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Towel charges


Clair
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Could you not include the charges to begin with and give a refund to those not needing the bedding and towels?

For example, write something along the lines of:  the cost of your gîte includes a charge of €X per person per week for the linen and towel bale.  However, if you do not need this service and do not use it, we will refund the money at the end of your stay.

Or is it not done that way?  I don't know, having never stayed in a gîte.

At least you are then covered for the cost, the money would have been deducted at the outset and, people being what they are, would be generally pleased to have "money back" (even if it's their own money in the first place).[:P]

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[quote user="Judith"]To me towels and bed linen are not "special touches" as I cannot do without them.    Welcome basket, start up packs etc, are not necessary, IF you know in advance.  And if provided, as with a rubbish bag, it is merely to "help" when first arrived, especially if late at night.  I would always expect to have supply the onward needs. [/quote]

This is very interesting...

I can't say I am surprised to see a clear difference between the expectations of a potential British visitors and those of a mainland-based visitors.

I have had a British visitor knock on the door because I had "not provided enough toilet rolls for their stay".

On the other hand, the Spanish visitor who left last week said she this was the first place her family had stayed in where towels and bedding were supplied. They had brought towels with them.

The Belgian group of 5 staying in at the moment have brought their towels, toilet paper, hair-dryer... (and an electric fryer! [:-))]) and they did have a 12-hour journey, similar to that of a British visitor...

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Funny enough Clair we have people turning up with their towels at our CDH and are quite pleased when we tell them they are included. We had one group years back turn up with their own bedding as well.

What is the latest time people accept guests for Gites?

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 I think charging for towels is what could be termed 'nickel and diming' why not put your overall charge up ?

I always bring a bath towel because my idea of a bath towel and that of most hotel owners is usually poles apart [:D] Anywhere that provides big bath towels gets a thumbs up from me

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I'd love to ditch providing towels as they cost me a fortune, but I don't like charging extra for things and I think that the sort of guests I get expect towels to be included. I provide good quality bath sheets (100 x 150cm) 700gsm and face towels but have recently changed from white to cream and beige due to having to give so many to the local SPA because of sun protection stains (amongst others) on the white ones.

OTOH I'm sure that no-one has ever re-booked with me because I supply nice towels, that is not top of people's list for a great holiday and that is why I'd question the fact as to whether they add value. So why not charge?

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[quote user="Clair"]

The Belgian group of 5 staying in at the moment have brought their towels, toilet paper, hair-dryer... (and an electric fryer! [:-))]) and they did have a 12-hour journey, similar to that of a British visitor...

[/quote]

Maybe some of this is to do with whether you come by car or fly.  But the different expectations of British and continental visitors has a lot to do with it.

On principle, I prefer to have the cost inclusive rather than an add-on.

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[quote user="sweet 17"]

Could you not include the charges to begin with and give a refund to those not needing the bedding and towels?

For example, write something along the lines of:  the cost of your gîte includes a charge of €X per person per week for the linen and towel bale.  However, if you do not need this service and do not use it, we will refund the money at the end of your stay.

Or is it not done that way?  I don't know, having never stayed in a gîte.

At least you are then covered for the cost, the money would have been deducted at the outset and, people being what they are, would be generally pleased to have "money back" (even if it's their own money in the first place).[:P]

[/quote]

 

Either way we need to know before we arrive (you don't leave 6 sets of towels and bed linen out to clutter the place ) as we have the bed made up for them.  Everything is clear from the outset - on the web site and all documents thereafter - it is not an add-on later in the process.

John

 

 

 

 

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[quote user="Quillan"]

Funny enough Clair we have people turning up with their towels at our CDH and are quite pleased when we tell them they are included. We had one group years back turn up with their own bedding as well.

What is the latest time people accept guests for Gites?

[/quote]

I would expect a CDH to have towels and bedding.

 

What do you mean by 'latest time'?

Latest bookings tend to close a day or so before depending on my feelings of getting the place right fopr them (and me getting their money).

Latest arrivals - we now use a keybox system which is really useful for those who drive. In the early days our local manager was messed about something rotten by some people .

 

Regards

 

John

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Catering for our gite is not easy as we don't live in France. We charge £10 per person to supply bedlinen. We have to do this as this is what our cleaners charge us to launder it. We think it is a bit steep - especially as it is per person, not per bed! If we were to always supply bedlinen and include this in the overall charge and so put the prices up, it would be difficult to work out, because we have 2 bedrooms one double, one twin. So we would have to put each price up by £40, regardless of whether 2 or 4 people are booking.

We do not supply towels at all. We have always had plenty of bookings though, and no one has commented about the lack of towels. However, our gite is in Brittany and most people drive rather than fly.

We do include cleaning at changeover, we supply all loo paper and bin bags. The only welcome pack is a couple of bottles of wine. However we get wonderful comments about how well equipped the house is, and have had lots of thank yous for the wine.
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Yes, we charge per person for towels/linen, some people prefer to bring their own and like previous post we don't want to increase the overall weekly charge for everyone. I always speak to them a week before so they have the option and if traveling by rail/flying, I tend to not charge especially in the more expensive weeks. We supply plenty of loo roles/cleaning and everything else and charges from the caretaker to do the washing is what we charge visitors.

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What goes around comes around.

I might be being naive but I firmly believe that if you make people welcome, leave plenty of loo paper, cleaning stuff, spare towels, a bottle of wine, and don't be demanding petty charges for this and that, then they are likely to behave in a generous way with you.  For instance leaving BBQ charcoal for the next guests  and leaving the place reasonably clean.

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[quote user="Owens88"][quote user="Quillan"]

Funny enough Clair we have people turning up with their towels at our CDH and are quite pleased when we tell them they are included. We had one group years back turn up with their own bedding as well.

What is the latest time people accept guests for Gites?

[/quote]

I would expect a CDH to have towels and bedding.

 

What do you mean by 'latest time'?

Latest bookings tend to close a day or so before depending on my feelings of getting the place right fopr them (and me getting their money).

Latest arrivals - we now use a keybox system which is really useful for those who drive. In the early days our local manager was messed about something rotten by some people .

Regards

John

[/quote]

I would also expect a CDH to supply towels but the fact that they bought them with them and were shocked that we provided them seems to indicate that there are some CDH's out there that don't supply towels etc or that it is the first time they have stayed in a CDH.

I was referring to the time of day that you won't accept arrivals after.

I think its different horses for different courses. If you want cheap you bring your own towels etc. If money is not an issue then you expect the towels etc to be there for you but then you are paying more. I can imagine this is important if flying over with a bucket airline like Ryan Air for example where you want to bring as little as possible in a carrier bag to save spending £30 on putting a bag in the hold.

If you are driving over then its probably not much of an issue if you take bedding and towels or not. Put it this way chaps more bedding the less room for those silly things women want to buy on holiday so even money saved [;-)] .

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[quote user="Quillan"]Put it this way chaps more bedding the less room for those silly things women want to buy on holiday so even money saved [;-)] .[/quote]

One way or another you are going to regret saying that; I feel this in my bones!

Sue [;-)]

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Hi Clair

I'm quite new to this, 2009 is our second season. When we set out our offer last year we decided to charge for towels to cover the drying cost and because many others did the same. We offer a hand towel and a bath towel per person at a charge of 3.50 € per week per person. Our clients are 70 % Brits some Irish, Dutch and other nationalities, no French because our web site, which generates the bookings, is aimed at English speakers. We make it clear in terms and confirmation letters that towels are only for use in the gite and that they should bring beach towels ( we have no pool ). About 70% of clients take up the towel offer and we are full for the main 6 week  summer season in four gites so this is not a deterant.

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Thanks for the comment Chris [:)].

I have done a lot of research over the net in the last few days and, as expected, rentals at the top end are all-inclusive.

However, we are certainly not at the top end. Our target market is the average French family - papa-maman-2 ou 3 enfants - on their two-week summer break.

I have done a  breakdown of the costs, including all the tourist tax

and the freebees and I have a good idea of where our 2010 tariff will

be set at.

If or when the interest from British visitors is renewed, I may well do as Bannie does and offer the towels anyway.

But then again, I would be interested to find out what the posters who have expressed reservations about an optional towel charge consider a reasonable all-inclusive tariff... What is your set-point? Is it €350? €850? €1200?

As an example, my Dutch neighbours, (stand-alone 3-bed villa with large pool) advertise at €1450 a week in July and August, yet do not supply anything beyond basic cleaning gear. Even the final cleaning is charged.

Another place not too far away has 4 luxurious rental properties within converted farm buildings. All the surfaces are shiny, from the taps to the kitchen and bathroom cabinets! The tariff is all-inclusive, from towels to cleaning and the private outdoor spa. The property equivalent to mine in terms of number of beds costs €1200 a week in July and August.

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Our recent stay in a well-equipped  2 bedroomed Gîte in the Lot (vallée du Célé) cost £275 for a week in June.

Towels, bedding and things like loo paper and binliners were included, and there was a CD player but no TV.

Large garden and terrace at 200 metres from the river.

There were no extra charges, and there were even some groceries left by the previous guests, which we reciprocated.

It was owned by English owners andclearly marketed at English people, with a wide range of reading material both guides and fiction in English.

In May a French-owned appartment on the coast (50 metres from the sea) cost 400 euros.

Two double bedrooms and a canapé in the sitting room which catered for our group of 3 adults and 2 children.

Also very well-equipped with new kitchen and shower room, and a garden with terrace and BBQ , plus a TV.

Similarly things like loo paper and binliners were included, and essential groceries were there on arrival.

No bedding and towels though (and clearly stated)

 There could have been a problem for the young family because they were arriving by Ryanair with 2 children and a pushchair, so every little bit of luggage space was used, but fortunately I have a good  neighbour who lent all the bedding (and even picked them up at the airport) but if she hadn't done that I don't quite know how they would have managed if not.

In both cases everybody was completely satisfied with the holiday.

Perhaps we were lucky, but in recompense great efforts were made in both cases to respect the condition of the property, and to keep it clean  so that the person coming to do the change over (not charged) had only a minimum to do.

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There may be something else to consider. If I was getting towels 'included' as long as they did the job, ie dried me, I'd be happy. If I was paying extra I may expect a better quality and in my case, bigger (because thats my preference) towel....or more per person.

At home we have a bath sheet and bath towel each, and both are used on a daily basis, one for body, one for hair. If you provide only a bath towel and hand towel, what are you supposed to use after just washing your hands when the bath and hand towel may be wet ?  

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I agree with 'Bluebell' all our bookings include all towels and bedding (except pool towels) the loo rolls, Bottle of wine etc. We do find that they leave things like sealed food items, charcoal etc. We have never had anyone turn up with own towels because it is always made clear that the bed linen & towels are included when they make an enquiry.
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I've just come in from a changeover.  I had very little to do, the family had left all the towels and bathmats etc drying on the line and the bedding folded neatly for me to take away to wash.  The place was cleaner than when I left it!

Obviously all are not as good as those people but I'm sure it's because I don't charge any extras at all.  And there are unlimited towels and loopaper. My OH says that if he stayed somewhere and had to pay 40 euros cleaning charge and 10 euros for a couple of towels he wouldn't bother lifting a finger before he left.

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I barely finished today's changeover when the next visitors arrived.

For the first time since I started renting the house, I have had to retain some of the security deposit as the place was absolutely filthy.

The kitchen took 2 hours to clean as I had to wash the walls and the cupboards to remove the smell of grease which permeated the whole of downstairs.

The WC had clearly not been touched in 2 weeks and the shower cabinet was coated in soap and shampoo inside and out.

Two large towels were missing.

Oh and a bed was broken. Only bought it last year. One of a pair.

But it must have slipped their mind to mention it before they left...

They had thoughtfully turned the damaged side against the wall so that it would not be noticed until I made the bed.

But who cares about that!

I'll just ask Mr Clair to whittle another bed for the visitors who have just arrived!

On the plus side, even though they managed to use all 200 of the paper towels and the 2 kitchen rolls and the whole bag of charcoal without replacing anything, they have kindly left a tin of sausages and beans (well, that's what the picture looks like, but the label is written in Dutch or is it double-Dutch?)

Hooray!

On the plus side, the family who has just arrived seems very nice. I expect this is a handy rental for them, as they have bought a derelict property ½ a mile away [:)]
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I have just arrived home this morning from a week in a gite we are English and travelled by plane plus hire car. The luggage weight restrictions on Rynair mean it is not practical to take any towels at all especially as you may have to travel back with some or all of them still damp. The gite owner helpfully said we could hire towels from a local launderette and added it was open on Satrudays.He failed to tell us that it closed for the weekend at 12 noon and we arrived too late! We bought towels from Carrefour 8 euros for two bath sized towels they were a bit thin and we had to buy two packs as there were three of us so that was 16 euros. They doubled up as pool, and bath towels. I knew we would have to leave them behind which grated a bit. It is completely different if you drive you can fit them into the car presumably why the mainland europe guests expect to bring their own towels and bedding. Next time I fly I will look for a gite with towels and bedding provided and inclusive. Clair my advice is don't go over the top with the towel pack try a smaller pack ie one towel for less cost. My other gripe in most gites is a lack of tea towels but as I never take a gite without a dishwasher that solves that problem! I also left the gite cleaner then when I arrived something I seem to do every time.
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Thanks for the comment and I completely agree that when you fly to France, luggage is key, which is why  will approach bookings from the UK differently, if and when they materialise.

The tea towels (even though there is a dish-washer), kitchen hand-towels and bedding are supplied in the rental and that will not change. It's just the bathroom and pool towels which will be available to those who might not want to bring their own.

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I have 2 price bands - the base tariff includes taxe de sejour and electricity only, with the the option of sheets (9 euro double bed, 7 single bed), - beds made-up on arrival, towels (5 euros bath and hand towel) and end of stay clean 40 euros.  The all-in includes all of the extras - I just add 100-120 euros onto the base tariff, depending on occupancy, and I leave a gift of Munster Geromois and some plonk too.

Included in the base tariff are basic cleaning materials, a few bin bags, loo rolls, kitchen roll, a table cloth, 3 or 4 tea towels and a hand towel.  If any previous guests leave anything useful (e.g. washing powder) I leave it in the gite. 

I have only had two bookings all year for sheets, one for the all-in price (and they were a family of British bikers so there were strict limiations on how much stuff they could bring).   And they were my only British booking!

I now charge for our 4-legged friends (you may recall my previous post

[:D]) with a 20 euro donation to SPA, and an extra 50 euros on the

caution.  I do include dog pooh bags for dog bookings!  And strict

instructions about acceptable dog (or rather owner) behaviour.  I hate

being such a bossy boots but it seems I have no choice.

 

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An update on the towel front:

I have now put the same 3 large towels in the wash for the third time, as I cannot seem to get rid of the stains on them (same Belgian group as before, the ones who broke the bed and nicked 2 large towels, presumably those were clean!)

I remember reading some stain removing tips here and did a forum search.

This 2006 thread on towels came up: Towels or not?

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Clair, have you tried soaking them in weak bleach overnight, putting them through the wash and then hanging them to dry in the sun? Last week I had curry stained napkins that nearly got turned into rags. When I hung them up to dry they still had fearsome stains. But after a sunny afternoon on the line I was surprised there wasn't a mark on them.
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