Holiday home ABC

On this page you will find a lot of useful information and important terms explained that are important for a holiday in a holiday home in Denmark. Especially if you are on holiday in a holiday home for the first time, you may not be familiar with many of the terms. For example, in many descriptions of holiday homes you will find the words: alcove, hems or heat pumps, which we explain in more detail here. If you have any further questions, you can always send us a message or contact our team directly by phone in the service offices. We speak English.

Alcove (bed recess)

An alcove is an open bed recess directly in the living area, usually with a simple foam mattress. As a rule, alcoves in holiday homes are not counted as a fully-fledged sleeping area - more information is given in the house description.

Allergy

For holiday homes where pets are not allowed, we cannot guarantee that there were no pets in the house.

Ancillary costs

Ancillary costs for electricity, water and similar are charged separately, unless otherwise stated. You will find all relevant information on this in your rental agreement and on your digital consumption statement on arrival. About our practical Guest login my.esmark.de, you can view and manage your consumption bill at any time. 

You can pay for any extras ordered at a later date when you return the keys to our office - either in cash, by debit or credit card, or by a one-off direct debit if you have authorized us to do so. If you choose to make a one-time direct debit via the digital consumption statement, you authorize us to make a one-time direct debit from your account at the time of your departure.

Angler

Anglers who have rented a holiday home from Esmark can rent a 100 litre freezer from Esmark, which will be delivered to the house. Anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 who wishes to fish in Denmark must have a fishing license to fish in the sea, fjords, rivers or natural lakes. You can get more information about fishing licenses at the tourist office or at one of the fishing shops. If you would like to find out more about fishing in Denmark, click here.

Beds

In Danish holiday homes, the standard bed sizes often differ from the usual dimensions. The length is usually between 180 and 200 cm. Single beds are usually 70 to 90 cm wide, while double beds are between 140 to 180 cm wide. You can find the non-binding dimensions in the floor plan of the holiday home on our website.

An additional "top mattress" is often used to protect the mattresses, which is often covered with a sheet for hygienic reasons. However, please bring your own sheets and use them over the existing sheets.

Danish mattresses are often softer than other mattresses, which some guests find unusual. The perceived firmness can also be influenced by the thickness of the top mattress.

There are plenty of blankets and pillows, but you must bring your own bed linen (sheets, pillowcases and blankets) or you can rent them from us for an extra charge.

If you are using or renting a cot (usually a travel cot), please remember to bring an appropriate blanket, pillow and soft pad if necessary.

Bring along

Here you will find a Practical travel checklist about what you should bring with you.

Charging connections for electric cars at the holiday home

There are already many electric cars in Denmark, and many owners are now equipping their vacation homes with electric car charging facilities. Unfortunately, there is still no standardized solution for connections and charging options.

Before booking, please check with us whether the charging facilities at the holiday home are suitable for charging your electric car and which adapter you will need to charge your vehicle (you will need to bring this and the cable yourself). Important: The household sockets in the holiday homes are not all suitable for charging electric cars. In the worst case, this can lead to excessive heating and cable fires, sso it is not possible to charge an electric car in all holiday homes. Here you can find our Holiday homes with charging facilities for electric cars.

Cleaning

Cleaning the holiday homes has always been a high priority at Esmark, because a well maintained, clean and inviting holiday home is part of a relaxed start to your holiday. For some holiday homes the final cleaning is included, for others an optional extra.

If you choose to do the final cleaning yourself, here is what you need to do:

• Window cleaning inside

• Cleaning of the kitchen, including oven, microwave, fridge, kitchen utensils and crockery

• Bathroom cleaning, including sauna and jacuzzi

• Wipe/vacuum furniture and surfaces in all rooms

• Vacuuming and mopping floors throughout the house, including on the suspended floor and in the extension

If the stove, grill and garden furniture have been used during your stay, they must also be cleaned on departure. Please note that you must bring your own cleaning agents and cleaning cloths.

Cot, high chair, bed linen and handcart

At Esmark you can pick up a cot and high chair free of charge. The cot (travel cot) only has a mattress. You must bring your own pillow and blanket. You can hire a handcart and bed linen. Please order these before your arrival. Read more about the Hire service from Esmark

Distance to the beach

We estimate the distance to the beach as the crow flies. This means that a short distance as the crow flies does not always guarantee that you can get directly to the beach, as there may be steep dune or coastline sections, private property or roads in the way. Please also keep in mind that the distance to the beach by foot or by car can sometimes be longer.

We value the vastness and freedom of nature. That's why you'll rarely find fenced plots in our holiday areas. We ask you to respect nature and private property and to use only the designated paths and trails.

Electrical appliances

Spare parts for electrical appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, satellite dishes, etc. may not always be available on the same day. No liability is accepted for short-term breakdowns.

Forgotten items

Have you forgotten something in the house? Please contact your guest advisor or the office immediately, preferably by email, with a description of the item you have forgotten and details of where and when you left it.

As an extra service, we'll send you your lost items free of charge.

Forgotten items found in the holiday home will be kept for up to two weeks. If no one comes forward during this period, the items will be disposed of or given to a charitable organisation.

Esmark accepts no liability for the return of forgotten items.

Furnishings

Our holiday homes are private houses that are furnished according to the taste of the owners.

Garden furniture

The garden furniture usually consists of a table with chairs and a couple of loungers. Parasols and cushions are not standard equipment, but we can often help in the office if these are missing.

Grill

If the holiday home has a grill, this is a free service provided by the owner and the cleaning of the grill is not part of our final cleaning. To make cleaning easier, we recommend that you use grill trays. You can buy these from the grocery store or collect them free of charge from Esmark. If you use a disposable grill, do not place it on flammable objects. Esmark is not responsible for the condition of the grill. For a safe grill experience, we recommend our fire safety tips for grills.

Heat pump

Many of our holiday homes have an energy-saving heat pump, which can save you up to 60% on electricity costs. Some heat pumps can also be used as air conditioning in summer.

Hems, open sleeping loft

A Hems can be found in many Danish holiday homes. It is an open upper floor with a low height under the roof, often around 70 to 100 cm high, but variations are possible. The Hems can also be described as an open sleeping loft and is usually integrated directly into the living area. It is also possible for the loft to be furnished with mattresses and provide additional sleeping accommodation. However, due to the low height and open space, often without railings, a hems is generally not a full-fledged sleeping area and is only suitable for adults and small children to a limited extent, also because it can usually only be reached via a steep ladder. More information can be found in the house description.

Hot water boiler

Most boilers hold about 30 litres, which is enough for one or two showers. After that, it takes about 30 minutes for the water to heat up fully again. Larger houses often have two or more boilers.

If there is no hot water, the boiler may be switched off or the overheating protection may have tripped. This can usually be reactivated using a small switch on the underside of the boiler.

Hot tub

Some of our holiday homes have a hot tub, which can be inside or outside, depending on the layout of the holiday home, and can accommodate from 1 to 8 people, depending on its size. There are two types of hot tubs: the still water hot tub and the jet stream hot tub.

The still water hot tub is constantly filled with water and kept at a constant temperature of 37-38 degrees. It has automatic filtration and chlorination. In contrast, the jet stream hot tub is refilled and heated before each use and completely drained after use. This requires manual treatment with chlorine tablets, which you can read about in the holiday home.

Both types of hot tubs are thoroughly cleaned to ensure the highest standards of hygiene. Still water hot tubs are checked at least once a week by our service team and the water is changed after each visit. The water may be cooler than 37 degrees on arrival as it has to be heated.

If the holiday home has a heated outdoor hot tub, it can be used during the winter months. To prevent frost, the hot tub is always heated to a minimum temperature, even when not in use. It is not possible to turn it off as this could cause frost damage. This precautionary measure ensures that the hot tub system is protected and works perfectly at all times.

Insects

Depending on the time of year, insects such as flies, woodlice, ants, earwigs and spiders may be present in your holiday area. Please remember that the holiday homes are located in natural areas. It is therefore possible for insects to get into the holiday home. We cannot accept any liability for this, but we will be happy to assist you with insect control.

Internet

Many houses have a free internet access. Esmark is not responsible for short term outages. Here you can see our holiday homes with free internet. In most cases the connection is provided via WLAN, the password/code is given to our guests on arrival.

Kitchen equipment

The kitchen equipment in Danish holiday homes is not as extensive as in private homes. The dishes are often arranged differently. Compote bowls, egg cups, egg spoons, breakfast boards, etc. are not standard. In addition, the choice of pots and pans is often limited.

Noise and odors

While you are on holiday in your holiday home, everyday life in Denmark continues. This sometimes includes noise, e.g. construction work, road traffic, military exercises, etc. If you are disturbed by other vacationers, please contact them directly. There may also be odors from agriculture, mink farms, the fishing industry, etc. We are sure that every vacationer will understand that we cannot take any responsibility for these disturbances.

Parabolic Antenna

Due to the constant technical development of satellite television, some receivers may not be able to receive all TV programmes.

Pets (dogs)

You are welcome to bring your dog or, on request, your cat with you on holiday – but please check whether dogs are allowed in the holiday home you have chosen. If you are travelling to Denmark from Germany or another country, we recommend that you check the applicable entry requirements for dogs or pets in advance.

Only in exceptional cases may three or more dogs be brought. If this is allowed, there is an additional fee of €28 per dog that goes beyond the allowed number of two. This fee will also be stated in your rental agreement. If you would like to bring more dogs than are allowed in the house, please contact us before booking.

Please be considerate of your surroundings: dogs must be kept on a lead in most areas. This also applies on the property of the holiday home, unless they are under complete control. For safety reasons, we recommend that your dog always wears a tag with your mobile number and the address of the holiday home in case they go off exploring alone.

To ensure that our homeowners continue to welcome pets, we ask that dogs not lie on furniture or in beds and not be left alone in the house. The tenant is liable for any damage such as scratches or stains; damage caused by pets is not covered by Esmark Reisecurity.

Before departure, pet hair in the house and droppings on the property must be thoroughly removed – even if a final cleaning has been booked. This way you help to ensure a pleasant experience for you, our homeowners and the next guests.

Pool

We regularly check the water quality and pool technology in our holiday homes with pools. The pool service automatically comes to your holiday home and takes care of cleaning and the correct water quality. You don't have to wait for them, they come during the day and have a key for the pool equipment or the pool area if no one is home.

The water temperature in the indoor swimming pool is between 26 and 28°C. As heating large quantities of water requires a lot of energy, this can lead to higher ancillary costs. To reduce power consumption and water evaporation, we recommend that you pull the thermal cover (if available) over the pool after each use.

Post in Denmark

The holiday homes often also have a letterbox, but due to delays in delivery, especially for redirections from abroad (approx. 4-5 days), we recommend that you do not send redirections. Often only the homeowner has access to the letterbox, and Esmark is unfortunately unable to obtain a missing letterbox key at short notice during your stay. For important letter or parcel deliveries, please contact our office directly.

Prices

The rental prices for the holiday homes are quoted in euros and are valid per week. The prices shown on our website already include the administration fee. This will be shown separately on your booking confirmation and rental contract, without changing the total price.

Property Description

Unless otherwise stated in the description, the house is located on a natural site. This means heathland, pine forest, tall grass, uneven surfaces and wild vegetation. These areas are left to nature and the grass is not mowed regularly. You should therefore not expect the entire property to be suitable for outdoor activities such as football.

Sauna

Danish holiday homes have different types of saunas. Most often, you will find indoor saunas made of wood, usually for about two people. Some holiday homes also have outdoor saunas, which are typically located on the terrace and are only accessible from the outside. In addition, some holiday homes have infrared saunas.

You can find out which sauna is available at your holiday home in the house description and in the photos of the respective house.

Depending on the sauna, the temperature is usually between 55 and 80 °C. Please allow 30–60 minutes for preheating and ventilate thoroughly after use.

Important: Most sauna stoves are not suitable for infusions. Only pour water on the stones if this is explicitly allowed in the holiday home – otherwise there is a risk of short circuits or damage to the stove.

Security technology, cameras

For insurance reasons, some owners have equipped their holiday homes with security technology, usually alarm systems, but in a few exceptional cases also surveillance cameras, which must not be activated when the house is occupied without the consent of the guests. Owners often only activate them out of season, when many houses in the same area are empty.

We know that cameras can make you feel uncomfortable and we inform our owners of this and ask them to turn them off if possible. But don't worry, if an owner has cameras installed in or on the house, they can only be turned on when there are no guests in the house and they must be clearly visible.

Stove and firewood

Firewood for the stove in the holiday home (if available) is not included in the rent. The stove must be cleaned before departure. If you have used it within 48 hours before departure, the ashes must be placed in the zinc bucket or in the ash container outside. If you put the ash in the zinc bucket, you must pour water over it. Please note: It is not recommended to use the stove in strong winds because of the risk of the smoke being pushed back. Holiday homes with stoves.

Telephone

If you want to call Denmark from your home country with a cell phone or telephone, you dial 0045 first, followed by the Danish number. If you are calling within Denmark, you also dial 0045 before the Danish number.

To be able to surf the internet, write WhatsApp messages or send emails in Denmark without any problems, make sure your device has roaming enabled. Otherwise, you may not be able to go online once you enter the country. Also, check with your operator about roaming charges in advance to avoid unexpected costs.

Television, TV programs and streaming

In each of our holiday homes you will find a comfortable living environment, which of course includes a television, unless otherwise stated in the description of the house. We understand that a varied television program contributes to the relaxation of your vacation. The variety of TV channels available varies, partly due to different providers and local regulations. For example, satellite dishes are not allowed everywhere.

Many of our holiday home owners have opted for a modern solution that includes both fast internet and streaming TV.

In addition, many of our properties are equipped with the latest smart TVs or streaming options such as Chromecast or AppleTV for you to use during your stay. If available, you will find the information in the house description. Please understand that our support for these technologies is limited. Also make sure that your own provider or subscription to Netflix or AmazonPrime is available abroad so that you can enjoy your favorite shows and movies.

The description of your holiday home will either say "satellite dish" which will give you access to a wide variety of international channels.