Half of Two - Valtos

22nd June 2020

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At the time of writing, the Scottish Tourism & Hospitality sector has yet to open, the predicted date for this being July 15th 2020. We are hopeful that we may be able to welcome guests to Half of Two once again from around the beginning of August 2020.

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To date the Isle of Skye has been very fortunate in managing to hold the spread of Covid 19 at bay. This has been largely due to 'Lockdown' and the corresponding suspension of the Hospitality sector which is the lifeblood of the Island.

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As the world moves cautiously out of Lockdown the hotels, holiday cottages, restaurants and B&Bs of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland are once again looking forward to welcoming new visitors to share the wonders of this special part of the world. However we also remain cautious of the potential for new sources of infection as a consequence.

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Key Points

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• Upon re-opening Half of Two for business in a 'Post Covid World' we no longer offer the option for guests to check in on the same day that others leave. This allows sufficient time for us to thoroughly air and clean the property to the necessary high standard. You may be assured that your wellbeing has been placed at the highest priority for the duration of your stay with us.

• We have always taken great care to ensure that Half of Two is cleaned to an exceptional standard in between all guests and cleaning the property to our satisfaction takes several hours. In addition to our established cleaning protocols we have also now adopted the guidelines from the Association of Scottish Self Caterers, details of which may be found here. Accordingly, further steps have been incorporated into our cleaning routine, including the virucidal cleaning of all high traffic / touch hard surfaces such as light switches, plug sockets, tv remote, binoculars, etc in addition to similar levels of cleaning employed in the rest of the property.

• In line with the ASSC guidance we politely request that guests strip the bed, including matteress and pillow protectors before leaving the premises at the end of their stay and place the items to be laundered in the bag provided

• Pillows and duvets are removed from the premises, replaced with similar and aired for at least 72 hours in-between guests. The matteress is flipped over and freshly laundered matteress and pillow protectors as well as clean bed linen is fitted.

• All cleaning and maintenance is done with gloved hands.

• It is not uncommon for guests to kindly leave left over items of food behind upon departure in the hope that we may use it and to save waste. Regrettably we are unable to utilise any opened food items in light of the current Coronavirus situation. 

• A dishwasher is provided for your convenience which provides a very high standard of cleaning compared to hand washing in most cases. Please use the dishwasher to wash crockery, cutlery, glasses etc where possible.

• We routinely provide a range of complimentary items for the enjoyment and convenience of our guests, such as a starter basket of logs, coffee pods, pint of milk, etc. Disruption to local supplies as a result of Coronavirus may, on occasion, leave us unable to provide these items. Should we feel it necessary we will contact you before your visit and advise you to bring these items, and any other supplies we believe you may struggle to find on Skye, with you for your stay.

• We would be very grateful if guests could remove the liner and contents from the bedroom and bathroom waste bins before departure. These should be deposited in the main, kitchen bin which in turn should be removed, tied and either left outside on the decking or put in the green wheelie bin in the driveway.

• The layout of the property is not suitable for the maintenance of Social Distancing and is therefore suitable for a maximum of two people only. Please do not invite other people into the property as this would be in violation of our Terms and Conditions.

• Part of the fun of running a self catering home is meeting lots of new and interesting folks from around the world. However, mindful that for the duration of your stay Half of Two is your own, special place we always maintain a discreet distance and, while we will say "Hi" & give you a cheery wave if our paths cross we always keep a low profile. Clearly, in the current situation Social Distancing is very important and we will respect this during your visit.

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Suspected or Confirmed Covid 19 Infection
 

• From the Association of Scottish Self Caterers - According to UK Hospitality guidelines in Scotland, if a guest presents themselves with symptoms of Covid-19 or is asymptomatic but declares the need to self-isolate, they should be advised to check out and return home to self-isolate according to current government guidance. If the guest has acute symptoms, has breathing difficulties, or their life is at potential risk, seek medical help immediately.

• It is essential that, should any guest suspect that they may have contracted Covid 19 that they contact the NHS Covid Hub for advice by telephoning ' 1 1 1 ' immediately. It is imperative that you DO NOT visit local doctor's surgeries, hospitals etc and that you remain at Half of Two until you receive further advice from the National Health Service.

• If advised by the NHS that they may have contracted Covid 19, any guest (together with their companion / partner if not holidaying alone) must inform us of this fact and vacate Half of Two immediately for the remainder of the duration of their stay. We regret that we are unable to offer any refund in such circumstances and it is therefore important that guests satisfy themselves that they have sufficient holiday insurance cover before beginning their holiday.

• The Scottish Government's Covid Track and Trace network will contact the hosts of any holidaying guests who prove to be Covid positive during their stay.