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St Giles Dorset

Accommodation T&Cs

1. Terms of Booking & Booking Deposit

By placing a booking with us at St Giles House Events (referred to as we, us or our), the guest making the booking (referred to as you, your or the guest) agrees to the following terms and conditions.

Please read these terms and conditions carefully before making a booking with us as you will be bound by them.

Your request to us for a booking is an offer by you for the reservation of accommodation and purchase of related services, but whether we accept any such offer will be at our discretion.

Only once we tell you that we accept your request for a booking will there be a booking and will a binding contract between you and us come into existence.

That contract will consist of your request for a booking, as accepted by us, and these terms and conditions (Agreement).

If you have any questions about booking with us or about the Agreement, please contact us before making a booking.

You can contact us:

We will contact you by email unless you prefer us to telephone (you will need to provide us with a telephone number and explicitly mention to contact you by telephone).

To place a booking with us you must be at least 18 years of age.

Where you make this booking on behalf of other people you may be held responsible for their acts or omissions, including any cancellation/non-arrival charges and damages as set-out in this Agreement.

Only you and your named guests can use the property and its facilities. Any third-party visitors are only allowed access at our express permission.

The number of guests staying must not exceed the maximum number of guests agreed at the time of booking.

If we become aware that the actual number of guests exceeds the agreed number, we reserve the right to charge you for each extra guest for an extra night in a separate room (if any available) at the cost set out on our website.

If no rooms are available, we reserve the right to ask the extra guests to leave the property.

To secure any bookings (which are not part of our wedding packages) we require a deposit to be paid in advance, the amount of which is 30% of the total booking fee.

Deposit payments must be received by us in cleared funds before your booking will be confirmed.

Deposits are only refundable under the conditions set-out in these terms.

The balance of monies owing by you under this Agreement will be payable 6 weeks before arrival or, if your booking is made within 6 weeks of your arrival, you must pay the total booking fee at the time you make the booking.

On check-in, you must provide a credit card so that a pre-authorisation amount for payment of any extras or damage can be blocked.

You authorise the use of the blocked pre-authorised amount on this card for any sums that become properly due to us (including for the cost of any extras or damage you are responsible for).

The blocked pre-authorisation will be automatically released (less any payment taken for any sum properly due to us under the Agreement) up to 30 days later, with a minimum hold duration of 7 days, subject to the card’s compatibility with this feature.

The blocked pre-authorisation amount is £150.

Payments can be made online / over the phone using debit / credit card as well as by digital bank transfer, cheque or cash.

Please be aware that there is a significant risk posed by cyber fraud, specifically affecting email accounts and bank account details.

Please note that our bank account details will not change during the course of a transaction and we will not change our bank details via email.

Please call us to check our account details if in any doubt.

We will not accept responsibility if you wrongly transfer money into an incorrect account and you will need to send payment again to our correct account.

Any charges raised against us by our banks for handling dishonoured cheques, bank transfers or any other payments, must be reimbursed by you within seven (7) days of any request to do so.

We reserve the right to change our prices at any time (this does not affect bookings already made).

All bookings are subject to a minimum two nights stay.

All guests agree to respect the privacy and peace of all other staying guests, neighbours and the owners of the property at all times.

If, in our sole reasonable opinion, any person is not suitable to continue their occupation of the property because of unreasonable behaviour, breach of this Agreement, damage or disturbance / nuisance to other parties (including other guests, neighbours or us), we reserve the right to cancel this Agreement with you and to require all relevant guests to vacate the property immediately, and with no right to a refund of monies paid.

This is a residential property and so we respectfully ask that you treat it with care.

Please ensure that all personal electrical items are turned off and unplugged when not in use.

Children under the age of 16 must always be supervised by an adult.

1.1 Check-in & Check-out

Guests must check-in and check-out by the times stated below.

Check-in

  • From 4:00pm on the day of arrival.
  • For guests arriving after 5:00pm, please inform the team of your approximate arrival time.
  • Our Park Lane gates are closed at the end of the day, so we will need to know if you plan to arrive after 11:00pm, or after 5:00pm on a Sunday.
  • It also should be noted that all guests visiting that will require pick up will need to walk to the Park Lane gate as the gates will be closed to vehicles after the aforementioned times.

Check-out

  • By 10:00am on the day of departure.

A late check-out may be permitted, subject to availability and to a fee of £25/room/hour, up to 12:00pm.

This will need to be agreed at the time of booking.

If late check-out has not been arranged in advance and guests have not left the property by the usual check-out time, the lead guest will incur a charge equivalent to the cost of a full night’s stay.

1.2 Cancellation, Deposit & Non-Arrival Conditions

If you need to cancel the Agreement (and therefore your booking) you should contact us as soon as possible.

We will acknowledge receipt of cancellation as soon as reasonably possible.

Please do not consider the booking cancelled until you have received our acknowledgement.

If you cancel the Agreement (and therefore your booking) without us being at fault, or if we cancel the Agreement because you have broken an important obligation under the Agreement:

  • Amounts already paid are non-refundable (except as referred to below); and
  • Within six weeks of the first day of your booking, you must pay us for the outstanding balance of the full cost of the hire of the property,

(together referred to as the Cancellation Fee).

If you pay us the Cancellation Fee and we are later able to re-let the property (in whole or in part) for the same dates as your booking, you will be refunded the value of the booking that we were able to secure, up to the Cancellation Fee but less the amount of our reasonable costs in dealing with your booking and its cancellation.

For the avoidance of doubt, non-arrival of guests for any reason will be treated as a cancellation and we shall be entitled to keep their deposit paid and the balance of the full amount of the booking will be due (or, if the balance has already been paid, we may keep it).

It is suggested that guests take out appropriate holiday / cancellation insurance where required.

If the booked property is unavailable due to circumstances outside of our control, we reserve the right to transfer the booking to an alternative let of the same quality or, where no equivalent alternative is available, we will refund the full amount that you have paid to us for the booking.

In the unlikely event we need to cancel the Agreement (and therefore your booking with us), where that cancellation is because of circumstances beyond our control, our liability to you is limited to the refund of any payment already made.

1.3 Cleaning, Damage and Self-Catering

1.3.1 Return of the Property in Good Condition

All guests are responsible for leaving the whole property in good order and in a clean condition in a similar state to which they find it (reasonable cleaning expected), otherwise a cleaning charge will be levied.

1.3.2 Damage

We reserve the right to charge you for any damage caused through the course of a booking and/or your stay by any member of the booking party.

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Breakages
  • Missing toiletry products
  • Spillages
  • Stains
  • Damage to furniture
  • Damage to fixtures and fittings

Please report to us any accidental damage as soon as possible to minimise the damage and associated costs.

Lost keys / fobs will incur a replacement charge of £140 per key / fob lost.

1.3.3 Self-Catering

For the avoidance of doubt all dishes, pots, pans, glasses and utensils that are used must be washed and stored where found.

Kitchen surfaces must be wiped down and sanitised.

The dining room and lounge must be left tidy, used glasses must washed and recycling and waste should be collected in one place and left ready for disposal.

If we agree to provide catering for you during your stay, the kitchen and dining area must be in a clean state before we start the service, and we will then return it to a clean state after the service.

If it requires a clean when we arrive to serve food there will be a cleaning fee of £150.

1.3.4 Alcohol and Honesty Bar

We will be delighted to stock our honesty bar for you.

Please ask us for a menu and we can have your drinks chilling and ready for your arrival.

If you choose this offer you will get access to our full bar facilities including:

  • Chiller
  • Ice machine
  • Glassware
  • Bar measures

If you choose to bring your own alcohol, we will require you to take all waste bottles home and the bar facilities will be locked.

If you do not remove your empties, you will be charged a £150 disposal fee.

1.4 Wildlife

Our properties are in a beautiful rural area.

Please therefore expect to meet some wildlife, including the odd:

  • Spider
  • Mouse
  • Bird
  • Fly
  • Bee
  • Wasp
  • Bat
  • Other creatures

…which may make their way into a property unbeknown to us.

Spiders are not considered to be a pest and consume up to 2000 other insects per year.

If this is likely to be a problem, it would be best not to book.

If any of these creatures are encountered, do not panic, but contact us in a calm and reasonable way—but only if the creatures become a serious menace.

Otherwise, just open a window or a door and let them out, as this is usually what they prefer.

We reserve the right to take no action if we do not consider the existence of the wildlife to be a serious threat to health.

1.5 Wi-Fi Usage Policy

Where Wi-Fi internet access is provided, guests must use this access to the internet fairly and appropriately.

We may monitor network performance and user usage to maintain a fair and high level of service to all our guests.

The internet access provided is intended for general use such as access to the world wide web, email, messaging, social media, light video / music / media streaming.

It is not intended or ideally suited for heavy media streaming, online gaming or extensive downloads / uploads.

Use of our network for illegal activity is strictly prohibited and will be reported to local authorities.

The next section will cover 1.6 Lost Property, Rules & Extra Charges, which is one of the longest sections.

1.6 Lost Property, Rules & Extra Charges

1.6.1 Lost Property

Any lost property, if discovered and found, left behind by guests during a stay will be held for a period of one month.

While we will use reasonable efforts to reunite lost property with their owners, we accept no responsibility in replacing lost items and encourage guests to ensure they have all their belongings before checking-out.

We may offer to post lost items via recorded delivery at your cost, or otherwise to make it available for your collection.

1.6.2 Removal of Items

Should guests remove any item from the property which is not returned at the end of your stay, we may ask you for reasonable replacement costs.

1.6.3 Confetti, Fireworks & Glow Sticks

  • No confetti is permitted on the premises.
  • The only exception to this is the use of organic petals, outside only.
  • No glow sticks or fireworks of any description are to be used.

1.6.4 Smoking & Vaping

Vaping and smoking of any tobacco products including, but not limited to:

  • Cigarettes
  • Pipes
  • Cigars
  • Snuff
  • Chewing tobacco

…is only allowed outside of the property.

If we find evidence of smoking, or any of the above, within the premises, a cleaning charge of £150 per room will be applied.

1.6.5 Pets & Assistance Dogs

We accept well behaved dogs in the ground floor bedrooms of the Riding House and Grooms Cottage.

Please inform us at the time of booking.

An extra charge of £25 per pet will apply.

Guests are requested to ensure that pets are not allowed on the soft furnishings or on beds.

We reserve the right to charge cleaning and repair costs if your dog damages the soft furnishings or beds.

Please ensure that you clean up after your dog in the grounds of the property and that they are always kept on leads.

1.6.6 Outside Space

The Pepperpots have their own little garden each.

The Riding House has the area in front of the house with the firepit and benches for their sole use.

Grooms Cottages have benches at the rear of the properties that they can access through the back door of their cottages.

All other walks in the area are accessible via the village and access to the village can be gained through Church Lane gate.

The area in front of and around St Giles House is private for weddings but also for the Shaftesbury family who live onsite.

1.6.7 Working Stud

Lady Shaftesbury runs a stud in the courtyard where the Grooms Cottages and Riding House gain access.

It is requested that dogs are always on leads.

Please do not approach foals and horses as they are not people/dog friendly.

1.6.8 Catering

If you require catering, we would prefer you to use one of our approved caterers because we have experience of them and they are already familiar with the facilities at the property and our rules.

However, if you would like to use your own caterer you may do so subject to us approving your caterer in advance.

We will not unreasonably withhold or delay our approval but it may be subject to reasonable checks and conditions.

For example, we may require your chosen caterer to:

  • Agree to be bound by our rules of operation; and
  • Provide evidence of having insurance with a reputable insurer which would provide suitable cover if the caterer caused damage to the property and/or our equipment.

The kitchen at the Riding House is fully equipped as a commercial kitchen with our equipment.

We may charge you for any damage you, your guests or your caterer cause to our property or equipment (other than normal wear and tear).

1.7 Liability

We are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breaching the Agreement, but we are not responsible for any loss or damage that is unforeseeable.

Loss or damage is foreseeable if either:

  • it is obvious that it will happen; or
  • at the time the Agreement was entered into, both we and you knew it might happen, for example, if you discussed it with us when you made the booking.

We do not exclude or limit in any way our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so.

This includes (but is not limited to) liability for:

  • Death or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our employees, agents or subcontractors; or
  • Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

We cannot take responsibility for any matter outside our control, i.e. damage, injury, delays, or loss in connection with your booking/holiday, or where performance or prompt performance of the Agreement is prevented or affected directly or indirectly by:

  • Mechanical or electrical breakdown
  • Inclement weather
  • Flood
  • Fire
  • Temporary invasion of pests
  • Any other “Act of God”
  • War
  • Farming or building activities
  • Acts of local or central Government
  • Nuisance caused from neighbouring properties
  • Any other reason outside of our control

We shall under no circumstances whatsoever be liable to you and all other guests under your booking, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, for any loss of profit, or any other business related losses arising under or in connection with the Agreement and the booking.

If you book the property in the course of your business, our liability to you and all other guests under your booking, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, will be limited to an amount equal to the total fee paid by you for the booking.

We use reasonable efforts to verify the accuracy of any information on our website and our marketing materials, but we make no representation or warranty of any kind regarding the contents or availability of our website or that it will be timely or error-free.

We also give no representation or warranty that the website or any server that makes the website available is free of viruses or bugs.

If you are a consumer, nothing in this Agreement shall affect your statutory rights.

1.8 Parking & CCTV

Free parking is provided in the walled car park.

By agreeing to these terms, you accept on your behalf and that of all other guests under your booking, that we are not responsible for any theft or damage in relation to their vehicles and the contents of them unless we are legally at fault.

All cars of guests not staying at the Pepperpots must be parked overnight in the walled car park.

No car parking is allowed in or around the stud.

Guests’ cars must be removed from the property by the check-out time on the day of departure.

Car charging from the domestic sockets in any of the properties is strictly forbidden.

Please note CCTV is in operation on our premises, for the purpose of crime and disorder prevention.

1.9 Accessibility Statement

We have an Accessibility Guide for the property, which we are happy to share upon request.

1.10 Your Personal Details & Privacy

We are required to keep a register of guests over the age of 16 who stay with us.

This includes information such as:

  • Full names
  • Nationality
  • Passport numbers and place of issue (where applicable)
  • Details of next destination if they are non-British, Irish or Commonwealth guests

This is in accordance with the Immigration (Hotel Records) Order 1972.

These records are kept for a minimum of 12 months and in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

We will only use the personal information provided by you in relation to the Agreement, and in line with applicable data protection laws and our Privacy Policy, which you can read on our website:

www.stgileshouse.com

Please do not include, within any entries you may make to any on-site guest book, if available, personal information or details you would not want disclosed.

Any entries containing personal details may be removed and destroyed.

If you supply your email address to us within your booking, we will keep this on record and from time to time we may be in touch with news from St Giles Events and Estate, including special offers.

If you do not wish us to stay in touch then please email “unsubscribe” when you receive an email from us.

1.11 Other Important Terms

We reserve the right to enter the accommodation for the purposes of inspection, urgent repairs and/or maintenance at any time.

We may transfer our rights and obligations under the Agreement to another organisation.

We’ll always tell you in writing if this happens.

The transfer of our rights and obligations won’t affect your rights or our obligations under the Agreement.

You may only transfer your rights or your obligations under the Agreement to another person if we agree in writing (our agreement will not be refused without good reason).

Each of the paragraphs of this Agreement operate separately.

If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining paragraphs will remain in full force and effect.

If we do not insist immediately that you do anything you are required to do under this Agreement, or if we delay in taking steps against you in respect of your breaching any term of this Agreement, that will not mean that you do not have to do those things and it will not prevent us taking steps against you at a later date.

The Agreement is governed by English law.

You and we both agree that if a dispute is referred to court, the English courts will handle it.

However, if you live in Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland, you may also bring court proceedings in the country within the UK that you live in.