RATES - While we endeavor to keep our website current, all website rates are per night and subject to change until a rental agreement has been executed by the renter.
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RESERVATIONS - Your reservation request is tentatively confirmed when we send your booking documents, which must be signed and returned to us within 24 hours. (Fax: 707.869.3096) Your reservation is not confirmed until we receive both the signed contract and payment in full.
We make every effort to keep the information on our website accurate, but we need to verify availability and price before we can confirm any reservation. Please respect the summer turn around day designation for July and August reservationsand the maximum occupancy for the house, which includes adults and all children over the age of two.
Make sure you have selected a house that is in the location and has the features that you require. Please ask us if you have any questions about a home. No sense in risking disappointment with a house that does not meet your needs. We do not provide refunds unless there is some reason the house cannot be occupied, like an inoperative stove. If privacy/seclusion is extremely important to you, please ask us if the house you selected is appropriate; few river-front homes offer seclusion, although we have good privacy screening from neighbors.
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ERRORS - Prices, locations, descriptions in brochures, website and on agreements may change from time to time without notice. Every effort has been made to assure that the descriptions are accurate. However, 5 SEASONS cannot be held responsible for changes made by homeowners, nature, or printing errors.
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REFUNDS - NO REFUNDS WILL BE GIVEN FOR THE BREAKDOWN OF APPLIANCES OR AIR CONDITIONER . No refunds will be given for weather or condition of the property or for conditions of which we have no control.
No refunds of substitution of accommodations will be given for television, VCR, DVD or cable breakdown or discontinuation of service at a house or condo. REPORT ALL INOPERATIVE AND/OR MISSING EQUIPMENT TO OUR MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY. Service must be scheduled and may require parts to be ordered. Problems will be corrected as soon as humanly possible. Priority is given to air conditioning/heat, refrigeration, plumbing, electrical and water problems. Agent or authorized employee or repairman, or landlord have the right to enter property at any time.
NO refunds will be issued for delays in check-in or early check-out (for any reason), damage to guest's belongings due to malfunctioning equipment/appliances, mechanical failure or appliance/electronics, interruptions/loss of utilities (including cable) or acts of God.
See Severe Weather for refunds due to flood warnings.
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IN SEASON - JULY and AUGUST. The rentals during these months are on a weekly basis and are from Saturday to Saturday. In season discounts: During JUNE, SEPTEMBER and OCTOBER. selected homes are discounted up to 25%. Homes that offer this discount have the discount rates in their descriptions.
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OFF SEASON - NOVEMBER through MAY. You choose the discount: 3 nights for the price of 2 or 25% discount for stays less than one week. Weekly and daily rates (when applicable) are listed in each description. Some properties are discounted 50% from October to May on a weekly rental and are noted in their descriptions. All homes are subject to a 2-night minimum reservation requirement.
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CHECK-IN TIME is 4:00 PM or after, BUT NOT BEFORE. DO NOT GO TO YOUR RENTAL PRIOR TO YOUR CHECK-IN AT THE OFFICE. Should a car be parked at the unit the inspectors will by pass the unit, which may delay your check-in. Notify all family members and guests of this rule. When you check in, if your unit is not clean, or if there are any damages, please notify 5 SEASONS immediately. This assures us that the proper parties are held responsible.
Please check your home carefully when you arrive. If you should discover any problem with the house, please report it to us immediately. We do not generally issue refunds for any condition beyond our control, such as power outages, water or plumbing system breakdowns, TV cable black outs, appliance malfunctions, and the like, and in no event will we issue a refund for a problem we had no opportunity to resolve. We maintain our home in the best-possible operating condition and if a problem should occur we will make every effort to rectify the situation. If you decide to leave earlier than your departure date, there is no refund unless we can re-rent the nights.
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CHECK-OUT TIME is prior to 11:00AM. Failure to check out and return the keys before 11:00 AM may result in a charge to your credit card. All keys must be returned to our office. Do not leave any keys in cottages or condos. You may leave keys in the drop box to the right of our door if you leave during hours that the office is not open. DO NOT turn in your keys until you have completely vacated the premises. The cottage or condo is checked & cleaned after you leave and before the next tenant arrives. There is a $25 charge for missing keys. This will be billed to the charge card on file.
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LATE ARRIVAL - Late arrival keys will be left in a safe beside our office door in an envelope with your name and directions to your home. Please come by our office the next morning to register. Call ahead if you plan to arrive after 6:00 PM (707.869.8139). Please check all keys upon arrival to be sure that all keys are correct. After hours lock-outs will be charged a $20.00 fee. Should you have an emergency and need assistance after hours you will be provided a number to call and our after hours attendant will return your call. Please note that our service repairmen are not available after hours.
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EARLY CHECK-IN - An early check in is not available in July, August, and September. Off season, you can call or email the office a day ahead to see if an early check-in is possible.
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LATE CHECK-OUT - A late check out is not available in July, August, and September. Sometimes off-season we can grant a late check-out of Noon without an additional charge. In all cases a check-out later than 2:00 PM is subject to an additional charge of $50. This will be billed to the charge card on file.
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OCCUPANCY - Each home has a maximum occupancy. Occupancy is limited to the number of sleeping spaces in a home. Some homeowners limit the number of people to a lesser number and these exceptions are noted in the descriptions. We reserve the right to refuse occupancy if, in the our opinion, occupancy is detrimental to the property. Overcrowding may result in expulsion and loss of rental.
No guests are permitted at our homes other than the number specified in your rental agreement without our prior approval. In general, you can have two additional day guests without any charge. We will occasionally permit more day guests for a fee. Every overnight guest in excess of the allowed number will be billed at $100 per day or the booking terminated immediately, at our discretion. And yes, children count, unless they are two or under.
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PAYMENTS - Reservations require a valid credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express) which we will process within 24 hours for the full amount of the reservation. If you prefer to pay by check, you must let us know at the time you make your reservation. Once we run your credit card, payment by check is no longer an option.
Payment by check is preferred for bookings at least 30 days distant. If paying by check, the first payment (60% of the total rent), with the signed agreement, is due within five days. The second payment (40% of the rent, plus tax, cleaning, and any extras) is due 30 days before check-in. If we do not receive your check within five days, we will run the credit card you used to secure the booking.Please contact us if some flexibility is necessary.
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CANCELLATIONS -
Payments for reservations are refundable only to the extent we are able to secure a replacement booking. Although we generally do re-book given a reasonable amount of time, there is no guarantee that we will. All refunds are subject to reimbursement of bank card charges we incur (3%) plus a $50 cancellation fee. Reservations generally cannot be moved to other dates unless the dates are nearer in time.
You can purchase travel insurance on the internet by going to Insure My Trip. 5 SEASONS is not an agent of this company and does not receive a commission from them. This information is provided as a service only.
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ADVANCED RESERVATIONS - Many of our vacationers plan to renew their next vacation with a 5 Seasons vacation. While you are here, make your plans for 2008 and take advantage of the best selection. This years vacationers are given the first opportunity to re-rent their property for the same week in 2008. You must do so before Thursday of your vacation week.
All 2008 advance reservations require a pre-reservation non-refundable deposit of $100. This pre-reservation deposit applies directly toward your reservation and must be paid in cash or by check. No credit cards will be accepted for this payment.
A rental agreement will be mailed to approved reservations in January 2008. The rental price and all rental reservations are subject to approval by our owners. Rental prices for 2008 will be set in December 2007. Pre-reservations deposits are non-transferable and non-refundable. The rental agreement must be returned within 72 hours. Deposits must be increased by check (unless reservation is less than 30 days away, in which case credit card and payment in full is required) at that time as follows:
- Reservations under $1000, the initial deposit is $200
- Reservations over $1000 and less than $3000, the deposit is $500
- Reservations over $3000, the deposit is $1000.
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RETURNED CHECKS - Returned check fee is $30.
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PETS - Pets are allowed in some homes; see individual home listings. Where pets are allowed there is a $50 non-refundable pet fee per pet.
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PHONE SERVICE - Many of our homes offer unlimited toll/national long distance. All international calls require a calling card. Cell phones do not work at many of our properties. Cingular/AT&T works in some areas of Guerneville, Forestville and Monte Rio. There is no cell phone service in Cazadero, Villa Grande, or Duncans Mills.
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STANDARD ITEMS - All of our homes are equipped with the following items: fully equipped kitchen, washer and dryer, can opener, ice maker or ice trays, coffee maker, toaster, blender, vacuum cleaner, and outdoor furniture, BBQ or Gas Grill, unless otherwise noted in the description. Linens are provided.
We provide an initial quantity of the following disposible items: toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, bleach, dishwashing and dishwasher detergent, and some limited cleaning supplies. If you want kitchen sponges and bath soap, please bring them. Bath towels may not leave the house so if you want to take towels to the beach or out to the hot tub, you need to bring your own.
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HOUSEKEEPING - Each home has a housekeeping fee associated with it as noted in your contract. The one-time cleaning fee covers cleaning and use of linens and is never waived or refunded. For bookings of more than 7 days , the cleaning fee is doubled and housekeeping will perform a mid-stay cleaning bringing you fresh linens.
- Your home will be clean upon your arrival, although occasionally there may be some overlap. We run a tight cleaning schedule and if a party delays leaving a house, this may cause the cleaning crew to finish cleaning your house a bit behind schedule. Although we rarely have this situation, we ask for your patience if it does occur.
- Please leave the home in good condition. Please make sure all dishes are washed and put away before you leave. There's a minimum ADDITIONAL $25 charge if you leave dirty dishes.
- Do NOT move the furniture during your stay; if you do, please replace it. Otherwise, we have to send staff to move it back and we will have to charge you for the service call.
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MESSAGES & MAIL - Phone messages and mail will be posted on our office board. Only In extreme emergencies will messages be delivered to our homes. Emergency messages...after hours...should be directed to the Sonoma County Sheriff. You MUST KNOW the home address for the police to deliver a message. For contact or messages you may leave 5 SEASONS number (707.869.8139).
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LOCKED CLOSETS - Most of our homeowners have a locked closet or storage room for their personal items. Please respect these areas as they are not intended for the renter's use.
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BOATS - Use of boats is seasonal; the river is too swift for boating in the winter and our beach is under water until late spring. In order to use any boats, you must sign a waiver of liability with regard to the boats, which will be included with your contract. Serenade has some life vests. If you want more vests or different sizes, inexpensive life vests are available at King's Sport & Tackle in downtown Guerneville.
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EMERGENCIES - You will be provided with an emergency cell phone number to be used only outside office hours.
- If the emergency is related to electricity issues, please see item 19 below.
- If the emergency is a blocked toilet, see item 18 below.
- If you request an emergency service call that turns out to be unnecessary, there will be a $35 charge.
- If you lock yourself out of your house and require a service call, there is a $35 service call charge during office hours and a $75 service call charge between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.
For any of these charges, we will charge your credit card if we have one on file. If we do not, we will invoice you unless you pay cash at the time.
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GARBAGE - When you leave your rental, please remove all food (except condiments), place all trash in the trash cans, and make sure the trash cans are placed in the appropriate place for pick-up.
- The trash pick-up day is noted on the Property Fact Sheet in your reservations documents and in the house instruction guide at your rental home.
- If trash pick-up occurs during your reservation, you must put the trash cans out the evening before the pickup day.
- Make sure the cans are pointed in the right direction; if the cans are backwards they will not be picked up and you will be charged for excess trash.
- If you fail to recycle, you will likely exceed the trash capacity of the cans. If you exceed the capacity of the trash cans, you will need to take excess trash with you. If you cannot do so, please advise us before you leave so we can arrange for hauling. The charge is $45 or more, depending on quantity, and this will be billed to your credit card or will be invoiced for payment by check.
- Never leave trash outside the cans; animals will scatter it.
- If your Property Fact Sheet specifies that the owner hauls trash, then place the trash in the cans and leave the cans where they are.
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GAS GRILLS/BBQs : As an accommodation, we try to keep propane canisters full for gas grills, but if you do run out during office hours, you can bring the empty canister to the 5 Seasons Resort and Spa office and we'll have it filled for you. You will need to return to pick it up later that day. You can alternatively refill the canister at Aaction Rents, 15950 River Road in Guerneville, and at Casini Ranch, 22855 Moscow Road, in Duncans Mills (this is the closest to Serenade) and we will reimburse you with receipt. Charcoal BBQ's will have an initial supply of briquettes for use. Some homes may have a chimney for use starting the BBQ.
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DOGS - We are very dog-friendly, but we can remain so only if dog owners strictly adhere to our rules. Violation of any of these rules will mean additional charges and in all likelihood you will be barred from future bookings. You must have written approval for your dog and abide by these rules:
- No dogs on furniture unless on a blanket you provide.
- Dogs must be crated if left alone in the house.
- You must clean up after your dog.
- Please keep your dog on leash outside the house grounds except at beaches where non-aggressive dogs can run leash-free.
- Do not allow dogs to bark and annoy neighbors. Dogs left alone in strange houses or in strange yards will almost always bark or engage in destructive behavior.
- Please groom your dog if your dog is a shedding type and make sure there is no dog hair on the furniture when you depart.
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NOISE - Most of our homes are located in a very quiet areas and we ask that you respect the tranquility of our neighborhoods. If you play loud music, especially at night, neighbors are likely to call the sheriff.
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SMOKING - There is absolutely no smoking permitted in homes. If you or your guests violate this rule, you will be banned from future rentals! Some homes provide ashtrays for smoking outdoors. There is a minimum $500 fee to clean smoke odors from any home.
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POOLS, SPAS and POOL HEATERS - No refunds or discounts will be given for breakdown or inoperability of pools, spas and or pool heaters (These items are serviced by outside contractors). If a home is equipped with a heated pool, there is a $50 (plus tax) surcharge per day unless otherwise noted for heating the pool.
You and your guests use pools and spas at your own risk. Each spa and pool is maintained weekly. Spas are , sanitized and set at 102 degrees. Sometimes power outages lead to malfunctions in spas and pools. You should check the pool and/or spa upon arrival and notify us of any problem. The spa should remain sanitary for a week with normal usage. Shower before each use. NEVER TURN OFF THE SPA!
You may request a mid-stay service call, generally at a cost of $25 to be paid to the technician, if the water smells, becomes excessively cloudy or foamy, or has excessive grit or sand. Any use of the pool or spa is at renter's own risk. Anyone who is pregnant, has a heart condition, or is intoxicated should never use a spa. Children under the age of six are not permitted in spas.
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INDEMNITY - Guests will be responsible for any accommodation damages, which occur as a result of their occupancy, other than normal wear and tear, including household furnishings. 5 Seasons Resort and Spa will not be liable for any damages to rental property or furnishings, nor for injuries resulting from any accident that may occur in or on the premises during guest occupancy. Representatives of 5 Seasons may enter the premises at any reasonable time to make repairs. Neither 5 Seasons nor the owner is responsible for personal items left on the premises.
In renting a home, you are agreeing to indemnify and hold harmless the owner of the vacation home, 5 Seasons Resort and Spa, and its employees and agents, for any injury or loss to any member of your party unless the injury or loss was due to gross negligence of the owner or 5 Seasons Resort and Spa. You must promptly report to us any unsafe or hazardous condition at the home.
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BLOCKED TOILETS - We test all toilets prior to arrival to ensure they are in working order. Sewer/septic systems are fragile at the River; feminine hygiene items and large amounts of tissue will tend to block the toilets. In the event your party creates an overflowing toilet that you cannot unblock with a plunger in the house, you will need to call a plumber at your expense. Plumbers like Rooter Express (888-UNPLUGU) and Roto-Rooter, with 24 hour emergency service, can often respond faster than local plumbers, but the local plumbers, like River Plumbing 869-0660, cost less. If you leave a house with a blocked toilet, we will charge your credit card or invoice you for the cost of unplugging it.
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ELECTRICAL ISSUES - We are in a heavily forested area here and electricity is not as reliable as in the cities. We get occasional power outages - this is especially true in the winter. Your home will have an emergency information sheet which will give you the PG&E number to call to report or learn the status of an outage. The number is 800-743-5000 for customer service and 800-743-5002 to get information on the status of outages.
Sometimes circuit breakers will trip. If you note a partial outage, please go to the breaker panel and check the breakers. If one or more is slightly out of alignment, you need to click the breaker firmly to the off position, then click it firmly back on. It should click into place. If this does not restore power, then call us.
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LOST & FOUND : Please check the closets, drawers, and under the bed for your personal belongings; check for any battery chargers in outlets. 5 SEASONS makes every effort to locate lost items, but are not responsible for items left behind. We will return lost items only upon request. Items are sent C.O.D. and are subject to a $30.00 minimum fee. Any items left for over 30 days will be given to local charities.
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COMMERCIAL USE - Commercial use of Serenade is strictly forbidden without a contract for the specific use.
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SEVERE WEATHER - 5 SEASONS DOES NOT OFFER TRAVEL PROTECTION INSURANCE. If the State or Local authorities order a mandatory evacuation of an area that includes the property subject to this vacation rental, and the guests comply with the order, guest is entitled to a refund of the prorated rent for each night that the guest is unable to occupy the property because of the order. Guest must take all possessions upon evacuation, as re-entry cannot be guaranteed. You can purchase travel insurance on the internet by going to Insure My Trip. 5 SEASONS is not an agent of this company and does not receive a commission from them. This information is provided as a service only. Full refunds are available if flood warnings relevant to the rental are posted within three days before arrival.
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CONSTRUCTION - The Russian River is a growing area. Unfortunately, we cannot predict the location of all active construction in the area. We may not be able to inform you if your accommodations are near a construction site. We cannot make refunds because of construction activity.
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