Our personally selected Villas make travelplanners a great choice for booking the perfect Villa holiday. Our highly trained staff, or as we like to call them ‘experts’ are able to share our many years of experience in booking you the ultimate in self catering holidays.
When booking your Villa, travelplanners will send photographs of the property so that you know the exact home that you have booked, however as properties are individually owned there are occasions when certain properties cannot be used for operational reasons and consequently it may be necessary to substitute with a similar or superior property at short notice. Should this occur we will always look to provide an alternative that is located as close to the original property booked whenever possible.
Following your confirmation you will be asked to complete an online registration HERE where you will be required to pay a £50 registration fee, this fee is non-refundable, however this does cover you for accidental damage up to the value of £1000.
Shortly prior to travel, you will receive full directions and entry instructions for your property. To ensure that villas can be prepared ready for your arrival, we ask that guests do not arrive before 4pm. Homes are cleaned prior to arrival and following your departure. As your booking is made on a self catering basis, cleaning materials are not supplied. It is important to note that these properties are privately owned and furnishings and decorations are replaced far less frequently than in a hotel, particularly in our best priced, but lowest category homes. Consequently you would expect to find signs of reasonable wear and tear throughout the property. A mid-stay clean can be requested for an extra cost.
On arrival at the villa/accommodation if you have any issues with the lock/lockbox of your villa please contact the management company office or emergency number which is listed on your directions. Once inside the villa/accommodation there should be a management company handbook which will offer instructions regarding the properties facilities. If this is not provided and you have questions please email our villas team at [email protected]. If you have any maintenance problems whilst at the property it is important that you contact us in the first instance and not the management company directly, our number is 0044 208 418 8202.
All properties are non-smoking. Guests are asked to consider neighbouring residents and conduct themselves in an orderly manner. Please do not attempt to move furniture as this may cause damage to the floors/carpets.
Florida has a sub-tropical climate and this means that at certain times of the year, you may see harmless bugs and insects including ants and cockroaches, this is nothing to be alarmed about, our advice is to keep all windows and doors closed where possible and to clean up any crumbs and spillages immediately so as not to attract any unwanted visitors. All homes are treated by pest control services on a regular basis, but if there are any concerns, please call us and we can arrange a further visit.
A garbage can (bin) will be available at the Villa and bin collections are weekly; all rubbish should be put into a black bin liner before placing in the bin. Rubbish should not be placed outside of the bin bags as this may attract wildlife. The bin should be placed at the end of the driveway close to the road on the evening before the collection is scheduled. Once the bin is emptied, it should be returned to where it was found, if this is not done the homeowner faces a fine.
Pool heat can be arranged for an additional cost, however it is worth knowing that private pool heaters are only designed to raise the water temperature to approximately 10 degrees Fahrenheit above the external air temperature. Consequently, cooler weather will mean cooler water temperature that some guests may find too cold to swim in, even though the pool heater is working correctly. We are not able to give pool heat refunds should the external air temperature prevent water heating to the required level. Should the outside air temperature fall below 60F the pool heaters will automatically shut off. If you feel that the pool heater is not working correctly, please contact us immediately and we will arrange for a pool engineer to visit although at busy times of year this could take up to 24 hours to arrange.
Swimming pools are serviced on a regular basis. Where pools are due to be cleaned, pool personnel will enter through the screen door, therefore we ask that the screen doors are not locked. Please note: due to the large amount of rainfall in Florida, at certain times of the year sand, dirt, insects, leaves etc, may accumulate at the bottom of the pool if there has been a storm. You will be able to remove such items with the pool net provided, however if debris becomes a concern, please call us for further assistance.
Air conditioning is controlled by a thermostat, for cool air turn the control switch to ‘COOL AND AUTO’. Please do not turn the air-conditioning unit below 75 degrees or change from the Auto setting, as this can cause the unit to freeze. If there is a lock box over the controls, this means that the temperature is pre-set to the appropriate temperature required for the house. Keeping windows and doors closed whilst the air -conditioning is on will keep the villa nice and cool.
The plumbing in Florida is not always as efficient as in the UK and it is a common occurrence that toilets become blocked. There should be a plunger in the house for your needs if required, but if this does not resolve the problem, please call and we will arrange maintenance.
Most American homes do not have a kettle, however it is possible to arrange one if this is required.
BBQs are not included, but can be pre-paid and delivered. Should your villa already have a BBQ, this may be the property of the owner and we cannot guarantee the standard. The BBQ must be left in the condition of which it was found.
Blinds in the Villas are replaced often, but are fragile and easy to damage. We kindly ask that you take care when operating the blinds. If any of the slats fall out, they should be easily re-inserted.
If your child requires a cot (or crib in the US), these can be pre-ordered for a charge. Cots are not the wooden, free standing types, and will usually be a travel cot. Travel cots can also be reasonably purchased at the local supermarket. Highchairs can also be rented.
Safes are not usually included in the villas. You may find that your property has a safe, however this may not be available for guest use. We do advise that valuables and personal belongings should be kept with you at all times.
Villa owners will usually keep one of the cupboards locked, this is to store non-valuable personal items. If you find a locked cupboard or wardrobe, please do not try to open it as this is the owners private area.
WiFi is included in all villas. Logins and passwords will be provided on your direction information. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the signal strength of the WiFi and therefore if WiFi is essential or required for business needs we strongly recommend that adequate data is purchased in the UK before travel from your mobile phone provider.
Building Work, as with any residential community, renovations and refurbishments may occur from time to time, especially in communities which are expanding. Consequently, it may be possible that you experience building works taking place which regretfully we have no control over. Please be assured that builders are only permitted to work during daytime hours.
