Booking terms and conditions

Best Escapes (“The Agent” or “we”/”us”) acts as agent on behalf of the owner (“the Owner”) of the property (meaning the holiday cottage). Once the holiday confirmation is issued, this contract is between you (“the Occupier” or “you”), and the Owner.

1. The Occupier is the person named on the booking form, and he/she is responsible for the obligations and conditions of hire. The Occupier shall not pass the booking to another party and shall be in residence at the property during the whole of the letting period. The Occupier must notify The Agent of any changes to the number of people or pets staying at the property in writing before the booking starts.
 
2. Booking: A provisional booking can be made using the online reservation system. If you don’t have access to the internet or would prefer to discuss your holiday preferences, please call us on 01728 638962 or email bookings@bestofsuffolk.co.uk. We will help you find the right property for your holiday but reserve the right to refuse any booking without explanation. Calls to our office may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes. For properties that have special offers applied, it is the largest offer on the property that is valid at the time booking, two special offers cannot be processed on one booking.
 
3. Booking Fee: A non-refundable booking fee is applicable to all bookings, payable with the deposit.
 
4. Payment: A booking deposit of 25% of the cost of the holiday plus the booking fee must be paid within 24 hours of making your provisional booking and can be paid by debit card or credit card. The booking is only confirmed after the deposit is received and a Booking Confirmation email sent from the agent to the Occupier. The Agent will contact you by email unless you advise that you would prefer to be contacted by post. You should read the confirmation details carefully and contact the Agent immediately if anything is incorrect.
   The balance of the rent plus the stated good housekeeping deposit amount is payable six weeks before the start of your holiday (for the exact amount of the good housekeeping deposit, see individual property pages.). For bookings made less than seven weeks before the start of your holiday, the total is payable (full rental fee and good housekeeping deposit) at the time of booking. If the balance of the rent is not paid by the due date, the Agent on behalf of the Owner shall be entitled to cancel the reservation and the Occupier will forfeit the deposit. We will attempt to re-let the property, but should it remain empty the occupier will also be liable for the remaining balance. Rental prices may increase or decrease over time but you will be charged the price quoted on the website at the time of booking.
 
5. Use of the property:
   -The Occupier will usually have access to the property from 4pm on the arrival day, although some smaller properties do allow access from 3pm. Check your individual booking confirmation email for details.
   – The Occupier must depart the property by 10am on the departure day unless a later time is given by the Agent. If you are late departing the property, you may be charged an additional fee.
   – The Occupier must abide by the arrival and departure times provided by the Agent.
   – Stag or hen party groups and unaccompanied teenagers are not permitted at any of the properties.
   – All children staying at the property must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians at all times
   – Some properties do not allow children or pets and this is detailed on each of the property pages in the ‘Restrictions’ section.
   – All properties are non-smoking, this includes vaping and all forms of cigarettes.
   – If you wish to hire a hot tub for your cottage, this must be declared at least 2 weeks in advance of the holiday arrival date in order to be permitted and the name and contact details of the hire company supplied. We reserve the right to charge an additional £25 per booking to cover increased electricity and water costs.
   – Not all properties have letterboxes and we advise against arranging postal deliveries to the property.  Best of Suffolk can take no responsibility for undelivered or damaged post.
   The above conditions must be adhered to at all times.
   The Owner reserves the right to terminate the Occupier’s stay if they or members of their party display unreasonable behaviour, cause nuisance to other parties or damage to the property, or if the number of persons occupying the property exceeds the maximum stated. The contract is personal to the Occupier. The property shall not be used for any commercial purposes. This booking is granted by the Owner to the Occupier for the Holiday Period and is not intended to create the relationship of Landlord and Tenant between the parties. The Occupier is granted the right to occupy the property for the holiday period specified but the Occupier has no right to remain in the accommodation after this time and shall not be entitled to any statutory security of tenure. In any of the circumstances in this clause no refunds will be made and you will have no further claim against the Owner or the Agent.
 
6. What’s included: Electricity, gas and oil where supplied to the property, are included in the rent. Fuel for fires and stoves is generally not provided. Bed linen and towels are provided at all properties for the number of people expected at the property but the Occupier should bring their own beach towels. Individual property details show whether a travel cot is provided. Travel cots, where provided, have mattresses but all baby bedding and linen should be brought by the Occupier. Where a property is listed as having an iPod dock, we cannot guarantee its compatibility with specific charger ports.
 
7. Wi-Fi and Phone Reception: Please note that we cannot guarantee the speed of the broadband at individual properties should it be provided, and you are liable for any additional costs incurred as a result of excessive usage. If a property description does not stipulate that Wi-Fi is included, then it is not. Internet and phone reception in rural areas can sometimes be poor and the connection provided should NOT be relied on for work use. The majority of connections are insufficient for games or film downloads. We will attempt to help resolve technical questions to the best of our ability, but are unable to make any guarantee on the reliability of Wi-Fi connection during guest stays.
 
8. Pets – Where pets are permitted you must notify the Agent at the time of booking by stating the breed of your dog on the booking form. The Occupier must ensure that all pets staying at the property are in good health and have been treated for worms and fleas within four weeks of arrival as failure to ensure this may incur additional costs. Dogs must be at least 10 months old and have up to date immunizations.  Please bring your own pet bedding, towels for drying your pet, and anything you need to protect the cottage. Pets are not allowed on furniture or in bedrooms and must never be left unattended either inside or outside of the property, nor cause disturbance to neighbours.  Pets should always be clean and dry before being brought into the property. The Occupier must clear up dog fouling and dispose of immediately and remove any trace of the pet’s occupation, both inside and outside of the property prior to departure. Failure to do so will incur charges from your housekeeping deposit.   Pet friendly properties do not necessarily have enclosed gardens – please check the website for details. Gardens described as fully enclosed are not guaranteed to be dog proof, and dogs should not be left outside unattended. Please note that we cannot guarantee a property that does not accommodate dogs has never accepted or accommodated dogs before. Best of Suffolk or the cottage owners cannot be held responsible for dogs off the lead. Dogs are only permitted on the ground floor of pet friendly properties.
 
9. Cleaning and damage:  – The Occupier must agree to take good care of the property and its contents and on departure leave it in a clean and tidy condition. The good housekeeping deposit will be returned to the Occupier one week after the end of the stay provided that the property has been left in a satisfactory condition and that no other sums remain payable on your account. The sum is held to cover any losses, damage and additional cleaning charges that may arise if the property is left in an unsatisfactory condition however caused, but excluding reasonable wear and tear.  If a call out is carried out and the fault is due to user error a charge may be made to cover the cost of the call out.  The Occupier may not be charged for minor items but is responsible for all breakages and damages and the cost will be payable on demand. All damage, loss or breakage to the property or contents must be reported to the Agent or Owner as soon as possible. The Agent or Owner will repair the damage as soon as is practical. Lost property will be kept for two weeks and if unclaimed it will be donated to local charity shops.  A minimum fee of £20 is payable and will be taken out of the Good Housekeeping Deposit or over the telephone if the GHD has been refunded to arrange postage and packing. We can not accept any liability for items left at the property.  We reserve the right to transfer the Good Housekeeping Deposit between properties and bookings should the occupier be liable for payments due, including remaining balance payments in the event of cancellation.
 
10. Cancellations – Any cancellation must be made in writing. The Agent will seek to re-let the property for the period of the booking, and if successful the Occupier’s payment will be refunded minus a £50 administration fee. If your cancellation is more than 6 weeks to arrival, you are only liable to pay the deposit amount which is 25% of the value of the booking, regardless of any low deposit offers (see Deposit Offers section below). If your cancellation is within the 6 weeks to arrival, you are liable to pay the full amount including the booking fee if the property is not re-let.  The booking fee is non-refundable at all, regardless if the property is re-let or not.  If we are only able to re-let part of your cancelled stay or the cancelled dates are re-let at a lower price, then you will receive a part refund. It is not possible to transfer your booking from one property to another. The Owner reserves the right to refuse any booking or to cancel any bookings already made subject to refunding any sums you have already paid, except where otherwise stated in clause 3. The Occupier will have no further claim against the Owner or the Agent. We strongly advise you to take out either Booking Protect cover via Best of Suffolk or independent holiday insurance as you are liable for the whole holiday cost if the booking period cannot be re-let. If you have selected to take out Booking Protect Refund Guarantee please see the terms and conditions applicable here.
 
11. Liability – Subject to clause 10, neither the Agent nor the Owner shall be liable to the Occupier or members of his party for any accident, loss, damage, injury, expenses, or inconvenience that may be incurred in connection with the rental howsoever suffered or incurred by the Occupier. We recommend that you insure for such loss.
 
12. Circumstances beyond the control of the Owner/Agent – Except where otherwise stated in these Conditions, neither the Owner nor the Agent shall be liable for any change or cancellation which is a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond its control; for example fire, flood, exceptional weather conditions and epidemics.
 
13. Nothing in these Terms and Conditions purports to limit or exclude liability for personal injury or death as a result of the negligence of the Owner, it agents and sub-contractors (including the Agent). Your statutory rights are not affected.
 
14. Complaints – We hope your holiday runs smoothly but if you do have a complaint it is essential that you report it immediately so the Agent/Owner can do their best to resolve it. We cannot accept claims for compensation lodged after departure as it is no longer possible to investigate the problem and take remedial action. Compensation will also not be given where the guest has denied the Agent/Owner the opportunity to try to put matters right during a stay. Some of the properties are in agricultural areas and holidaymakers need to accept that there will occasionally be sounds and smells associated with countryside living that cannot be avoided. In both town and countryside cottages you should expect some traffic noise and should check before booking if this is likely to be an issue for you. Neither the Owner or the Agent shall be held liable for any sudden invasion of pests, building work noise or disruption coming from neighbouring properties or breakdown of appliances, although any breakdowns will be fixed as soon as reasonably possible. Under no circumstances will the Agent or the Owner’s liability exceed the rental paid for the property.
 
15. Access to the property – The Occupier should permit the Agent and the Owner access to the property at reasonable times for inspection or to carry out maintenance and repairs.
 
16. Descriptions  – Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the property details on the website, all statements are made in good faith and are for guidance only. Photos, maps and floor plans are for illustrative purposes only. The Agent and the Owner cannot be held responsible for changes or mistakes.
 
17. Deposit Offers (General)  – The booking must be for dates 6 weeks or more away. Please note this offer is not available on Sibton Park. If you cancel your booking, our usual terms and conditions apply (see section 8 on Cancellations) and you will be liable to pay the difference of the usual 25% deposit taken. You will also agree to us securely storing your payment card details on our booking system to automatically take the balance payment on its due date or deduct the difference in cost of deposit if you opt to cancel your booking and the property is not re-let.
 
18. Low Occupancy Discount – Low occupancy discounts are offered on the basis that you only access the number of bedrooms booked and paid for. Should it be discovered you have not adhered to this agreement, we reserve the right to charge the equivalent of the full value of the booking.
 
19. The Law – Any disputes between you and the Owner will be governed by the exclusive law of the English courts.