Assistance in Resort
As you chosen a private villa holiday, therefore we will not interrupt your holiday, however you are able to book an appointment with your representative to visit you if you want to, please speak to the office who will arrange this with you. If you have not visited the area before or this is your fist self catering villa holiday we recommend you pre-arrange an appointment with your representative so that they can meet with you at the villa and run through the local area and villa facilities. Should you require assistance in any way, you will have somebody close by who can help. Most of our destinations have a representative available 7 days a week; we will provide you with their contact mobile number. Where a representative isn't available you can contact the House Management team who will be able to help. We therefore advise all our clients to take a mobile with them in case they need to contact any of the above as payphones can be hard to find.
Villas
Choosing a villa isn’t always easy. As the majority of our villas are privately owned
they are furnished to the owner’s individual taste. We endeavor
to give an accurate description of each villa with interior
and exterior photographs. Please note that the furnishings are subject from features in the photographs without prior notice to allow for repair, cleaning and replacement of broken items. There should always be adequate dining, seating, beds cutlery etc. for the standard occupancy in the villa. All properties conform to individual
country’s standards, however the safety standards and regulations
overseas may not always the same as we enjoy in the UK. If you have specific requirements please call us so we can ensure you are choosing the right villa for your holiday.
Most Villas are designed for hot, dry weather experienced through
the summer and may not be so well suited to wet or cold spells
as your home in the UK. Humidity can be a problem where temperatures
are high. In very wet periods villas may give the appearance
of being damp. This will quickly disappear once the weather
returns to normal and the villa is aired.
Occupying & vacating your property
The majority of our villas are available from 16:00 hours onwards. For security reasons, villas will not be left open so arrival during office hours and before dark is advisable. You must vacate the property by 10:00 hours on the day of departure so it can be adequately prepared for new arrivals. We can arrange suitable flights to coincide with these timings.
Pools, Garden & General maintenance
Swimming pools are normally checked and cleaned twice a week during peak season and once a week at all other times, this is usually done before you arrive but will sometimes be done mid-week. Gardens are maintained on a regular basis. It is impossible for all work to be carried out on ‘change over’ days alone. We ask for your cooperation, as it is imperative to keep the properties well maintained for all our client’s enjoyment throughout the year.
Kitchens
Kitchens include hob, fridge-freezer, basic cooking utensils, cutlery and crockery. Some villas have additional facilities such as washing machines, dishwashers or microwave ovens. These are shown in the villa description where available. Irons and ironing boards are usually provided.
Villa services
Water electric and gas consumption is included within the villa rental cost. Unfortunately it is the case that some resorts can suffer from water or electricity shortages and supplies can be cut off with no notice for varying periods of time. We ask for your patience and cooperation in such instances, as you will appreciate these situations are out of our control. Please remember that the electricity supply is not the same as the UK and as such you will be limited to the amount of electrical items that can be run at the same time and that this is the usual cause of any power shortages. In many properties power failure will also lead to water failure as unlike the UK, the water is pumped using an electrical pump. If you have any difficulties you should be able to find the location and directions to reset the fuse box in your villa information pack, or call the local representative/house management.
Insects/Vermin and Animals
Mosquitoes, ants, cockroaches and other insects are endemic in warmer climates, particularly in rural areas. Villas are treated at the start of the season with an ant repellent; however it is not 100% effective. The only way to keep ants at bay is to have a zero tolerance approach to food crumbs. Mosquitoes can be kept at bay by a good repellent purchased either in the UK or the local chemists/supermarkets. Many of the villas are surrounded by scrubland and neighbouring gardens and field mice and other rodents are therefore common. Local dogs are also often left to roam abroad, and general are kept outside. All these types of aggravations, together with late night noise are unfortunately unavoidable and out o our control, we therefore ask for your patience when they occur. None of our villas accept pets and we ask you not to encourage the local wildlife by supplying food and water during your stay.
Building work
Building work and noise is unavoidable as the demand for property increases. Many resorts are still developing and therefore there is a possibility of building work, road works, or construction work, this may be carried out by local authorities or private developers. Most of our villas are also situated in residential areas and work may begin on a neighbouring property over which we have no control nor are given any prior notice. If we are aware that such works are likely to occur during your holiday and may, in our opinion, significantly affect your enjoyment we will advise you. We will endeavour to offer suitable alternative accommodation (with you paying or receiving a refund in respect of any price difference). If we are unable to offer an alternative, you may elect to cancel your holiday. If you have not been made aware of active building work prior to travel but do find that your holiday is being affected significantly because of local construction/building/maintenance, we would ask you to contact your representative, and/or house management and us immediately as often these building works can be stopped in the summer season.
Maid service
Maid service varies at individual properties from preparation only with linen and towels to a service five days per week with daily towel change and weekly linen change. Standard Maid service provided with all villas will include pre-rental clean and preparation of the villa and an end clean. If you are staying for 2 weeks you will have linen and towel change approximately half way through your holiday. Additional cleaning/maid service can usually be arranged at an additional cost, please contact us for details. Beach towels and cleaning equipment such as washing up liquid and dish cloths are not supplied in any of our properties. If your property has a barbeque, please ensure you leave it in a clean condition as no maid service is inlcuded in the up keep of this facility.
Satellite TV & Video/DVD
If the description for a villa indicates Satellite television you can expect to receive at least one English language channel, however, subscription channels are not usually available. A number of our villas are equipped with standard television, which will only receive local foreign language channels.
Welcome packs
Basic food packs can be provided for an additional charge. If
you anticipate arriving when shops may be closed you should
consider ordering one. Please be aware that the cost of a food pack also includes the cost of delivery and time spent to shop for the items. The total contents value will normally be around 50% of the food pack cost.
Heated pools
Most heated pools are electrically heated but some are solar
heated and the temperature of the pool will therefore depend
on the weather conditions. In certain cases a charge will be
incurred for this facility. Pool heating is designed to take the chill of the water, not heat it up to body temperature.
Cots & Highchairs
If you require a cot or highchair please request it at the time
of booking. The additional charge will be added to your invoice.
Cots are provided locally and will differ to those you may use
at home. For hygiene reasons cot linen is not usually supplied.
Air-conditioning & central heating
An increasing number of villas are equipped with air-conditioning.
A charge will be payable prior to departure when stated during the quote and book process. Please note that
the majority of our properties are not equipped with any form
of heating facilities. Portable heaters and fans may be available to hire. Please contact us to confirm.
Flights
Charter and ‘low cost’ airlines offer the most economical way
to travel, however unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather
or mechanical failure can cause delays. Under present EC law
flight suppliers are able to change timings. For more details
please refer to our booking conditions. Schedule flights, which
are very competitive and less prone to delays usually have newspapers,
all drinks and meals supplied at no extra cost.
Car hire
For your convenience, we arrange for cars to be collected from
the airport on arrival and return there at the end of your holiday.
Check carefully that your rental period coincides with your
requirements and the flight timings. An extra charge will be
incurred for late return or for collections made outside the
car hire company’s office hours.
Please ensure that all clients intending to drive abroad take
a valid driving licence and will need to be present at the car collection desk. Some car hire companies impose a charge
locally for any additional drivers. The majority of car hire companies now provide you with a full tank of fuel and will charge you on collection for this fuel and then tell you to bring it back empty, this is now the standard practice. You will need a major credit card available when collecting the car.
Baby seats can be fitted to the majority of hire cars. These
must be requested at the time of booking and are payable locally.
Vehicles are supplied by Group and not by specific make or model.
If a specific car type is not available an alternative vehicle
of the same group or higher will be provided.
Transfers
Transfers are not included with the villaprice, but are available to book through us. In all cases, transfers are by private taxi car/minibus (not shared with another party) and direct to the villa, an appropriate size vehicle will be ordered, howvere where this is not available a larger vehicle may be used. If you do need to collect a key on the way, please let your drive know, they are usually quite happy to wait. Child seats are a legal requirement for all children under 12, however it is the passengers resposnibility to provide this, not the drivers. Most of our transfer companies will provide child seats free of charge or for a small fee, these must be requested in advance. Some destiantion transfers wil not supply child seats, please contact us for confirmation.
Holiday Extras
Many of our resorts now offer the opportunity to hire a range of products such as portable air conditioning, baby equipment and wheelchairs. This is a service to our clients and the items will be provided by a local hire company and made available on or shortly after arrival. Please note that any compensation in relation to the hire of these items is limited to the hire cost itself. Cost includes delivery and collection to the villa as well as maintenance and running costs (where applicable). No refund will be available for items that are not used.
Website Accuracy
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained
on our website is accurate however some of the advertised facilities
may alter or be temporarily withdrawn by the suppliers without
giving us prior notice. Pool sizes and distances are given only
as a rough guide. Errors and omissions can occur and prices
may alter due to circumstances beyond our control.
Security Deposit
Where applicable. this will be paid locally and refunded locally
by the house manager in resort once the property has been inspected. The amount of the deposit varies depending on standard of the
villa. In such cases where no damage / security deposit has been paid, we reserve the right to charge for any loss or damage that occurs during your stay at the villa.
Travel documentation
We will forward a confirmation invoice within three workings
days of receiving your booking form. Your full travel documentation,
which includes villa information, flight tickets and car hire
vouchers, will be sent approximately 14 days prior to your departure.
Disabled and Less Mobile Passengers
ABTA have produced a 'Checklist for Disabled and Less Mobile Passengers' which has been designed as an aid to checking the suitability of the accommodation, transport and facilities in the destination. This form should also be used to give information regarding specific needs for equipment and / or medication. You can download a copy of the checklist from here in Word format or in Adobe Acrobat pdf.Useful links
ABTA Website - Information on benefits and financial protection.
Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) - Advice on travelling abroad.
Depatment of Health - Information on health requirements and vaccinations.
The Passport Agency - Information on Passport & Visa requirements and general travel information.
Department of Transport - Information on Airport Security