GUEST INFORMATION HANDBOOK

Transcription

1 GUEST INFORMATION HANDBOOK Page 1

2 Welcome to! Enjoy your vacation at Friendly Fires cottage on beautiful Grand Lake. Please find below a few practical details to make your visit more enjoyable. What You Need to Bring Please bring your own condiments and food. You can drink the water but most people bring drinking water. Please bring an 18 litre jug of water for the water dispenser in the kitchen. Please bring your own sheets, pillowcases, blankets, duvets etc. (there are 2 queen and 1 double size beds) Please bring all bedding supplies and blankets. Please bring your own towels, toilet paper, tin foil and plastic wrap. Upon Arrival: Unlock all doors (2 downstairs, 1 upstairs, 1 in clubhouse (remove stick in patio door). Open blinds. Open sliding door and window in kitchen (*NOTE: close sliding door and window at night as raccoons smell the food and will break the screens on the windows to get in). Open a few windows. Turn on fan on main floor. Turn on 2 fans upstairs if you want to. AT ALL TIMES DURING COLD WEATHER CLOSE THE MAIN BATHROOM DOOR. Gates: 1. H. Vipond Road Gate o It is unlocked. 2. Friendly Fires Gate o At the entrance to the cottage there is a gate. There is a combination lock box hidden. Inside is the key to open the lock at the gate. I will give you the code prior to your arrival. 3. Keys to Cottage Kitchen: An will be sent to you, prior to arriving, the keys are in a lock box, located next to the hydro meter, left of the front door. The lock box says on it, renters lock box. It is a 4 digit code. Please put them back when you leave. Stove has a lock on it. Press the lock icon on top of the stove until you hear a beep. Microwave is available A 2 burner stovetop are available for your use There is no stove oven - most people use the bbq for an oven or. There is a countertop small oven, it can do small dishes. There are lots of pots and pans. There are dishes and silverware, good for a group of 6. A regular coffee maker is available - bring your own ground coffee Please bring your own condiments. Dish cloths, tea towells, dish soap, and drying rack is there. BBQ untensils Garbage, and recycling bins Page 2

3 Run tap water for a couple of minutes to get fresh water in to the lines. Drinking water: You can drink the water but most people bring a jug of water. Please bring a 5 gallon (20 litres) jug of water for the water dispenser in the kitchen. Recycling and Garbage: There is a black box outside the door beside the kitchen underneath the stairs that contains 2 blue bins for recycling and room for a couple of days of garbage. The black box can be filled and please empty your garbage and recycling in the bins at the top of the driveway. Linens/Bedding and other necessities: Please provide your own sheets, blankets and pillowcases (there are 2 queen and 1 double size beds). No bedding is provided. Also, please bring your own towels, toilet paper, and all other toiletries Because of the in and out nature of the cottage. I would suggest bringing an extra pair of shoes, slippers, boots, anything you can leave at the doors, for convenient for easy in and out movement. Key Features Sauna: Year Round Use (Wood is not supplied) The light switch for the sauna is above the fridge. Light the sauna the same way you would light a regular fire. Paper to start the fire is located in the steel bin next to the fireplace. Light the fire. Get the temperature to approx F. Fill the buckets inside the sauna up with water to cool yourself down. o There are 4 Buckets: The First Bucket is the wooden one on the bench. That is the bucket you use for splashing the heated rocks. This is where you can put scents into the water; there are bottles of scents on the little outdoor shelf in the corner. Please just use a few drops as the scents are very strong. When done with the sauna please replace the empty bucket of cold water, and fill it with fresh water. The bucket needs to be full to save the wood and keep the sauna water tight. The Second Bucket is a small stainless steel bucket on the rocks. This bucket should always be full of water. You can also drop some scent into it. As it will make the sauna smell of the scent you choose. Remember to only use a few drops as the scent can get very strong. The Third and Fourth Buckets, with containing cups on the bends. When you light the sauna, fill the bucket with water so the water is warmed up. Use the water in the bucket to cool off during the sauna. Important Information Please Note Page 3

4 If you use the shower in the sauna, cool off the handle with water before turning the tap as it will be hot. Wait for the water to get cool. Don t leave shampoo in the sauna as the bottles will burst. Please see Benefits of Saunas on page 8 for further instructions. Hot Tub: Year Round Use Hot tub is set to 100 F Hot tub has bromide tablets in the water. Tub is ready to use when you get there. Open cover, cover folds from the right to the left. Whole cover slides to one side. Take blue bubble material off and fold it over the cover OR to the right. Please put back on before closing lid. This helps preserve heat. There are 3 switches. Please use centre switch, and for the right switch one is a light switch, and the other is a massage switch. Please use the hot tub at your own risk. Please see Benefits of Hot Tubs on page 9 for further instructions. We provide a bucket of shock crystals for the tub; please add a teaspoon of crystals per person before going to bed, to ensure a clean tub. Outdoor Shower: There is a two person outdoor shower. Only use in the summer months. You can use it, but please refrain from using soaps or shampoos in the shower. It is only for cooling off purposes. We do not want the suds going into the lake. Lights/electrical: The breaker panel is in the room behind the sauna. The entry to the mechanical room to access the breaker panel is at the back door. The pellet stove is not needed until mid-october (instructions to follow). Switches on the wall in the family room include lights for the driveway, walkway, deck etc. Switches for exterior lights are situated on the right hand side of the panel ( 5 & 6) 1. Front Door Inside Light 2. Fan s 3. Outdoor Entrance Light FRONT DOOR SWITCHES Gate Light 5. Lower Walkway light 6. Upper Walkway light Stereo/ TV: Note, there are 2 switches next to the stereo, one is for the outdoor deck lights, and the other is for the hot tub area. WIFI included. Password on back of WIFI unit. WIFI UNIT IS ON SATTELITE AND SOMETIMES DOES NOT WORK. WE ARE IN A MOUNTAINESS AREA, AND SOMETIMES IT WILL GO OUT. WE CANNOT GUARANTEE ITS PERFORMANCE. If it does go out, unplug for 5 minutes and then plug it back in. This usually works, but sometimes it does not. At those times, you will have to wait till the signal comes back. There is no cable or satellite TV but NETFLIX can be accessed via WIFI, please limit your usage. Please be practical about downloads on your computer and limit yourself to 7 movies a week. Regular usage is expected. Page 4

5 Please bring your own I-pod if you would like to listen to your own music. There is a switch box on top of the stereo to play music in the cottage- only indoor speakers are currently hooked up. Swimming / Boating / Fishing: You can use the fishing gear, tubes, kayaks, rowboat, canoe, etc. The boat s has paddles, there is a boat storage shed at the dock. It has life jackets in it. Be sure to wear life jackets which can be found in the shed The water height near the dock varies from feet deep. It is recommended that you only shallow dive off the dock. The fishing boat is taken out in October, back in, in May. The ski boat is not for use. Winter-time Use: Turn fan on in family room, 2nd switch is next to the front door, and there is a fan next to the dining table over the pellet stove. Upon arrival, bring everything to the kitchen. The thermostat on the wall in the kitchen is for the heated floor. It is set at 10 degrees. Please set it at 18 degrees when you arrive. When you leave, please re-set it to 10 degrees. Run the shower in the sauna for 5 minutes to get the water fresh. Heat \ Pellet Stove: Please use pellet stove as the main source of heat o The pellet stove is the heat for the dining room area. o Make sure it is full of pellets, open lid and fill it, and make sure it is closed. It will not start unless the lid is closed. o To start it, please just go to the side of the unit, and press start. o It will take a few minutes to self start. o A setting will come up, SU, meaning Start Up. o Once it has started, let it run for at least 10 to 20 minutes, the fire needs to run and build up heat. A good sign that it is heating up is, the fan will be putting out warm air. o Let is run at setting 5 for a while, the thermostat on the wall will adjust the heat accordingly. o The thermostat is placed at the coldest corner, and it is set at 20 degrees, please leave it at that temperature. o If an code comes up with an E2 error on the screen, press off and start all over. You likely pushed it to heat up to fast. o You will need to keep it filled while you are there. The hopper holds two bags of pellets. o The colder it is outside the longer it will take to heat up, but at the high setting, it warms quickly. o Please clean out the ash tray daily. Please though the ash on the cedar trees, behind the pellet bag storage. o For night-time use, if nobody is sleeping in the family room, the thermostat is set to go down to 16 degrees. You can over ride the thermostat if you need to for the night. o Bags of pellets for the pellet stove are outside next to the stairs. o When leaving, turn it off, on the same control board, the stove will stop dropping pellets into the hopper, and the stove will cool down and turn itself off in 15 minutes. o Please also fill the hopper up with pellets before you leave. Once the pellet stove is lit, open up the blinds. When leaving, close the blinds. Page 5

6 Now turn on the propane fireplace, this is supposed to be supplemental heat. There is a propane fireplace which can be used using remote control which is on the cabinet in the lounge. Simply select the ON/OFF button. The temperature is set for 20 degrees. Please turn off when you leave. If for some reason the stove does not light, go to the fireplace and open up the door at the bottom. There is a switch at the bottom, you can move the switch to the left and it will start. That is only in the event the remote does not start it. Next, go upstairs and turn on all the electrical heaters to level 5 or 6. This should heat up the upstairs to about degrees. If using the clubhouse, unlock it, turn thermostat on wall to full, turn floor heater to 28 degrees, and turn on ceiling fan. It will take about minutes to heat up, depending on the outside temperture. When leaving: o Turn off propane fireplace o Turn the thermostats upstairs down to level 2. o In the clubhouse, turn everything off and unplug the two floor heaters. o Lock all doors and close blinds. o Please leave hopper on pellet stove full of pellets. o Turn the pellet stove off and the stove will turn itself off in 15 minutes. o Re-set thermostat in kitchen to 10 degrees. o Close blinds. Winter Usage o Parking Please ensure that cars are parked in the designated parking areas and please try and make sure that laneways are clear so that the snow plow can clear the laneways Snow shovels and traction agent (eco-traction) are available beside the building on the hill. Use shovels to clear around motor vehicles, main laneway will be cleared by plow services o Exterior Staircase To get upstairs you use an exterior staircase This is helpful to stop noise transfer between floors, anyone can nap or sleep while entertaining below In winter use, you will need to shovel the stairs. Please bring slippers or boots and sweater to go outside and use the stairs. Same goes for walking from the main cottage to the Bunkie, which is 20 steps away Ice - Dock: 2 creeks go into the dock area; ice can be thin. Do not go out on ice. BBQ: Please replace the tank of propane on completion of your stay. There is an empty propane tank beside the BBQ. This allows next renter to have a full tank. Propane is available in Wakefield and Perkins where you can also buy your groceries during your stay. Please place the cover on the barbecue upon departure. Smoking: The cottage is non-smoking. Please refrain from smoking inside the cottage. Upon Departure Page 6

7 Turn stereo off. Close all windows. Close all blinds. Close sliding door and window in kitchen. Turn off fan on main floor. Turn off fans upstairs. Turn off the pellet stove Turn off the propane stove Turn down heat upstairs and in the kitchen Leave the doors unlocked, the cleaner is in behind you. Ensure life jackets and boat accessories are put away. Put cover on barbecue. Please lock up cottage and put keys back into the lock box. Page 7

8 How to Get There Address: Property is situated at 179 H. Vipond, Grand Lake, Quebec. J8N 5J5 If you have any questions or would like more information, please don t hesitate to contact Robin Nelson at: inventive.seven@gmail.com Thank you for coming and we hope to see you again. Page 8

9 Benefits of Saunas People living in Finland and Sweden already know it - sauna therapy is a wonderful way to reduce anxiety and stress, while promoting relaxation, contentment and peace of mind. However, saunas and steam-baths are much more than just leisure products. Other health benefits of using sauna include muscle relaxation, detoxification and glowing healthy skin. The tradition of sauna stems from the centuries old ritual of cleansing the body and the soul. Routines vary, but the basic idea is simple: sitting in the hot room, which is typically warmed to degrees Fahrenheit. After minutes - just when the heat becomes uncomfortable - it is customary to jump into a lake or swimming pool or to take a shower. After a short rest one goes back to the hot room and begins the cycle again, according to their personal preference. Sauna and the health benefits Sauna works on the principle of generating abundant sweat to detoxify the body and relax the mind. Regular saunas use can bring a number of health advantages - some of them are listed below: Glowing healthy skin - blood flow to the skin increases during a sauna session. With more essential nutrients being available to subcutaneous and surface tissue, the quality of the skin gradually improves. Detoxification - the heat releases poisons and heavy metals beneath the skin so that they can be purged through respiration. In this day and age most people are exposed to Page 9

10 toxins every day. Toxic chemicals are abundantly present in our food and environment, so it seems reasonable to aid the detoxification process with the regular use of sauna Hyperthermia - exposure to the high heat creates an artificial fever state. Fever stimulates the body's natural healing process. As a result, your immune system will produce greater numbers of disease fighting white blood cells and antibodies to eliminate viruses and other pathogens. Furthermore, sauna therapy relaxes muscles and inhibits sympathetic nervous activity. Regular sauna users say that a "good sweat" provides an opportunity to indulge in positive thoughts and escape from everyday troubles. Safety Precautions When using Saunas Do not stay in the hot room for more than 30 minutes Allow adequate time for rest after leaving the sauna Drink sufficient amount of water to replenish lost fluids and minerals Be sure to remove contact lenses before entering sauna Drinking alcohol in the sauna is not recommended Pregnant women should avoid sauna and steam-baths altogether Do not use if you have pre-existing heart conditions Page 10

11 Benefits of Hot Tubs The heat, buoyancy and massage elements of a hot tub can provide a number of health benefits. People with nagging aches or pains, stiff muscles, circulation problems, headaches, sleep disturbances and chronic medical conditions like diabetes; chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and arthritis may alleviate their symptoms and stimulate healing with hot tub therapy. Stress Relief and Sleep Benefits Hot tubs can relieve stress and improve sleep. The massaging jets and soothing heat help to reduce tension which may make it easier to fall asleep. The weightlessness effect produced by the buoyancy of the water can also be relaxing. Sitting in a hot tub raises body temperature, and the drop in body temperature that occurs after getting out of a hot tub may also induce sleep. Studies suggest that spending 15 minutes in a hot tub 90 minutes before bedtime can lead to an improved night's sleep. Page 11

12 Muscle Relaxation and Joint Pain Relief Massaging hot tub jets work to relax muscles and relieve pressure on nerves. In addition, the buoyancy provided by the water reduces body weight by 90 percent, taking pressure off joints. Hydrotherapy in a hot tub can provide symptom relief to some people with arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The Arthritis Foundation notes that muscle relaxation, decreased pain and stiffness and increased ease of performing daily activities and exercises are all potential benefits from heat therapies such as soaking in a hot tub. Blood Pressure and Circulation Heat from hot tubs can cause the blood vessels to open up (called vasodilation), which decrease blood pressure. The heat and massage ease blood flow and improve circulation, in addition to stimulating nerve impulses that boost the immune system and digestion. According to the American Heart Association, individuals with high blood pressure who have been advised to refrain from other activities that cause vasodilation (such as exercise) should also avoid using hot tubs. You should also not drink alcohol or move back and forth between cold water and hot tubs as this can increase blood pressure. Improvement of Type 2 Diabetes Hot tub therapy involving up to 30 minutes a day, six days a week for at least three weeks is known to help individuals with type 2 diabetes lower their blood sugar, lose weight and improve their sleep patterns. Particularly for people who are unable to exercise, sitting in a hot tub may be an effective alternative. Those with diabetes need to exercise caution, however, as they may be more susceptible to get burns on their feet due to nerve damage caused by diabetes. Drops in blood sugar may also not be obvious until getting out of the tub so individuals are advised to leave the hot tub gradually to make sure they do not pass out. Chronic Pain and Fatigue Reductions Hot tub therapy may help people with medical conditions that cause pain and fatigue. People with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (both chronic conditions characterized by all-over body pain, aches or fatigue) can get pain relief from soaking in a hot tub or engaging in light stretches while in the water. Liability Use of the cottage and its amenities is done so at entirely at the risk of the registered renters and their occupants. We cannot accept responsibility for you or your party's personal safety while renting this property. Terms and conditions of rental are fully detailed in our rental contract. Page 12

13 Terms & Conditions Check-in Procedure: Check in time: begins at 4:00pm (During busy seasons, the property may not be available until 5:00 p.m.) Instructions and the codes to lock boxes, will be ed to you when final payment is received. Every effort is made to have each home ready by check-in time, but no guarantee is made as to the exact time of occupancy. Housekeeping and maintenance personnel must provide services between occupancies for each home in order to prepare the home for incoming guests. Sometimes, due to unforeseen circumstances, housekeeping and/or maintenance services may not be completed by your 4pm check-in time. This situation rarely occurs, however, we apologize in advance if the is situation happens to you. Check-out Procedure 12:00pm sharp is scheduled check-out time. Please put keys back into the lock box. Requesting a later checkout: (You must call the morning of your departure to verify if a late departure is available.) Homes with an arrival on your departure date must be out of the home by 11:00am. Guests occupying home after 12:00pm will be accessed a late check-out fee equal to one-half of the nightly rental rate. Payment policies When a reservation is made, a $ deposit will be charged with the remaining balance due 14 days prior to stay. The payment can either be made through PayPal on the website, or an transfer. Cancellations/Refunds 1. In the event the Property is materially damaged prior to the Rental Period, this Agreement shall be null and void and all payments received by the Owner hereunder shall be returned to the Renter. 2. In the event the Renter advises the Owner that he or she wishes to cancel this Agreement thirty (30) or more days prior to the Arrival Date, a cancellation fee (the Cancellation Fee ) in the amount of $ will be charged to the Renter. In the event the Owner is advised of the cancellation within thirty (30) days or less of the Arrival Date and the Property is re-rented for the Rental Period, the Deposit (less the Cancellation Fee) shall be returned to the Renter. In the event the Property is not re-rented for the Rental Period, the Deposit shall be forfeited and not returned. Special occasions are an exception to this as noted below. Any reservations during the special holidays, which include New Year's Eve, Family Day, March Break, May long weekend, and Summer reservations starting June 12th through the Labour Day holiday require full payment 21 days prior to arrival and are NON REFUNDABLE at that point regardless of reason. Page 13

14 There are no refunds for late arrivals, early departures, or for leaving the home for mechanical failure of non-essential items. Friendly Fires reserves the right to terminate your contract/reservation with no refund if any rules set forth have been ignored. Cleaning Fee The home is stocked for your arrival with paper products including tissue, toilet paper, paper towels dish and dishwasher detergent. See amenities list for more details. Please leave the home in the same general condition as it was when you arrived. Staff will arrive after your departure to thoroughly clean and inspect the home. All food and drink spills should be cleaned up as they occur. Food and drink spills on carpet are considered to be damage, not normal wear and tear, and additional cleaning fees will be charged. Refrigerator should be emptied of all food and free of spills. All used dishes should be rinsed and placed in the dishwasher on the wash cycle. Additional housekeeping charges may also be applied in the occurrence of exceeding the maximum occupancy of the cottage. Security Deposit A $ security deposit could be charged in the event of a violation of our "no smoking", no cats please or "maximum occupancy" policies or incidental damages which occurred during the tenancy. Additional housekeeping charges will be applied in event for the need of excessive cleaning by our staff and the occurrence of exceeding the maximum occupancy of the cottage. Lost and Found Friendly Fires and/or the property owner are not responsible for personal property left behind, stolen or damaged during your stay. Every attempt will be made to locate lost items, but there is no guarantee that they will be found. Upon check out PLEASE make sure and take all of your belongings & check the property carefully. Never leave valuables (cash, wallets, jewelry, cameras, etc.) unattended. If you find you have left something behind, us and we will attempt to locate the missing item(s). There is a $25.00 Minimum Shipping Charge on all returned items. Items are held for 30 days. Items that are not picked up or shipped (at the guest's expense), are then donated to charity. Pet Policy Due to owner's & guests allergies, certain homes DO NOT allow pets...big or small. In all cases - ANIMALS BESIDES DOGS ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED. "Pet friendly" homes are available by request, 1 pet maximum. Pets are not allowed on the furniture or beds unless covered with a pet sheet. Guests are responsible for their pets' behavior and for any damage caused by the pet. Page 14

15 Should we discover a pet has been/is in the home without prior approval, you will be charged a fee for pest control, a deep clean, usually resulting in the loss of the security deposit of $350. If you miss picking up after your pet, a $25 fee per incident is charged. AT NO TIME MAY PETS BE LEFT UNATTENDED in a home, garage or on the grounds of one of the homes. Smoking Policy ABSOLUTELY NO SMOKING IS ALLOWED IN ANY OF OUR HOMES Quiet Hours 10:30 PM - 8:00 AM - Monitored and Enforced. Friendly Fires is a special neighborhood with a family environment. Hot tub use is allowed between the hours of 8:00am and 11:00pm. Please respect the desire of our full time residents and other guests in honoring quiet time. Keys At Check-in you will receive keys to your home are in a code restricted lock box. When you check out, please put the keys in the lock box. *The charge for a lost key is the cost to re-key the home is $300. Amenities List The following items are included in each vacation rental: Color TV/DVD, Silverware, Dishes/Cookware, Toaster/Microwave, Coffee Maker, Kitchen Utensils. Please bring all bed linens and towels, and dish towels. We provide you with a start-up complimentary bath amenity kits, a laundry amenity kit, paper products and dish washing supplies. These are intended for your convenience to begin your stay with us. *Our home has a Washer/Dryer, CD Stereos, Flashlights, radios, clocks, games, movies, XBox and many other great amenities. You'll want to bring the following items for your stay: Food & Condiments, Baby items (we do not provide cribs with bedding), Personal Toiletries, Beach Equipment, and Specialty Cooking Items. For any items you do not see listed or are not sure about, please or call us and ask. If you are arriving after dark, we suggest you bring a flashlight. You are to provide your own propane for the bbq, and wood for the sauna. General Policies Primary registered guest is responsible for any expenses incurred during the visit, including but not limited to loss and damages, accident or injury to person, or loss sustained while visiting the home. All catered food, rented tables or amplified music needs to be arranged with us prior to visit. *Occupancy for each home is strictly enforced and fines will be assessed for exceeding the number of allowed guests. Page 15

16 The minimum rental age is 21 years or older. No illegal substances are allowed in the rental and minors should not be in possession of alcohol. Violations will result in being evicted from the property you have rented and no refunds will be issued. Guest acknowledges and authorizes Friendly Fires to charge guest's security deposit for all damaged and/or missing items to the premises while occupied by the guest. If cost of extra cleaning, replacement or repairs exceeds the guest's security deposit, guest agrees to pay the difference to Friendly Fires. Parking is limited to a set number per home with a maximum of four cars, unless communicated in advance. Any vehicles parking in or blocking a fire lane will be towed. No motor homes, trailers, campers, of ANY KIND are allowed. Friendly Fires reserves the right to enter the premises, if need arises, without guest permission. FF will make every effort to contact the guest as to the purpose and duration we are to be in the home. Friendly Fires disclaim all liability for injury, loss, or damage. FF will be held harmless from claims arising out of use of home. Rules and regulations are on record with the owner. Please adhere to them at all times. Friendly Fires is part of a cottage neighborhood. It require complete sensitivity to full-time neighbors and residents. Each home belongs to a loving family and they ask for your care and kindness. * FF is always upgrading. There may be minor disruptions experienced during your stay. Friendly Fires Website Page 16