Booking Terms & Conditions

We highly recommend getting travel insurance to cover cancellations before you make a booking.

Making a Booking

You must be 18 years of age or over to book accommodation

All reservations made via our online system are provisional until you receive a confirmation email from us. To secure your booking, a non-refundable deposit of 30% (or full payment) of the total cost of your stay is required. The remaining balance must be paid in full 8 weeks before your arrival date. If your stay is booked less than 8 weeks away, the entire cost must be paid upfront.

When you make a booking and payment through our online system, you'll will be requested to read and agree to these terms and conditions. You will receive an automatic email with your booking confirmation and payment details. This email serves as a contract between you and The Old Stores.

If the balance is not paid by the due date The Old Stores reserve the right to re-let your accommodation and retain the deposit.

The prices featured on the website are not set in stone, and we reserve the right to modify these prices at any time. The price stated on your booking confirmation email is binding.

The Old Stores also reserves the right, at any time and without giving a reason, to refuse or cancel a booking.

Arrival & Departure Times

Your accommodation will be ready by 4:00 pm on the day of arrival, and must be vacated prior to 10am on the day of departure.

Cancellations

To cancel your booking, you must send us a written email. The cancellation will only be effective once we send written confirmation of the cancellation to you. Please see REFUNDS section below for your entitlement to refunds. Cancellations made within 7 working days of your scheduled stay will not be refundable under any circumstances, as we won’t be able to rebook the dates.

When we confirm your cancellation in writing we will provide you with details of what (if anything) is owed to you and any deductions we have made.

We strongly recommend that you take out holiday insurance at the time of making the booking with cancellation cover. Whilst we allow you to cancel your stay, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to refund any part of the payments you have already made.

If you are unable to travel to The Old Stores for any reason, or do not arrive on the day of check-in without notifying us, this will be treated as a cancellation.

Refunds

Cancellations made within 7 working days of your stay date, will not be refundable under any circumstances, as the stay cannot be rebooked

If your dates are resold:

You will be entitled to a refund of all payments you have made to us minus:

A. any reduction in the value per night of the new booking received compared with the rate charged to you for your stay nights; and

B. a £50 cancellation admin charge.

If your dates cannot be resold then:

If you cancelled

Eight weeks or more prior to the check-in date

We will retain the deposit you paid at the time of booking.

Less than eight weeks to the check-in date

We will retain all payments made and you will be liable for any outstanding balance payment.

If you are unable to travel due to personal illness (e.g. Coronavirus or other sickness), our cancellation policy will apply.

If we cancelled your stay:

In the unlikely event that we need to cancel your holiday, we will notify you as soon as possible and refund all payments made to us within 14 days.

If Government travel restrictions prevent you from coming, you can choose to postpone your stay to a later date (subject to any differences in price applicable for the new dates) or opt a full refund.

Guest Behaviour & Noise

It’s important to us that all our guests enjoy a peaceful and relaxing stay with us. The Old Stores is in a quiet, hamlet and we’d appreciate that you are aware there are neighbours around. Please do not play any loud music late at night (after 10:00pm) or outside

Commercial Use of the Property

The Old Stores is rented to you strictly for non-commercial leisure purposes. Any filming, photography, or other commercial activities, including influencer or blogger content creation, must be approved in advance with The Old Stores owner. Additional fees may apply for commercial use.

Parties & Events

Parties and events are not allowed. The maximum occupancy is 4 persons (and one child/infant) at any time, and only those listed on the booking may stay in the property. We reserve the right to cancel the booking without notice or refund if this condition is broken. External suppliers or third parties, like stylists or caterers, are not permitted unless they are approved in advance by us.

Cleaning, Damage & Breakages

Please leave the accommodation tidy and let us know if anything gets broken so we can replace it for our next guests. Accidents happen, and we’ll only charge for replacements in serious cases, as we expect normal wear and tear. If any damage is caused directly by the guest, we reserve the right to ask for payment to cover the cost of all damages incurred directly during your stay.

All cleaning, under normal circumstances is included as part of your stay. If additional cleaning is required, including washing up, additional cleaning of the interior or fixtures and fittings then The Old Stores reserves the right to charge for this work at a rate of £15 per hour. The Old Stores reserves the right to invoice guests following their stay.

Guests will be charged for any item(s) that are removed or lost from the accommodation.

Dogs & Pets

We do allow a maximum of two dogs, at an additional surcharge of £25 per dog. Our woodland home is close to fallow deer, badgers, foxes & wild boar roam the forests and beyond. Please keep your dogs on a lead at all times when out and about.

Special note on Wild Boar: They are rarely seen during the day, however please be aware Wild boar can and do attack dogs. They are highly defensive animals that may charge , bite and shake dogs, particularly if cornered or when a sow is protecting her young.

Smoking, vaping and e-cigarettes are not permitted inside The Old Stores. Smoking is permitted in the garden but please extinguish cigarette butts fully and dispose of them responsibly.

Service Utilities

If there is a failure in any utility service (e.g. water, heating or electricity), please notify The Old Stores owner immediately. We will do our best to restore the service as quickly as possible. However, if the outage lasts longer than 12 hours from the time of notification, for your health and safety, you may be asked to leave the accommodation. In this case, your accommodation fee for the affected period will be fully refunded, or you will be offered the option to re-book for another time, subject to availability.

Recycling & the Environment

We have provided recycling bins for recyclable waste and encourage you to recycle as much as possible. Additional information can be found in our Welcome Pack at The Old Stores, which offers further info to help make your stay more convenient and to minimise its impact on the environment.

Safety

You are reminded the surrounding area is a woodland environment, please take appropriate and reasonable care for your safety and the safety of others at all times. This includes wearing suitable clothing and footwear for the terrain and weather conditions during your stay. You are fully responsible for your own safety at all times.

Personal Property

The Old Stores will not be held responsible for any loss or damage to any property on our immediately outside The Old Stores premises. Vehicles, accessories and contents are left at the owner’s risk. It is recommended that your holiday insurance covers loss or damage to personal effects.

Access, Cars & Parking

The Old Stores has plenty of parking for two cars on the gated driveway and outside the house off the road. The village of Ellwood has a 20 mile an hour zone, please respect this at all times and be considerate of neighbouring properties on your arrival and departure from the house

Be mindful that walkers with dogs, cyclists and wild animals also pass by the house

Extreme Weather

The Old Stores holds no responsibility for guests who are unable to make their booking due to extreme weather or traffic conditions (e.g. snow, flooding, high winds, road traffic accidents/congestion, train delays, etc.). If a guest is unable to reach The Old Stores due to adverse weather conditions or travel issues, you will lose your full payment and an alternative date will not be offered. Please ensure you have full holiday / travel insurance to cover such eventualities.

If we make the decision to cancel your stay for safety reasons due to extreme weather (snow or high winds), we will offer you an alternative date, subject to availability.

Force Majeur

The Old Stores accept no liability for events prior to or during your stay totally beyond our control, e.g. destruction of property due to flood, fire, earthquakes or acts of nature; or if the property becomes uninhabitable due to irreparable damage or on Health & Safety grounds that could not reasonably have been foreseen. In such instances, refunds will be at the discretion of The Old Stores owner

The Old Stores reserves the right to change or amend these Terms and Conditions at any time.