The 
Rockhouse Retreat
 

The Rockhouse Retreat   

TERMS & CONDITIONS OF BOOKING  

Please note: It is recommended guests are protected by holiday/travel insurance prior to making a booking.  

   

BOOKING CONDITIONS  

To make a booking you must be eighteen years of age or over to book accommodation and stay at The Rockhouse Retreat. This is a one bedroomed couple's retreat, the maximum number of guests in the accommodation is two adults.  There are strictly no children for safety reasons.      

Bookings are via our online booking system and should be treated as a provisional booking until receipt of a booking confirmation which is received via email.  The total cost of the booking is required up front to secure your stay. 

When submitting a booking and payment via our online booking system you will be required to read and accept the terms and conditions of the booking.  An automatic booking confirmation and payment summary will be generated by email to the email address you provide at the time of the reservation.  This booking confirmation email is a contract between you and The Rockhouse Retreat.    

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

The Rockhouse Retreat reserves the right, at all times, without reasons, to refuse or cancel any booking at any time.   

IMPORTANT CORONAVIRUS AND HEALTH ISSUE PROCEDURES  

Should you or anyone in your household, regardless of whether or not they are travelling with you (e.g., children, relatives, including pets) are showing any signs or symptoms of Coronavirus, you must notify The Rockhouse Retreat team immediately.  You must not travel to The Rockhouse Retreat. You then have a responsibility to remain at home and self-isolate for 14 days or in line with the latest Government guidelines.  

The Rockhouse Retreat operate a self-check-in system.  It is your responsibility to sanitise your hands on arrival.  This must be done on arrival before touching any light switches or accessing the key safe.  There is suitable sanitising hand gel near the front door.   

Travelling and self-check-in certifies you and your companion are fit for travel and neither of you are showing signs or symptoms of corona virus.   

If at any point during your stay at The Rockhouse Retreat you develop Coronavirus symptoms, it is paramount you notify the team immediately via email and return to your home address to commence your self-isolate period.   Should this occur, then no refunds will be due in these circumstances.  

Should you not feel well enough to drive home, you must notify The Rockhouse Retreat team immediately and contact a medical professional for immediate advice.  

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TIMES  

Your accommodation will be ready from 3.00pm on the day of arrival, and must be vacated by 11am sharp on the day of departure.   

Due to the remote woodland location of The Rockhouse Retreat, and lack of external path lighting, we encourage where possible for you to arrive before darkness, especially during the winter months.  Should you anticipate arrival after dark, you must notify us by email at least 7 days in advance with your arrival time and keep us informed should you be delayed on your journey to us.    

CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS  

Should you cancel within 10 weeks of your arrival date, we will endeavour to re-let your dates and refund your monies minus a £50 administration fee.  If this is unsuccessful, then regretfully a refund of any monies will not be paid.  The booking can be transferred at no additional cost providing the contact details of the new guests are provided.  

Should you change or reschedule your stay for another date then an administration fee of £50 will be charged.    

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

As a result, we strongly recommend that you have appropriate holiday insurance cover in place.  

We shall inform you as soon as possible in the unlikely event that we need to cancel your cave stay.  A refund of all monies paid to us, will be made to you within 14 days.  

If Government policies restrict travel and you are unable to travel to stay with us, you will have the option to postpone your stay to a later date.  This will be subject to any differences in price applicable for the new dates otherwise you may request a full refund or receive a full refund.  Should you change your dates, the administrative fee for amending dates will be applicable.   

GIFT VOUCHERS   

Gift vouchers can be redeemed by email request and must be accompanied with the associated email request sent when the voucher was purchased.  This email must include; the full name and address of the person who bought the voucher, the date of purchase, date or proof of bank transfer or payment and full name of the recipient/guest.   Should this information not be available then the gift voucher cannot be redeemed.  Gift vouchers cannot be refunded, are valid for a period of 6 months and are subject to all other terms of business.     

NOISE AND GUEST BEHAVIOUR   

It is our aim all guests enjoy a restful and rejuvenating stay with us. The Rockhouse Retreat is in a quiet, remote location secluded in the countryside and guests choose The Rockhouse Retreat as they are seeking to relax and unwind with the serenity of nature and mother earth.  To keep this peaceful tranquillity, we do not allow any music or radios outside of the cave house.  After 11pm, the only sounds you should be able to hear are the hooting of owls, the sound of the babbling brook and deer and wildlife rustling through the woods, as you kick back and gaze at the star-lit sky.  Should you wish to invite friends or party late then this isn’t the correct holiday-let for you.  In exceptional circumstances, we reserve the right to ask your party to leave if there are any complaints as you will have breached the terms of your contract with us.  Should this happen, no refunds will be forthcoming.  

NO COMMERCIAL USE OF THE PROPERTY  

The Rockhouse Retreat is rented to you for strictly non-commercial leisure purposes.  There is strictly no commercial photography, no filming, or any other commercial uses which include influencers/blogger content creation.  Strictly no flying of drones.   This must be done with prior written authorisation from the owner of The Rockhouse Retreat and should be obtained by email.  The Rockhouse Retreat reserve the right as additional charges will apply for any commercial use.  

CLEANING AND DAMAGE  

It is paramount the property is left tidy, as it was found.  It is important we are notified of anything that gets broken so we have enough time to replace it for our next guests.  Unfortunately, from time-to-time accidents do occur and we will only charge for replacements in exceptional circumstances.  We expect a fair degree of wear and tear.  Should the damage be directly attributable to the guest, then we reserve the right to request payment to cover all the damages incurred directly during your stay.  

The cost of the cleaning, under normal circumstances is included as part of your stay.  Should any additional cleaning and tidying be required, including washing up, additional cleaning of any of the interior or fixtures and fittings then The Rockhouse Retreat reserves the right to charge a rate of £20 per hour for the additional work.  The Rockhouse Retreat reserves the right to invoice guests following their stay.  

Guests will be charged for any item(s) that are removed or lost from the cave house accommodation and its surroundings.  

PETS  

Unfortunately, due to the additional wear and tear and risk to wildlife, we do not accept dogs, not even the well-behaved non allergenic ones.  Even the well-behaved ones can cause unforeseen damage and can deter and be detrimental to the local wildlife. So, sorry but no pets of any kind.  The Rockhouse Retreat is a place to connect with the universe and the wanders of Mother Earth and hence we do not want to scare the amazing wildlife away.     

SMOKING  

Smoking is not permitted in The Rockhouse Retreat.  Smoking is permitted strictly outside but please extinguish all cigarette butts fully and dispose of them carefully and responsibly in the metal buckets provided.  

CANDLES  

The use of candles and tea-light candles is not permitted outside The Rockhouse Retreat.  Please clean up any spilt wax to prevent incurring additional charges. Tea-lights may be used inside with due care in the holders provided and must be extinguished.  

FIREWORKS & CHINESE LANTERNS  

Due to the high fire risk to the local woodland and wildlife, the use of fireworks, sparklers and Chinese lanterns are strictly prohibited at all times.   

FIRE PIT AND BBQ AREA  

Outside there is a campfire pit and seating area which is provided for outdoor cooking and camp fires.  Please keep camp fires small and controlled and to the designated fire pit area provided.  Please do not light fires anywhere else other than the fire pit provided.  Fires must be small and controlled.    Only use the fire wood provided in the wood store.  Please be mindful of the size of your fire and the amount of wood you use as it is procured from the local arboretum ready seasoned and currently requires two days a month to carry it up the steps to replenish the supply.   Do not collect branches and twigs from the surrounding woodland as it is a wildlife habitat.  Fires can be very dangerous and are to be used with great care at the user’s own risk.  

We supply wood inside for the wood burners and an allocation of wood is provided in the box near the front door for the fire pit on the terrace.  Should you require more wood it can be purchased at an extra cost.    

SERVICES UTILITIES  

In the unlikely event there is a failure in a service (e.g., water, heating, electricity or waste) please notify The Rockhouse Retreat management immediately and we will endeavour to restore the service as quickly as possible.   In the unlikely event the utility service failure extends beyond a 12-hour period from the initial notification, for health and safety reasons you may be asked to leave the accommodation and your accommodation fee for the duration of your stay will be lost or will be fully refunded.  You may be offered to re-book for another time, subject to availability and the payment of the difference.  

EXTERNAL LIGHTING  

The Rockhouse Retreat is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and it has been carefully designed to accentuate it’s cave charm and maximise guest comfort and convenience whilst also being respectful to mother earth and the surrounding natural environment and its native inhabitants.  

Please note, adding to its charm, The Rockhouse Retreat is hidden high up in the tree canopy and requires the ascent of 52 steps from the carpark to arrive at the front door.  This may not be suitable for less able-bodied guests.  Whilst there is pathway lighting from the car parking area, it is strongly recommended for all guests to arrive before dark for this reason.  

RECYCLING & THE ENVIRONMENT  

A recycling bin is provided for recyclable waste and ask that you recycle as much as possible.  Welcome information will advise what is recyclable locally so as to reduce the impact of your stay on the environment.  

SAFETY  

The Rockhouse Retreat is a unique ‘cave stay’ experience located in a woodland area and a natural environment. Whilst the environment is as beautiful as The Rockhouse itself, it does present inherent risks which form part of the experience you are entering into when you stay at The Rockhouse Retreat.    

The site is an SSSI (Sight of Special Scientific Interest).  It is situated in a natural woodland which have been left deliberately untouched and wild to protect the native plants, trees, and encourage biodiversity and wildlife.    

Please be aware of the higher degree of risk associated with a woodland environment and you are responsible for taking appropriate care for your safety and the safety of others at all times.   It is recommended you wear suitable clothing and footwear for this environment and you are fully responsible for your own safety and the safety of your party at all times.    

PERSONAL PROPERTY  

The Rockhouse Retreat and its team accept no responsible for any loss or damage to any property on the premises.  All belongings including vehicles, accessories and contents are left at the owner’s risk and it is recommended that your holiday insurance covers loss or damage to include all personal effects.  

CAR ACCESS AND PARKING  

Access to The Rockhouse Retreat is via a narrow track from the main road to the car parking area.  Give consideration, this is primarily a public footpath and a well-used bridle path.  Please drive slowly and very carefully along the track at a maximum speed of 5mph.  Please be considerate of neighbouring properties on your arrival and departure.  

Whilst access is straight forward in a regular vehicle, it is not suitable or advisable in sports cars and vehicles with low slung suspension.  It is also unsuitable for large vehicles such as campervans and motorhomes.   

At the point of booking, we may ask the make and model of vehicle you intend to arrive in so we can notify you should we have any concerns regarding access.  

Should there be adverse weather conditions involving excessive snow or ice, it is possible to get your vehicle snowed in.  In such circumstances, please contact The Rockhouse Retreat management team and we will advise on a solution.    

The Rockhouse Retreat is a one bedroomed cave experience, therefore no more than 2 vehicles are permitted at any time.  

EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS  

In adverse weather, The Rockhouse Retreat holds no responsibility for any guests who are unable to attend.  This includes extreme weather or traffic conditions including; snow, flooding, high winds, road traffic accidents/congestion, train delays, etc. If a guest is unable to reach The Rockhouse Retreat due to 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 your stay in the advent of such eventualities.  

Should we feel we need to cancel your stay for safety reasons due to extreme weather such as snow or high winds, we will offer you an alternative date, subject to availability  

FORCE MAJEURE  

The Rockhouse Retreat accept no liability for any events prior to or during your stay totally beyond our control, e.g., destruction of property, flooding, fire, earthquakes or any acts of nature; or should the property become uninhabitable due to irreparable damage or on health & safety grounds that could not reasonably have been foreseen. In such extreme instances, refunds will be at the discretion of The Rockhouse Retreat management.  

The Rockhouse Retreat reserves the right to change or amend these terms and conditions as required at any time without any prior notification.