with us to keep them going and have a few hours on the beach before going to the cottage. We will take a small overnight bag so we can unpack things we need for the first night quickly and unpack properly on the first morning. We will make sure we have wine and something like a pizza to stick in the oven for tea.
I am worried about getting everything packed up and cleaned by 9 though. I think k a lot will have to be done the day before which will kind of spoil the last day but at the moment I am just grateful our dcs will still be getting their holiday this year.

YANBU. I am looking to book a holiday cottage and I saw possibly the same company you booked with stating 7pm arrival, 9am departure on all their properties. I just closed their website and didn’t look any further, so they lost my potential business and possibly many others like me. No way am I going to check into a cottage at that time or leave so early. It’s a complete deal breaker for me. Yes, I would defo cancel if I was you, as long as you are not going to lose out financially, and tell them why.

9am checkout would not bother me but then I don't have children. I would not be happy at 7pm check in though.

Personally I would cancel. I have been looking at going away for a couple of days but just don't see the point. Hardly anywhere is open and attractions such as zoos that are have to all be booked in advance. No restaurants open so no eating out if you wanted to.

Also if places are removing games, books, dvd's etc unless you take your own what are you going to do there exactly?

I know owners need the money but I would rather save my money and stay home where I know I have a comfortable bed, good shower, all the kitchen equipment I need etc.

The weather is too unpredictable to say "oh we can go for walks every day". Me and DH went to a zoo yesterday, booked last weeked. It absolutely poured and was quite chilly. After 3 hours we were soaked even with brollies and waterproof jackets. Most of the animals could not been seen, probably inside out of the rain, and it just was not fun at all. That made our mind up about going away this year

OP, there's another thread about holiday lets at the moment to which I have made several lengthy contributions.

New 'Covid-safe' guidelines for holiday lets recommend check-in at 4PM and check-out at 10AM in order to allow time for additional deep cleaning.

Owners are being asked to remove decorative cushions and throws, along with hard copy guest information (as this tends to be regularly handled). We are providing it online instead - though in fact, this is what I've been doing for a couple of years now as folders etc tend to look grubby after a very short time.

I am not removing anything else. Games etc are in their usual cupboard; if guests would like to use them, they are very welcome to. If they would rather not, that is of course absolutely fine! The same is true of books.

I would try to negotiate with the owner/agent about the times. I suspect you wouldn't get a refund if you asked for one on the basis of the changed times.

@NailsNeedDoing Please be aware that not all people who have holiday lets are CFs who are only thinking of their profit. I, for one, have had no income at all since March, as holiday lets are my only source of income. In fact, I'm making a massive loss which I can't afford to make, as I still have all the outgoings and nothing coming in.

Please don't judge an entire sector based on your views of a few profiteers.

I agree that you should get a discount.

But you could have him in bed within half an hour of check-in, so 7.30. Once he's asleep you unpack the car and settle in yourselves.

If he goes to bed at 7 the night before you leave, then you pack everything up, accept for a few bits for him and toiletries.

Like a couple of others I would be less concerned about the DCs routine and more about the fact you are paying for a day you won’t really be using.

I would query that as it appears they are removing most of the stuff, they surely don't need extra cleaning time as there will be a lot less to clean.

COVID-19 has caused difficulties and extra costs for everyone so we all have to accept that there may be changes and not expect everything to happen as we're used to.

This.

It's annoying but they aren't doing it for fun. Count yourself lucky you can still go at all.

It is one late night so no big deal really. I would rather the house was cleaned properly than the alternative. So YABU.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

I would query that as it appears they are removing most of the stuff, they surely don't need extra cleaning time as there will be a lot less to clean.

Not really as the property won't have shrunk.

We are away late September so hoping the check-out is more or less back to normal.

The late check-in wouldn't bother me as long as there was a small discount.

We’ve been on loads of holidays where we’ve had to pack up early( usually to catch ferries etc.) It’s really not that hard.

Nah you shouldn't be paying money for time you can't spend in the place. Especially if you have a long drive with a child to get there. I'd either cancel and find somewhere else or ask for one night less as they've changed the terms.
@HolidayLetter sounds like they have good info. What they've said re: timings sounds reasonable adjustments for all the cleaning etc. 4pm check in would be fine. 7pm is ridiculous especially if you're being booted out at 9am. What holiday are you getting for your money at that point?

And with all the public toilets closed everywhere, you can't actually just go out for the day on your way to the cottage.

I mean if they need 10 hours to clean, how dirty is it in the first place and how bad are their usual cleaning routines?!

To those people saying to do other activities/go to the beach etc first - would you really be comfortable leaving your car with all your luggage in plain sight? I never would.

I think I'd request a slightly earlier check in just in case they say yes, but not be bothered if they don't. I'd make an afternoon of it, local attraction, tea out etc

I'd cancel.

I don't quite understand the expectation of a discount. I would definitely agree it would be more than reasonable in past times if your holiday would be disrupted. However they are doing it for your safety. Do you expect them to charge more because now they have to pay their cleaners for more hours? I do think you could ask if you could go a little earlier especially as someone has posted the guidance as 4pm for check in and 10am for check out.