Booking Conditions :
Cottages – Accommodation only
1. Introduction
1.1. We are Retreat Solutions Limited Ltd (“we”, “our”, “us”) of Rowley Stone Cottages, Mainsfield Farm, Rowley, Co. Durham DH8 9AQ.
1.2. By booking with us, you confirm that you agree to comply with and accept these booking conditions and the following information which we will provide to you:
(i) the accommodation rental conditions (which means all information in any specific conditions or restrictions set out in the website description of your chosen accommodations);
(ii) the Important Information section of the website or other publication we tell you about; and
(iii) any other written information we brought to your attention prior to confirming your booking.
1.3. These Booking Conditions apply to bookings of accommodation only.
2. Contract
2.1. You are entering directly into a legally binding contract with the Owner with respect to renting the accommodation.
3. Your use of the booking
3.1. The accommodation that we advertise is offered by the Owner for the sole purpose of holiday lettings and/or must never be occupied as your principal home, unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing by the Owner . Accordingly you agree and accept that you are not offered any rights to the accommodation other than the right to occupy the accommodation as holiday accommodation for the period of your booking. No booking of any kind is an ‘Assured Shorthold Tenancy’ or protected under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977, or any similar legislation that applies in Scotland.
3.2. Our booking services with you are available for your personal, non-commercial use only. You may not offer for resale any booking services without the owners express permission.
4. Website details
4.1. We aim to make sure that information provided by us about our accommodation and its facilities or services, is accurate and complete on the date given. Descriptions are intended to present a general idea of the accommodation and do not constitute any advice or recommendation by us.
4.2. Not all details of the relevant facilities can be included on our website. Furthermore, there may be small differences between the actual accommodation and its description. Occasionally, some facilities or services may not be available or may be restricted. If this happens, we will tell you as soon as reasonably practical after we become aware.
4.3. Where Wi-Fi is an advertised facility, its provision is subject to availability and network conditions. It may not be available 24 hours a day and is provided for pleasure, not for business purposes.
4.4. We cannot accept responsibility for any inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information about any accommodation or its facilities and services that we pass on to you in good faith, unless this was caused by our negligence. If we become aware that such information is not true, we will promptly correct it.
4.5. We cannot accept responsibility for any changes or closures to local services or attractions mentioned on our website.
5. Making your booking
5.1. As the person in charge of the party (“the party leader” or “you”), you must be at least 18 years old at the time of booking. By making the booking, you confirm that you are authorised to make the booking. It is your responsibility as the party leader to ensure that the other party members are aware of and agree to comply with these booking conditions where applicable.
5.2. You are responsible for making all payments to us.
5.3. You must ensure that all the information you provide us in connection with your booking is true, accurate, current and complete. If any of your details change, you must promptly update your details.
5.4. If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability that may affect your booking, please tell us before you confirm your booking and give us full details in writing as early as possible before you travel. If the Owner is unable to make reasonable adjustments to meet that person’s particular needs, we can refuse or cancel the reservation.
5.5. If you have any special requests, you must let us know when you make a booking and confirm them in writing, however, we cannot guarantee that any request will be met. Confirmation that we have noted a special request, or the fact it is shown on your written confirmation or any other document, is not confirmation that the request will be met. If we fail to meet any special request, it will not mean we have broken your contract.
5.6. If the accommodation is available and we have received all the relevant payments from you, we will give you written confirmation of your booking as soon as reasonably possible. This confirmation will show your booking details, the amount you have paid and the amount you still owe for the booking.
5.7. Your binding contract with us will begin when we issue you with the written confirmation and you have made the appropriate payments to us.
5.8. If you pay the deposit, it does not mean we have accepted a booking unless we have issued you with written confirmation. Please do not make any other travel arrangements (such as flights) until we have issued you with a written confirmation.
5.9. If you book with us online, we will acknowledge that we have received your booking and then later send you your confirmation by email. It is your responsibility to check your emails regularly and to let us know about any change to your email address. (please also check your spam/junk folder)
5.10. Where we offer the option of a provisional telephone booking, the accommodation will be released for general sale after the agreed time period unless you confirm the booking by making the appropriate payment.
5.11. We have the right to refuse any booking before we send you written confirmation. If we do this, we will tell you in writing and promptly refund any money you have paid to us. In this case, we will not have any legal responsibility to you.
5.12. As soon as you receive your confirmation, you must check the details carefully. If anything is not correct, you should tell us immediately.
5.13. Even if we have sent a written confirmation, we have the right to cancel a booking where there are reasonable grounds to believe that (i) it is not legitimate; (ii) you are likely to breach these booking conditions; (iii) information supplied by you in relation to your booking is incorrect; or (iv) you have behaved in a vexatious, abusive or unlawful manner to us or to our staff. If we cancel your booking in these circumstances, we will tell you in writing and we will have no legal or financial responsibility to you.
6. Payment
6.1. When you book, you must pay
i) the deposit amount then due (see also clause 7 (Deposit));
ii) any applicable booking fee (unless you are paying under a low deposit scheme and the terms of such low deposit scheme state otherwise);
iii) any insurance premium if this is something you have purchased.
iiii) You must pay by bank transfer and we only accept payment in pounds sterling.
6.2. If you book less than 6 weeks before the start of your stay, we must receive full payment of the total cost of your booking when you make the booking.
6.3. If you do not pay any payment due in relation to your booking by the appropriate date we are entitled to assume that you want to cancel your booking. In this case, your booking will be cancelled immediately and the provisions of clause 10 (Full customer cancellations – basic) will apply. You may also need to pay additional charges.
7. Deposit
7.1. For most bookings, we will ask you to pay a non-refundable deposit, to secure your booking. The standard deposit is £25 per person, but we may occasionally require you to pay more or less. You will be told what the deposit is prior to making the booking.
7.2. If you book an accommodation with a deposit which is lower than the standard deposit, you also agree to pay the difference between the amount paid and the standard deposit. You must make this additional payment either at the time the balance of your booking is due or, if you cancel before the balance due date, at the time you cancel the booking. Terms of any low deposit scheme, if available for your accommodation, will be displayed on our website.
8. Pricing
8.1. We keep our prices under constant review and the prices of unsold accommodation may be increased or decreased at any time. We may also correct mistakes in the pricing of unsold accommodation at any time. We will confirm the price of your booking when you make it. As changes and mistakes can happen, you must check the price and all other details of your chosen accommodation at the time of booking.
8.2. All prices quoted or otherwise given to you include all charges and any taxes or government charges which may apply to your booking at the time it is made. Variations in the tax rate or government charges may result in variations of the sums due for your booking and you may be required to pay any additional taxes that arise after your booking has been confirmed.
8.3. We can pass on to you, in full, after we have confirmed your booking, all costs or charges which are connected with your booking, including any price increases due to changes in the exchange rates of currency.
8.4. All accommodation prices are for the accommodation as a whole and are not on a per person basis, except when an extra person charge applies.
9. Changing your booking
9.1. If you want to change any detail of your confirmed booking, you must notify us by calling us as soon as possible and we will do our best to arrange the changes.
9.2. Changes can only be accepted with our agreement. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your request.
9.3. If we can facilitate your change, you will be asked to pay us an administration charge of £35 for each change in dates or £60 for each change in accommodation.
9.4. An Owner may treat changes to your dates or accommodation as a cancellation of the original booking and if so, you will have to pay cancellation charges if you decide to go ahead with the change.
10. Full customer cancellations – basic
10.1. This clause does not apply to any cancellations due to government public health measures for a pandemic, which is covered by clause 11 (Cancellations due to government public health measures).
10.2. If you have to, or want to, cancel your booking after it has been confirmed, you must phone us on the number shown on your booking confirmation as soon as possible. The day we receive your notice by phone to cancel is the date on which we will cancel your booking with us.
10.3. You will have to pay a cancellation charge based on the number of days before the arrival date at the accommodation that we receive notice, as shown in the tables below. This means that if you have already paid the full balance of your total booking cost and then have to, or want to, cancel, you may receive a refund of part of the cost. However, if you have not yet paid your total booking cost by the time of your cancellation, you may have to make a further payment to cover the cancellation charge.
10.4. For the purpose of the tables below, total accommodation cost means accommodation rental price plus any extra items charged by the Owner such as charges for pets, welcome packs or cots but not including insurance premiums (if applicable), or administration fees charged by us for making any changes.
10.5. The cancellation charges below have been calculated as a genuine pre-estimate of the losses incurred in the event you cancelled your booking within the stipulated time period.
10.6. If you have already paid insurance premiums, booking fees, credit-card charges and administration fees, we will not refund these if you cancel, unless you cancel in line with clause 11 (Cancellations due to government public health measures). This may differ if you have booked under a low deposit offer, in which case you should review the low deposit terms applicable.
11. Cancellations due to government public health measures.
11.1. If you have to cancel your booking because UK government public health measures imposed as a result of a pandemic which means it is unlawful to travel to or to make use of the accommodation you booked, you may choose to : (i) transfer your booking to a later date free of any administration charges, subject to availability – you will have to pay any difference in price if the cost of the new booking is higher or be reimbursed the difference if the cost of the new booking is lower; (ii) request a voucher with a redemption value equal to the amount previously paid by you for the booking – the voucher terms and conditions will be available to you before you make your choice under this clause; or (iii) obtain a refund of the amount already paid by you for the booking, less any administrative costs which we incur in processing your refund.
11.2. You will have to contact us in order to access these options.
12. Part Cancellations
12.1. If any person(s) in your party needs to cancel, this will not affect the total cost of your booking.
12.2. No refunds are payable in the event that you cut short your stay.
13. Changes by us (The Owner)
13.1. We as the Owner do not expect to have to make any changes to your booking. However, sometimes bookings have to be changed or mistakes have to be corrected. We, as the Owner, have the right to do so.
13.2. If we do need to make changes, we will contact you by phone if reasonably possible in the case of a significant change or by email in the case of a minor change as soon as is reasonably practical. We will explain what has happened and let you know about the change. However, we will have no further liability to you.
14. Cancellations
Number of days before the start date of your trip that we receive your notice to cancel (or on which you are deemed to have cancelled) Cancellation charge (in addition to any administration fees you owe or have already paid which are non-refundable)
More than 70 days Full standard deposit
57 to 70 days 50% of total accommodation cost
43 to 56 days 60% of total accommodation cost
29 to 42 days 75% of total accommodation cost
8 to 28 days 90% of total accommodation cost
7 days or less 95% of total accommodation cost
Number of days before the start date of your trip that we receive your notice to cancel (or on which you are deemed to have cancelled)
Cancellation charge (in addition to any administration fees you owe or have already paid which are non-refundable)
More than 84 days Full standard deposit
57 to 84 days 50% of the total accommodation cost or full deposit (including any balance of deposit due), whichever is greater
43 to 56 days 60% of total accommodation cost
29 to 42 days 75% of total accommodation cost
8 to 28 days 90% of total accommodation cost
7 days or less 95% of total accommodation cost
14.1. If we cancel your booking or are prevented from providing the accommodation you have booked, you may choose to:
(i) accept alternative accommodation – you will have to pay any difference in price if the cost of the new accommodation is higher or be reimbursed the difference if the cost of the new accommodation is lower;
(ii) request a voucher with a redemption value equal to the amount previously paid by you for the booking – the voucher terms and conditions will be available before you make your choice under this clause; or
(iii) obtain a refund of the amount already paid by you for the booking.
14.2. We will contact you to inform you of these options.
15. Events Beyond Our Control
15.1. Except where otherwise expressly stated in these Booking Conditions we will not be liable or pay you compensation, if our contractual obligations to you are affected by “Events Beyond Our Control”. For the purposes of these Booking Conditions, Events Beyond Our Control means any event beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Examples include warfare and acts of terrorism (and threat thereof), civil strife, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination (including epidemics, pandemics and the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic) or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, power cuts caused by storms or weather conditions which prevent you from travelling to the travel destination and/or make it impossible to travel safely to the travel destination or remain at the travel destination, the act of any government or other national or local authority including port or river authorities, industrial dispute, labour strikes, lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster, unavoidable technical problems with transport and all similar events outside the Owner’s control.
15.2. As we are in a rural area and wifi can at times be temperamental, we therefore cannot guarantee wifi connection as this is out of the owners control.
16. Insurance
16.1. We recommend that you take out travel insurance to cover you for your total stay, however we do not provide insurance and you should take this out through an appropriate insurance provider.
16.2. You should ensure that you take your policy documentation with you on holiday.
16.3. It is your responsibility to make sure that any insurance cover you purchase is suitable for your needs.
17. Your obligations in respect of the accommodation
17.1. The Owner has set the following conditions on your stay at the accommodation:
(i) Arrival and departure – You can arrive at your accommodation at any time after 3pm (unless we tell you otherwise) on the start date of your rental period. You must leave by 9am on the last day (unless we tell you otherwise). If your arrival will be delayed beyond 8pm on the start date of your rental period, you must contact us to let us know. If you fail to do so, you may not be able to get into the accommodation. If you fail to arrive by 12 noon on the day after the start date of your rental period and you do not let the owner know that you are arriving late, we may treat your booking as having been cancelled by you. In this situation, you will not be refunded any money you have paid. (ii) Security deposits – In some cases we will require payment of a security deposit. If this applies to your chosen accommodation the amount and details of how the payment should be made and how and when it will be returned (less any costs for breakages, damages etc. if applicable) will be provided at the time of booking.
(iii) Behaviour – You and all members of your party agree: a. to keep the accommodation clean and tidy; b. to leave the accommodation in a similar condition as you found it when you arrived; c. to behave in a way at all times while at the accommodation which does not break any law; d. not to use the accommodation for any illegal or commercial purpose; e. not to sublet the accommodation or any part thereof or otherwise allow anyone to stay in it who we have not previously accepted as a member of your party; f. not to behave in an anti-social manner, breach the peace or otherwise act in a way which may disrupt or affect the enjoyment of others.
(iv) Maximum occupancy – You must not allow more than 4 people (in 2 bedroom accommodation) or 6 people (in 3 bedroom accommodation) to stay overnight in the accommodation. You cannot arrange for visitors to the accommodation without the advance consent of the Owner. You must not hold events (such as parties, celebrations or meetings) at the accommodation without the advance consent of the Owner. If you do any of these things, the Owner can refuse to hand over the accommodation to you, or can repossess it. If the Owner does this, we will treat this as you cancelling the booking. In these situations you will not receive a refund of any money you have paid for your booking. And we will not be legally responsible to you as a result of this situation (for example, for any costs or expenses you have to pay due to not being able to stay in the accommodation, such as the cost of finding alternative accommodation). The Owner is under no obligation to find any alternative accommodation for you.
Visitors to the property (with owners consent) must vacate the property by 10pm, if the owner has reasonable cause to believe visitors have stayed overnight or have used facilities, the owner reserves the right to charge £50 per person per night.
(v) EV or electric charging for vehicles is strictly forbidden as this is a fire risk and invalidates our insurance.
(vi) Pets – We allow two (2) small pets per Cottage however, you must add your pet to your party at the point of booking. We recommend that any dog must have insurance which includes sufficient pet liability cover and you are wholly responsible for the supervision and behaviour of your pet at all times. If you take a pet with you, it is not allowed upstairs, on beds or furniture, or in any shared facilities. You must not leave any pets unattended in the accommodation, including any garden, and you must keep dogs on a lead within the boundaries of our accommodation (including the courtyard & gardens). Children must not be left alone with any animal. Registered assistance dogs are allowed in all accommodation, even if the accommodation description says that pets are not allowed. If you or any member of the party have a pet allergy, we cannot guarantee that dogs, or other pets, have not stayed in your chosen accommodation, even if the Owner does not allow pets, nor can we accept any responsibility for any subsequent health reaction. It is your responsibility to make specific enquiries before booking. If there is a charge for taking a pet, you will be told at the time of booking.
You are required to pick up your dog poo. If you are found to have left your pet poo there is a £20 charge for each event that staff need to clean up.
(vii) No Smoking – all of our accommodations are no smoking (including e-cigarettes), smoking facilities are provided in the patio area.
(viii) Left Property- If a guest leaves items we will hold them for one month, if unclaimed we will donate them to a local registered charity.
If a guest wishes the item to be returned to them they will be required to arrange a collection via royal mail/courier and contact us for the collection address (which is different to the site address). We will package the item ready for collection.
If we are required to post an item out there will be a £10 charge for time/expense plus the cost of the postage, this will need to be paid in advance via bank transfer.
18. Damage
18.1. You are responsible for all guests staying at the accommodation and the things they do (and do not do) even if you do not stay at the accommodation during the booking period.
18.2. You are responsible for and agree to reimburse to the Owner all costs incurred by the Owner as a result of any breakage or damage in or to the accommodation which is caused by you or any members of your party (including pets) or any other persons invited into the accommodation by you. The Owner can ask for an extra payment from you to cover any such costs.
18.3. The Owner expects the accommodation to be left in a reasonably clean and tidy state on departure. If, in the Owner’s or the Owner’s representative’s opinion, additional cleaning is required, you will be liable to the Owner for the cost of this cleaning.
18.4. You may need to check and sign an inventory of the accommodation and its contents on arrival at the accommodation. If you discover that anything is missing or damaged on arrival please notify the Owner or their representative immediately.
18.5. You are responsible for your hot tub area and the property within it, you must therefore ensure your hot tub lid is replaced after use, lights turned off and the door locked at night or when not in use. The owner reserves the right to charge an extra fee to cover the cost of utilities caused by leaving the hot tub lid off or leaving your hot tub room lights on.
18.6. You may (prior to or on arrival) be asked to produce a valid photographic I.D. (showing your name & address) if this is not possible then a damages deposit of £100 will be required (refunded within 24 hours provided no damage has occurred).
19. Right of Entry
19.1. The Owner is allowed to enter the accommodation (without letting you know first if this is not practical or possible) if special circumstances or emergencies happen (for example if repairs need to be carried out) or if you break any of these booking conditions.
19.2. The Owner or its representative is allowed to enter the accommodation to inspect it (including but not limited to where you have complained about the accommodation). If this happens, you will be given reasonable notice first.
19.3. You agree to allow the Owner or their representative (including workmen) access to the accommodation as required by this clause.
20. Unreasonable behaviour
20.1. The Owner can refuse to hand over their accommodation if the unreasonable behaviour of anyone in your party is likely to cause offence to other guests, members of staff or neighbours, or if the Owner has reasonable cause to believe you or any member of your party will cause damage or loss to the accommodation, its services or facilities. If this happens, the contract between you and the Owner will end and you will not receive any refund and we will have no further responsibility to you.
20.2. The Owner can end a stay after the keys have been handed over, if the unreasonable behaviour of anyone in your party (including anyone invited into the accommodation by you) is likely to spoil the enjoyment, comfort or health of other guests, residents, neighbours or members of staff or where you or any member of your party (or anyone invited into the accommodation by you) has broken or is likely to break any of these booking terms and conditions or any other terms and conditions applicable to the accommodation which you have been told about. If this happens, you will have to leave the accommodation immediately and no refund will be given. You may also be responsible for any costs the Owner incurs as a result of your behaviour.
20.3. Smoking is not allowed in any of the properties, if any guests are found to have been smoking the owner reserves the right to charge a £50 fee for carrying out a full steam clean of all furnishings & soft furnishings.
21. Complaints
21.1. If you have any complaint about our services, you must let us know immediately in writing and in any event before you travel. Unfortunately, we cannot accept any legal responsibility if you do not let us know what is wrong and allow us an opportunity to respond to you. If we are found to be at fault in relation to any service we provide we will not pay more than the deposit or charge we have earned for the booking (or the appropriate proportion of this if not everyone on the booking is affected), plus any reasonable expenses you cannot recover from elsewhere.
21.2. We do not exclude or limit what we will be legally responsible for if death or personal injury is caused as a result of our negligence or that of our employees whilst acting in their course of their employment, or for any criminal act we may commit. We can not be held responsible for noise or disturbance which comes from beyond the boundaries of the accommodation or which is beyond the Owner’s control. If we know about a problem before you arrive, we will contact you to let you know. We cannot be held responsible for the breakdown of mechanical equipment such as pumps, boilers, swimming-pool/hot tub filtration systems, nor for the failure of public utilities such as water, gas and electricity. We will not be responsible for breakdown or out of service for complimentary facilities such as sauna/ice plunge bbq equipment.
21.3. As the contract for the provision of the accommodation is between you and the Owner, you must tell them (or their representative) as soon as possible if you are dissatisfied. This means on arrival if you are immediately dissatisfied or during your stay as soon as you become dissatisfied. You must provide an immediate opportunity for the Owner to put right anything that is wrong before the end of your stay.
21.4. If you cannot contact the Owner or their representative, you must email us as soon as possible at info@rowleystonecottages.com with full details of your complaint. You should make every reasonable attempt to contact us and must do so during your stay and especially before any decision to cut short your stay. If you fail to do so, this may affect your entitlement to claim compensation if this would be appropriate.
21.5. Nothing in this section will affect your legal rights or any right you may have to bring legal proceedings against an Owner.
21.6. We may, but do not always, record telephone calls between us for monitoring and training purposes. In the event of a dispute between us, we reserve the right to review any recorded calls between us.
22. Changes to these terms
22.1. No representative, agent or sales person has the authority to vary, amend or waive any of these booking conditions. No amendment, variation or waiver of any of these booking conditions will be valid or have any effect unless accepted by us in writing.
23. Other terms
23.1. Any dispute, claim or other matter which may arise in relation to your booking will be governed by English law and you agree that any dispute will be dealt with exclusively by the courts of England and Wales.
23.2. If a court or regulatory agency with proper jurisdiction determines that a provision of these booking conditions or any contract to which they apply is invalid, void or unenforceable then that provision will be interpreted in a way to reflect as nearly as possible the original intentions of the parties that is valid under applicable law or regulation. If any provision is invalid, the rest of these booking conditions will remain effective to the full extent permissible by applicable law.
23.3. We may transfer our rights and obligations under these Booking Conditions to another person or organisation. We will contact you to let you know if this is planned. If you are unhappy with the transfer you may contact us to end the relevant contract within 14 days of us telling you about it and we will refund you any payments you have made in advance for services that have not been provided.
24. Overstaying Without the Owner’s Consent.
24.1. You agree that a confirmed Booking is merely a license granted by the Owner to You to enter and use the Property for the limited duration of the confirmed Booking and in accordance with Your agreement with the Owner. You further agree to leave the Property no later than the checkout time that the Owner specifies in the Property Listing or such other time as mutually agreed upon between You and the Owner. If You stay past the agreed upon checkout time without the Owner’s consent, You no longer have a license to stay in the Property and the Owner is entitled to make You leave. In addition, You agree that the Owner can charge You, for each 24-hour period that You stay over the agreed period without the Owner’s consent, an additional nightly fee of two times the average nightly rate that You originally paid in order to stay in the Property to cover the inconvenience suffered by the Owner, plus all applicable fees, taxes, and any legal expenses incurred by the Owner to make You leave. You also authorise Us to charge any payment method You have on file in the event that you overstay your Booking and are being charged accordingly under this Section.
- To enter you must reside in the UK and be aged 18 years or over.
- The prize excludes employees of Retreat Solutions Limited, their immediate families, and anyone else professionally connected with the Prize.
- We will notify the winner within 12 hours of the prize draw by the same means as they entered i.e. Facebook messenger/Instagram messenger/twitter/e-mail etc.
- To claim the prize the winner must respond within 72 hours of being notified and submit their details including name/address/postcode/contact number etc (for track & trace purposes)
Failure to do so will result in the prize being re-drawn and a new winner chosen. - The prize is for a one (1) or two (2) night stay (as advertised) and is available on selected days/dates.
- The prize includes the use of all facilities including a private hot tub.
- The prize is for the winner and guest/s and no other person can take their place (The winners I.D. will be required upon arrival) If the winner does not attend then the guest/s cannot stay.
- If the prize winner books a date and is unable to attend – the stay becomes cancelled and no alternatives will be offered.
- The winner cannot sell/swap or exchange the break.
- We reserve the right to cancel the prize/break if we believe an act of fraud or dishonesty has given an unfair advantage.
- All decisions are final