As we head into Spring, more & more families are looking towards their Summer breaks or a quick weekend away from it all.... ETK have compiled a quick "Pros & Cons" guide to help choose between a private rental, or whether to book direct through the site itself:
| PRIVATE: | PARK: | |
| COST: | In general, an Owner will charge a lot less than a direct booking through the park. | Usually a booking direct through the park will be more expensive, (especially on "peak" dates) |
| PASSES: | Some Owners include passes in the quoted price, some don't - so always check before you book! | Passes are usually included in the quoted price |
| LINEN: | Some Owners provide linen, some charge a small fee & other's don't provide it at all - so check before you book! | Some parks provide linen as standard, others don't - so check before you book! |
| PAYMENT: | Lots of Owners offer a "payment scheme" so your holiday can be paid in instalments to suit you - with a final "due by" date | Parks will expect an immediate deposit payment on a booking enquiry, with the remaining balance to be paid by the due date |
| DAMAGE DEPOSIT: | Most Owners will charge a damage deposit or "bond" - although this is in addition to your holiday cost, it also means if you leave the accommodation in an acceptable condition - you have some ££ due back to you after all your wages have been used as "spending money!" | Parks never charge a damage deposit, so there will be no ££ due back to you after your departure |
| LOCATION: | An Owner can advise EXACTLY where their Holiday Home is located on park before you arrive | The Holiday Home is not allocated until day of arrival - so there is no choice, nor any guarantee at all as to WHERE it will be on the park, you may be staying at the furthest possible pitch from the facilities - or you may be right next door to them, which may not be suitable to your needs |
| PHOTOS: | An Owner can provide photos, inside & out, of the ACTUAL Holiday Home you will be staying in | All the park will publish are "brochure" pictures, you will not be able to view the ACTUAL Holiday Home you are staying in at any point until you arrive |
| STANDARD: | The overall standard of Holiday Home through a private rental will be much higher than you receive through a park booking, quite simply as it is the "personal property" of the Owner! | Most parks "grade" their Holiday Homes, with a short description of what to expect in each & pricing is relevant to the grade |
| CONTENTS: | Even the most basic of a private rental will ALWAYS be far better equipped than a park rental | Very little equipment is provided in a park rental as it is always site itinerary |
| CLEANLINESS: | Most Owners either employ a cleaner or oversee the cleans themselves, usually at least 2 hours is allowed for this | Parks employ cleaners who have to clean a number of Holiday Homes within a short space of time, usually 40mins x 2 cleaners is allocated per clean |
| CHECK-IN: | Most Owners will do their utmost to give an early arrival time & late departure if possible, so you don't "loose" 2 days of your holiday before you start! | Unless you "up-grade" - most arrival times are set at 4pm with a departure of 10am |
| 4-PAWS: | A lot of Owners are happy for a 4-paws to stay regardless of the "grade" of their Holiday Home. Some charge a small fee, others don't - so check before you book. | All parks will only EVER allocate their LOWEST grade of Holiday Home if a dog is included on the booking. They will also charge quite a hefty fee. |
| "PET-FREE": | If an Owners states their Holiday Home is "Pet-Free" it will mean NO animal has been allowed to stay | Parks can only guarantee a "Pet-Free" Holiday Home IF you opt for a higher grade |
| CHOICE: | Choice is limited to how many Holiday Homes the Owner has! | Most parks have a fleet of hire Holiday Homes available |
| AVAILABILITY: | Availability will be limited to the number of Holiday Homes the Owner has + number of bookings already taken | Parks will have a greater choice of availability simply as they have more fleet Holiday Homes available. |
| SERVICE: | Owners will offer a personal service from point of booking through to the actual stay | Usually initial booking is through a main switchboard & no personal contact is made until arrival |
| VERIFICATION: | Owners are generally more than happy to provide "proof" of Ownership to reassure that their rentals are genuine. Or - book direct through anyone displaying an ETK Verification bage! | If you book direct through the park - you can be assured it is genuine! |