Queensberry Bay Holiday Park, Powfoot, Annan, Dumfriesshire DG12 5PN, Scotland [
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Self Catering Breaks
Question about Caravan and Lodge Hire at Queensberry Bay ...
The team have listed here the questions we're asked most frequently about Self Catering breaks in our caravans and lodges (and given our answers of course) ...
- What are your self catering units like?
- Are your letting units on the front?
- What do your self catering hire charges include?
- What's your minimum stay?
- How do the minibreaks work?
- Do you do spa minibreaks?
- How do you charge for self catering?
- Why can't I use the sofa bed?
- Why do you only take groups of 4?
- When can I check in?
- Why is check out at 10 am?
- Can I bring my pet?
- Can I smoke in the unit?
- What should I bring with me?
- Why do you charge for children?
 Maximum Stay, 14 nights |
1. What are your self catering units like?
Cathy says: A few years back we went on a caravanning holiday. We'd paid what was a lot of money for us - at a time when we didn't have it with 2 small boys - and when I saw the van I just wept. I spent the first day cleaning everything, and the rest of the week wanting to go home.
Pam says: If someone had to come into one of my vans and clean it I'd be mortified.
Cathy says: Yes but not everyone's like you, Pam. Some parks use contract cleaners and they're given 15 – 30 minutes per van!
Pam says: Never in a million years – you can't possibly clean a van in 15 minutes!
Joanne says: You can - but not to our standards.
Pauline says: Do you remember Joanne when you and I used to clean vans with Mary and the two Spanish lassies? We wore those bright red thingies - the overall things - and looked like a bag of tomatoes. We had 150 vans to do in 2 hours. We worked from morning to night and then we had to put the laundry on, do check in, and still had to have tea on the table by 6.30pm. It were like working with the chuckle brothers.
Joanne says: We've never had 150 vans Pauline - even at the very most we only ever had 15.
Pauline says: Well, it felt like 150 at the time.
Lauren says: Is no-one going to answer this question?
Cathy says: Sorry - I was imagining Joanne and Pauline in bright red overalls.
Joanne says: I was a lot thinner then ...
Pauline says: And I were a lot taller, like ...
Lauren says: Our vans are stunning. Our Pam's the best cleaner we've ever had and her standards, combined with the standard of units that we choose in the first place, makes a break with us a special treat. The idea is that you'll come in, sit down, put the kettle on, and not have to worry about anything else (except of course food and taking care of yourself – it is self-catering after all). We're not cheap and cheerful - but that’s not want our regulars want.
back to questions about our holiday homes ^
2. Are your letting units on the front?
Pauline says: I told you someone would ask this. I told you there'd be trouble. I said, didn’t I!
Lauren says: Our letting units aren't on the front row any more. For 2012 we're putting three new units on the second row. They're to our normal high standards with central heating and double glazing and have huge decks and lots of space. They have great sea views, but they're not on the front row.
Cathy says: We've always had units on the front – what's changed?
Joanne says: We had to take the decision to move letting from the front because our Mick wanted the pitches. We had a lot of problems last year with having to move bookings as vans were sold - which wasn't great for anyone, least of all our guests. The units we're putting on will stay on the fleet for the full year - which means if you book the Nith, you'll get the Nith.
back to questions about our holiday homes ^
3. What do your self catering hire charges include?
Nicola says: I started work here straight from school, so I hadn't really travelled much and didn't understand about finishing touches and that. I certainly didn't see then how hard we try to go that extra mile for our letting guests.
Pam says: We really do make an effort – and you only see that if you get to stay somewhere else. The price we charge includes bedding, towels and robes, slippers and dishcloths.
Joanne says: And heat and light - some parks even charge extra for that!
Cathy says: When we stayed on that park that time we had to make up the bed on arrival.
Pam says: You're joking – I make sure the beds are made, pillows puffed up and the unit's warm and cosy for when guests arrive.
Lauren says: We do also offer packages for special occasions. This can include flowers, champagne, chocolates etc. - see our Welcome Home Hampers' page. We need 24 hours' notice to arrange this for you - more is better but we can normally manage on 24 hours.
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4. What's your minimum stay?
Cathy says: Strictly speaking we don't have one.
Pam says: What do you mean – "strictly speaking?"
Cathy says: Well, we book out our units (as you know of course) on a minibreak basis – 3 nights starting Friday and 4 nights starting Monday – but within that time frame you can stay for as long or little as you want. So long as we have a vacancy and you can turn the unit Pam on a Monday or Friday we'll slot the booking in.
Lauren says: So do we now take one night stays?
Cathy says: Yes – but it has to be within the turn time.
Nicola says: I don't understand – don't we do minibreaks now?
Pauline says: I told you this would confuse people. I said all along if it's not broke don't fix it.
Cathy says: But it was broke – I mean broken. Truth be told we got really fed up with everyone having a go at us for not taking one or two night bookings. Never mind that we're not a hotel. Never mind that we’re not one of the big nationals with loads of spare staff. Never mind that our Pam has a whole caravan to clean (rather than just a room in a hotel) and never mind that our standards are so high – people really thought we should offer this.
So now we do. But we charge the same as the minibreak.
Pam says: Eh??
Cathy says: For goodness' sake! Am I the only one who gets this?? What I'm saying is - if you want a one night booking or a two night booking you can have it – but it costs the same as a mini break and the days have to coincide with a mini break.
Pam says: So why would anyone want to stay for one night at that price?
Cathy says: Our prices aren't dear at the best of times. Compare our mini break prices with some so called budget hotels for example! Make sure you include all the add ons of course! But apart from that, the point is that our guest has the choice.
Pam says: Shouldn't we just have stuck to “no 1 or 2 night bookings”?
Cathy says: No - if someone really wants to stay for one or two nights and we have the vacancy then we can offer this. They don’t have to stay with us of course - it's about choice. And about me not getting quite so much flak!
back to questions about our holiday homes ^
5. how do the minibreaks work?
Nicola says: I know we introduced minibreaks a few years back when John and Joanne realised that the holiday market in the UK had changed. Most of our guests were using us for a short or “mini” break and still going abroad for the main holiday. So we changed what we did to fit in with that.
Pauline says: I knew this would cause a problem. I remember when we used to offer any stay with any start date and for any length of time.
Joanne says: We've never done that Pauline! Even when we let via Hoseasons (which was years ago) we still had a start date - which was a Saturday back then. As a small company we have to have a normal start date so we know when the cleaning staff are needed. And we've always had a 14 night maximum stay.
Pauline says: Are you sure?
Joanne says: Yes. Anyway – for the past few years we've offered the following minibreaks, and guests tell us they are just right:
- 3 night weekend breaks (Friday to Monday)
- 4 night midweek breaks (Monday to Friday)
- 7 night mini breaks (Monday to Monday or Friday to Friday)
back to questions about our holiday homes ^
6. Do you do spa minibreaks?
Lauren says: Yep – we can offer two types of spa mini break. The first is our Taster Session and is great if you've not used the spa before. The second is a full blown 4 night spa minibreak – we call it our "Rescue Me!" mini break because that's how guests feel afterwards.
Joanne says: What, like they need rescuing?
Lauren says: No – like they've BEEN rescued!
Joanne says: Well, that's a relief!
Nicola says: So how does it work?
Lauren says: In the case of the Taster Session, for an extra £55 (for 2 people) you get all the magic of our self-catering plus a relaxer spa session for 2 (daytime or starlight) and a separate 30 minute massage for 2. You have to book it in advance mind - both the spa and the letting units get busy.
Cathy says: Can I just make clear - that's 30 minutes each of course for the massage. I’m a fast worker but even I can't do a relaxing massage in 15 minutes!
Lauren says: Of course - massage is our Cathy here. So she'll be able to answer any technical questions.
Cathy says: While we're on this – do we do spa minibreaks for anyone else? Just so I know when I’m taking bookings.
Lauren says: Yep - we offer the same great deals to touring guests as well (i.e. for the Taster Session is the normal price of the stay plus £55), but the guests have to be stopping for a minimum of three nights - otherwise we struggle to fit it all in!
Cathy says: What you mean is I struggle to fit it all in. It's hard work you know slaving over a prostrate body. And it's really hard remembering not to chat. I do love a good chat.
Lauren says: You can find out more about our Spa Mini breaks by by clicking here.
back to questions about our holiday homes ^
7. How do you charge for self catering?
Cathy says: Our prices are for the unit for 2 people sharing the double bed and arriving in one vehicle. There are extra charges for extra beds, cars and pets.
Nicola says: We used to charge for 4 people and then discount to 2 – but it's much easier this way.
Lauren says: To be fair most of our guests are couples anyway, so this fits in with them.
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8. why can't i use the sofa bed?
Pam says: I only make up a maximum of 4 beds. The double bed (or king size as it normally is) is made up as standard. I only make up the twin beds if they've been booked in advance. We never use the sofa bed because it isn't a proper bed and we have a maximum guest number of 4 - so we don't need it.
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9. why do you only take groups of 4?
Cathy says: Haven't we covered this somewhere else?
Lauren says: Yep – it was under touring.
Cathy says: Is it time for coffee yet?
Joanne says: Let's deal with this one first Cathy and then you can have a break. Outside. With a box of matches.
Cathy says: Thanks boss.
Lauren says: Can't we just repeat what we said there? "Whenever we take bigger groups we get noise and complaints. So we set the limit at 4."
Joanne says: OK – but it would have been nice to have been a bit more creative!
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10. When can I check in?
Cathy says: Check is normally from 4pm and last check in is 9pm.
Lauren says: I used to find this confusing – I thought a guest could pay for a late check in and arrive whenever.
Cathy says: No - the late check in charge only applies outside the main season (when our charges are lower and when it gets dark earlier) and covers the cost of staff (i.e. muggins here) having to stay behind at the end of my shift to wait for a guest arriving late. I'm not allowed to stay after 9pm – and in the main season I’m on duty until 9pm anyway so there's no late check in charge.
Nicola says: But we don't allow any access after 9pm at all – I think we should stress that as some guests think they can arrive at any time of the night and get in.
Cathy says: AND expect a warm welcome when they said they were "just 10 minutes away" and you've been waiting for more than 4 hours and the heating's gone off, you've run out of coffee, the parrot's got bored of talking to you and the only thing on the TV is another rerun of Last of the Summer Wine.
Joanne says: There is no admission after 9pm. Period. That's because it upsets and annoys other guests who have arrived and settled in for the evening. And – no offense Cathy - it costs a fortune in paying you to stay behind. And it plays havoc with your working hours.
Cathy says: None taken – can I have a coffee yet?
Lauren says: What if the guest is held up?
Joanne says: It depends on the situation. We always ask guests to keep us informed if they're running late through no fault of their own - which does happen of course. But if they don’t keep us informed, and if they don't answer their mobile when we call for an update on their ETA, they will arrive here to find the place closed up and with no access to the unit until 9am in the morning.
Lauren says: So the message is – keep in touch!
Cathy says: Yes – and please, please, please let us have a mobile number at booking. We don’t sell it to marketing agents or use it to hack into secret government files. We use it to contact you in emergencies.
back to questions about our holiday homes ^
11. why is check out at 10 AM?
Cathy says: We get asked this so often that I was thinking of getting the reply embroidered on my uniform!
Joanne says: Ah now - this is a question for Pam!
Pam says: This does my head in, it really does! As the head cleaner I take huge pride in my work and I'm always thrilled when people tell me how beautiful the units are. But it takes time to keep the units to that standard. And it takes time for me to get everything turned and ready for 4pm. And we have three letting units. Check out is at 10 am so I have 6 hours to turn all three.
Joanne says: Go on Pam – tell us why we don't have more cleaners so we can cut down on turn time.
Pam says: Because I'd have to redo it all anyway so I may as well do it my way to start with.
Joanne says: So there you have it – If you want to stay in a unit that's to our Pam's standards, you have to vacate by 10 am and give her until 4 pm to finish off. But we do check in early if the unit's ready before then don’t we?
Lauren says: That rather depends on what the person's like on arrival . . .
Joanne says: What???
Cathy says: Well - you know, when you've been on duty for hours and it's raining and you're trying to give up smoking and the guest arrives in a foul mood and it's all our fault - well, sometimes their van takes longer than it might otherwise have done.
Joanne says: I'll pretend I didn't hear that!
back to questions about our holiday homes ^
12. Can I bring my pet?
Cathy says: Oh – I'm not repeating myself again. Follow this link to see our policy on pets in general.
Joanne says: I do think we should mention pets in letting units though.
Cathy says: OK - you can bring up to 2 dogs at a time into our pet letting units. We do though have one unit completely pet free. If pets are an issue for you in any way whatsoever please let us know at booking.
Pam says: But there are rules even for the pet vans – we don't allow pets in the bedrooms or on the beds and we do expect you to clear up any mess in or outside the van.
Joanne says: Yes – I think we should stress that. We've had our share of pet owners who seem to think they've paid for the pet to be there so they don't need to clear up their pet's sick – or worse.
Nicola says: What do we do in that case?
Pam says: I clear it up, we replace the damaged items, charge the guest and stop that owner from coming back – so in the end they lose out.
Cathy says: Although, if an owner can behave like that with their pet it’s the pet I feel sorry for!
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13. Can I smoke in the unit?
Lauren says: No - we have no units suitable for smokers.
Cathy says: You know, I'm a smoker and even I agree that we shouldn't let smokers in our letting units. It ruins it for other people.
Joanne says: It's not just about the effect on other people – it’s about the LAW! It’s actually against the law for anyone to smoke in our units and by law we have to report anyone we either find smoking or whom we suspect to have been smoking in any of our units. It doesn't matter what your stance is on smoking – I'm a non-smoker, but I do think there should be provision for smokers in public places – it's the law that we're dealing with here.
Click here for further information on smoking in Scotland. www.clearingtheairscotland.com
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14. What should I bring with me?
Cathy says: It seems odd at times but I get loads of calls about this. I used to think it was because I do the back shift at night and people are home from work then and think they'll give me a call. I now realise it's because we don’t blow our own trumpet enough!
Nicola says: I had someone call and ask if they had to bring their own crockery.
Lauren says: Oh bless!
Pauline says: I remember when you had to take everything yourself, and you would arrive on holiday with a roof rack, half a dozen suitcases and the kitchen sink.
Cathy says: I've been somewhere where I wish I had taken my own crockery.
Pam says: Joanne's asked me to list what we include so you can decide for yourself what you should bring. We provide:
- All bedding
1 bath towel per guest - 1 bath sheet per guest
- 1 bath robe per adult guest
- 1 mini soap bag per adult guest
- 1 pair disposable slippers per adult guest
- 1 hand towel per WC
- 1 pet towel per pet (pet units only of course)
- 1 tea towel
- 1 oven glove
- 1 bottle washing up liquid
- A carton of semi skimmed milk
- A selection of tea and coffee sachets
- A selection of pods (if there’s a coffee machine)
- A bottle of sparkling wine*
If you're staying more than 7 nights I'll get you a change of towels and bedding half way through your stay and I'll make up the beds again for you if you want - but only if you're there of course. It's a sad world we live in! All you need bring is some food, perhaps. Oh, and a sense of humour!
* These items are included in our standard prices. There is however no monetary value attached to them and they cannot be exchanged for cash or for other goods. You'd be amazed what some guests ask us! In addition we don't operate like a hotel - these things are intended to be a welcome starter pack - if you run out of something during your stay it's up to you to replace it! These items are available for sale (NOT FREE!!) in our shop.
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15. Why do you charge for children?
Cathy says: Children under 4 are free, so long as they don't need a bed made up. Once they need a bed they're charged at normal rates because we incur the cost of cleaning and laundry.
Pam says: That's right – if I've got to launder the bedding then there's a charge.
