Hi we have had many self catering hols with our dog, most places charge £15-£20 for the dog, we dont mind paying this but £80-£90 way too steep.

I think if a dog makes a mess then an extra cleaning charge should be charged, we always try to leave a cottage as we find it, i always take throws for the sofa/beds, and hoover up any dog hairs on the last morning. Our dog when younger once chewed a book slightly - we informed the owner and offered to pay for this book but they were fine about it. If anyone with/without a dog leaves the place in a mess then an extra cleaning charge is fair.

Have to say many owners have told me kids often make more mess than pets!

We would love to return to center parcs but it seems impossible to find a dog villa these days. Id be happy to pay a refundable deposit on any booking.

I think you get the odd dog owner who spoils things for responsible owners, which seems to put up the cost of pet fees and a lot of people advertise holiday cottages as allergy friendly which means no pets/smoking.

Cant comment on the smoking fees/non smoking cottages as we are all non smokers.

Alison

I have nothing against dogs but a couple of years ago we stayed in a chalet where there had been a dog staying the previous fortnight.

The furniture was covered with hair still and the place stunk!

Bearing in mind that this chalet is on a site where dogs are not allowed on the beach or to walk around without a lead on, the poor thing must have been stuck in this chalet while the owners enjoyed themselves on the beach.

I had to get the vaccum out as soon as I got there and went out and bought some smelly candles to mask the dog smell.

The problem is that decent cleaning procedures are not enough to eradicate the smell of cigarette smoke from soft furnishings. Any none smoker who goes into a cottage after it's been used for a week by smokers will instantly be able to tell and will be put off by it. Products like Fabreeze, whatever they tell you in the advertising, only mask rather than eradicate the smell of cigarette smoke and pets. One of the reasons why rental agencies started stipulating 'no pets, no smoking' was that they got fed-up with the number of complaints they were getting about the stale smells left behind.

And many of the things used to mask the smells are problematic in themselves. I could never stay in a room that had been treated with something like Fabreeze because I am allergic to them and it sets me off wheezing. I recently had to be asked to move rooms in a hotel because someone had been smoking in a non-smoking room and not only had the housekeeping staff been unable to get rid of the smell but the fabric fresheners they'd used to try and do so set me off. The management were not best pleased and I was told that while it was no consolation to me who had the inconvenience of having to change rooms, they would be leaving the room empty until they could get all the drapes and furniture coverings etc dry cleaned and professional cleaners in to steam clean the carpets etc as in their experience that was the only way to deal with the problem properly and that they would bill the full cost to the the previous occupant (who had clearly decided to take the chance like your friends are suggesting you do). Such 'decent cleaning procedures' don't come cheap if a cottage owner has to have it done as part of each between-lets cleaning.

The problem can be as bad with pets. It doesn't matter how thoroughly I try and vacuum my house before he arrives, a friend of mine starts to get asthmatic within a very short time of coming into my house because I have a cat. It's so bad that I now meet him elsewhere or visit him at his home and this is despite the fact that I've a vacuum cleaner which is specially designed for cleaning up pet hairs etc and which has a hospital grade filter in it and I don't have fitted carpets but stripped boards and rugs instead precisely because this makes it easier to keep the house clean and smelling fresh despite the cat. A friend has a child who has a similar reaction to dogs and dog hairs. For such people, being able to rely on a cottage not having had a dog or cat in it is not a case of being precious - it's a serious health issue.

The fact is that those of us who smoke or keep pets simply get used to the smell and don't notice it but others do. I know that my cat's litter tray always needs cleaning before I'm actually conscious that it's beginning to smell and it's the same with smokers I'm afraid. As a non-smoker, even if someone isn't actually smoking in my presence, I can usually separate the smokers from the non-smokers simply from the smell that clings to their clothes and hair. And mine if they then light up my presence.

By all means take the chance if that is what you want to do but don't be surprised if the agent or owner phones you to demand that you pay for the additonal cleaning costs incurred by them to stave off complaints from other clients. £90 strikes me as a fair price to have carpets and soft furnishings steam-cleaned after dogs or smokers have been in a house. If I could find professional cleaners who'd do my house out from top-to-bottom for that amount I'd have them in a like a shot on a regular basis

SM

As the wife of an ex very heavy smoker, 50-60 a day, I echo the fact that it`s practically impossible to get rid of the smell of someone who`s been smoking for any length of time in a room. Before he stopped smoking just over 2 years ago, I always used to feel really guilty and embarassed whenever we left holiday accommodation to return home, wondering what they were saying about the smellthat was left behind. I know that I hated it, and I lived with it all the time, so I can understand why holidayy proprietors don`t want smokers in their properties. As for dogs, I adore them, but they do stink when they get wet, especially in an enclosed space.

SM I would not expect everyone to stay in accommodation that allows smoking and or pets. It is your choice.

My complaint is that since there are a large number of dog owners in this country, and smokers come to that, I fail to see why certain parks refuse to allow dogs altogether. Where they do allow pets to stay they attempt to charge an exorbitant amount for them. This is unreasonable given that the previous guests probably had a pet and so will the next guests. There really is no excuse unless there is some kind of raised liability insurance to cover the risk of dog bites etc. that I don't know about.

I understand the problems asthmatics have, however the argument is more often related to the risks children incur. What you and your nearest and dearest bring into a caravan or cottage on your feet is little different to that which a dog will bring in, and most likely neither is any worse than the conditions in a school or hospital most of which seem to be carpeted for some reason. Either way it does not explain why so many places now refuse pets.

Smoking is a slightly different issue, your comments regarding cleaning are well made however, again, given that the previous guests, next guests and quite probably owners in smoking accommodation are likely to be smokers they are somewhat irrelevant. Given that approx 20-30% of us smoke, whatever the rights or wrongs of it are, why do the number of properties / caravans, not reflect this. It is very easy to fall into the trap of judging others and we as a society seem very keen to launch ourselves into this trap. I suspect many owners and operators see this as a selling point instead of realising that if they get the balance right they will have an even bigger fan club than the anti smoking fraternity.

I would stand by my earlier comment, we are becoming precious as a society. We need to accept personal responibility a bit more, accept that not everyone wants to live the Californian lifestyle and only complain when we have a good reason to. We try to wrap our children in cotton wool and then wonder why when they do catch something, it knocks them for six, we look to blame everything from smoking to eating spicy food for all of our ills. There are people with genuine problems, such as asthmatics and they too can be accommodated without penalty to other groups. Lets see a little common sense to the fore.

It should be possible to accommodate either preference, it is this balance that I would like to see.

We holiday at New Year with a couple who take the dog. Its is hard, but not impossible to find accomodation for a dog. But, if you look well in advance - as opposed to folk looking now, for Xmas, you will usually find somewhere.
On the actual subject of dogs in the house, i would not have ANYONES dog in my home - no matter the reason. But, i dont mind in the slightest sharing a cottage with one for a week, as it is 'accepted' in the deal.

Look at it from the point of view of the owner. Pets mean more wear and tear, more complaints from non-pet owners and smoke means more decorating, more wear and tear and more complaints from non-smokers. Which route would you take? The easier one that causes you personally a lot less grief and also means that you can maintain a higher standard of accommodation and therefore charge more. In turn you earn more profits and lets face it it, if you are offering holiday accommodation it's the pound figures that matter.

I smoke (a small amount) but I have not had a cigarette indoors for 12 years. I couldn't physically smoke indoors anymore. I cannot stand places that reek of tobacco smoke. It is disgusting and you cannot easily get rid of the smell. I personally would not stay in a room that had just been vacated by a smoker. If you want a cigarette that badly then do what I do, go for a walk down the road. It's surprising how your craving for nicotine disappears when faced with a cold, wet, windy night. Let's face it for owners there is no money long term in accommodating smokers, they're a dying breed.

As to pets, well no matter how hard you try, dog hairs get everywhere and some people, myself included, come out in hives after contact with fur.

It has nothing to do with being precious or having a Californian lifestyle. It has everything to do with the comfort of your guests and your own profitability.

I do regular work for a woman who runs 3 holiday lets. She has said once this season is over, that is it for dogs...they cause too much damage in the house and garden!

I can understand your frustrations in trying to find suitable accommodation but must agree with most of the other comments here. My husband smokes (not heavily) but if we go away to a hotel or something we always ask to get a no-smoking room as there is nothing worse that sitting in a room that smells of stale smoke. My husband just does his smoking outside. We have kids too so would not have them sleep in a room that someone had previously smoked in. I am alergic to dogs and cats and any contact with their fur means I sneeze and have swollen eyes. I don't think this makes me precious - it is just the way things are - so I would not book accommodation that I knew had previously accepted pets as their fur would inevitably be in the premises. I hope you do find somewhere suitable and have a great break.

Peebee, as you say in your post, only 20-30% of the population smoke these days and at least some of those who do, like other posters on this thread, don't smoke indoors and prefer properties that are non-smoking for the sake of their kids etc. I can't speak for companies like Haven that run holiday parks but most cottages are owned by individuals - they're someone's second home or future retirement home and companies like Country Cottages or Hoseasons are simply letting agents and have to abide by the owners' conditions. Owners are often relying on the income from holiday lets to pay the mortgage on the property and so are not going to limit their letting market to potentially only 20-30% of the market. And an owner who is themselves a non-smoker is probably not going to be happy at having smokers using what they no doubt consider to be their 'home' - it is after all still their personal property even if they do let it out when they aren't using it.

I appreciate that hotels are different but even so I suspect that now that fewere and fewer people smoke that some of them are very reluctant to designate too many rooms as smoking ones for fear of having to leave them unlet because of the ever increasing demand for non-smoking ones.

As for the dogs issue, as others have said, this is not about dirt but about the dogs hairs. As a cat owner I appreciate just how difficult it is to make any house that has an animal in it completely hair free. It lurks in the most unlikely places :-)

SM

Our daughter who now lives away, only has to be around her OWN cat (that still lives with us) and her eyes are streaming within half an hour. Its an awkward problem...other peoples animals.

I'm going away for a short break with Haven in October, the majority of their sites allow dogs. I think it's £20 I'm paying to take my dog which is cheaper than booking her into kennels.

Personally I wouldn't want to stay in accommodation that smokers had used. I clean for a lady who smokes and although she's never there when I go and do the clean my clothes and hair smell awful when I come out.

Shell

Hi there

We have a dog (Rotweiller) and my husband smokes (Cigars) and we found a fabulous place this year in a very small village in Cornwall called St Pinnock.

Unbelieveably animal friendly. They even provided throws for the furniture and beds so both you and your pet would feel at home. They are real animal lovers even had a doggy creche if you wanted to go somewhere that your best friend was not welcome!

Brilliant place and there should be more like it. Oh by the way no charge for your dogs!

I have posted a link for anyone who's interested to have a look!
http://www.dogs-holiday.co.uk

We personally dont let our dog sleep or lay on furniture, either in our home or anyone elses. Unfortunately, some people do, they dont respect other peoples property. As for "No Smoking" in accomodation, i respect that. My hubby and I are non smokers, and when we go in a home where there is smoke, we can smell it straight away. We have booked a house in Aviemore for a week in February, and we can take our dog (no extra charge) but we will take his Basket to sleep in. Its also a "non smoking" property, which is what we wanted. At the end of the day, its their property, and its upto them if they want dogs staying there, and Non Smokers only. You have to respect that. When we stayed in SCotland over the New Year, our house then was Non Smoking, so both my inlaws (who both smoke) respected the owners wishes, and smoked outside. It was no problem.