To think self-catering places should ditch these Covid era things?

[Rainallnight]

We are staying in a (pricey) self catering cottage for half term.

we are required to strip our beds and put the linen into laundry bags before leaving. I don’t want to do this. I’m on holiday.

And check in wasn’t until 5pm for ‘extra cleaning’.

Two plus years of Covid have taught us hat it’s an airborne virus so opening the windows is the best thing you can do.

These other measures are unnecessary and are now there for the letting companies’ convenience rather than infection control.

It is driving me mad. AIBU?

Annoying isn't it? I chose my glasses with a mask on and they don't suit me at all! I thought they would as they're similar to my old frame but they don't look or fit right.

As for the OP, I could deal with stripping beds but a 5pm check in would be a deal breaker for me. Unless you can arrive earlier and store your luggage, it's essentially a waste of a day (and an extra night paid for).

If the people before you are there until 10am (standard check out time) and the owner has more than one location to clean, 5pm is fair enough IMO although 4 would be better.

I thought it was pretty standard to strip the beds you've used anyway...

That's silly. Boots let you take your mask off to do the trying on.

We stayed somewhere that we have stayed a few times before pre-covid, that had introduced a 5pm check in. I agree that it is very annoying and unnecessary, they had also changed the checkout time to 9am from 10am. We explained that we had a small baby and a toddler and the times were going to be tricky, and they were happy for us to adhere to the old times, though I would have preferred sensible times to begin with! I can’t get worked up about the bed linen, we didn’t have to do it but we did have to do that somewhere else last year and it took a couple of minutes.

One I stayed in recently had:
— you cannot check in earlier than 4pm “because of new Covid-19 cleaning protocols.”
— we used to leave milk in the fridge and sauces and sauces and sat and pepper in the cupboards, but we currently cannot offer this to visitors “due to following Covid-19 procedures.”

I can't get too worked up about stripping beds. I did it recently when we were on holiday and it took us all of two minutes per bed. It's preferable to having to pay more because the holiday let people have to pay extra to get enough staff. Plus sadly we can't assume that Covid has exhausted all that it might throw at us.

I don't mind the bed stripping at all. I've done it pre covid too.

The hate the late check in though. 3pm is the latest I like it to be after a long drive and an early start. I like to get in and have the place to rights by late afternoon at the latest.

The thing that's really annoying me right now are the bog standard chain restaurants that have suddenly become reservation only.

We went to Cribbs Causeway to shop a couple of weeks ago and they have numerous eating places. The chain Italian had a big sign saying reservations only. We gueued for the Cafe Rouge instead, only to be told when we got to the head of the gueue that it was reservation only. Really annoying.

The 5 pm thing is crazy. Make a mental note and start to vote with your feet. This is the only thing that will change these silly rules.

Wow; @user1477249785 that’s really shoddy.

To the PP who mentioned CEV people, no one actually lives here. It’s clearly a full time holiday cottage, managed through a holiday lettings agency.

Yes, of course we could have booked somewhere else. DP booked this one and I don’t think she noticed these conditions (I certainly wouldn’t have been looking out for them though I will now!).

And yes, to everyone who pointed out all the other examples of Covid convenience, it must just be cost saving etc.

I don't really get that and we stay at a lot of self catering properties. It's the only holiday we do.

If you can't get all your properties cleaned in a timely manner, employ more cleaners and don't inconvenience your customers. It's really very simple

5pm check in is not reasonable. I also think it's cheeky to expect guests to strip beds. I wouldn't at my house and they're not even paying for the privilege.

I also hate the over-use of covid as an excuse for cutting back on customer service. Particularly when you're on hold for an hour to companies who are still using it as an excuse two years' later. I'd rather they were honest and said they have a staff shortage.

The cottage we rented, we also had to strip the beds. DH said he would walk the dog whilst I did the beds, we were 4 adults in 3 double rooms, I would rather walk the dog than have to strip beds. Last month we went away and check in was at 4 pm and check out 10 am, but we get most stuff ready the night before, we didn’t have to strip beds. There were many covid measures that we had last year that have been scraped, thank goodness, last year we also had to load dishwasher full and leave it on, even though we hadn’t used much on the last morning. One good thing is that the 4 holiday cottages we have stayed in since July 2020, there has been a very good supply of cleaning stuff, hand wash, sanitiser, toilet rolls, cloths, dishwasher tablets. Pre covid we had to take our own.

Then book a hotel if you don't like the ts and Cs.

Pre covid check-in was 2pm. And the cleaners can wear gloves to strip the bed linen. I agree with you OP

This.

I work in this industry and recruiting staff is nigh on impossible. Everything therefore takes longer because there's less people to do it. It's not a covid issue, it's a staffing issue.

Well, in the 'old days', (I mean long before Covid, and about 20 years ago), we had to bring our own sheets*, make the beds, and obviously strip them on leaving! And yes, with three DC, this meant half a suitcase full of sheets, etc.
So since self-catering started providing these and making the beds, I always read the instructions on what to do with the sheets, and in some cases they do not say. In other cases, they have said strip them, (leave in the bath?, leave in the bathroom?, leave on the floor?), and this predates Covid, so to me this is quite a small thing.
I do not mind the 5.00 check in, as I usually plan to visit somewhere enroute, so I never waste the day.

*This also meant we had to bring our own towels as well, also tea towels!

As long as you are told at the time of booking or when told have the option to cancel and get a full refund, reasonable to me.

Surely it just depends on the policy of where you stay? I've been on several self catering UK breaks well before Covid times where it was requested that you strip the beds before leaving. I thought it was just a normal thing to do. And to be honest, I find it reassuring that they definitely haven't just straightened it up a bit between guests!

I do agree that checking in later is a bit annoying though. It's pretty much the whole first day of your holiday gone before you can check in

Also, I’ve always been confused about why stripping the beds makes it safer. Someone still has to handle them to put them in the washing machine, surely?

And the check-in times are ludicrous. Check-in and 5pm and check-out by 10am!

I didn't think 4pm check in was unusual pre-covid. I've just looked back through cottages we've stayed in and they were all 4 pm check ins. I'm not sure we've ever had a check in as early as 2 pm in a self catering place.

I can remember hanging around all day as a kid after driving down to Cornwall overnight waiting for check in.

We've gone to the same house in Wales for 10 years, and have always been asked to strip beds. The checking has moved to 4 from 3pm. ...we arrived at 2 and could get in.
Checkout 10am.....no problem for us. We pack the car, go out for breakfast and go somewhere en route home

CP has kept their check in at 4pm (originally from covid for the cleaning).

Not too much of an issue as it's an hour and often we just walk from car anyway with suitcase and it means more time for activities in the afternoon.

But I thought the early 3pm check in charge of £60 was taking the absolute piss

Oh and agree about the duvet.

By that rule you should also be requested to strip the cushion covers and sofa covers, any cushions on dining chairs or sun beds etc.

Funny how covid only seems to affect some soft furnishings 🤔

I think 4pm is the latest i would accept for check in but when we went to CP in December, it was pitch black trying to navigate suitcases etc down steps from the car lay-by to the lodge! If it's a permanent thing they might need to invest in better lighting for check in day...

I agree that 2-3pm used to be standard and I wish it would go back to that. I don't mind stripping beds tok much but equally don't really see the point. The last self catering cottage we had left instructions to put sheets in certain bags but I couldn't find them anywhere and the hunt probably took longer than stripping the sheets off. All a bit pointless.

My best friend has a holiday let with 5pm check in and 10am check out. It’s the cleaning company that have set these times. They say they need a big window to turn around all of their properties.