You may have noticed that we are a bit wordy, here at Dream Stays. We should perhaps invest in a good editor. However, we feel that the more information you as the renter have, the better equipped you’ll be to make your best choices for an excellent holiday. That being said, we didn’t want to clutter up the other informational pages with details that not everyone wants to read, or may already know about if previously familiar with renting self-catering holiday accommodation in places like London, Ireland and Italy.
Here instead, is more information about seasons, rates, lengths of stay, and how to quickly and easily find the information you need on each of our property pages.
About Dream Stays Property Description Pages
We’ve endeavored to include on each property description page all of the information you’ll need to select your best holiday property, displayed in such a way that the vital information is most immediately accessible. On each page you’ll find:
Property Summary. A summary of the number of number of bedrooms, bathrooms and the maximum number of people the property accommodates, as well as the weekly rates. In London, you’ll see the nearest tube stop listed here as well. In other countries, you’ll see a summary of the heat & electricity and the security deposit charge details.
Amenities. Underneath the summary will be a round-up of features or amenities that travelers often desire in a vacation property, including internet access, television, or special details like gardens, pools, terraces or other elegant extras.
Photos. Detailed pictures of the property, beginning with the exterior and working through the place in accordance with the description. In most cases these are our own photos, personally snapped by one of our staff during a visit to the property.
Descriptions. In depth descriptions of the property, broken down by area or feature (living room, kitchen, bedrooms, etc) and with noteworthy decor or room details.
Rates & Season. More detailed information about the rental rates and seasons by date for the property.
Additional Charges. More detailed information about any costs or additional charges associated with the property, such as Heat and Electricity, housekeeping, or cleaning. Security deposit information is also detailed here.
Location. A note about the location, rental requirements or restrictions, details about any additional charges heat and electricity and the security or damage deposits.
Check-In time. Though this information will be on your directions page after booking your property, we include a note about the check in and check out times to help you consider your travel plans.
Accessibility notice. We try to pay special attention to the accessibility of a vacation property, noting whether it might be suitable for someone with limited mobility. Sometimes we can only detail the number of stairs in a property, other times, with the more obviously accessible properties, we take door measurements to see if the place can accommodate wheelchairs or other special needs equipment.
Map links. Where possible, we provide map and location details to the most specific point possible without compromising owner or caretaker security.
Area interest or activities. Because part of the fun of selecting a property is envisioning all the things that you’ll do once you get there. We don’t want to overload you with information, but at the same time want you to know all the great options in store for you in a particular property in a given area.
If there is important information you need, you’ll know where to look on each property page, and won’t have to spend a lot of time hunting around for details.
About Lengths of Stay
7-night minimum, Saturday-to-Saturday vs. Weekly Rentals vs. Nightly Rentals
Most self-catering properties in Europe have a minimum 7-night rental requirement, and book from Saturday to Saturday.
Serviced apartments and catered estates often book nightly (with minimum rentals only in the high season).
London
London apartments and house rentals are usually 7-night minimum rentals, with no limitation on the arrival and departure days. (Most short lets can be booked for up to 3 months, occasionally as long as 6 months with prior approval. Inquire).
Occasionally stays of as few as 5 days may be available at certain self-catering properties in London. Check with us if you prefer self-catering to serviced and would like to stay fewer than 7 nights.
Serviced apartments and houses tend to book by the night, sometimes with minimum nightly requirements in the high season.
For London flats and houses, any nights booked beyond the minimum 7 will be pro-rated per night at the weekly rate.
In the off season, or in cases of properties that don’t require full weekly rentals, nightly rentals will be pro-rated at the weekly rate per booked night.
About Seasons
London
London is a cosmopolitan metropolis, full of international travelers visiting steadily all through the year. Prices generally don’t vary much for London properties, with the exception of Hotels and Serviced properties. Occasionally there will be higher prices for holidays or reduced rates during unpredictably slower months.
Rest of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, Italy, etc.
In the rest of Europe, self-catering and serviced properties rent for different rates in different seasons.
In general, High Season indicates the summer months and holidays, including Christmas and New Year, as well as Easter. In some cases owners include bank holidays in with High Season rates, as well.
Mid Season is generally the shoulder months on either side of the summer, when weather is in transition between seasons, but usually still wonderful.
Low Season are the colder months, with shorter days. The best deals can be found in the Low Season, as well as in the transition between Low and Mid Seasons.
The exact definition of each season varies for each property (as determined by the property owners) and will be listed in detail at the bottom of each property description page.
At Dream Stays, we are big fans of Low and Mid Season travel. There are fewer crowds, the weather is more interesting, and often completely gorgeous (Ireland in the fall? Fantastic! London in October? Totally perfect).
About Rates
The rates listed are determined by the property owners and consistent with other holiday rental properties of their size, location, standard and caliber. Dream Stays goes to great length to ensure that properties of a good value for their offering, including visiting each property yearly or bi-annually to inspect and evaluate their condition. All of our properties are unique, personalized, and rich with the sorts of details that make a holiday rental a home, rather than just a place to crash.
Because rates are determined by the owners, Dream Stays is not at liberty to negotiate prices. For stays longer than the minimum rental period and for dates booked outside of the high season, however, it may be possible to negotiate for a longer or off-season let. It is absolutely at the discretion of the vacation rental owner or owners, and will vary by property.