Essential information

The following information will help you to find out about certain aspects of your Alicante Holiday Villas holiday.

Accommodation

Each of our villas and apartments are privately owned and are decorated and furnished to the owner's individual taste so the standards and styles will differ from property to property. We try to give honest and accurate descriptions of each property along with a range of internal and external photos. With some properties it is not always possible to accommodate all occupants at one time in the lounge or dining area. The properties on our website are constructed to local building and safety regulations however safety standards and regulations may differ to those in your own country.

Air-Conditioning

Where air-conditioning is available it is detailed in the individual property description. We ask that you are considerate towards the owner and aware of the wider environmental impact and that you use the air-conditioning wisely.

Aircraft Noise

All the properties featured on our website are located about 10 minutes drive from Alicante airport but are not on the flight path. However some distant aircraft noise may be heard from time to time particularly during the summer due to the increased number of flights operating in and out of Alicante airport.

Arrival / Departure Times

Arrival time is from 3pm on the first day of your holiday. So that the property is cleaned and prepared for new arrivals, departure time is by 10am on the last day of your holiday. It may be possible to alter these times directly with the property manager/keyholder however we cannot guarantee it will always be possible.

Assistance

You have booked self catering accommodation so you are left to do your own thing. With your final travel documents you will be supplied with the name and telephone number of the local property manager/keyholder. Should you experience any difficulty or problem with any aspect of the accommodation you should contact the local property manager/keyholder in the first instance.

Baby and child equipment

We can supply a comprehensive range of baby and child equipment, please see the relevant page under Other Services. Some properties supply a travel cot and other equipment free of charge. Please specify when booking which of these items you will require so they can be made available for you. Please note that bedding for cots is not supplied, please bring your own.

Building Work

All our holiday properties are situated in residential areas and work may begin on a neighbouring property over which we have no control, nor are we given prior notice. However, in any event, we will always do our best to inform you of the facts in advance but if this is not possible, we cannot be held responsible. As with most areas in Spain, there is on-going construction work in Gran Alacant. Where we believe this may affect the quality of your holiday we have included the relevant information in the property details.

Children

We welcome children of all ages in our properties. Children can be inquisitive and in a new place there are lots of new things to explore. Please ensure that children are not left unsupervised at any time during your holiday and take particular care with stairs, balconies, roof terraces and swimming pools. Parents are solely responsible for the safety and actions of their children at all times.

Cleaning, bed linen and towels

The accommodation will be cleaned before your arrival and sufficient bed linen and towels left for each person. If you require a mid term clean and/or linen/towel change please speak to the keyholder/property manager locally who will be able to help. An additional charge will apply. Beach/pool towels are not provided.

Disabled Travellers

Alicante Holiday Villas Ltd is not a specialist in providing holidays for the disabled. Many of our properties are not equipped to cater for the needs of disabled guests and wheelchair users. Please advise us when enquiring of any specific needs and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Heating

For the winter months heating is supplied via the air-conditioning units in those properties equipped with air-conditioning or from small portable electric radiators and/or gas heaters. Winters in Spain can be cold, particularly at night, and as most of the properties are built from concrete and designed to be cool in the summer, you may find individual properties not to be as warm as you might expect at home.

Insects

Mosquitoes, ants, cockroaches and other insects are endemic in Spain. Insect powders and sprays are good repellents but it does help to keep crumbs to a minimum and ensure that all foodstuffs are properly stored. Mosquitoes can be kept away by a good spray that can be bought in any of the supermarkets.

Keys

One set of keys per property is supplied. It may be possible for a second set to be made available, please speak to the property manager/keyholder locally. An additional charge for cutting may be made and a security deposit taken locally.

Kitchens

Kitchens include crockery, cutlery, glasses, kettle, toaster, oven, hob etc and a reasonable range of cooking utensils. Some properties have additional facilities and these will be listed in the property description. Cleaning products and materials are not generally provided.

Lost Property

Any personal items left behind after your stay will be held for a period of 28 days. If not claimed after 28 days items will be destroyed. If you want any items returned please contact us by email. Postage and packing will be charged at cost plus a £5 handling fee.

Private Pools / Gardens

Private swimming pools and gardens are maintained by third party contractors who have access to the garden area. Gardens have to be maintained on a regular basis and this cannot be done only on change over days. Private pools are checked and cleaned on a regular basis. Times are not fixed so we cannot tell you in advance when the garden or pool will be maintained. We ask for your co-operation during a maintenance visit.

Property Manager/Keyholder

The local property manager/keyholder is employed by the individual owner of each property and not by Alicante Holiday Villas. The property manager/keyholder is responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the property and for helping you with any problem that you may encounter with the accommodation. The property manager/keyholder will be willing to impart local information and may be able to arrange taxis etc but we ask that you only contact him or her if you have difficulties with the accommodation or in an emergency. The property manager/keyholder will make every effort to resolve any problem that you may have with the accommodation but we ask for your understanding that some things are outside of his or her control. Please note that during busy periods it may not be possible for the property manager/keyholder to meet you at the property on arrival however you will be given information about where to collect the keys.

Public Holidays

Current known public holidays in the Alicante area are listed below. Please note that most supermarkets, shops, banks etc will be closed for part or all of these days: 1 & 6 January, 19 March, 5, 6 and 8 April, 1 May, 24 June, 16 July, 15 August, 8 September, 9 & 12 October, 1 November, 6, 8 & 25 December. The main fiesta in the Gran Alacant area is celebrated from 1 to 8 September. During this period shops and banks may close for half or full days.

Safes

Not all our properties have safes. Where these are supplied, details can be found in the property description and in the facilities list.

Satellite Navigation

Whilst satellite navigation is useful for finding places of interest during your stay, to avoid difficulties we strongly recommend you use the directions supplied to locate your holiday property as these are more accurate than most satellite navigation systems. Longitude and latitude co-ordinates can be found on individual property pages under the map location.

Satellite Television/DVD/CD Player/ Games Systems

UK satellite television is available only where stated in the property description. Subscription channels, such as Sky Sports, are not available. Expect to receive some UK free to air channels. Some properties have a television which may have local and national Spanish channels only. We cannot guarantee the availability of any channel. If the property description states a DVD/CD player or games console is available, we recommend you bring your own DVDs/CDs and/or games as any that may be supplied in the accommodation might not be to your taste or liking.

Swimming Pools

All communal and private swimming pools are unheated unless stated in the property descriptions. All communal pools are subject to the rules and regulations laid down by the local Community of Owners over which we have no control. There are no bar/cafe/shop services at any of the communal pools. Sunbeds are not generally supplied at the communal pools.

Taxi Services

Properly licensed and insured taxis are freely available at Alicante airport. Journey time to Gran Alacant is around 10 minutes and the fare around 20 Euros. Not all the taxi drivers know all the roads in Gran Alacant however the directions we supply you are good enough to use in conjunction with the driver who may or may not speak some English. Left and right hand signals though are the same in any language! Please note there are plenty of people who will offer to give you a lift to the airport, Benidorm or other places. Please be aware these people are not licensed nor are they insured for fare paying passengers. You use these services entirely at your own risk. Alicante Holiday Villas do not organise airport transfers. We strongly recommend that you use only properly licensed taxis or transfer companies.

Utilities

Water, electricity and gas use are included in the rental price unless otherwise stated in the property description or price notes. From time to time properties in Spain can suffer from water and electricity shortages and supplies of both may be disconnected for short periods of time. Also you may find that the electricity will trip if you have too many appliances switched on at one time. Most properties have water boilers with a smaller capacity tank than you may have at home meaning it may not be possible to have consecutive showers for each member of your party. We ask for your patience and co-operation as these situations are outside of our control.