Essential Information

Villas

Choosing a villa isn't always easy. As the majority of our villas are privately owned, they are furnished to the owner's individual taste. We endeavour to give an accurate description of each villa with interior and exterior photographs. Furnishings are subject to change from the photographs without prior notice to allow for repair, cleaning and replacement of broken items. There should always be adequate dining, seating, beds cutlery etc. for the standard occupancy in the villa. All properties conform to individual country's local regulations, however the safety standards and regulations overseas may not always be the same as we enjoy in the UK. If you have specific requirements, please contact us prior to booking so we can ensure you are choosing the right villa for your holiday.

Most Villas are designed for hot, dry weather experienced through the summer and may not be so well suited to wet or cold spells as your home in the UK. Humidity can be a problem where temperatures are high. In very wet periods villas may give the appearance of being damp. This will quickly disappear once the weather returns to normal and the villa is aired.

All villas are strictly no smoking and no pets allowed.

Villa Availability

The majority of our villas are either exclusive to Solmar Villas or we have connection to their live availability.  If the villa you have chosen doesn't have live availability, you will be advised in the payment section not to book any elements until your villa has been confirmed. Solmar Villas will obtain the booking confirmation from the supplier then automatically confirm your booking to you including any flights, car hire etc. ordered at the same time without any prior notification. You will then receive a confirmation invoice via email. Where flights have been ordered and flight prices have changed you will be contacted prior to proceeding with the booking.

Occupying & Vacating Your Property

It is most important that you arrive no earlier than 4pm on your day of arrival and leave the villa by 10am on your day of departure. Cleaners have a small window to prepare the villas thoroughly for the next guests, so your co-operation is greatly appreciated. We advise that you carry a small torch in case you arrive after dark or have your mobile phone fully charged in order for you to use the torch function.

Assistance In Resort

We have a dedicated 24/7 Holiday Helpline team who will support you while you are in resort. Additionally, we have Villa Managers in most of our destinations, available to provide direct support when called upon. They ae passionate, hardworking and highly knowledgeable about their destination and surrounding areas, after having lived there for many years. Should you need their assistance while on holiday or have any questions, please reach out to our Holiday Helpline team.

Pools, Garden & General Maintenance

Swimming pools are normally checked and cleaned twice a week during peak season and once a week at all other times, this is usually done before you arrive but will sometimes be done mid-week. Gardens are maintained on a regular basis. It is impossible for all work to be carried out on 'change over' days alone. We ask for your cooperation, as it is imperative to keep the properties well maintained for all our client's enjoyment throughout the year.

Kitchens

Kitchens include hob, fridge-freezer, basic cooking utensils, cutlery and crockery. Some villas have additional facilities such as washing machines, dishwashers or microwave ovens. These are shown in the villa description where available. Irons and ironing boards are usually provided.

Villa Service

Water electric and gas consumption is included within the villa rental cost. Unfortunately, it is the case that some resorts can suffer from water or electricity shortages and supplies can be cut off with no notice for varying periods of time. We ask for your patience and cooperation in such instances, as you will appreciate these situations are out of our control. Please remember that the electricity supply is not the same as the UK and as such you will be limited to the amount of electrical items that can be run at the same time and that this is the usual cause of any power shortages. In many properties power failure will also lead to water failure as unlike the UK, the water is pumped using an electrical pump. If you have any difficulties, you should be able to find the location and directions to reset the fuse box in your villa information pack. N.B. you may need to isolate an area of the house or turn off appliances in order to restore the majority of the villa power. You can do this by turning the appliances on and off until the main trip switch stays in the upright position.

Please note not all villas electricity supply will cope with EV charging alongside other services such as Air Conditioning. Unless an EV charger is fitted, charging of an electric vehicle is not permitted at any of our villas. Where EV chargers are fitted it will be noted on the villa description pages. EV charging may incur additional charges locally under a fair usage policy.

Insects/Vermin & Animals

Mosquitoes, ants, cockroaches and other insects are endemic in warmer climates, particularly in rural areas. Villas are treated at the start of the season with an ant repellent; however, it is not 100% effective. The only way to keep ants at bay is to have a zero-tolerance approach to food crumbs. Mosquitoes can be kept at bay by a good repellent purchased either in the UK or the local chemists/supermarkets. Many of the villas are surrounded by scrubland and neighbouring gardens and field mice and other rodents are therefore common. Local dogs are also often left to roam abroad, and generally are kept outside. All these types of aggravations, together with late night noise are unfortunately unavoidable and out of our control, we therefore ask for your patience when they occur. None of our villas accept pets and we ask you not to encourage the local wildlife by supplying food and water during your stay.

Building Work

Building work and noise is unavoidable as the demand for property increases. Many resorts are still developing and therefore there is a possibility of building work, road works, or construction work, this may be carried out by local authorities or private developers. Most of our villas are also situated in residential areas and work may begin on a neighbouring property over which we have no control nor are given any prior notice. If we are aware that such works are likely to occur during your holiday and may, in our opinion, significantly affect your enjoyment we will advise you. We will endeavour to offer suitable alternative accommodation (with you paying or receiving a refund in respect of any price difference). If we are unable to offer an alternative, you may elect to cancel your holiday. If you have not been made aware of active building work prior to travel but do find that your holiday is being affected significantly because of local construction/building/maintenance, we would ask you to contact our Holiday Helpline immediately as often these building works can be stopped in the summer season.

Maid Service

Maid service provided with all villas will include pre-rental clean and preparation of the villa and an end clean. If you are staying for 2 weeks you will have linen and towel change approximately half way through your holiday. Additional cleaning/maid service can usually be arranged at an additional cost, please contact us for details. Beach towels and cleaning equipment supplies are not provided in any of our properties. Pool towels are only provided if stipulated on the villa description page. If your property has a barbecue, please ensure you leave it in a clean condition as no maid service is included in the up keep of this facility.

Satellite TV & Video/DVD

If the description for a villa indicates Satellite television you can expect to receive at least one English language channel, however, subscription channels are not usually available. A number of our villas are equipped with standard television, which will only receive local foreign language channels.

Wi-Fi

The quality of the signal may vary from villa to villa and at different times of the day. Other restrictions may be introduced by the service providers based on, but not limited to, technical issues and/or high demand and it is likely that websites providing video streaming services will also be restricted. Whilst we will endeavour that you can make the maximum use of the service afforded, we are not in a position to guarantee:

• The availability of the service at all times;
• The speed at which information may be transmitted or received via the service;
• That the service will be compatible with your equipment or any software which you use.

We cannot accept responsibility for the loss of any internet connection or service or any subsequent consequences thereof, and we will not offer any compensation for the same. Your use of the service must not be unlawful or otherwise inappropriate and we have no responsibility for, or control over, the information you transmit or receive via the service.

Welcome Packs

Basic food packs can be provided for an additional charge, however, these aren't available in all of our resorts. If you anticipate arriving when shops may be closed you should consider ordering one. Please be aware that the cost of a food pack also includes the cost of delivery and time spent to shop for the items. The total contents value will normally be around 50% of the food pack cost. Please note that welcome packs are not available in all villas/destinations.

Heated Pools

Some villas are advertised with a heated pool, in certain cases a charge will be incurred for this facility. When available, most are electrically heated but some are solar heated. The temperature of the pool will remain affected by the weather conditions. Pool heating is designed to take the chill out of the water, not heat it up to body temperature. Where a pool cover is provided, please ensure this is used whenever the pool is not in use.

Cots & Highchairs

If you require a cot or highchair, please request it at the time of booking. One complimentary cot and highchair will be provided if there is an infant on your booking. Any additional cots and highchairs may be subject to a charge. Cots are provided locally and will differ to those you may use at home, the majority of suppliers will supply a travel cot. For hygiene reasons cot linen is not usually supplied. A few owners may provide cots and highchairs in the villa without our knowledge, we will not accept any claim for condition of these items, or any injury caused, nor will any refund be made for hired items that clients wish to return on the basis that the owners have left one in the villa.

Air-conditioning & Central Heating

Air-conditioning and/or heating will not be available unless listed in the villa description.  An additional charge may be payable, but will be quoted during the booking process.   The majority of villas with air-conditioning have this facility on a timer because of local energy saving initiatives.  The timers are usually set to work at 13.00-15.00 and 19.00-07.00  (this may differ between properties).  Portable heaters, fans and air-conditioning units can sometimes be hired, but due to the electricity consumption capacity in most villas, you will generally be unable to use more than two portable units at one time.  

Drinking Water

Tap water in Spain is generally safe to drink, however due to the taste and high mineral content in some regions being attributed to stomach upsets it is advised that you purchase bottled water which is readily available in most food outlets for a low charge. For all destinations, we would only recommend you drink bottled water.

Flights

Charter and 'low cost' airlines offer the most economical way to travel, however unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather or mechanical failure can cause delays. Under present EC law flight suppliers are able to change timings. For more details please refer to our booking conditions. Schedule flights, which are very competitive and less prone to delays usually have newspapers.

Car Hire

For your convenience, we arrange for vehicles to be collected from the airport on arrival and return there at the end of your holiday. Check carefully that your rental period coincides with your requirements and the flight timings. An extra charge will be incurred for late return or for collections made outside the car hire company's office hours. Please ensure that all clients intending to drive abroad take a valid driving licence and will need to be present at the vehicle collection desk. Some hire companies impose a charge locally for any additional drivers. The majority of hire companies now provide you with a full tank of fuel and will charge you on collection for this fuel and then tell you to bring it back empty; this is now the standard practice (but this isn't the case in every resort).  A major credit card will be required when collecting any vehicle. Debit cards are not normally accepted. Baby seats can be supplied to fit the majority of hire cars. These must be requested at the time of booking and are payable locally. All clients need to fit the car seats themselves, as suppliers do not fit them for them for safety reasons.

Vehicles are supplied by Group and not by specific make or model. If a specific vehicle type is not available an alternative vehicle of the same group or higher will be provided.

Transfers

Transfers are not included with the villa price, but are available to book through us. In all cases, transfers are by private taxi car or minibus (not shared with another party) and direct to the villa, an appropriate size vehicle will be ordered, however where this is not available a larger vehicle may be used. If you do need to collect a key on the way, please let your driver know, they are usually quite happy to wait. Child seats are a legal requirement for all children under 12, however it is the passengers' responsibility to provide this, not the driver's. Most of our transfer companies will provide child seats free of charge or for a small fee, these must be requested in advance. Some destination transfers will not supply child seats, please contact us for confirmation. Please remember check out is at 10:00, if your departure transfer time is later than 10:00 you can arrange an alternative pick up point with your driver.

Holiday Extras

Many of our resorts now offer the opportunity to hire a range of products such as portable air conditioning, baby equipment and wheelchairs. This is a service to our clients and the items will be provided by a local hire company and made available on or shortly after arrival. Please note that any compensation in relation to the hire of these items is limited to the hire cost itself. Cost includes delivery and collection to the villa as well as maintenance and running costs (where applicable). No refund will be available for items that are not used. As most of our villas are owned by private individuals, we cannot monitor the equipment provided in each villa, therefore they may already be certain items provided, however we will not guarantee these are in good working order or safe to use. If on arrival you have hired duplicate equipment and are happy with the quality of the items already in the property, please do contact our Holiday Helpline who may be able to arrange collection of the hire goods and reimbursement of hire charges where possible.

Website Accuracy

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained on our website is accurate, however some of the advertised facilities may alter or be temporarily withdrawn by the suppliers without giving us prior notice. Quality descriptions such as 'Luxury' are based on the opinions of the staff at Solmar Villas and where this word is used to describe a villa you can expect the villa and grounds will include something that is an indulgence rather than a necessity. Pool sizes and distances are given only as a rough guide. Maps provided are for reference only and not an indication of exact location. Errors and omissions can occur and prices may alter due to circumstances beyond our control.

Walking Distance/ Car Optional

For information purposes we have defined our villas as 'walking distance to' beach, shops and restaurants as well as "Car Optional". On this site we assume 15 minutes' walk is generally acceptable by most clients and therefore any villa within theoretically 15 minutes' walk or less from the specified facility is categorized as being within walking distance. The formula used to calculate this is based on an average walking speed of 4mph. This does not take in to consideration any inclines or possible road closures etc. These are based on an average adult in good health and you may need to make adjustments for young children, elderly members of the party or people with disabilities. If you have specific requirements, please contact us before booking to ensure the villas location is suitable. Villas that are located within 1.6km to a grocery shop and restaurant will therefore be classified as Car Optional, please ensure you review the location map and research the surrounding terrain for suitability for you and your party.

Security Deposit

Some accommodation will require a refundable security deposit. Where applicable, this will be made clear on the accommodation description. The amount of the deposit varies depending on standard of the villa. The additional damage deposit of £250 is also payable on Special Voucher Deals (for example Groupon, KGB Deals) and some specific bookings which will be notified to you within one week of departure.

Travel Documentation

We will forward a confirmation invoice within three workings days of receiving your booking form. Your full travel documentation, which includes villa information, flight tickets and car hire/transfer vouchers will be emailed to you approximately 21 days prior to your arrival, as long as you have provided all of your API (Advanced Passenger Information).

Disabled & Less Mobile Passengers

ABTA have produced a 'Checklist for Disabled and Less Mobile Passengers' which has been designed as an aid to checking the suitability of the accommodation, transport and facilities in the destination. This form should also be used to give information regarding specific needs for equipment and / or medication. You can download a copy of the checklist here.

Problems & Complaints

In the unlikely event you should have a problem on your holiday it is a condition of booking with us that you must report it to our Holiday Helpline. If this is done verbally then confirmation in writing should be received as soon after as possible.

All our suppliers and representatives must be given the opportunity to resolve any issues brought to our attention and allowances be made by you for any local conditions regarding the reasonable amount of time taken to rectify the problem.

Claims for compensation will only be considered where it is proven that any reported problem had a prolonged or major impact on the enjoyment of the holiday booked. It is not acceptable to make a serious complaint on return from your holiday when we are not made aware of your concerns. Therefore, it is imperative that if you have a complaint you contact our Holiday Helpline.

Useful Links

ATOL Website - Information on benefits and financial protection.

ABTA Website - Information on benefits of booking with an ABTA member

Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) - Advice on travelling abroad

Department of Health - Information on health requirements and vaccinations.

The Passport Agency - Information on Passport & Visa requirements and general travel information.

Hand Luggage Restrictions - Information on UK airport hand luggage allowances