Updated: 1st December 2020

Here at Durrants Holiday Cottages keeping our holidaymakers, homeowners, staff and our local community safe is our top priority. We have researched extensively and undertaken a range of measures so that our holidaymakers can enjoy holidaying in and around Southwold, whilst maintaining the safety of us all. You can read more about the safety measures we have implemented here.

There is a lot of information to process in relation to Covid-19 and coming on holiday, especially as the Government advice is ever-changing, so we have compiled some FAQs which we hope will put your mind at ease and make you feel confident in booking a Southwold holiday with Durrants Holiday Cottages.

As always our small, dedicated team are readily on hand to assist you with every step of your booking so please don’t hesitate to contact us with any additional queries you may have.

2nd December – 22nd December 2020 (subject to potential review on 16th December 2020)

During this time the new tiered restrictions apply. Suffolk is currently placed in the tier 2 category. This means that you can only stay in a holiday cottage with those who you usually live with (same household) or are within your support bubble.

We live in a tier 1 area – can we still come on holiday?

Yes, but please follow the appropriate tier restrictions during your stay.

We live in a tier 2 area – can we still come on holiday?

Yes, but please follow the appropriate tier restrictions during your stay.

We live in a tier 3 area – can we still come on holiday?

No. Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate guests who reside it tier three areas during this time. If you have not already heard from us, please contact us to arrange a transfer, credit voucher or refund for your stay.

Christmas stays between 23rd to 27th December 2020

The Government has announced that over the Christmas period (23rd December – 27th December 2020) up to three households can mix, subject to strict guidance. This may impact your holiday with us.

I am holidaying with my single household or support bubble, can I come on holiday?

Yes, but please follow the appropriate tier restrictions during your stay.

I am holidaying with my Christmas bubble, but we are due to arrive before 23rd and depart after 27th December 2020. Can we still come on holiday?

Yes, your booking can go ahead, but you must ensure that guests from one single household or support bubble only are staying at the property prior to 23rd and after the 27th. Between 23rd and 27th the guests at the property must not come from more than three households, and you must follow the appropriate tier restrictions during your stay.

Alternatively, you can request to shorten your stay and we will offer a pro-rata credit voucher or refund at the discretion of the owner.

The guests on my booking are from more than three households so do not meet the Christmas bubble guidance. What are my options?

We cannot accommodate your booking if it does not comply with the Christmas bubble guidance. The options are;

-Reduce your party size to meet the Christmas bubble guidance (a maximum of three households).

-Transfer your booking to new dates in 2021.

-Receive a credit voucher or refund for your holiday if you decide to cancel.

Please see further guidance on this below.

Do tier restrictions still apply over the Christmas dates 23rd to 27th December 2020?

We can accommodate guests from any area over the Christmas period, but those coming from tier 3 areas must follow tier 3 guidance during their stay. Other options are;

-Transfer your booking to new dates in 2021.

-Receive a credit voucher or refund for your holiday if you decide to cancel.

Stays after 28th December 2020.

At this stage we assume that the current tier system will resume from 28th December 2020, but this is not yet confirmed. Please contact us nearer to the time with enquiries about bookings after 28th December 2020.

Where can I find more information on the tier system?

You can visit the Government website for full details on the new tier system.

If there are Government travel restrictions in place which prevent us from coming on holiday, can we change our holiday to later in the year or to next year?

If you are unable to go on holiday due to Government travel restrictions at the time your holiday is due to commence you are able to do the following:

• Transfer your holiday dates to new dates in either 2020 or 2021 with no additional fees. Please be aware if you wish to transfer your dates you must choose equivalent dates to those you had booked this year or the equivalent pricing period (our team can assist you with this). If you decide to transfer your holiday dates to different (non-equivalent) dates in either 2020 or 2021, any difference in price will be applied or credited as appropriate.

• Should you be undecided on new holiday dates you are eligible to receive a credit voucher for the value of your holiday for you to use on any of our cottages in Southwold and surrounding area. Please note the credit voucher must be used on a holiday before the end of 2021. View the full terms and conditions.

• If either of the above are not suited to you, you are eligible to receive a full refund of the amount already paid which will be refunded to you by bank transfer.

What happens if the Government imposes a local lockdown in Suffolk during our holiday?

As per the Government’s advice, the recommendation is that you should curtail your stay. However if you are unable to do so, you should finish your holiday as planned but during the remainder of your stay ensure you reduce socialising and follow the local regulations.

Can we still come on holiday if our local area has a lockdown?

If you live in an area with local lockdown restrictions you can still come on holiday however you must ensure you socialise indoors only with members of your own household or support bubble.

We have booked a property sleeping 7 or more and the Government have implemented ‘The Rule of Six’ – what shall we do?

As from 14th September 2020, it is against the law to socialise with six or more people you do not live with, whether you are socialising indoors or outdoors, unless you are part of the same household or support bubble. In England, six people includes children and infants. If you have booked a property sleeping 6 or more in 2020, a member of our team will be in touch with you regarding your booking and your options. However if you have not heard from us and your holiday is due to take place before 4th January 2021, you have the option to do the following:

• Transfer your holiday dates to new dates in 2021 with no additional fees. Please be aware if you wish to transfer your dates you must choose equivalent dates to those you had booked this year or the equivalent pricing period (our team can assist you with this). If you decide to transfer your holiday dates to different (non-equivalent) dates in 2021, any difference in price will be applied or credited as appropriate.

• Should you be undecided on new holiday dates you are eligible to receive a credit voucher for the value of your holiday for you to use on any of our cottages in Southwold and surrounding area. Please note the credit voucher must be used on a holiday before the end of 2021. View the full terms and conditions.

• If either of the above are not suited to you, you are eligible to receive a full refund of the amount already paid which will be refunded to you by bank transfer.

Can we cancel our holiday if we do not wish to travel despite there being no Government restrictions?

We understand it may be an anxious time for some of our guests, however our advice would be to wait nearer to the time of your holiday start date before deciding to contact us about this as advice and guidance from the Government is continually changing. However if the cottage is legally available and you are not legally restricted from travelling then our standard booking conditions apply. Should you wish to make changes to your holiday we will make every effort to work alongside you as well as the cottage owner but please be aware this remains at the discretion of the individual cottage owner.

Why have you changed your arrival and departure times at your cottages and are there any exceptions?

The safety of our holidaymakers, homeowners, housekeepers and staff is our top priority and we have adjusted our arrival and departure times to help minimise the risk of transmission to everyone. Extra time is required for our housekeepers to service properties between departures and arrivals to undertake the additional safety measures we have implemented. With this in mind, we regret that there are no exceptions to these changes in times. For those who have booked a beach hut, the revised arrival time is 11.00am however the departure time remains the same.

Is your office in Southwold open for key collection or if we want to pop in for any other reason?

We do have a few members of the team working from our Southwold office however the office is closed to the public to ensure our staff are kept safe. If you have been instructed to come to the office to collect keys to your holiday cottage, please ensure you respect social distancing measures at all times when approaching our office entrance as you may encounter other guests who are waiting to collect their keys. Please knock on the door and wait for a member of the team to come and greet you. If you expect to arrive after office hours, we can leave your keys in our office keysafe for collection. Please contact us to arrange this prior to your arrival. We recommend using hand sanitiser after operating the keysafe as other guests may have access to it.

What should we do if one of our party feels unwell during our holiday?

If you or a party member are displaying symptoms of Coronavirus you must follow the Government guidance accordingly. When you contact the NHS’s 111 service, please ensure you state that you are staying in a holiday cottage. If you are advised to stay within your holiday cottage we will do our utmost to facilitate this however please be aware you will be liable to pay any additional costs for a longer stay, as well as our administration fees should we need to move any other incoming bookers.

You should familiarise yourself with symptoms of Coronavirus by checking the Government website where you can also find information on how to obtain a test.

Where can I find further information on Coronavirus?

Once your holiday has been paid in full, we will issue you with some handy guidance on extra safety measures we have implemented to help keep you safe on holiday with us. You can read more about this here. However we also recommend that prior to your arrival you ensure you have familiarised yourself with all the latest Government guidance.