T's and C's - Important Information

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Before making a booking, please take a few moments to read the information below to make sure you are happy with the terms, conditions & site rules that we have in place for the benefit of our guests & environment. These are also included in your booking confirmation & form part of our booking agreement when booking with Rutland Rural Retreats.

Remember - people love and are drawn to Rutland Rural Retreats because we are ultra dog friendly and cater specifically for more nervous & reactive paws. Please help maintain this haven by following a few simple rules:

Check in from 4.00 pm - 8pm. An early check in extra of 2pm may be possible depending on staff availability nearer the date of your stay. This can be requested at time of booking but confirmation will only be final two weeks prior to arrival.

RRR operates self check in to enable you to fully immerse yourselves in the experience & to minimise any triggers for our more nervous or reactive paws that might be staying. Gate code & directions will be provided a week prior to arrival via email so  please check your spam in case it gets put into that.

When checking in,  in the unlikely event a breakage has not been reported or identified by our cleaners during changeover, please let us know immediately so that we can rectify for your stay & follow up with the previous guests if necessary. We don't charge for small breakages - accidents happen - the odd glass or plate for example but we can't replace if we are not made aware. For bigger, more costly breakages however, the deposit would kick in and monies be withheld so please make us aware on day one to avoid being held responsible for someone else's damage. Please be considerate - be fair - & don't try to leave others to take the blame. It could end up being more costly for you!

Check out by 11.00 am - please be prompt as our wonderful changeover team arrive at 11am sharp & will require access to your accommodation. If they are delayed, additional fees will be deducted from your security deposit to cover the extra cost incurred.

When checking out please leave the accommodation & garden as you found them, clean, tidy & report any breakages you may have accidentally incurred & follow the checking out instructions in the welcome pack inside your unit. Extra charges will apply if the units are not left in this state or if the furnishings or mattress are soiled. You can easily avoid this by ensuring throws & covers are put on prior to letting paws in or when checking out. Remember, if we find damage that you didn't report on day one, you will be held accountable and monies will be deducted from your deposit.

Up to two adult guests (max) may visit during your stay but must be accompanied at all times. Please let us know in advance together with car registration number to avoid being denied access to the site. We kindly ask that any guests vacate the premises by 9pm. Visitors will be asked to leave if more than 2 per cabin. Stag and Hens parties are not allowed for the same reason.

RRR is set within a larger 15 acres over which various livestock and horses graze (separated from the footpaths by electric and stock fencing.) Please keep to the clearly marked walkways and ensure gates are kept shut at all times. 

A small limestone car park is on site, prior to reaching the glamping meadow. Your booking fee includes space for one car. A second space may be available on request if needed but advance notice is required. There is a short walk from the car park to your accommodation unit, along a winding limestone track and over a foot bridge into the secluded meadow beyond. Guests are advised to bring torches and wet weather gear as appropriate as the nights draw in and sometimes puddles can form on the footpaths during spells of prolonged rain. 

We ask guests to be considerate to each other, neighbours and wildlife by keeping noise levels to a minimum and especially during the hours of 9pm - 8 am.

We want you to enjoy your stay, reconnect and enjoy your time outside but please be mindful that we cannot allow parties, events or amplified music on this site. What would our resident wildlife think! We aim to provide a tranquil environment where you can "rest, relax and re-energise" with your paws and our guests come here to enjoy that atmosphere, free from triggers and disturbance.

Please note that failure to respect this could result in guests being asked to leave the site with no refunds given.

Payment is due either:

 1. 20% at time of booking with balance due 8 weeks prior to arrival or 

2. 100% at time of booking if arrival date is within 8 weeks of booking.

Occasionally a 10% or £50 deposit offer may be run at our discretion with balances being due 4 weeks prior to arrival. This is an exception to our standard payment policy above. This does not affect any other standard terms and conditions.

Reminders for any payments due will be sent out automatically prior to falling due and all reasonable attempts to contact the lead booker will be made to collect any outstanding balance. Ultimately however, failure to make payment of the full balance within 48 hours of the due date will result in the booking being cancelled with no refund being given for the deposit paid.

All bookings are subject to a £150 (rising to £200 for the 2028 season) security deposit pre-authorisation hold being placed on the card used to make the booking and is activated on the morning of check in. Please ensure there are sufficient funds on your card to enable this otherwise access to the site may be denied. This will be released, in full, within 7 days of departure provided no damage or soiling to fixtures, fittings and furnishings is incurred and no unreasonable additional cleaning is required after departure. Please note, sadly we are having to start charging a set additional fee of £20 (deductible from the security deposit) if the mattress protector is soiled so please ensure you cover this from paws at all times. It can so easily avoided by using throws.

Guests should leave pods clean and tidy on departure, ensure all washing up is done and put away and notify of any damages caused as soon as possible. Normal cleaning is included in the price of your stay but if additional, unreasonable cleaning is required after your stay due to the state of the unit on departure, RRR reserves the right to charge an additional fees which will be taken from the £150 security deposit held on your card. 

Guests are liable for the full extent of any damage in excess of the security deposit. 

Cancellations made more than 8 weeks prior to arrival will be subject to a cancellation fee equal to the deposit paid or capped at 20%, which ever is lower.

Cancellations made within 8 weeks of arrival will not be refunded. We appreciate circumstances can change and would advise all customers to take out appropriate holiday cancellation insurance to cover unexpected occurrences. If we are able to accommodate a change to dates (within the same season) we will always try our best to help but there is a small admin fee of £50 to do this.

If, due to unforseen exceptional circumstances, Rutland Rural Retreats are no longer able to honour specific dates, a full refund will be given or, if alternative units are available, these will be offered. Rutland Rural Retreats will not be held liable for any other costs associated with cancelled travel plans. Please note we have never had this situation arise but sometimes unexpected situations can occur.

Many sites don't allow dogs due to wildlife & stock nearby & also the extra cleaning required. Being dog lovers ourselves we don't see why this should be a barrier in the slightest, we just ask that you observe a few site rules for the safety of other animals on site, the consideration of other guests & also to safe guard the fixtures, fittings and furnishings for others to enjoy:

1. Please keep dogs on lead at all times when outside of the private enclosed garden areas. This is crucial, especially given alot of our guests are more nervous &/or reactive paws.

2. Dogs must NEVER be left unattended in or at the cabins, no matter for how short a duration, for their safety, the consideration of other guests and also to safe guard the fixtures and fittings.

(We have teamed up with Happy Hounds in Uppingham who can offer dog sitting at the cabins depending on notice and availability should you wish to go for a romantic meal or special event -see special paws stuff section.)

3. Please pick up all dog poo. This is harmful to other animals & obviously very unpleasant for humans. 

4. Please bring throws or dog beds for your dogs to lie on. Some are provided but we know dogs often like the smells of home :-)

5. In general two large dogs per cabin are a comfortable fit but please bear in mind, the bigger your dogs, the less room for you. For returning guests or if agreed in advance, additional dogs may be allowed but please contact us to discuss. Our main priority is for the comfort of you all.

No additional charge is made for bringing your paws. To minimise any soiling to furniture and fittings, please just remember to use doggy throws and/or beds. Alternatively you have the option to bring your own bed linen and save on the cost of your holiday but you must ensure our quilts, pillows and mattress protectors are not left soiled. 

We all think our dogs are the most well behaved paws on the planet :-) but even the most well behaved can sometimes forget themselves if there is a cheeky rabbit or fox in the vicinity. Given we have other animals, horses and sheep on site we can't run the risk of dogs being off lead at any time outside of the enclosed garden areas. Therefore please bear this in mind when booking because RRR reserves the right to ask guests to leave if these rules are not observed.

Our 3 cabins are sited in a beautifully private, 4 acre meadow, accessed along a limestone track to a car park where you will find luggage trolleys to transport your belongs to your accommodation. Along this route you will pass sheep and horses in adjacent paddocks. These animals are on restricted diets for health reasons and must not be fed at any time by guests. Feeding inappropriate forage can kill, especially grass, carrots, polos and other items often associated as being treats for horses. We therefore ask our guests to respect this and adhere to the signs on site reminding everyone of this. We reserve the right to ask guests to leave and forfeit their stay for anyone found ignoring this policy. No refund will be given.

We always try to think what might help our guests when they are on site and ease the packing burden a little. In the reception hut area, therefore you will find:

A medium & large dog crate (useful if you have a dog recovering from an injury (as we do) complete with cover for the medium crate

A Mud Daddy

Maps of the walk routes from the meadow

Walk books

Umbrellas

Discover Rutland guides and local leaflets

Sofa steps 

A large doggy pram and a medium sized doggy stroller can also be reserved for a token £10 charge. (Reservation required to ensure availability.) These are used at your own risk. No liability is accepted by RRR.

Shepherds Rest has its very own wood-fired hot tub and is included in the price of your stay. Hot Tubs for Woodpecker and Bumblebee can be booked as extras. A fire starter pack for your first night including logs, kindling, matches and firelighters is included with the price of the hot tubs. 

Additional wood can be purchased as an extra at time of booking or closer to your stay but please book at least a week prior to arrival.

Prior to using the hot tub, guests will need to read the user information leaflet contained in the log sheds in the accommodation gardens. Their safe operation and use in line with the information leaflet, is your responsibility. Failure to adhere to this could result in an additional cleaning fee.

The tub takes just over 1 hour to fill after which you can light the fire. This will then take approx 1.5 hours to heat the water (it can take up to 2.5 hours on top of filling in colder weather so please be patient and enjoy the experience.) Any damage caused through incorrect operation will be charged on.

Bedding and towels can be added as an extra at time of booking. 

We offer this choice through popular request because being doggy people ourselves we often prefer to take our own bedding to prevent soiling as we know our dogs like their cuddles! It also enable us to keep the price lower for those that prefer to bring their own as we avoid the cleaning and ironing fees.

If booking bedding and/or towels - please note towels are only for human use and throws should be placed over the bedding to ensure no soiling. 

A collection of old dog towels are provided for doggy use in the outside storage boxes but you may wish to bring extras.

Please check your cabin, storage boxes and the surrounding garden carefully prior to leaving to ensure you have collected all your belongings. You would be amazed how many people leave chargers, coats, hats and other belongings behind.

We are always happy to post these on but due to the frequency of this occurring and the time and expense incurred to do this, there is a small admin fee of £25 to cover our time & expenses plus the cost of postage and packaging.

Unfortunately, due to the existence of wildlife and other animals on site and the distress and harm these can cause, fireworks and Chinese lanterns are not permitted anywhere on site. 

Candles are not allowed in the units due to fire risk but rechargeable candles are available for use and make a lovely addition to a romantic stay without the associated fire risk.

We reserve the right to ask guests to leave if found using them as this will constitute a breach to our terms and conditions.

Smoking and vaping is permitted only on the patio area outside your accommodation. It is specifically prohibited in all units and elsewhere on the site. This is due to the fire risk associated both in the accommodation and the surrounding meadow land and can be unpleasant for other guests.

Rutland Rural Retreats prides itself on providing an environment that blends that touch of luxury with the magic of the great outdoors. Our accommodation units are furnished to a high standard with every amenity provided for your comfort. We ask guests to kindly respect this and leave the units and outside areas as they find them, clean, tidy and free from dog poo and damage. In the unlikely event this is not the case then the following additional charges (as a guide) will be deducted from the security deposit:

Additional cleaning fee if check out procedures not followed - £18 per hour or part hour

Soiled furnishings/bedding  - £35 flat fee due to extra laundry costs

Hot tub - unlimited if user information leaflet not adhered to & damage caused 

Unauthorised late check out - £25 flat fee

Damages - will depend on the nature of the damage and whether reasonable care has been taken and guidelines adhered to.