Booking Terms and Conditions

Booking Terms and Conditions for Staying At Hawthorn Farm Cottages, KentThe following terms and conditions set out the basis of your contract with Hawthorn Farm Cottages, Hawthorn Farm, Corner Drove, Ware, Ash, Canterbury CT3 2DB.

Your Booking

If you book directly with Hawthorn Farm Cottages, you will not be charged a separate booking fee. Prices include heating, water and electricity (subject to fair use), use of bed linen and towels, and shared use of the laundry room and grounds.

All bookings and offers of bookings are subject to availability and confirmation. When you submit a booking through the Hawthorn Farm Cottages website, you will be sent an automatic acknowledgement/summary of your booking to the email address you provide on the booking form. Please check all the details carefully and let us know immediately if there are any errors. You will have a 24 hour "cooling off period" starting from the time the booking is received.

The booking acknowledgement email does not in itself form your contract with Hawthorn Farm Cottages. A contract is only made when your booking is fully paid for, and confirmed in writing - either by post or by email. Hawthorn Farm Cottages has the right to refuse or to cancel any booking for whatever reason up until the booking has been formally confirmed. In this case, we will inform you as soon as possible and refund your deposit in full within 10 working days. In the unlikely event of us refusing or cancelling your booking, you shall have no further claim against Hawthorn Farm Cottages.

The lead guest must be over 21 years of age at the time of booking. In the interests of any other guests at Hawthorn Farm, we are unable to take online bookings from student groups, hen or stag parties, or single sex groups of friends unless by prior agreement.

You must not exceed the occupancy for the cottage/s you have booked without written agreement from us. Hawthorn Farm Cottages must be made aware of any changes to the number of guests, ages of children under 16, or number of pet guests prior to the start of your holiday, or you may be asked to leave without refund.

Non-availability

If for any reason your chosen cottage becomes unavailable on the dates you have booked (such as the cottage being unsuitable for letting) then you will be offered the option of changing the dates of your stay, or changing to a different cottage at Hawthorn Farm. If this is not possible/suitable, then all rent and charges paid in advance by you will be refunded in full. In the unlikely event of non-availability, you shall have no further claim against Hawthorn Farm Cottages.

Pets

Any requests for bringing pets with you to Hawthorn Farm must be made at the time of booking. Please bring all your own pet bedding and towels as required. No other visiting pets may be taken into the property unless they have been booked-in with us and confirmed in writing to you.

As some of our guests are non-pet owners or have allergies, pets are only permitted at Hawthorn Farm Cottages with our prior consent and confirmed in writing to you. Friendly dogs (with well trained owners) are welcome to stay at Hawthorn Farm Cottages on the proviso that they are kept under control (on a lead when in the Farm grounds) and that you immediately clear up after them. We have a dedicated dog waste bin, but you'll need to bring your own supply of disposal bags.

Pets are not permitted on any furniture, and we cannot accept responsibility for their safety. You are requested not to leave pets unsupervised at any time - especially inside the cottage, as this can result in considerable damage to the property - not to mention distress to the pet!

Registered guide dogs are allowed in all the cottages at Hawthorn Farm, but you will need to inform us at the time of booking if you are bringing a guide dog with you.

Guests with allergies should be aware that we have two cottages that are not  "pet friendly" but this does not guarantee that there have never been pets in those properties in the past. We do however thoroughly clean and air all the cottages between stays, particularly whenever we've had a pet visitor.

Special Needs

If you have any special needs, such as reduced mobility, please let us know at the time of booking so we can advise you on the suitability of our cottages - and where possible, to make arrangements for any special equipment/facilities you may need prior to your stay. Where additional equipment hire costs are incurred, we will let you know what these will be, before committing you to anything.

Payment

If you make your booking more than 60 days before your holiday start date, then a deposit of 30% of the rent must be paid in order to secure your booking. Once you've received your written booking confirmation, you will be liable for the full rent (or balance) plus additional charges for any extras at least 60 days before the start of your holiday. 

You will need to make sure you pay the balance by the balance due by date at the latest. We cannot guarantee to send you a reminder of the balance due by date, so we recommend you put a note in your diary to ensure you don't miss it. If we have not received full payment 60 days prior to your arrival date, then we will assume that you wiish to cancel.

If you make your booking at least 4 months before your stay, and you opt to pay in instalments, then a reduced deposit of 25% must be paid in order to secure your booking. If the offer of monthly payments is available (and confirmed in writing by us), then you will authorise our card payment processing company, Stripe, to take an agreed number of equal monthly payments so that your stay (and any extras) is paid for in full within 60 days of your arrival.

If you make your booking within 60 days of your arrival date, then the full amount will be payable on the day of booking.

Payment can be made by sterling cheque, credit card (including American Express), debit card, or bank transfer. Post dated cheques cannot be accepted. Any charges raised against us by your bank for handling dishonoured cheques, bank transfers or any other payments will be passed on to you and you will be liable to reimburse us in respect of such charges within 7 days. We regret that any charges incurred in handling payments from overseas will be passed on to you.

If any payment made to us is not honoured, a £25 administration charge will be levied. In the event of a booking not being accepted by us, all fees paid will be refunded.

Security Deposit

A security deposit of £250 per cottage is required before the start of your holiday.
Guests staying for the maximum 28 days will be required to pay a higher security deposit of £500 per cottage.

For short stays of up to and including 4 days, we will be able to take a pre-authorisation on your credit/debit card on the day of your arrival. This pre-authorisation is not a charge, and no funds will be debited from your account except in the event of losses, breakages, damages or the requirement for exceptional cleaning of the cottage at the end of your stay. Minor breakages and reasonable wear and tear will not be charged for.

If you're unable to provide card details for a pre-authorisation, then we will need the full amount of the security deposit to be paid to us by bank transfer or cheque to be cleared into our bank account before your arrival.

For any stays of 5 days or longer, the security deposit will be deducted from a credit/debit card on arrival, otherwise payment will need to be made by bank transfer or cheque with your final balance payment.

The security deposit will be refunded without interest within approximately 7-10 days of the end of your stay, less any necessary deductions. Any charges incurred in refunding deposits to overseas accounts will be passed on to you.

Cancellations and Changes

If you need to cancel or change your booking at Hawthorn Farm, the lead guest must notify us immediately by telephone, and also in writing, giving us the reason for your cancellation or changes.

If you cancel your booking more than 60 days before your check-in date, then you will be liable for 30% of the total booking amount.

Bookings that are cancelled less than 60 days before the check-in date will be liable for 100% of the total booking amount, unless we are able to re-sell all or some of the dates of your holiday.

For this reason, we strongly recommend that you also take out your own travel insurance for UK holidays which provides comprehensive cancellation cover. (You can search for suitable cover on comparison sites such as GoCompare.) This will give you the peace of mind that you will get your money back if you need to cancel your holiday. If you choose not to take out insurance, then you accept responsibility for any losses that you may incur. 

Any agreed amendments or changes to your booking (dates or number of guests) will be subject to an administration charge of £25 in addition to any applicable price adjustments. If you shorten the length of your stay at least 60 days prior to the start of your booking, you will be liable for 30% of the cancelled days. If you shorten the length of your stay within 60 days of the start of your booking, this will be treated as a partial cancellation and we will only be able to make a partial refund if we can re-sell those dates.

Cottage Details

Please be assured that we make every effort to make sure that the information provided is presented accurately on the Hawthorn Farm Cottages website, on other third party websites, and in any other promotional material we may use. However, we reserve the right to change/modify the layout and facilities where we feel that this would enhance our cottages, or ensure the safety of our guests. Sometimes changes to services or facilities at our cottages may occur after bookings have been made. If this is the case, we will endeavour to let you know as soon as possible if the changes are likely to materially affect your holiday experience. Unfortunately we cannot accept responsibility for any inaccurate or misleading information given regarding the holiday cottages or facilities. Errors do occasionally occur, so you must check all the details and arrangements with us at the time of booking.

Internet Services

Although we have made every effort to provide our guests with a high quality Internet connection, because our rural location occasionally affects the availability/quality of service, we cannot accept responsibility or liability for any consequential losses or inconvenience caused by poor Internet reception.

Your Stay

You are welcome to arrive at Hawthorn Farm any time from 4pm at the start of your holiday. If you know you will be arriving after 4pm, please let us know so that arrangements can be made for you to collect your key. At the end of your holiday you should depart by 10am, although during the quieter months, we can sometimes be more flexible about timings. Please be aware that any changes to your checkout needs to be negotiated and agreed by us before the start of your holiday. There will be a small charge of £15 (payable in advance) for check-ins or check-outs requested of two hours earlier or later than 4pm/10am respectively.

If you have not arrived by 12 noon of the day following your intended arrival, and we haven't heard from you, then we will treat your booking as a cancellation.

If you would like to make the most of your time at Hawthorn Farm and extend your stay until 6pm on your day of your departure, then we may be able to arrange it, depending on the timing of the next booking. There is a flat fee of £25 per cottage for extended stays, but we can only confirm it a couple of days before you leave. Unless you receive notification from us in writing and you have made a payment for a late departure, you should assume that the usual check-out time applies.

Enough bed linen and towels are provided according to the number of people in your party/booking, as confirmed by you about a week before your arrival. Cottage towels are not to be removed from the property. Bed linen is changed between visitors, but a change of linen will be offered for stays of 14 days or more.

We are entitled not to let you into the property, or to ask you to leave the property if we feel for any reason that you or any member of your party are likely to cause damage to it, or to risk the safety of the owners or other guests. If this were to be the case, we are under no obligation to refund your booking fees or to find alternative accommodation for you or your party.

You may not allow anyone to stay in the cottage who has not been included in the booking form. Nor are you entitled to change the composition of the party radically without notifying us in advance. If you breach any of these rules, we are entitled to refuse you entry or to ask you to leave, in which case the booking will be treated as cancelled, with no refund due, and no liability on us to provide you with alternative accommodation.

The Property

Our aim is for you to have an enjoyable time whilst on your holiday at Hawthorn Farm, however we would also ask you to respect the holiday cottage and your neighbours, and not disturb or cause offence in any way.

Whilst you are staying in the cottage it is your responsibility to keep the property clean and tidy and to leave it in this condition at the end of your holiday. It is also your responsibility to take care of the cottage in such a way as to minimise unnecessary damage to the building or contents. For example, condensation can be caused if you do not allow adequate ventilation whilst cooking or showering. This can very quickly lead to mould on windows, walls and soft furnishings, which can be expensive to put right.

If you intend to bring and use any electrical equipment in the cottage (except for hairdryers, laptops etc) then you will need our express permission beforehand. We reserve the right to make a charge for the use of any electrical items that consume large amounts of electricity.

You must allow us, or our employees to access the cottage during reasonable hours, except where an emergency problem needs to be remedied immediately. If you are out of contact at the time of an emergency problem, then we or our employees may enter the cottage without your prior agreement.

The property cannot be used for any commercial purposes, nor sublet or assigned to anyone not accepted by us as a party member.

Access and Parking

We have enough car parking space for one car per cottage, however if you have a large vehicle or if you are planning to come in two or more cars, then you will need to let us know in advance. During our busy season, you may need to park a larger vehicle or a second car on a firm but "off road" area, rather on our gravelled parking area. Access to Hawthorn Farm is via Corner Drove, which is a farm track. Although we aim to keep it in a state of good repair, it may be unsuitable for low slung vehicles particularly in extreme weather conditions. If you have particular questions regarding this, or want to double check the driving conditions before you arrive, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Electric Vehicle Charging

We do not currently have a dedicated electric vehicle (EV) charging point at Hawthorn Farm, nor do we have any power sockets, indoors or outdoors that are certified as suitably rated, protected and safe for charging an EV, or for plugging in a lead that is routed outdoors. We are therefore unable to allow the charging of EVs on the premises. We are happy to provide information on the nearest charging points on request. Please note: we reserve the right to immediately terminate your booking and ask you to leave (without refund) if we find that you are charging an EV at Hawthorn Farm.

Entertainment

All the cottages have HD Smart TVs with Freeview and a DVD player. We also have a DVD library that you're welcome to use, and we have provided a radio/CD or MP3 player in each cottage. 

We're In The Countryside!

1. Because Hawthorn Farm is in a rural location, the quality of mobile phone coverage can vary depending on your provider. If you are on the Vodafone network, or if you are on a roaming package, then you should get a good 3G signal. If you are able to make telephone calls via an internet connection, then our free WiFi should be fast enough. If this is important to you please ask at the time of booking.

2. Non-mains drainage - please help us to conserve water and protect our sensitive sewage systems by being mindful of the number of baths/showers you have, and by not flushing anything down the drains other than water, human waste and mild detergents. All food waste, including cooking fats should be put in the food recycling caddy. Sanitary products/nappies and even “flushable” wipes should be sealed in a bag and placed in the general waste bin. The callout charge for preventable blocked drains is approximately £130 +VAT.

3. All creatures great and small – depending on the time of year, we can sometimes get critters coming into the cottages. Please let us know if you are visited by ants, wasps, bees, or other insects, or if you see or hear any field mice, as we can quickly deal with them. We prefer you don’t feed the local wildlife while you’re here, even the birds - as this can attract rodents.

Liability

The use of the facilities at Hawthorn Farm are entirely at the visitors own risk. However, we will take every precaution to ensure that all facilities are maintained to advised safety standards. The owners shall not be liable to the client for any temporary defect to any equipment, garden or other appliances or for any loss which is the result of matters outside of the owners' control.

Hawthorn Farm Cottages shall have no liability for any death or personal injury unless it results from the negligence of Hawthorn Farm Cottages owners or employees. (Providing they were at the time acting in the course of their employment.) In addition, the owners accept no responsibility for the safety of, or the loss or damage to the guests’ possessions whilst in the cottages or Hawthorn Farm grounds, unless the damage or loss is caused by the negligence of Hawthorn Farm Cottages owners or employees.

Personal Safety

It is the responsibility of the lead guest to keep all the guests in their party safe.

All cottages have a smoke alarm, powder fire extinguisher, fire blanket and first aid kit which you should make sure to locate on arrival. Please let us know of anything that you have used and that will need to be replaced before the next guests arrive.

Please do not light any candles or ignite any flames inside the cottage as these create a fire hazard and may invalidate our insurance.

If you feel that any of the furniture, equipment or facilities in the cottage are unsafe in any way, please inform us immediately so we can rectify the problem.

Please note that there is a part-fenced pond within the farmhouse front garden, and there are two donkeys in the farm's fenced off paddock, so young children will need to be supervised whenever in the vicinity of the livestock or the pond.

The Donkeys

We always make sure we feed our donkeys with the right foods to ensure they stay healthy. Donkey nutrition varies from animal to animal depending on their age and health requirements. In their natural habitat donkeys will graze, eating highly fibrous plant material in small quantities throughout the day. The donkeys at Hawthorn Farm have access to restricted "strip" grazing using electric fencing, which prevents them from over-eating and becoming overweight.

Donkeys do not need high levels of sugar in their diets and should not be given any sugary treats. Although it may be tempting, please DO NOT feed the donkeys unless the owners give you something to feed to them. Even grass clippings must not be fed to the donkeys as it can lead to colic, which is a very distressing and potentially fatal condition.

Losses and Damages

We trust that you will endeavour to take good care of the property during your stay. Any losses or damages to the holiday cottages and/or their contents incurred by a member of your party during your holiday must be paid for. Before you arrive the cottage will have been thoroughly checked, cleaned and prepared. If you find any discrepancies with the state of the cottage please notify us as soon as possible and certainly within 24 hours of your arrival. Any losses or damages caused after this will be deemed your responsibility. It may therefore be worth checking with your holiday insurance company whether they will cover you in these circumstances. If a loss or damage does occur while you are staying at Hawthorn Farm Cottages, please inform us as soon as possible to agree the level of charges to be paid/deducted from your security deposit.

Lost Property

Please make sure you check the cottage thoroughly before your departure, to ensure you have taken all your belongings home with you. If you do leave something behind, we will do our best to return it to you, and will let you know the cost of postage and packing before going ahead.

Complaints

Whilst we make every effort to ensure that you have an enjoyable holiday at Hawthorn Farm, things can from time to time go wrong. In the rare event that you discover a defect or a breakdown in your cottage, or if you're unhappy with any other aspect of your holiday, then please notify us immediately. This will enable us to make an on-the-spot investigation if necessary, and can take remedial action if needed. Under no circumstances will we be able compensate for complaints raised after the end of your holiday at Hawthorn Farm Cottages, or if you deny us the opportunity to investigate the complaint and endeavour to put things right during your holiday.

If you are unhappy with way any problem has been handled/resolved, then you must put a complaint to us in writing within 30 days of the end of your holiday. We will then attempt to resolve the outstanding complaint without prejudice.

Confidentiality

In order to process your booking, we will need you to provide certain information about yourself and the guests in your party. We may use names, addresses and email addresses for sending you future promotional or marketing literature, however we guarantee that any information will remain confidential to us and is protected under the Data Protection Act 2018. Any personal information and details collected by us will not be passed on to a third party unless it is to one of our representatives in relation to looking after your specific holiday booking.

Smoking

Please note that in accordance with current legislation, smoking is not permitted in any of our cottages. If you or any member of your party would like to smoke outside, you should use the ashtrays provided, as carelessness with cigarettes can cause considerable damage, particularly during the dry summer months.

Noise

We want you to enjoy your holiday and to feel at home, however we ask that you respect the right of other holidaymakers to peace and quiet, as they may well have come to Hawthorn Farm for some R&R! Therefore we ask that you avoid making any potential disturbances, including playing loud music or watching TV with the volume turned up high, between the hours of 11pm and 9am.

Special Occasions

We are of course delighted that you have chosen to have your holiday at Hawthorn Farm, particularly if it coincides with a special occasion. However, please be aware that no party, event or gathering may take place at Hawthorn Farm which exceeds the maximum agreed occupancy numbers for the cottage you have booked - unless you have our prior consent in writing. It is also not permitted for any commercial enterprise or supplier (such as a caterer, a children's entertainer, or beauty therapist)  to visit/supply their services at Hawthorn Farm without our express written consent.  It is also not permitted for any alcohol to be sold on the premises without permission. Should any of these terms be breached, we have the right to ask you to leave without any compensation or refund due to you or your party.

Acts of God

Both we and the guests will not be liable for our respective obligations under this agreement in circumstances amounting to Acts of God. An Act of God means any unusual and unforeseeable events beyond our control, including but not restricted to war, threat of war, civil strife, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, epidemics, terrorist activity and governmental action. Guests and Hawthorn Farm Cottages shall only be able to rely on Acts of God after taking all practical steps to remedy the cause and/or mitigate the effects of Acts of God.

We strongly advise you to take out "Cancel for Any Reason" travel insurance to avoid losing your monies if you do have to cancel your holiday for any reason (including Acts of God or Force Majeure), even if you're travelling within the UK.

Law

The contract between you and Hawthorn Farm Cottages is governed by English Law. Any dispute you have with us shall be dealt with in an English or Welsh Court of Law. Your statutory rights are not affected by anything contained within these booking conditions.

Feedback and Reviews

We would be grateful if you would complete a short questionnaire at the end of your holiday about the specifics of your cottage and your stay. This feedback is invaluable to us as it helps us to keep improving on our standards, and to hopefully keep our guests coming back time and time again! Likewise, we'd appreciate it if you could leave a review for potential future guests of Hawthorn Farm to read (and hopefully to encourage them to stay!) either on Facebook, or on Google Maps.

Covid-19

All guests at Hawthorn Farm Cottages will be asked to comply with current government recommendations regarding social distancing, accessing business premises/services, personal hygiene and travel. Specifically, you will be required to agree to a number of practical steps to help us protect your safety and the safety of our staff, and to agree to the following additional terms:

1. To contact us if any member of your party shows symptoms of covid-19, or tests positive with covid-19 within 14 days of the start of your stay, or during your stay at Hawthorn Farm.
2. To take out fully comprehensive holiday insurance, including covid-19 related cancellations. If you do not take out insurance or if your insurance policy is not fully comprehensive, you accept that we will only refund your booking fees, or defer to a later date if we are unable to open on the dates of your confirmed booking.
3. In the event of a new government-imposed local lock-down during your stay, you will need to return home immediately. If the lock-down is in relation to Hawthorn Farm and the surrounding area, then we will give you a credit equivalent to the remainder of your stay. If the lock-down is in relation to your home area, then we will expect you to make a claim on your own travel insurance.
4. At the end of your stay, you will be required to compete a short check-list of light cleaning tasks to help protect the safety of our housekeeping team (including stripping the beds, wiping/hoovering any obvious spills, and taking out all rubbish and unwanted food items). If, after you have vacated the cottage, we find that it has not been left as we requested, we reserve the right to deduct £25 per hour from your damages deposit to cover the cost of any extra housekeeping required.

Updated 18 October 2023