General terms & conditions.
1. Bookings
Country House Hideout only handles bookings from persons over 18 years of age. Country House Hideout reserves the right, at all times - without statement of reasons – to refuse a booking. Country House Hideout will confirm the booking per e-mail and you will receive a Payment Request within 24 hours. The confirmation and invoice, must be checked immediately on receipt for any errors. Possible or claimed inadequacies must always be notified by email or phone within 10 days following the date of the confirmation/invoice and in any case before the commencement of the stay. If, within 10 days after the booking, you are not in possession of a confirmation and invoice, then you must get in touch with the Country House Hideout.
2. Group bookings
It is the right of Country House Hideout to refuse group bookings if we feel that this may be of detriment to other guests staying on the location. We do not accept single sex parties (i.e. hen or stag groups). It is the right of the location to refuse entry to any group bookings not authorised via Reservations and any monies paid will not be reimbursed. In case of query regarding large groups please call our Reservations Office on 01420 549150.
3. Prices
The prices in the brochure and on our website are not binding; Country House Hideout reserves the right to modify these prices. At the time of booking you will be informed of the prices applicable. The price stated on the confirmation/invoice is binding. Discounts and/or special offers can no longer be used after the confirmation/invoice has been sent by Country House Hideout.
4. Tent rental
In the rental price of every tent the following is included:
- Rental of tent and the pitch.
- Use of and access to the grounds (where permitted).
- Use of water.
- Bed linen.
- VAT according to the guidelines of the VAT-administration.
- Final cleanup.
Not included are, among other things:
- Washing of the dishes.
- Collection of and stripping of the rented linen.
- Putting the waste into a waste bag and placing it in a container.
- Extra firewood after the initial supplies
5. Dogs
Dogs are allowed on a number of Country House Hideout locations. Please check the information on the location in question. At the time of booking and at arrival, the dogs must be reported. There is a surcharge of £5 per dog, per night.
6. Payments
a. Booking payments are made in two stages. The deposit must be paid within 8 days after the invoice date. The balance of the booking amount must be in possession of Country House Hideout, at the latest 10 weeks before the start of your stay. In the event of bookings made within 10 weeks before the start of your stay the entire booking amount must be paid immediately.
b. In the case of late or incomplete payment of the amounts invoiced to you, you are in default. Country House Hideout will send you a reminder of payment. If the amount, within 14 days after the date of the reminder is not yet in possession of Country House Hideout, then Country House Hideout is entitled to unilaterally annul the agreement by means of a letter to the guest. You are responsible for all damages which Country House Hideout suffers or will suffer as a consequence of this, as well as all costs which Country House Hideout has made with regard to your booking and the cancellation. In any case you are liable for a cancellation fee of 30% of the booking amount in the case of cancellation more than 10 weeks before the planned start date of your stay and equal to the total booking amount in the case of cancellation within 10 weeks before the start of your stay. Money already paid will be settled with the cancellation compensation to pay and the possible chargeable compensation of other damage. If nothing has been paid at that point, the aforementioned amounts will be charged.
7. Amendment costs
If, after confirmation of the booking, you would like to make alterations to the booking, Country House Hideout is not obliged to satisfy these requests. It is at the discretion of Country House Hideout whether, and to what extent, these alterations will be accepted. For each modification in a booking already made, up to a maximum of 4 weeks before arrival, we will charge you £ 30 alteration costs. These costs will not be charged if you add a booking or change it to a more expensive period. In the case of an alteration to a cheaper period or (partial) cancellation within a period of 4 weeks before the start of your stay, you are liable for the entire booking amount. If, after confirmation of the booking of more than one tent, you want to reduce the number of booked tents, the cancellation provisions will be applicable. In principle, alterations cannot be permitted within 4 weeks prior to arrival.
8. Cancellations
It is advisable to take part in the cancellation fund of Country House Hideout at the time of booking. Without participation, the following provisions apply:
a. In the event of a cancellation more than 10 weeks before the start of the stay, 30% of the rental amount will be payable with a minimum of £150.
b. In the event of cancellation within 10 weeks before the start of the stay, the entire rental amount will be payable.
c. In the case of premature termination of the stay, the entire booking amount is payable.
9. Arrival and departure
a. Procedure before arrival. A number of weeks before the start of your stay you will receive a Voucher. In the case of booking in the short term you will receive this approximately one week before arrival. The Voucher must be shown on arrival.
b. Arrival and departure procedure. On arrival, you need to produce your voucher. You have access to the tent from 16.00 on the day of arrival. On the day of departure you must vacate the tent by 10.30.
Kindly note that the Country House Hideout check-in time is between 16.00 and 18.00. It is in your own interest not to arrive late, but should you be unavoidably delayed, please contact your hosts at the location directly, details of which can be found in your welcome document. A late booking fee may be applied to late arrivals.
10. Domestic regulations
In order to make the stay for all guests as pleasant as possible, all guests must keep to the determined rules (of behaviour) laid down in the Domestic Regulations. You can ask for the Domestic Regulations on arrival. Breaching the Domestic Regulations can lead to removal from the location without a refund of the rental sum or a part of it. Country House Hideout reserves the right to make alterations in the set-up and opening hours of the facilities and supplies on the location. We would also bring your attention to the fact that it is possible that maintenance activities will be carried out during your stay on the grounds or to the accommodation without you being entitled to any compensation. Please note that Layer Marney Tower is also a wedding venue. The Long Gallery is approximately 200 metres from the nearest encampment but it is sometimes possible to hear music until midnight.
11. Force majeure
Force majeure on the side of Country House Hideout exists if the implementation of the agreement is entirely or partially, temporarily or permanently, prevented due to circumstances which are beyond the control of Country House Hideout, including threat of war, staff strikes, blockades, fire, floods and other disruptions or events. Country House Hideout reserves the right to change the configuration of the equipment.
12. Liability
a. Country House Hideout and the corresponding location accept no liability for:
* theft, loss or damage, of whatever nature, during or as a result of a stay on one of our affiliated Country House Hideout locations;
* falling into defect or putting out of action of technical equipment and loss or closure of supplies on the location.
b. The tenant and those who accompany him or her, are jointly and severally responsible for all loss and/or damage which arises, for Country House Hideout, the location in question and/or any third party as a direct or an indirect consequence of their stay, irrespective of whether this was caused through actions or refraining from actions by themselves or by third parties, who are at the location through their making, as well as of all damage which is caused by any animal and/or matter which they have under their responsibility.
c. If you leave your tent in an improper condition, additional (cleaning) costs can be charged.
13. Complaints
Despite all the care of Country House Hideout and the affiliated countryhouses it could occur that you have a genuine complaint. You must take up this complaint with the house owner immediately, in order to allow us to solve the matter as soon as possible. Should the complaint not be settled to your satisfaction, then you have the option, up to 1 month after departure from the country house to lodge the complaint in writing or by email with Country House Hideout.
14. Assumption of Risks
Remember that you will be staying on a estate in the countryside where there are other hazards than at home. Also you must be aware that some of the camp equipment (such as the cooking cart, the wood burning stove, the bicycle, the microscope etc) may be dangerous if misused. Country houses may provide equipment such as trampolines, tree huts etc, which may be dangerous if misused. Whilst we and your host house owners take great care to keep you safe, accidents can happen and neither we nor the house owner are responsible for such accidents (to the greatest extent permitted by law). It is your responsibility to supervise any children. If you notice that any equipment looks faulty and/or unsafe you must inform the country house owner as soon as possible. We strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance against the risk of accidents and your stay being cut short.