Last updated: 1st May 2023
ABOUT US
We are a family business, living on and passionate about Islay with an established background in the high end hospitality industry. Not only do we understand and appreciate the work involved in holiday rentals (as we have our own successful holiday let) we also have years of experience both working for, as well as many holidays enjoying them.
Before we moved to the island we grew increasingly frustrated that there was no ‘One Stop Shop’ website for Islay where we could ‘Look’ for holiday homes by searching for availability and the type of holiday home we required, ‘Book’ and pay for it on the same secure site, and then ‘Stay’ and ‘Enjoy’ the property confident in the knowledge that it was a hand picked quality and quirky property that we wouldn’t be disappointed with. Hence, this our new business ‘Holiday Homes Islay’ & 'Isle of Islay Scotland' which we believe will quickly become the websites to use for all those discerning travellers, like us, who want a quick, convenient but trustworthy website dedicated purely to the island we love run by people who care.
We would also like to introduce ‘Harry’ our Highland Cattle logo who, like our business, is young but growing strong, rugged and hardy and a friendly welcoming face often found roaming all corners of Islay and in all weathers!
Harry’s friends, our experienced team, are always on hand vie Email or phone to answer any queries you may have. Please use the ‘Contact Us’ page if you have a query about booking one of the holiday homes we have chosen to feature or perhaps you’d like to discuss whether your holiday home could join us too?
All of the properties on our website are hand picked by us because they are quality and quirky properties we have stayed in or would love to stay in ourselves. They all include towels and bedding, no hidden extra charges for basics such as electricity and heating, our own updated Guest Information packs on the local area as well as useful information on the property itself. They all also include essential safety features such as smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers/blankets and First Aid boxes.
Exclusive to Holiday Homes Islay
Look out for the 'Exclusive to HHI' logo which indicates properties that are only available through Holiday Homes Islay. These properties are fully managed by us. You won't find these properties, their availability or be able to book them anywhere else, they are exclusive to us.
Exclusive Online Availability
Indicates properties that you can only find the availability of on our site. These properties have signed up with us to manage all their booking requirements, so you won't be able to find their availability anywhere else.
Feedback
Although we have handpicked our properties we are also committed to ensuring our high standards are maintained. We therefore ask our guests to provide feedback on all our properties once they have checked out. This helps us and our Property Owners maintain the high standards our guests deserve.
Quality & Quirky Accommodation
Whilst other holiday let sites list each and every property that wants to join, we at Holiday Homes Islay only invite those properties we have either stayed in or would love to stay in ourselves. Being on the island means we can also work closely with those property owners who are equally committed to ensuring the highest standards for their guests. Hand picking such properties takes time so please check in regularly to see who else has joined Harry’s exclusive club.
Pet Friendly
We know that for many of our guests their dog is an ever present member of the family and Islay is the ideal place for long walks, exciting smells and dips in the sea too. Those properties which are happy to welcome your four legged friends are clearly shown by our paw print symbol. However, please note that some may impose charges to cover the extra cleaning the property is likely to require and some may have additional rules too. However, in all cases pets should not be left alone in the properties or allowed on the furniture and like all responsible pet owners please clear up after them.
Property Welcome Pack
Once we have received the full balance for your stay ,we will send you our property information welcome pack which will include all the necessary details to make sure you enjoy your stay from the outset. This will include the property address and clear directions to it from both Ports and the airport, arrival and departure times, where to pick up the key or who will meet you on arrival, contact information of the property owner/manager and any other relevant information that will assist.
Secure Payments
In common with all other online companies we use a third party to make sure all payments and details are secure and PCI compliant. We use ‘Stripe’ the UK based payment provider also favoured by the likes of Amazon. This means you can use all the usual debit and credit cards (except American Express) to make your deposit payments and pay the full balance online and in complete confidence. Should you have any questions regarding this, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Cancellations
All cancellations must be made according to the cancellation policy contained in your Traveller Terms & Conditions you accept when booking. Briefly this means that if you cancel after booking but prior to 6 weeks before your arrival date the 30% deposit and £15 booking fee will not be refunded. If you cancel between 6 weeks and 2 weeks prior to your holiday then we will endeavour to re-let the property. If we are successful we will refund the difference between the balance paid and the re-let figure and deduct an additional £30 towards our administration costs. If you cancel within 2 weeks of your arrival as the chances of a re-let are so slim we regret no refunds will be due.
Please note that Holiday Insurance is not included in any bookings, and as we and the Property Owners cannot be held liable for any difficulty you experience in reaching the island we strongly recommend you take out holiday cancellation insurance.
