How Covid-19 affects availability and existing bookings
Acquiring the Industry Standard mark means that we have followed the government and industry COVID-19 guidelines, have a Risk Assessment in place and a process to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing. We’re really pleased to have attained this so we can offer you the comfort and assurance you deserve.
CoronaVirus (COVID-19) is a real concern for everyone alike. We all share the responsibility towards the health and safety of ourselves and others.
Helpfully, both accommodations only serve your group during your booking, meaning you don’t share with other guests! 👏
Some measures we have taken:
- We’ve produced a robust risk assessment of each of our premises.
- We’ve worked with local businesses and staff to agree upon a joint approach.
- We’ve changed booking processes to request Test and Protect contact information, and we provide Covid-19 information packs for each property.
- We’ve reduced the cancellation requirement policy to one day, lowering the cancellation risk to you should you need to use it. 🥳
Using the risk assessment:
- Our standard processes are great, but we’ve also introduced an enhanced cleaning and disinfectant regime at our properties, including certified virucidal disinfectants and UV-C protocols to address Covid-19 specifically. ✨
- We’ve reduced the opportunity for the spread of the virus by changing some service processes.
- We’ve implemented air gaps between bookings.
All of these are in line and some cases above the UK and Scottish Government guidelines and industry guidelines. 👍
Together, using these guidelines, we can all still enjoy tourism and travel safely.
Current status: Phase 2 of the lockdown exit framework
Scotland remains on modified lock-down until the next review. Phase 3 is when accommodation re-opens.
Updated on 18th June 2020.
A cautionary approach has been announced and we are now within phase 2 of the lockdown release status. This does mean we remain closed until Phase 3.
As on previous updates, please contact your booking provider (OTA) for cancellation and refund opportunities, please let us know if you need our support.
Until then and for clarity, the Scottish Government maintains the position that hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, and boarding houses for commercial/leisure use (excluding permanent residents and key workers) remain closed, although there is talk of campsites and caravan parks possibly reopening sooner.
Further guidance will be published on 9th July.
The Scottish Government has released its plan for coming out of lockdown. Accommodation providers are within PHASE 3 of the plan.
Here is the plan detail: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-framework-decision-making-scotlands-route-map-through-out-crisis/
Published: 12th March 2020:
We have contacted all of our customers who have bookings in April and May 2020 and informed them that we are prepared to offer no quibble refunds to all of those that have booked with us prior to the WHO pandemic announcement of 11th March 2020.
If you booked directly with us after that date, use this contact form or email us, quote your booking details and we will cancel for you, ensuring a full refund. This must happen at least two weeks before the check-in date or the selected terms will apply.
If you booked through an OTA, please contact the relevant Online Travel Agency as they control their cancellation policies, many of which have new policies in place to support refunds. (OTA’s, such as Booking.com, Airbnb, Trip Advisor and Expedia). If you need us to vouch for your cancellation and support a refund, let us know through the OTA messaging platform and we will gladly assist.
All bookings are subject to ongoing review and may be cancelled depending on government directives, by which time we’d expect all OTA’s to have supportive policies in place and the Government to have proper legislation.
Many have already cancelled and have been refunded. We’ve also offered our customers great incentives to book again! We hope to welcome all of our customers back once the emergency is over.
Published: 21st March 2020
Kintyre is a small community with limited resources. To reduce the risk of burdening the local health and food supply services, we are closing our availability as follows:
Gowanlea B&B – closed to bookings until 1st August 2020
Cuilidh self-catering – closed to bookings until 1st August 2020
Without any official guidance available, we have chosen these dates as they seem to make sense with regard to current circumstances and events around the globe. This is in line with the recent comments of the Scottish Tourism Minister and both UK and Scottish government guidelines advising essential travel only.
This arrangement is subject to extension or change according to legislation and government directives.
Again, there is no supporting legislation as yet which makes things difficult for everyone. Without legislation, accommodation providers and customers alike are currently being penalised for cancelling advance bookings made months ago through OTA’s. Not just through loss of income or inconvenience, but actual penalty charges levied by the OTA’s! What is needed is specific Corona Virus government policy regarding accommodation providers similar to “close down the pubs”.
In the good news bracket, we hope this will be corrected then customers and accommodation providers will be able to cancel using OTA’s without penalty. In preparation, we have written to all customers with bookings up to August advising them of this, urging they contact their booking agencies for support.
It is also likely accommodation providers will be legislated to close to all but essential travellers only.
We have created a telephone and email booking process specifically for essential workers only. Call us on 01586 643404.
Published: 22nd March 2020
Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, gave this speech. The salient advisory points being:
- From now on ferries will be for those who live on our islands, who have an essential need to travel to or from the mainland and for essential supplies or business. Nothing else.
- To our hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation – you should not be accepting visitors. Provide accommodation for your staff and make yourselves available to help essential workers and support essential services – that is all.
Published: 23rd March 2020
- PM Boris Johnson has announced a lock-down of the UK for the next three weeks which will be reviewed on or around 13th April.
- This is the full guidance on what can and can’t stay open: Government Guidance
Last week, the Government had ordered certain businesses – including pubs, cinemas and theatres – to close. The Government is now extending this requirement to a further set of businesses and other venues, including:
Hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, campsites, caravan parks, and boarding houses for commercial/leisure use (excluding permanent residents and key workers).
Published: 16th April 2020
- Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has announced an extension to the UK lock-down for “at least another three weeks” which will be reviewed on or around 7th May 2020..
Published: 10th May 2020.
The Scottish Government maintains the position that hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, campsites, caravan parks, and boarding houses for commercial/leisure use (excluding permanent residents and key workers) remain closed.
Scotland remains on lock-down until the next review.
See the Scottish Government site: https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/
The next review is due on or around 31st May 2020.
Published: 21st May 2020
Current status: Phase 0 of the lockdown exit framework
Scotland remains on full lock-down until the next review. Phase 3 is when accommodation re-opens.
Updated on 21st May 2020.
This does look like we will remain closed until the end of August at the very least. As on previous updates, please contact your booking provider (OTA) for cancellation and refund opportunities, please let us know if you need our support.
The Scottish Government maintains the position that hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, campsites, caravan parks, and boarding houses for commercial/leisure use (excluding permanent residents and key workers) remain closed.
The next review is due on or around 31st May 2020.
Published 28th May 2020
Current status: Phase 1 of the lockdown exit framework
Scotland remains on modified lock-down until the next review. Phase 3 is when accommodation re-opens.
Updated on 28th May 2020.
This does look like we will remain closed until the end of August at the very least. As on previous updates, please contact your booking provider (OTA) for cancellation and refund opportunities, please let us know if you need our support.
The Scottish Government maintains the position that hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, campsites, caravan parks, and boarding houses for commercial/leisure use (excluding permanent residents and key workers) remain closed.
The next review is due on or around 19th June 2020.
Published 11th June 2020
Current status: Phase 1 of the lockdown exit framework
Scotland remains on modified lock-down until the next review. Phase 3 is when accommodation re-opens.
According to recent announcements, the Scottish Tourism sector, including pubs, hotels and restaurants, have been told to prepare to reopen on 15 July.
Sadly, this confirms that we should remain closed to all bookings up until at least that point. Once we have sight of the guidance, we can make further announcements. While there’s still a while to go, this is very welcome news.
As on previous updates, please contact your booking provider (OTA) for cancellation and refund opportunities, please let us know if you need our support.
Until then and for clarity, the Scottish Government maintains the position that hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, and boarding houses for commercial/leisure use (excluding permanent residents and key workers) remain closed, although there is talk of campsites and caravan parks possibly reopening sooner.
The next review is due on or around 19th June 2020.
What we will do
Until legally allowed to open, we will continue to cancel existing bookings on a rolling basis as the check-in dates meet lock-down dates, in line with the current UK and Scottish government directives.
Gowanlea B&B - NOW OPEN FOR BOOKINGS!
Cuilidh self-catering - NOW OPEN FOR BOOKINGS!
What you can do
We are advising customers to cancel or reschedule bookings for dates prior to 15th July 2020 in light of the lockdown restrictions to mitigate the Covid-19 Pandemic.
- As the dates progress, OTA’s (Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb, Trip Advisor) have been updating their Force Majeure policies enabling refunds for cancellations. Please update yourself as necessary and make any necessary arrangements. N.B. These have been updating valid refund/cancellation dates every week or so.
- Please update yourself on government-issued travel information and guidance relating to COVID-19 so you remain fully informed.
If you made your booking before 12th March 2020
If you used an OTA (Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb, Trip Advisor) check their policies relating to Corona Virus / Covid-19, and request a cancellation from them with a refund. We will support you in this regardless of tariff chosen. Remember, booking with an OTA means your payment was made to them, not us.
If you booked with us directly, contact us and we will give you a no quibble refund, no matter what room tariff you chose (i.e. Even non-refundable will be refunded).
If you made your booking on or after 12th March 2020
If you made your booking with an OTA (Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb, Trip Advisor) request a cancellation from them, we will honour the terms and conditions of the room booking tariff you chose at the time of booking. Remember, booking with an OTA means your payment was made to them, not us. They may or may not refund you.
If you booked with us directly, contact us:
If you chose a refundable tariff, we will honour the terms and conditions of the room booking tariff you chose at the time of booking.
If you chose a non-refundable tariff, we will be pleased to reschedule your booking for a later date or issue a voucher for equivalent value. We will not offer refunds.
Our priority is for everyone’s health and well-being. We include your health in this, ours, our staff and that of the residents in the area.
We’re proud to have been one of the first accommodation providers in the area to respond to the crisis way back at the 12th of March.
One day, this will become a memory. Kintyre remains a great holiday destination, and when this is all over, we’d love to welcome you once again. Please stay safe.
