General Information

Please read these notes carefully; they will help you to get the most out of your Alfa Holiday

Hotel Grades ααα

Hotel grading is quite a subjective process and the low level of participation in the official grading schemes mean it can be difficult to compare one hotel with another. We have tried to overcome the problem by ensuring that our own hotels are part of the best known scheme - the AA scheme. We also show our own opinion of all the hotels featured in our brochure using our α symbol. The α grade is designed to be more focussed on our customers’ needs. In awarding an α grade, we bear in mind the frequency of entertainment (which is not part of the AA scheme) and disregard such matters as the availability of room service (which is not generally required by our clients). We also consider the comments we have received from clients during the past year. We recommend that you consider the hotel grade carefully before booking. If you are someone who is used to staying in 2 or 3 star hotels, you are unlikely to be comfortable in a hotel with a α grade but you should find a hotel with a ααα grade perfectly congenial.

Room Types

All of the hotel rooms included in our programme have private bath or shower and WC. A limited number of single rooms is available at each hotel but there is always huge demand for these and we advise early booking. In recognition of the fact that the number of single households is continuing to increase very rapidly, we have some periods when there is no charge for single rooms.

Sea View Rooms

Many of the hotels featured in this brochure now offer the opportunity to book a guaranteed sea or loch view at a small additional charge.

Quieter Rooms

If you are someone who lives in a very quiet location or is sensitive to environmental noise it is important that you choose your resort with this in mind. Where an hotel or resort is described as "lively", it is probable that some rooms will be affected by noise from local entertainment venues or from the street. However, even in the liveliest locations (such as Great Yarmouth and Torquay), there are usually some quiet rooms (albeit usually on the upper floors and at the rear). If you live in a quiet location but wish to visit a lively resort, please consider requesting a quiet room.

No Smoking Policy

Smoking is now prohibited by law on all coaches and in the public areas of all hotels throughout Great Britain. Many hotels, including all of our own Leisureplex Hotels, also prohibit smoking in all their hotel bedrooms, although others have a limited number of bedrooms allocated to smokers.

Holiday Insurance

It is vital that you are covered by adequate personal insurance when you travel. The insurance policy we offer is very competitive and has no age restrictions. For full details, see the Insurance FAQs.

Special Requests

If you require a ground floor room or prefer a special diet or have any other request which you feel the hotel should know about, please ensure you write the information on your booking form (or indicate that option when booking on our web site). We guarantee to pass this information on to the hotel although we can never guarantee that such special requests will be met. If you are mobility impaired or have other special needs, please write or e-mail our Customer Care Department [email protected] for assistance in ensuring your needs can be met. For the latest information regarding special needs, please see the “Frequently Asked Questions” section of our web site.

Although we cannot transport motorised wheelchairs or scooters, we can advise on hire facilities in resort. We are not in control of detailed room allocations and can never guarantee the provision of a specific room, but we can make the hotel aware of your needs and advise you if we think your proposed choice is likely to be unsuitable.

If you need a special diet, please ensure that you mark this fact on the Booking Form and also forward a diet sheet to the hotel at least one week prior to your arrival. We ask hotels to ensure that special requests are granted so far as possible in accordance with the date of booking, with those booking early being given priority.

Child Reductions

Why not take your children or grandchildren with you? The following reductions apply on UK holidays to children sharing a room with at least one adult:

No. of Days: 3 4 5 7 8

Child aged 0-2 £30 £45 £60 £90 £105

Child aged 3-11 £20 £30 £40 £60 £70

(Child reductions also apply to Self Drive holidays but not Continental Tours.)

Continental Holidays

All Continental holidays normally travel on the ferry route from Dover to Calais which has a crossing time of 80-90 minutes. Most tours do not include dinner on the first day - please check individual tour descriptions. Please note that the exact location of overnight stops is subject to alteration at short notice. Most Continental hotels offer a set meal with limited alternative choices. Vegetarianism is also much less common on the Continent than in the UK and vegetarians should not assume that a vegetarian option will be available unless specifically requested. Continental hotels also generally do not provide entertainment in the hotel.

All passengers on Continental holidays must be in possession of a full passport valid for at least 6 months after the date of travel. Non-EEC citizens may also require a Visa or Visas and should check with their travel agent before making a booking.