Guest Services — Policies
Cancellation Policy
The cancellation terms for your stay are set out in our Booking Terms, which form part of your booking contract. This page explains them in plain English — what is charged, when, and what to do if your plans change.
1.Overview
Cancellation charges are set out in full in our Booking Terms, which you accept when you complete your booking. This page is a summary of those terms — where the two differ, the Booking Terms prevail.
Any cancellation must be made in writing. Charges are calculated from the date your written notice reaches us, measured against your date of arrival.
2.How it works
More than 60 days before arrival
The deposit is forfeited
The deposit you paid to confirm the booking — 50% of the total booking price — is forfeited. Any balance already paid beyond the deposit is returned to you.
Less than 60 days before arrival
The full booking price is forfeited
The full booking price is forfeited, and 100% of the booking is due and payable to Smiling House. This applies whether or not the balance has already been paid.
We strongly advise that you purchase suitable holiday insurance for the duration of your stay, including cancellation insurance, to limit your cancellation risk.
3.At a glance
| When you cancel | What is charged |
|---|---|
| More than 60 days before arrival | The deposit (50% of the total booking price) is forfeited |
| Less than 60 days before arrival | The full booking price is forfeited and 100% is due and payable |
The 60-day point is calculated from your date of arrival, using the local time at the property.
4.What the deposit is
When a booking is made 60 days or more before arrival, a deposit of 50% of the total booking price confirms it, and the balance falls due 60 days before your date of arrival. When a booking is made less than 60 days before arrival, the full booking price is payable to confirm it.
If the balance is not received by the 60-day point, we reserve the right to cancel your booking and levy the cancellation charges above. A balance received after that point is subject to interest of 7% per annum.
The security deposit and any services deposit are separate from the booking price. They are refundable at the latest one month after your departure, less any costs incurred or the cost of any damage.
5.Changes to your booking
If you wish to change a confirmed booking, notify us in writing as soon as possible. We will make every reasonable effort to meet your request but cannot guarantee we will be able to do so. Any modification to your Booking Form is valid only if made in writing and signed by both you and us.
A cancellation followed by a rebooking is treated as a cancellation under the charges above.
6.No-shows
If you do not arrive at the property and have not cancelled your booking in writing, the stay is treated as a cancellation made less than 60 days before arrival, under the terms above.
⚠ TO CONFIRM: no-show treatment is not covered by the Booking Terms and is pending approval. It may be superseded by the final published policy.
7.How to cancel
Cancellations must be made in writing. Notify us as soon as you know your plans have changed — the charge depends on the date we receive your written notice.
To cancel a booking, write to us at reservations@smilinghouse.com or reply to your booking confirmation. Please include your booking reference.
Any refund due is processed to the original payment method.
⚠ TO CONFIRM: the number of working days a refund takes to reach the original payment method has not been supplied. No figure has been invented here — finance must confirm it before this page is published.
8.Important information
- The full cancellation terms are in our Booking Terms, which you accept at checkout. Where this summary and the Booking Terms differ, the Booking Terms prevail.
- A cancellation is only effective once made in writing — the date we receive your notice is the date the charge is calculated from.
- The 60-day point is calculated from your date of arrival, using the local time at the property.
- If the balance is not paid by the 60-day point, we may cancel the booking and levy the cancellation charges above.
- We recommend appropriate travel insurance covering cancellation for all bookings.
Questions about your booking?
Our concierge team is on call to walk you through the exact terms of your stay — before you book, or before you change your plans.