FAQs

Covid-19

Our doors are open at The Elderton and if anything changes with the Government guidelines, resulting in a change of holiday plans, we will work with you to reschedule or refund your booking so you can book with confidence!

This refund guarantee covers national and local lockdowns but does NOT cover you or your party for being unable to travel if someone in the party contracts Covid, or if you are required to self-isolate or quarantine.  You must take out your own insurance for this eventuality...we can not stress this enough.

– What if I test positive for Covid?

We advise you to take out holiday insurance for your stay, which starts from as little as £35 per booking and covers you should you or a member of your party test positive for Covid. Please note most policies will only cover a positive test and do not cover quarantine or self-isolation.

– Can I Cancel My Booking?

We always advise you to take out travel insurance to cover any trip you have planned in case your circumstances change.

As a general rule, if there is a legal restriction preventing you from being able to go on holiday, one of your options will include a full refund. Any requests to move the booking dates will be considered based on the date and circumstances, and the decision remains at the discretion of the property owner. 

– Cleaning standards & arrival procedures.

The Elderton will continue to be cleaned and maintained to a high standard. Following the gov.uk advice for accommodation providers, precautions are in place so you, our team, and the properties remain safe. All our colleagues continue to review NHS advice on how to prevent the spread of germs: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/how-to-prevent-germs-from-spreading/

As well as our additional cleaning processes, whilst staying we will ask you to follow local guidelines to reduce social interactions.

Cancellation

A non-refundable 25% deposit of the holiday cost is payable at the time of booking.  Bookings made less than 6 weeks before your arrival date must be paid in full.

The balance must be paid no later than 6 weeks before the commencement of your holiday.  If the balance is not received by the due date, then your holiday will be treated as a cancellation, and you will remain liable to pay the balance of the rent.

All cancellations must be notified in writing.  If you cancel your holiday more than 6 weeks before it is due to start, then your deposit will be forfeit.  If you cancel less than 6 weeks before the holiday, then the full balance remains due and is not refundable.

We highly recommend you take out your own holiday insurance to cover cancellation for both Covid and non-Covid related cancellations. You can find out more in our Terms and Conditions.

In the case of a booking being affected by government guidance on Covid-19, guests should refer to our up to date our cancellation or booking amendment policies at the top of our FAQs page. Please contact us should you have any questions.

Changeover Days

We accommodate weekend breaks (3 nights), midweek getaways (4 nights) and week-long stays. Most of our ‘changeover’ days are Fridays and Mondays, but we can be flexible on this, especially for late availability and quieter seasons; you will be able to see this by going to the availability calendar.

Pets at The Elderton

You are welcome to bring up to two dogs with you to stay at The Elderton. Newbiggin by the Sea and the wider Northumberland region is perfect for dog-friendly holidays, with so much choice for lovely, varied walks through some of Britain’s most stunning countryside. Dogs will be charged at £20 per stay, and a maximum of two are allowed per property.  We are not able to accept any pets apart from dogs.

Our holiday home being dog-friendly means they are most welcome there. We do a thorough clean after every stay to ensure all dog hairs are gone so that we are still providing a five star standard for every arrival. Please note though that our dog-friendly holiday home is not escape-proof, and we do not have a garden enclosure...you will have to walk your dog regularly during your stay with us, as there is limited enclosed space for them to go out alone.  It goes without saying that you are expected to pick up after your dog, if they have been out in the yard.  We also have residential neighbours and so must ask that dogs are not left unattended in the house, so that the noise is kept to a reasonable level.

What’s Included?

The Elderton is a self-catering holiday let so you will need to bring your own provisions, however our kitchen includes a full inventory of typical items you would find in your own kitchen so you shouldn’t need to bring anything with you other than food for day one. We will include some cleaning products, dishwasher tablets, kitchen roll, cling film, foil and washing powder to get you started and there are plenty of shops within walking distance, so you can stock up quickly and easily.

We also provide:

  • a welcome hamper
  • a digital property guide to help you navigate the property and the local area during your stay
  • hand soap
  • high quality bed linen (except for cot beds)
  • bath and beach towels
  • throws to cover the sofas if you bring your dog on holiday with you
  • a hairdryer  
  • an initial stock of basic cleaning products
  • an initial stock of bin bags
  • an initial stock of toilet rolls
  • an iron and ironing board
  • a washing machine
  • dishwasher

What to Expect Before I Arrive?

After the booking has been paid in full, you will receive a pre-arrival email that includes confirmation of the booking information, travel directions and how to access the keys for the property. You will also be sent a link to our electronic Guest Book, which replaces the time honoured tradition of having a tatty ring binder on the sideboard of your holiday home!  You and your guests can add the guide to your device's home screen and easily access information like how to work the TV remote, turn up the heating, find the best coffee shops and keep the kids entertained on a wet day.  Whilst you're very welcome to contact us during your stay, we hope that pretty much every question you could think of has already been answered in the Guide, so please do download it and take a look when it arrives with you.

Arrival and Departure

We normally invite you to arrive from 4pm and vacate your property by 10am on your final day.  This will ensure that we have time to prepare the property to the same high standard for the next guests. We do endeavour to offer some flexibility and early arrival and lazy check-outs can sometimes be arranged, especially out of high season, at no extra cost. Contact us a week before your stay to check availability. Departing guests are requested to please close all windows, lock the property and pop the key back in the key safe, as outlined in the electronic Guest Book. You do not need to have cleaned the property before departure, but we ask you to wash, dry and put away any remaining washing up, make sure the oven and hob are left as you found them and place all used towels in the shower.  If you've moved any smaller items of furniture, please pop those back roughly where you found them and have one last check to make sure you haven't packed anything that belongs at The Elderton.

Children & Infants

A cot and a high chair is available to pre-book.  Let us know in advance if you know which rooms you'd like them set up in and we'll have them ready for you.  These are complimentary but must be requested prior to arrival.  We also have a fold-out bed, ideal for children of 2-12 years which can be provided at no additional charge.  Guests should bring their own bedding for the cots as we do not provide this for hygiene reasons.

Can I Have Visitors?

Of course! If you have guests joining you for only part of your stay, please let us know so we can include the correct bed linen and bath towels. The maximum occupancy for The Elderton is 6 plus up to 2 infants though and your guests must not take you above this number, if they stay overnight.

If you expect to have guests join you just for the day, we appreciate you letting us know how many people this will be. Do bear in mind local parking restrictions, if your guests park in the surrounding area.

Wi-Fi

The wi-fi is fast and free at The Elderton, so you won't have any problems streaming movies or even working from the apartment.  You'll find the wi-fi password in the digital Guest Book we'll send to you before you arrive.

Accessibility

We are a two story house, so there is a flight of stairs to head up to the bedrooms.  There is no stair lift and so the building may not be suitable for those with mobility problems.

How Flexible is the Bedroom Set Up?

We have three bedrooms, with a king, a double (sofa bed) and two singles.  Added to that, we have a cot bed and a fold out trundle bed, suitable for younger children.  Let us know in advance what arrangements suit you best and we'll get things set up ready for you.