General Information
Ffarm Country House : Our Post Covid House Rules
UPDATE : 15 April 2023
Introduction
We all appear to have now learnt to live with Covid and virtually all the Covid restrictions have been lifted in Wales or at least consigned to the unobtrusive background. We were proud of the measures we put in place at the Ffarm to create a Covid safe environment for our guests and we apologise if we continued to wear masks whilst other establishments dropped the masks as soon as they possibly could but we felt better safe than sorry. To be honest it is nice now to be able to offer a friendly face as part of our service to our guests but we would still reassure everyone that certain Covid measures (for example the cleaning practices and social distancing) are still forefront in our minds.
Covid taught us to adapt and respond to circumstances and now with inflation running riot, energy costs skyrocketing, staff shortages and supply chain challenges, circumstances have never been more challenging.
We have therefore adapted our previous Covid House Rules to these current Ffarm House Rules as a means of communicating with our guests as to how we can all co-operate to manage the various post-Covid challenges ahead. The aim is to reduce waste, save energy and minimise our impact on the environment whilst continuing to offer the best service that we possibly can.
Masks, Hand Sanitisers & Social Distancing
Masks are no longer mandatory within public spaces in Wales (although you may well be required to wear masks in certain Health Care settings). We do not require masks to be worn inside the Ffarm.
You will find hand sanitisers at various points throughout the public areas of the Ffarm and we would still encourage their use.
We are still doing a deep Covid Clean of all rooms between guests so you can be reassured that your space is as Covid safe as possible on check-in.
The social distancing measures we put in place during Covid were very well received and obviously facilitated by the space available once we opened up the Snooker Room. We are anxious to preserve the opportunity for personal space at the Ffarm and we will endeavour to maximise the distance between tables at breakfast and evening meals. This will involve the use of the Snooker Room for meals at busy times and for large groups. We would stress that everyone will receive the best possible service irrespective of which room they are allocated for breakfast or evening meals.
If your preference is for private dining then please let us know and we will ensure the Snooker Room is set specifically for you.
Breakfast Arrangements
Breakfast is available from 7:30am through to the kitchen closing at 10am. However to help with social distancing (and our ability to cope in the kitchen) we ask for breakfast times to be staggered. A time will be agreed on check-in and we will assume this is the same for each morning of your stay.
The tables will be arranged to fit with the breakfast schedule and a “Reserved” sign will be on each table indicating for which room it has been allocated. We would ask that guests adhere to their assigned breakfast time and also to their assigned table as otherwise the intended social distancing will breakdown and the kitchen may become overwhelmed if everyone comes down at random times. We apologise in advance if this seems overly strict but we found that it worked very well during Covid with benefits to both the kitchen and to guests alike.
If you would like to change your allotted slot then please let us know the evening before so we can advise on alternative available slots.
We are no longer able to offer a room service option for breakfast
Evening Meals at the Ffarm
We can cook for guests on any evening except Tuesdays and Thursdays (which are our nights off). However we cannot guarantee that we have capacity to cook for every occupied room so please plan ahead and book your table at least 48hrs in advance – the earlier the better to avoid disappointment.
We regret that we are unable to accept spontaneous table reservations or restaurant “walk-ins”. Sorry.
We do all the cooking ourselves from scratch – you won’t get microwaved ready meals here at the Ffarm. We prepare good honest, freshly cooked homemade meals using high quality, locally sourced ingredients. As a result we do require menu choices at least 24hrs in advance so that we can source what is required and minimise waste. Our menus are on the Ffarm Food page of our website.
Service in the restaurant is available from 6:30pm through to 9pm with last sitting at 8pm. We endeavour to stagger dining times in the interests of social distancing and the sanity of the kitchen so please let us know your preference at the time of your table reservation. We would suggest that a 8pm start should be limited to just two courses as there may be insufficient time to serve a full three course meal before the kitchen closes at 9pm and our portions are quite generous so two courses will not leave you hungry.
Please note that if you wish to enjoy a take-away in your room we are happy to provide plates, cutlery and napkins for your use – simply ask. We would appreciate it if guests do not simply remove plates and cutlery etc from tables already laid up for breakfast as it is sometimes difficult to spot what has been removed and properly reset before breakfast commences. Please take extra care to avoid the take-away damaging or staining the woodwork and soft furnishings in their rooms.
For groups or family functions we can provide private dining for up to 12 in the Snooker Room and we would be happy to put together a bespoke function menu for you.
We can also cater for larger functions on an exclusive hire basis where the whole Ffarm is at your disposal. Please get in touch if this is of interest. We can accommodate up to 24 persons on a table service basis in the Dining Room or up to 36 buffet style.
Central Heating & Hot Water
In the current economic situation we are unable to run central heating and hot water 24hrs per day but we will endeavour to ensure the Ffarm is a warm and welcoming home from home. Our central heating is timed to operate from first check-in (4pm) through to last check-out (11am) with a little down time when everyone is tucked up in bed. Please note that the central heating will not operate in the summer if the Ffarm is naturally warm enough.
Hot water will be available between 6:30am and 10am and from 6pm through to 9pm. Hot water outside these times will largely depend on the residual hot water in the tanks. We would strongly advocate that guests consider the energy consumption of their ablutions – quick showers vs long hot soaks in the bath. We have priced our rooms assuming a degree of environmental responsibility with our guests and we hope we are not disappointed. We can run the central heating or hot water for extra periods if this is required but this will be at an additional charge (£10 per hour).
Every room has thermostatic valves on the radiators so you are in control of the temperature of your room. Please do not control the temperature by opening windows if the radiators are on – please turn down the radiator thermostat first and keep the windows closed. Better for the planet too.
If you use the towel warmers in the bathrooms then please turn them off when leaving the room.
Please let us know if there are any medical conditions that necessitate additional heating in your room and we will endeavour to accommodate your needs.
Room Refreshes
Whilst we undertook daily room refreshes in the past as a matter of routine it does take up a massive amount of human and energy resources and is often totally unnecessary. During Covid we were forced to limit room interventions as part of our Covid risk mitigation plan and the feedback we received was that guests were generally happy to look after themselves and valued the privacy of their room space.
Going forward we have decided to adapt our room refresh policy in the light of the positive feedback we received during Covid. We will refresh your room every second day of your stay and ask you to reuse towels etc during the intervening times between room refreshes. Please vacate the room for at least an hour between 10am and 1pm for us to fit the room refresh into our cleaning schedules. If you wish your room to remain undisturbed then please hang the “Do Not Disturb” on the outside of the door. For longer stays we will change the bedding every alternate room refresh.
If daily room servicing is required then this can be requested at breakfast at an additional charge. An additional Basic Room Refresh will be charged at £5 with a change of towels charged at an additional £5. A Full Refresh involving a change of towels and bedding will be charged at £15. Please let us know what type of refresh is required – Basic, Basic plus towels or Full Refresh.
Additional toilet rolls can be requested at any time and will always be free of charge.
Complimentary Water
We provide complimentary bottles of Welsh Spring Water for your use during your stay (either Radnor still and sparkling or Brecon Carreg depending on availability). The bottles will be replaced during room refreshes. If you wish additional bottles they are charged at 50p per bottle.
We should emphasise that the tap water is Welsh as well, entirely safe to drink and actually quite pleasant too. We would encourage guests to refill their bottles from the tap in the interests of recycling and reducing plastic waste.
Tea & Coffee
You will find tea & coffee making facilities in each room along with hot chocolate and biscuits. These will be replenished during room refreshes.
On the first floor landing you will find a basket of spare teas, coffees, milks etc and you are welcome to take these for your use during your stay with us. There is also a variety specialist teas available for your use including Earl Grey, Camomile, Peppermint, Red Berry and Green Tea. We will endeavour to keep these spares topped up for you.
We only have semi-skimmed milk at the Ffarm but if you would prefer fresh semi-skimmed milk instead of the UHT pots then please ask.
If you would like decaffeinated tea then we can provide that too – again simply ask (ring the bell on the wall above the reception desk to attract our attention)
Toiletries & Complimentary Consumables
Items in the rooms such as the soaps, shampoo / shower gel, shower caps, flannels, tea, coffee, biscuits etc are provided free of charge for your use during your stay at the Ffarm. They are not intended as items to be removed from the Ffarm for subsequent use elsewhere. Feel free to use them but please leave them for the next guest if not required during your stay. This may be stating the obvious to the majority of people but regrettably it does need restating for the minority.
Everything will be replenished during the room refreshes.
For the avoidance of doubt, bathrobes and slippers are the property of the Ffarm and must not be removed from the rooms.
TV & Radio
The TV in each room has all the traditional radio stations as part of the TV guide and we ask that you use the TV to access radio (we removed the standalone radios from the rooms during Covid to de-clutter the surfaces and facilitate the Covid deep cleans).
In most rooms the TV signal is provided via Freesat and there is a separate Freesat box wired to the TV (in some cases the Freesat tuner is integrated within the TV). Details of the specific TV configuration and instructions for its use are in the back of the room Guest Information Book. If there is a problem with the signal to the TV then it is most likely the signal source has been changed – please read the guest book and follow the guidance – PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RETUNE THE TV.
DVD Library
On the first floor landing you will see a bookcase with our DVD library. Every room has a DVD player either as a standalone box connected to the TV or integrated into the TV (on the right hand edge). You are welcome to borrow DVDs to watch in the room if you don’t like the channels on the TV.
All the DVDs will have been sanitised before being put back in the bookcase. If you have borrowed a DVD then please ensure it is removed from the player before your departure and placed back in the right box. Please leave the DVD boxes in your room on departure and we will sanitise them and put them back.
If there are any problems playing a disc then please let us have the culprit so we can clean or dispose of it as appropriate. Better that we know a disc is a dud rather than it be put back into circulation and disappoint someone else.
WiFI
There is wifi throughout the Ffarm. You will find on your device a wifi network called simply “Ffarm”. To access the internet on this network you will need the wifi user ID for each room (the room name in title case e.g. “Borneo” not “borneo” or “BORNEO”) and the password which is 1706 in all cases (the year the Ffarm was originally built).
There are various wifi boosters around the Ffarm to overcome the problems associated with the thick stone walls of the Ffarm. Please do not disconnect these boosters as others in adjacent rooms may be affected if the boosters aren’t boosting.
Please note that the Ffarm Network is set for ease of access and is not an ultra high security network. If you can’t get connected it may be that your device settings are set to reject such non secure networks.
Car Parking
The area immediately in front of the building is reserved for disabled parking only and for drop-off and pick-up as required. We would ask that all other visitors to the Ffarm park along the tree line which ensures the beautiful architecture of the Ffarm can be enjoyed without obstruction.
Please note that the Ffarm can take no responsibility for loss or damage to vehicles parked on the premises and any items left within the vehicle are left entirely at the owners risk.
The driveway lighting is on a timer and is no longer lit throughout the night – please take care if walking back late at night and use your phone torch if necessary.
Recycling
Please note that the sorting of items for recycling is done off site and there are only two big red bins for recycling. These bins are sited immediately to the right of the building behind the short hedge. They are both labelled with their intended contents. The smaller of the two is (normally directly up against the wall) is intended for paper & cardboard only. The other bin (normally against the hedge) is for all other waste – glass, metal, plastics, food, take-aways, nappies etc).
Fire Alarm Drills
We normally undertake our fire evacuation drills so as not to disturb our guests. We will always notify you in advance if an evacuation drill is scheduled. If we haven’t notified you of a drill and you hear the alarm then please do not assume it is simply a drill – please treat it seriously and evacuate immediately as it may save your life.
There are two escape routes from each room detailed in the Guest Information Book. The primary evacuation route is via the main hall and front door and out on to the car park. The secondary escape routes vary by room. Please orientate yourselves with both escape routes just in case and especially if you have young children with you.
Weekly fire alarm tests and the system servicing always take place during the day so as not to disturb our guests.
Smokers
Please note that smoking is prohibited by law within any part of the Ffarm building. The fire alarms are very sensitive to smoke and will respond to smoking in the room (even if you’re hanging out of a window). For the avoidance of doubt the smoke detectors consider vaping to be smoking. Also please note that tampering with or disabling a smoke detector is a criminal offence and may endanger lives.
A £50 charge will be levied against any guest who sets off the fire alarm by smoking or vaping in their room (in addition to any fines enforced by law).
If you wish to smoke then please do so outside – there are small bins for cigarettes adjacent to the front door and by the patio to the left side of the house. There are golfing umbrellas by the front door in the event it is raining outside.
Check-Out
We would ask you check-out no later than 11am on the day of departure to enable us the time to undertake the deep clean and preparation for the next guest. However if you wish to linger at the Ffarm then you are welcome to relax in the drawing room once you have vacated the room.
Please ensure that the room key is handed in to us on departure. The keys are expensive to replace.
Please check that you have everything with you before departure (e.g. phone chargers) and please check the drawers and wardrobes.
Thank-you
We appreciate your custom and without you we couldn’t stay in business. We hope that these Ffarm House Rules help to explain the measures we consider to be important as part of our response to the current circumstances. Every little thing that isn’t wasted is good for the planet and for the next generations and we hope that the Ffarm will still be going for them.
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Get in Touch
Address:
Ffarm Country, HouseBetws-yn-Rhos
Abergele, North WalesLL22 8AR
Telephone:
01492 680 448