Booking Terms & Conditions

About this document

How these terms work.

These Booking Terms govern the commercial side of a reservation: contract formation, price, payment, changes, cancellation, refunds and booking-channel rules. The separate Terms of Stay govern occupation and use of The Cotswold Barn. Together with the Booking Confirmation and any booking-specific written conditions, they form the contract where they have been properly disclosed and incorporated.

Effective date

Effective date: the date this version is first published for new Reservations. It does not apply retrospectively to an existing Reservation unless the Lead Guest expressly agrees or a change is required by law.

Owner details

The Owner is the person or business identified in the Booking Confirmation, website legal/contact information or applicable Booking Platform listing.

01Definitions and contract documents

"Booking Confirmation" means the confirmation issued for the Reservation, whether by the Owner, the direct-booking system or the relevant Booking Platform.

"Booking Platform" means Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com or another third-party booking platform through which the Reservation is made.

"Direct Booking" means a Reservation made directly with the Owner through the official website or another direct booking route accepted by the Owner.

"Lead Guest" means the person who makes the Reservation and is identified as the principal guest.

"Owner" means the person or business supplying or operating The Cotswold Barn and identified in the Booking Confirmation, website legal/contact information or applicable Booking Platform listing.

"Reservation" means the confirmed booking for The Cotswold Barn.

"Terms of Stay" means the separate document governing occupation and use of the Property during the Stay.

For a Direct Booking, the contract comprises these Booking Terms, the Booking Confirmation, the Terms of Stay, the cancellation policy and price/payment information displayed before the Reservation is submitted, and any booking-specific condition expressly agreed in writing. For a Booking Platform Reservation, the platform terms and policies also form part of the booking arrangement.

02When a Reservation becomes binding

For a Direct Booking, a binding Reservation is formed when the Owner or booking system issues a Booking Confirmation after accepting the booking and any payment or payment authorisation required at that stage. An enquiry, quotation, provisional hold or unsuccessful payment attempt does not by itself create a confirmed Reservation.

For a Booking Platform Reservation, the time at which the Reservation becomes binding is governed by the applicable Booking Platform terms.

The version of these Booking Terms and the Terms of Stay applicable to a Reservation is the version disclosed to the Lead Guest before the contract is concluded, subject to any later change expressly agreed or required by law.

03Booking channels and platform priority

These Booking Terms are intended to support Direct Bookings and, where validly incorporated, Booking Platform Reservations. They do not override mandatory Booking Platform rules.

If a Booking Platform rule or mandatory policy conflicts with these Booking Terms, the platform rule or policy prevails to the extent of the conflict for that Reservation. Payment, cancellation, refunds, damage claims and communications must be handled through the Booking Platform where its rules require this.

For Airbnb, any supplemental term relied upon by the Owner should also be prominently disclosed in the listing where Airbnb requires pre-booking disclosure. For Vrbo, the House Rules and Rental Agreement should be kept consistent because Vrbo states that House Rules supersede the rental agreement. For Booking.com, any claim pursued through its damage process remains subject to Booking.com procedures and time limits.

04Reservation information and eligibility

The Owner accepts the Reservation in reliance on the information supplied by the Lead Guest. The Lead Guest must provide accurate and complete information and promptly notify the Owner of any material change before arrival.

Material information includes the identity of the Lead Guest, guest numbers, infants, approved dogs, the intended private holiday purpose of the Stay and any proposed activity requiring prior approval under the Terms of Stay.

The Owner may request reasonable verification or identification where genuinely required for security, insurance, legal, regulatory or Booking Platform purposes. Any personal information will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection law and the Privacy Notice.

A material misrepresentation may permit the Owner to refuse or terminate the Reservation where reasonable and lawful, subject to any applicable Booking Platform procedure.

05Price and mandatory charges

The price payable for a Direct Booking is the total price displayed to the Lead Guest before the Reservation is submitted and repeated in the Booking Confirmation, including mandatory charges and taxes that the Owner is required and able to include at that stage.

No undisclosed mandatory booking, cleaning, pet or administration charge will be added after a Direct Booking has been concluded. Optional extras requested later, guest-requested changes and amounts arising from guest-caused damage or breach are dealt with separately.

Once confirmed, the accommodation price will not be increased by the Owner except to reflect a change specifically requested or agreed by the Lead Guest, or where a legal requirement requires a different treatment and applicable law permits it.

If an obvious technical or pricing error occurs which a reasonable person would recognise as a mistake, the Owner will contact the Lead Guest promptly. Any cancellation or correction will be handled fairly, with any payment for accommodation that cannot be supplied at the confirmed terms refunded, subject to applicable law and platform rules.

06Payments and failed payments

The amount due at booking, any deposit, balance date and accepted payment method will be displayed before a Direct Booking is submitted and repeated in the Booking Confirmation.

The Lead Guest must ensure that payments are made by the stated due dates. If a payment fails or becomes overdue, the Owner may contact the Lead Guest and provide a reasonable opportunity to remedy the position where practicable.

If a material overdue balance remains unpaid after reasonable notice, the Owner may cancel the Reservation. Any amount retained or further amount sought will be dealt with under the cancellation provisions below and applicable consumer law rather than as an automatic penalty or forfeiture.

07Security deposits and payment authorisations

For Direct Bookings, the standard security measure is 20% of the Reservation card pre-authorisation or equivalent financial guarantee, unless a different amount or arrangement is clearly displayed before the Reservation is concluded. It is a security measure rather than an additional accommodation charge. For Booking Platform Reservations, a security deposit, pre-authorisation or other guarantee applies only where it is validly disclosed and permitted or required by that Booking Platform.

Any security deposit or authorisation may be used only for sums properly due under the contract, such as reasonable guest-caused damage, missing items, specialist cleaning beyond ordinary turnover cleaning or other direct losses recoverable under the Terms of Stay.

Undisputed funds will be released or returned in accordance with the disclosed payment arrangements or Booking Platform procedure. A security deposit is not a limit on liability where a higher reasonable and legally recoverable loss has actually been caused.

For a Direct Booking, release of an undisputed card pre-authorisation will ordinarily be initiated within 7 days after checkout once the routine post-departure inspection is complete. The time taken for the available balance to reappear may depend on the card issuer or payment processor. Where a specific amount is reasonably disputed, only the amount reasonably required in connection with that issue should remain subject to the applicable recovery process.

08Changes requested by the Lead Guest

Any request to change dates, guest numbers, the Lead Guest, approved dogs or another material part of the Reservation is subject to availability, applicable minimum-stay rules, pricing and Booking Platform requirements. A request is not accepted until confirmed in writing.

Where a change is accepted, the price may be recalculated using the rate and conditions applicable to the revised dates or booking particulars. The Lead Guest will be told the revised price before the change is confirmed.

If a requested change cannot be accepted and the Lead Guest chooses not to proceed with the original Reservation, the applicable cancellation policy will apply.

09Cancellation by the Lead Guest

For a Direct Booking, the cancellation policy displayed before booking and repeated in the Booking Confirmation forms part of the contract. For a Booking Platform Reservation, the cancellation policy and process shown by that platform apply.

Because the Reservation is for accommodation to be supplied on a specific date or period, the statutory 14-day cooling-off right that applies to many distance contracts does not ordinarily apply to this type of fixed-date accommodation. The contractual cancellation policy therefore matters and should be read before booking.

A Direct Booking cancellation should be notified in writing as soon as possible. The Owner will not seek to recover more than the reasonable net loss directly resulting from the cancellation and will take reasonable steps to mitigate avoidable loss where practicable.

If cancelled dates are re-let, the Owner will take the replacement booking into account so that the same accommodation is not recovered twice. Any refund following re-letting may reasonably reflect non-recoverable payment costs, genuine administration caused by the cancellation, any discount reasonably required to secure the replacement booking and any part of the original dates that remains unsold.

Nothing in this clause prevents the Owner from applying a fair pre-disclosed cancellation schedule as the normal method of calculating the amount due, provided that the result remains consistent with applicable consumer law.

10No-shows, late arrival and early departure

Failure to arrive, arrival later than planned, voluntary early departure or a decision not to use all or part of the Stay does not automatically create a right to a refund.

Where the Lead Guest gives up all or part of the Reservation, the position will be assessed under the applicable cancellation policy, any ability to re-let the affected dates, the Owner's reasonable net loss and any mandatory Booking Platform rules.

The Lead Guest should notify the Owner if arrival will be materially delayed so that access and security arrangements can be managed.

Approved early check-in or late checkout may sometimes be offered as an optional paid extra where operationally possible. Any price will be stated and agreed before the alternative time is confirmed. No early check-in or late checkout is included unless expressly confirmed in writing, and paying for an optional time on one Reservation does not create an entitlement on another.

11Changes or cancellation by the Owner

The Owner will make reasonable efforts to honour every confirmed Reservation. If a material issue arises before arrival, the Owner will communicate with the Lead Guest as soon as reasonably practicable.

If the Owner cannot provide the Property for the booked Stay and the Lead Guest is not responsible, the Owner will refund sums paid for accommodation that cannot be supplied. The Owner may offer alternative dates or another reasonable solution, but the Lead Guest is not required to accept an alternative unless agreed.

Where a minor change does not materially reduce the accommodation contracted for, the Owner may make that change where reasonably necessary and will provide appropriate information where relevant.

This clause does not limit any additional remedy or statutory right the Lead Guest may have where the Owner is legally responsible for non-performance.

12Events beyond reasonable control

Events outside the Owner's reasonable control may include severe weather, utility network failure, flooding, storm damage, fire, fallen trees, government or emergency restrictions, road closure, failure of essential third-party infrastructure or similar events that could not reasonably have been prevented.

The Owner will use reasonable efforts to minimise disruption and keep the Lead Guest informed. If such an event makes the Property unavailable for the booked Stay, the refund and alternative-arrangement principles in clause 11 apply. This clause does not permit the Owner to keep payment for accommodation that the Owner does not provide where the law requires repayment.

13Accommodation standards and availability

The Owner will provide the Property substantially as described in the listing and Booking Confirmation, in a condition reasonably suitable for normal holiday occupation, subject to any matter fairly disclosed before booking or subsequently agreed.

Individual amenities may occasionally require temporary repair or become unavailable. The Lead Guest should report any material problem promptly so that the Owner has a reasonable opportunity to investigate and, where practicable, remedy it.

Any remedy for a material service failure will depend on the circumstances, the extent and duration of the problem, the Owner's response, applicable law and any Booking Platform policy.

14Terms of Stay and guest responsibility

The separate Terms of Stay govern occupation and use of the Property. The Lead Guest must take reasonable steps to ensure that every Occupant is made aware of the rules relevant to them and complies with those rules throughout the Stay.

The maximum occupancy, registered-guest-only rule, visitor restrictions, dog rules, safety requirements, property-care standards, commercial-use restrictions, utility rules and damage provisions in the Terms of Stay are material conditions of the Reservation.

Where a person who is not included in the Reservation and has not been approved by the Owner makes substantive use of the Property or Grounds, the Terms of Stay provide for an ordinary Additional Use Charge of £150 per unauthorised person per day or part thereof. The charge does not apply merely to brief incidental attendance excluded by the Terms of Stay, does not purchase permission for additional persons, and does not authorise occupancy above the maximum permitted occupancy.

15Damage, additional costs and recovery

Guest-caused damage, breakage, loss, misuse, unauthorised additional use, unauthorised dogs, unauthorised interference with Property Systems, smoke or contamination remediation, abnormal waste, guest-caused contractor attendance, reinstatement and other losses arising from a breach are governed principally by the Terms of Stay.

Except for a clearly disclosed charge representing additional accommodation or use as set out in the Terms of Stay, recovery will be assessed fairly and proportionately by reference to the reasonable direct loss actually caused, relevant evidence, repair rather than replacement where appropriate, the age and condition of affected items where relevant, and reasonable mitigation. Any predefined charge will also be applied proportionately and will not permit double recovery. The purpose is compensation, restoration and payment for additional use, not punishment.

Recovery may be pursued through the relevant Booking Platform, a disclosed security deposit or payment authorisation, direct agreement, insurance, alternative dispute resolution or legal proceedings where appropriate and lawful.

16Travel insurance and personal circumstances

The Lead Guest is strongly encouraged to obtain appropriate travel or holiday insurance covering cancellation, illness, travel disruption, personal belongings and other risks relevant to the Stay.

Illness, transport problems, adverse personal circumstances or inability to travel do not automatically override the agreed cancellation policy, although the Owner may exercise discretion where appropriate. Any discretionary concession applies only to the particular Reservation and does not create a precedent.

17Complaints and dispute resolution

If a problem arises, the Lead Guest should notify the Owner as soon as reasonably practicable and provide sufficient information to allow the matter to be investigated. Prompt notification can often reduce disruption and prevent further loss.

If the issue cannot be resolved during the Stay, the Lead Guest should submit the complaint in writing within a reasonable period after departure. The Owner will consider the complaint fairly and respond having regard to available evidence and applicable legal or platform requirements.

Nothing in this clause removes a statutory right. Where both parties agree, an unresolved dispute may be referred to an appropriate alternative dispute resolution service before court proceedings are considered.

18Chargebacks and payment disputes

The Lead Guest is encouraged to raise any payment concern directly with the Owner or the relevant Booking Platform first so that the transaction and underlying issue can be investigated.

Nothing in these Booking Terms removes any lawful right to dispute a card payment or use a payment-provider process. Equally, the outcome of a chargeback or payment-provider process does not by itself determine whether an underlying contractual amount is legally due, and either party retains the rights available under law.

19Data protection and communications

Personal information will be processed only for legitimate booking, operational, safety, security, legal, insurance and dispute-resolution purposes and in accordance with applicable data protection law and the Privacy Notice.

Written communication includes email, the direct-booking messaging system and the applicable Booking Platform messaging service. The Lead Guest is responsible for keeping contact details accurate and for monitoring the communication channel used for the Reservation.

20Liability and statutory rights

Nothing in these Booking Terms excludes or restricts liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or the Lead Guest's statutory consumer rights.

The Owner is not responsible for loss or damage caused by the Lead Guest or an Occupant, by unauthorised interference with the Property or its systems, or by circumstances for which the Owner is not legally responsible.

Personal belongings remain the responsibility of the Occupants except to the extent loss or damage is caused by a matter for which the Owner is legally responsible. No luggage storage before check-in or after checkout is included unless expressly agreed in writing. Belongings left after checkout are dealt with under clause 23 of the Terms of Stay. The Reservation is for private holiday use, and the Owner is not responsible for business losses arising from unauthorised business or commercial use of the Property.

21General legal provisions

If the Owner does not enforce a right on one occasion, that does not waive the right on another occasion. Any written exception or concession applies only to the specific Reservation and circumstance for which it is given.

If a provision is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to apply so far as legally possible.

No person who is not a party to the contract has a right to enforce it except where legislation provides otherwise.

A variation that changes a material contractual obligation after booking is effective only where required by law or agreed with the Lead Guest. Operational or safety instructions may be updated during a Stay where reasonably necessary, but they cannot be used to impose an undisclosed retrospective fee or materially different financial obligation.

22Governing law and jurisdiction

These Booking Terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. Subject to any mandatory consumer right to bring proceedings elsewhere, the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction over disputes arising from the Reservation.

Schedule 1Charges & Cost Recovery Framework

This Schedule summarises the main financial arrangements that may apply. It must be read with the Booking Terms, Terms of Stay, Booking Confirmation and any mandatory Booking Platform rules. Mandatory booking charges are disclosed before a Direct Booking is concluded; amounts arising later from guest-caused damage, additional use or breach are limited by the fair-assessment and no-double-recovery principles in the contract.

Booking transparency

For Direct Bookings, these Booking Terms, the Terms of Stay, the applicable cancellation policy, total price and payment schedule are provided before the guest commits to pay. The Booking Confirmation then provides or links to a durable copy of the terms that apply to that Reservation.