800-823-9501
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Common Questions about Vacation Rental HomesYou may reserve a cottage on line through our On-Line Booking area. Simply select your cottage and click on the "Reserve It" Button. Or, you may call our office at 1-800-823-9501 and one of our Reservation Specialists will be happy to assist you. They have been in the cottages and so can talk about them with you. We accept cash, personal checks, cashiers/bank checks, money orders, Visa, Discover, or Master Card. Last minute reservations, bookings made close to arrival require payment by credit card or certified funds. Those guests who make reservations prior to January 1st are responsible for a 25% deposit at the time of reservation. Second payments will be due by January 30th (another 25%) and the balance by March 31st. Reservations made after January 1st require a 50% deposit and the balance by March 31st. Reservations made April 1st or later require payment in full at the time of booking. The vacation rental season is so short here (just a few weeks) and our owners depend on their income from the rentals, we are unable to offer refunds. We do, however, offer a Trip Cancellation Insurance through CSA. Information on this is sent at the time you book your cottage, or, you may view it on our website, by clicking on the CSA Logo on the bottom of our front page. If you did not purchase the insurance and you cannot come, our Reservation Specialists will do their best to rebook your time slot. If they are successful, then you will receive a refund of 75% of the rental rate. If they are unsuccessful we will not be able to provide a refund. We urge you to consider the travel insurance we offer to protect your investment. All of our cottages are privately owned homes. The rates vary from home to home and season to season. The price of each cottage includes everything except the Maine Lodging Tax (currently 7%) and a Reservation Processing Fee. There are no other hidden fees. We do offer some Optional Items such as the Trip Cancellation Insurance, Linen (if not supplied at the cottage), Equipment Rental (Extra TVs, DVDs, Gas Grills), Pet Fees and Departure Cleanings. When we take your reservation, we are guaranteeing the owner full payment for that time period. Our season is very short, really just 8 weeks long. The owners count on this income to assist with paying the expenses associated with the cottage. In the pre and post season month's cottages can be rented at a reduced rate and for shorter stays. We ask arriving guests to check-in at our office no earlier than 4:00 P.M. and no later than 6:00 P.M. on check in day. We need every minute of the hours between check-out at 10:00 A.M. and check-in at 4:00 P.M. to ensure all the cottages changing hands that day are ready for you the arriving guest. We ask your cooperation with this by checking in and out at the appropriate times. We guarantee your cottage will be clean and have been inspected prior to your check-in.If you encounter any problems after checking in you only need to contact the office, or ifit is closed, the emergency cell phone and someone will assist you. If you are checking into a cottage that is in another area, we will email you directions and instructions for checking in. Your check-in material will be left for you at the cottage. If you expect to arrive after 6:00 P.M. you must notify our office in advance so arrangements may be made to accommodate you. Just like a seatbelt in a car, our Peace of Mind Damage Waiver (no extra charge) takes care of accidental damage up to $500 providing it is reported by check out.In lieu of a Security Deposit, which requires a lot of work to collect, process and return, we do a simple Credit Card Hold. This hold is released after you leave and we have inspected the cottage for damage. If the cottage is not rented we will be happy to add extra days to your stay. The rate will be pro-rated. Yes, as long as the occupancy limit is not exceeded and their names are listed on your Lodging Agreement. If parking space is a problem at your cottage, call us to arrange the use of our parking lot for overnight guests. Portland Jetport is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes from the office.Bangor International Airport is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes from the office.Manchester (NH) Airport is approximately 3 hours from the office.Logan International Airport (Boston, MA) is approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes from the office. We want to remain a pet friendly company and that requires your help. Bringing your pet requires you and your veterinarian to complete a simple form proving that your pet is up to date on all immunizations and is currently and has been (for at least 2 months prior to your visit) on a flea control program. There is a nonrefundable Pet Fee. Our region has a leash law and so your pet must be on a leash when outside the cottage. All of our cottages have full kitchens with dishes, glassware, silverware, pots and pans. Because they are all individually owned some are better equipped than others. If you know you are going to do a lot of cooking and require special size pans or have special utensils for cooking you may want to bring them as we cannot guarantee your cottage will have them. All cottages will have a pot for cooking lobsters. Most cottages have a grill, either charcoal or gas. Ask our Reservation Specialist which yours has if it is not listed on the website. All cottages will have blankets and pillows as well as quilts/bedspreads. Some cottages provide the sheets and towels, others require you to bring your own or rent them through our linen service. None of the cottages provide beach towels. You should plan to bring those. Dish cloths and dish towels are not supplied either.
Rest assured, no matter what the weather, it will surely change from day to day. In the spring and fall, you can expect warm days and cool evenings. In the summer you should expect hot days and warm to cool evenings. Visit our Things to See and Do Section for a list of places where they are available to rent. Mail and faxes can be sent to the Cottage Connection office. We will call you at the cottage when packages/faxes arrive. Feel free to stop by the office during normal business hours to check and write e-mails at no cost. More than 70% of our cottages are within 100 feet of the shoreline. Many of our homes are an easy walk to the shore. If your cottage is not located on the waterfront, water is just a short walk/drive from anywhere in our service area. By the time you get this far north, you will find that the glaciers didn't leave much behind. While we have some beautiful long sandy beaches (Reid State Park, Popham Beach and Pemaquid Beach), more typically we have wonderful rocky shoes with seaweed and tidal pools. Small beaches of sand or pebbles are scattered like hidden treasures between the protecting ridges of granite that run down to the sea. No, for everyone's health and safety ALL of our cottages are now smoke-free. Give us a call and if we can locate it we will be happy to return it to you for a fee plus shipping costs. No, if you find your tank is empty, please call the office and we will do an exchange for you. Most owners with gas grills leave a spare tank. If you need to hook up the spare tank, let us know so we can exchange the empty one. Some owners provide wood at the beginning of the season and when it is gone it is gone; others supply it for the entire season; while others do not supply it all. If you have a question about this, please call the office. Wood is readily available throughout the area should you need to purchase it. Just call our office or if it is after hours the Emergency Cell Phone and we will get right on it. We do all in our power to fix the problem at your cottage ASAP. Trash pick-up days are posted on the refrigerator at your cottage. If you cannot find this information, please call the office ASAP. Many of our cottages have our new Animal Resistant Trash Cans. Want one? Stop by the office. We understand you are on vacation and the last thing you will want to do is clean the bathroom before you leave. What we ask is that you take careof and respect this private family home as if it were your own, and leave it the way you found it. We offer Departure (End) Cleaning, Mid-Week, Mid-Stay, as well as, Chambermaid Services. Please reserve these services in advance of your arrival to help us with staffing needs.
We have some available at our office. Stop by and check them out. They are made from recycled milk bottles. The chairs are available in 15 colors and have matching accessories to go with them (stools, tables, etc.). Your check-in packet contains a Pre-Reservation Form. Simply complete the form and leave it at the office with a check as you leave. If for some reason your selected cottage will not be available, our Reservation Specialists will assist you with choosing something else. Ask Audrey or anyone on our staff for that matter. It is why she and Jeff started our company in 1993. They saw a need for quality vacation rentals in our area and at that time no one filling the need. They didn't want to be just any vacation rental company (one where you just hand out keys). They wanted to be known for providing quality, clean cottages. Ones they would stay in themselves. They also want anyone staying in one of the Cottage Connection Cottages to have a truly memorable Maine vacation -One that keeps coming to mind throughout the year with fond memories of a good time and a wonderful cottage. Many of our guests have been coming for years and have come to think of the cottage they rent as their summer home. Audrey, Jeff and the rest of the Cottage Connection Staff are committed to what we do."We are large enough to do it right but small enough to care." So, Let Us Take The Worry Out of Renting for you and your family. Prices are subject to change without notice. While every effort is made to ensure information is accurate, Cottage Connection is not responsible for errors or omissions. We thank you for bringing these to our attention and we will fix them quickly. |
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