If for any reason registered guests are unhappy with their lodging while staying with Hummingbird Cabins, we ask that they report any and all issues that are not acceptable or of concern during their stay with deliberate speed and give Hummingbird Cabins a good faith opportunity to correct whatever issue guests may have. Post-departure reports of issues and concerns are appreciated and will be used to improve the product but will rarely be considered for any guest refunds.
Typically, there is only one name on a guest reservation. Additional names can be added. We ask that only the individuals listed on the reservation and who sign the Guest License Agreement contact Hummingbird Cabins concerning their stay, whether it be to request a late check out, extend a stay, report a concern, or anything else we can help you with. Please have your reservation number handy for the fastest service. If you have paid in full but have not executed and returned your Guest License Agreement, we will deny you access to the rental until we have the signed guest license agreement. If this is the case and you arrive after business hours you may be looking for somewhere else to stay until morning.
Hummingbird Cabins is not responsible for the performance of the local utility companies. Neighborhood to area-wide outages in water, sewer, trash electricity, Wi-Fi, internet, cable satellite, and gas will not be cause for Hummingbird Cabins to refund all or part of any guest reservation. We also do not guarantee the drivability of roads in the winter. Four-wheel drive and or chains are advised. It is your responsibility to know the weather forecast. We advise the purchase of travel insurance for some protection in these matters.
Trash collection in the Ruidoso and Alto areas is different. There is no curb trash service. There are central collection containers in the neighborhoods. Guests are required to haul ALL of their trash off when they check out. Please contact our office if you need more information. If the guest fails to haul off all of their trash, money could be held from the security deposit to pay for extra cleaning or haul off.
Over occupancy of vacation rentals is now being strictly enforced by Ruidoso and Alto officials. The number of people a home is advertised to sleep means the total of adults and children of any age. All vehicles must be able to park off the street and not exceed more than 1 vehicle per bedroom on the property overnight. You can be fined as well as removed from your rental without refund if your group over occupies the vacation rental. We are watching, the neighbors are watching, and the local government is watching. Quiet time is 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM (MST). Please respect it. Voices carry a long way in the mountains.
GUEST LICENSE AGREEMENT
Vacation rentals are a popular and growing lodging option for travelers such as you and your group. Vacation homes and cabins offer a unique experience with expanded amenities over traditional hotel and motel experiences, as well as, in many cases offering value on per person per night costs to guests. We at Hummingbird Cabins feel that vacation rentals offer a good deal for both homeowners and guests in this capacity-sharing arrangement. That being said, vacation properties are on occasion politically targeted by neighboring property owners for a host of reasons many of which are unjustified, but from time to time justified mostly because of noise at inconsiderate times, over occupancy, unsupervised children and unleashed pets or failing to pick up after them. We ask that you and all those in your group live by the Golden Rule. While enjoying your mountain vacation, please conduct yourself as you would want people to conduct themselves if they were staying in a home next door to yours back home. Please respect your neighbors and our community and remember that the home you have rented belongs to someone who has entrusted not only the HBC Team but you as the guest in respecting and taking care of their property. In this way, we can all work together to keep vacation rentals a viable option for your future vacation travels to not only Ruidoso, but around the country and the globe.
Keep in mind that if you booked through a 3rd party booking site such as Vrbo, HomeAway, Airbnb, etc., once the reservation is made, we, Hummingbird Cabins, LLC are the host and your main contact during your stay. Owners of the homes we manage have offered up their lovely homes for you, the guest, to come relax in the mountains and enjoy a nice vacation. Information on contacting us directly is below in this Guest License Agreement. Please remember that kindness is the golden key to happiness.
Guest/Reservation holder must be 21 years of age or older and agree to the following occupancy conditions.
Payments, Cancellations, Travel Insurance, and Security Deposits
Payments:
Payment is requested by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. A deposit equal to 30% of the total rental is required to confirm a reservation if the reservation is 30 days or more after the date of booking. Reservations must be PAID IN FULL at least 30 days before arrival.
Christmas and New Year (12/18-1/5) reservations require a 30% deposit (down payment) to confirm a reservation. Christmas and New Year reservations must be PAID IN FULL by November 1st.
PLEASE NOTE:
Cards on file may be automatically charged on or after the due date if we are not contacted to make other arrangements.
Cancellations:
Cancellations made 30 or more days before the confirmed reservation date will receive a full refund/credit minus a $75 service charge for processing. Cancellations made less than 30 days before the confirmed reservation date will be charged as follows:
PLEASE NOTE:
Christmas and New Year cancellations are different from our normal cancellation policy. The date range of 12/18 – 1/5 is considered our "Christmas and New Year Season" arrival dates. The rental deposit is not refundable on any Christmas or New Year reservation cancellation after November 1st. There will be no refund of any monies (aside from the cleaning fee and security deposit) on cancellations made after November 1st, regardless of the nature of the cancellation (including COVID). We also charge a $75 (plus tax) cancellation fee. We highly suggest purchasing travel insurance for your stay.
Travel Insurance:
Vacation Rental Travel Insurance is available with your reservation, providing coverage for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses due to unforeseeable circumstances that could jeopardize your vacation and lead to unexpected costs. Standard travel protection offers 100% reimbursement up to your selected coverage maximum for over 30 different circumstances, including illness, weather, accidents, family death, job changes, jury duty, travel delays, and more. Please refer to the policy for specific details.
We strongly recommend purchasing this valuable protection; it costs just a fraction of your total investment and offers great peace of mind. Additionally, you can opt for travel protection with the Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) benefit, which provides all the advantages of the standard policy plus the flexibility to cancel for reasons not covered by the standard policy. CFAR coverage reimburses a set percentage stated on your policy's schedule of benefits. Note that the CFAR benefit is not available to residents of New York and Washington State.
Please review the separate terms and conditions in your "Description of Coverage/Policy" carefully. For any questions or concerns, contact Rental Guardian.
PLEASE NOTE:
The standard travel insurance plan can be purchased up to 30 days before the start date of your trip. If your trip begins within the next 30 days, you must purchase standard travel insurance within 5 days of making your reservation (the date you make your initial payment).
Travel protection with the Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) benefit is only available within 14 days of your initial payment. CFAR cannot be purchased for trips starting within 30 days of your departure date.
We recommend purchasing travel protection immediately after making your first payment to ensure eligibility for the most benefits. Delaying your purchase risks the occurrence of an event (e.g., health issues, accidents, or a death in the family) before the policy goes into effect. Once an event occurs, it cannot be insured against.
To receive the pre-existing condition exclusion waiver and other time-sensitive benefits, purchase the policy within the required timeframe after your initial trip payment. Note that this timeframe varies by policy. Please verify the specific timeframe for the pre-existing condition exclusion waiver in the sample policies below:
Security Deposits:
Security deposit liability is anywhere from $100 – $1,000 depending on the property rented. Security deposits are collected at the time of booking your reservation and are collected by credit card. Any liability and damages in addition to the security damage deposit totals shown, the guest agrees to defend, indemnify and hold property owners, property manager, and its agents harmless from any and all liability, claims, loss, property damages, or expenses arising by reason of any /all injury, death or damage sustained by any person, or due to the death or damage sustained by any person, or to the property of any person, in or on the property during the term of this agreement, including guest, any additional invitees or visitors of guests where such injury, death, or damage is caused by a negligent or intentional act of guest, additional invitees or visitors of guests. Guest is highly encouraged to secure the appropriate vacation renters or travelers’ insurance.
PLEASE NOTE:
Security Deposits will be refunded between a minimum of 10 Business Days and a maximum of 20 Business Days (following your departure and dependent on how busy we are) and are only refunded back onto the credit/debit card the deposit was charged to; partial payments are ok but please keep in mind that the deposit amounts will also be split up. We no longer offer check refunds unless: there is an error upon refunding the credit card on file (we will contact you to inform you that a check will be issued), you've booked with a credit card that is not tied to a bank account (such as an American Express) and it has been lost or stolen, you've booked with a prepaid card that will not allow for refunds, or in the event that you've changed banks and closed down the account in which your bank card was tied to. Please contact us in advance should this be the case. You will receive an email once the refund has taken place.
Reasons for forfeiture of the Security Deposit and extra charges to your credit card are listed below:
You will be informed by a phone call and an email as to why and when such additional charges are made.
Vacation Rental Damage Protection: known as "Peace of Mind Sec. Deposit Reduction Fee":
We understand that accidents do happen! Our accidental damage protection "Peace of Mind Protection" offered through Rental Guardian is an automatic add-on to each reservation and covers your stay up to $3,000 worth of accidental damages that may occur during your reservation. The fee for this damage protection is $65 (non-refundable) and covers the reservation holder up to $3,000 worth of any accidental damage that may occur during your stay. This damage waiver fee is built into your reservation amount and covers both us as the property manager and you as the guest. Should you decide you do not want this coverage, the security deposit on the home you're renting will be increased to $3,000 (less the amount of the security deposit already on the home). For Example: if the security deposit on the home you've rented is $125 and you decide to remove the damage waiver fee, your security deposit amount will be increased by $2,875. Learn more about this program and how it benefits you as a guest here: InsureStays.
PLEASE NOTE:
Many of our homes have driveway cameras and we are installing them on more driveways every day.
Check In, Stocked Items in our Rentals, and Contacting HBC for Assistance
Check In:
Check in is at 4:00 PM (MST). Complimentary check in of 2:30 PM (MST) may be an option if housekeeping has completed cleaning from previous guests, or you can guarantee an early check in for a small fee (if the home was not occupied before you). Early arrivals MUST be arranged in advance with the office. We strongly encourage you to check into the property before 7:00 PM. We are a small community with limited services available after hours. If you arrive after 7:00 PM and are not satisfied with your accommodations we will be unable to change your unit until the next day if we have availability. This policy will not apply if the situation is a reasonable emergency, such as a burst water pipe, no electricity, no heat in winter, etc.
Stocked Items in our Rentals:
Consists of one prepared in the basket and at least one in the bottom or under the sink:
PLEASE NOTE:
We encourage guests to always bring extra supplies, especially if staying many days. Housekeeping does not deliver more than what's required to be left in the homes.
Assistance:
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding anything or have an emergency during your stay please contact our office at 866-505-3555. (Please address complaints and concerns BEFORE your departure so that we are given a chance to make things right.) Someone is always here to and will gladly help to the best of our ability. We are open with staff in the office, Monday-Sunday (8:00 am MST to 5:00 pm MST) and there is always someone on call from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (texts and emails are only manned until 8:00 PM). We also have an after-hours answering service (after 8:00 PM) should you need us or in case of emergencies!
Press 1 for Reservations
Press 2 for Maintenance
Press 3 for Housekeeping
You may also contact us via email at info@hbcabins.com with questions, concerns, complaints, etc. Please send all prudent photos and information in your email so we are able to direct you to the correct person and/or department. **If for any reason you as a registered guest are unhappy with your lodging while staying with Hummingbird Cabins, we ask that you report any and all issues that are not acceptable or of concern during your stay with deliberate speed to give Hummingbird Cabins a good faith opportunity to correct whatever issue guests may have. Post-departure reports of issues and concerns are appreciated and will be used to improve the product but will rarely be considered for any guest refunds.
Wi-Fi
While we do offer free Wi-Fi at most of our properties, we cannot guarantee service nor are we responsible for outages, slow internet speeds, and/or Mother Nature. We are in a small mountain village that may experience high volumes of people trying to access the internet at one time. Occasionally, thunderstorms and lightning strikes may knock out the internet, there may be outages due to snow storms or wind storms, or the occasional outage for maintenance. We highly suggest that if you need to work while traveling, please bring along a hot spot or air card to ensure you're able to access work and/or school while on vacation.
PLEASE NOTE:
Please still call our office if you need assistance in finding the username and password for the network. Again, we are not responsible for outages or the Wi-Fi being down or too slow, and will not credit your reservation for this.
Hot Tub (if applicable)
Hot tubs will be running upon your arrival. Our tubs are serviced after every departure (and once a week if the home stays vacant). This is normal and there is no need to be alarmed. All guests are cautioned to use the hot tubs at their own risk. Bottles or glass objects are not permitted at any time in the hot tub. All children under twelve (12) years of age must be accompanied by an adult while in the hot tub. No pets are allowed in the hot tub. If the hot tub has to be cleaned due to misuse (alcohol, dirt, debris from careless, use, etc.), you will be charged an extra cleaning fee which will be determined by the Spa service company. Upon departure, please put the cover back on the hot tub and secure it with the cable lock; if you are unable to cover the hot tub, please contact our office immediately. Not all of our homes have a hot tub so please view the descriptions closely to confirm that the home you've booked has one.
PLEASE NOTE:
Our hot tubs are serviced by an outside, 3rd party vendor. We will try our best to address any issue you may experience with your hot tub during your stay. Should the hot tub become non-functional during your stay and after we’ve had the vendor come to address the problem without a resolution, we will reimburse you $25 per night that the hot tub was non-functional. We understand hot tubs are a highly sought-after amenity. However, sometimes things may happen that are beyond our control.
Weather, Uutages, Nature, and Wildlife
Utility Outages:
While utilities such as power, water, and gas are included in the price of your stay, we cannot guarantee service nor are we responsible for outages due to Mother Nature. We are in a small mountain village that experiences high volumes of people trying to access the internet at one time or may experience power outages due to snow or wind storms, or an occasional water outage due to a main break, etc. We are not responsible for any outages that have to do with maintenance or mother nature. Should be outage go on longer than expected, please contact us and we will do all we can to accommodate.
Winter Weather:
We cannot and will not guarantee the drivability of roads in the winter months; nor can we give advice as to what driving conditions may be. The village maintains the roads, but we are at the mercy of their crews during snow storms. Four-wheel drive and/or chains are highly advisable when visiting us during the winter. It is your responsibility to know the weather forecast and we advise the purchase of travel insurance for some protection in these matters.
Construction:
Ruidoso and Alto are constantly growing communities! There are a number of new homes/businesses being constructed or homes under construction in both villages. Daily working hours for construction are typically from 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM. Please note, that we do not know if and when there might be construction being done around our rentals and will not compensate for any interruptions this construction may cause.
Outdoor Fires:
Absolutely NO outdoor fires are allowed on or around the properties, including fire pits, campfires, etc. Should there be evidence of an outdoor fire after your departure, all or part of your security deposit may be held. We are a village in the middle of the forest, so please respect this request.
Wildlife and Insects:
We welcome you to our lovely mountain village! With that in mind, please be aware that we share our beautiful area with all kinds of wildlife and some insects. Please be sure NOT to leave food outside unattended, especially if you are leaving the property for an extended amount of time or overnight. Not only will trash attract certain animals, but some of the rascals really enjoy getting into the trash and spreading it across the property. Please be mindful of your surroundings if out walking in the early morning or at night and please be sure to keep all windows and doors closed if you are away from the home for an extended period of time. (Especially during the summer months!) While it's tempting to approach an animal you may come across, it's not recommended. Also, you may see a spider web or two outside of the home; sometimes even inside. While our homes are treated for insects monthly and our team takes care of removing spiderwebs, they sometimes tend to reappear almost as soon as they are removed. Spiderwebs and/or the occasional creepy crawly sighting are not something we will consider compensating you for. Again, we share our village(s) with these creatures. To stay compliant with the Ruidoso village ordinance (SEC. 14-21), please DO NOT feed the wildlife (despite how much they beg). You can be fined up to $500 by the Village of Ruidoso.
Pets (K9 Friendly)
Several of our properties allow K9s. Be sure that the property you are reserving is pet-friendly. An additional fee of $50 (plus tax) will apply per dog, per reservation which will need to be paid at the time of booking or before arrival. If excessive pet remnants (urine, feces, hair, etc.) are found on the property after departure, a forfeiture of all or part of the security deposit will result. Only dogs 50 lbs. and under in weight will be permitted on the property. Some homes allow up to 3 dogs but you must contact us prior to informing us so the fees are added to your reservation accordingly. (If you have more than one pet, contact our office and your request will be considered on a case-by-case basis). If you are not sure or have questions, please call 866-505-3555. In no event shall pets be permitted outside the unit unless carried or on a leash and under the direct supervision of the owner. If the dog is left in the unit while the guest is away for an extended period of time, it MUST be sequestered in a kennel. Dogs must be properly restrained or sequestered at all times. The owner shall indemnify Property Management Company and hold it harmless against any loss or liability of any kind or character whatsoever arising from or growing out of having any animal in the unit. Pet owners are responsible for cleaning up the property after their pets. Again, our pet-friendly homes allow for K9s only, please. All of our homes welcome service animals, but you will need to arrange that with the office ahead of time. The same rules apply regarding pet remnants or damages after a departure for service animals.
PLEASE NOTE:
If you bring pets to a non-pet-friendly house, you will be charged the greater of $40 per night times the total number of nights of your reservation or $200 for extra cleaning. No ifs, ands, or buts accepted. Please note that many of our homes have driveway cameras, and we are installing them on more driveways every day.
Occupancy and Guest Conduct
Occupancy:
You must state the number of guests (adult [6 & older] (children under 5 do not count as part of your party total) when making reservations. Should the number of guests increase after reservations are made, you are expected to inform us so that we can update your reservation or find a larger home to move you to as we cannot exceed the occupancy limits in ANY of our properties due to city ordinances. Failure to observe this requirement will result in forfeiture of your security deposit. Maximum occupancy is strictly enforced and failure to comply with occupancy requirements may result in penalties/fines and loss of reservation.
Smoking:
All of our properties are NON-SMOKING properties. Smoking is prohibited inside the units. Smoking may be permitted on the decks or porches outside (except for Charlie Cabin and Hideout Cabin. There is absolutely no smoking in, on, or around the premises of those properties). There are times however that the city ordinance may not permit smoking outdoors due to high fire danger. Please check with the office to see if such bans are in effect during the summer months. Should there be evidence of smoking within your rental home, all or part of your security deposit may be held.
Quiet Enjoyment and Conduct of Children:
You are responsible to observe and respect the quiet enjoyment of neighboring properties while visiting our village. Loud music and voices are to be limited and loud vehicles are prohibited. Our Village Noise Ordinance begins at 10:00 PM every evening. Here in the mountains, sound carries much more than normal, so please be respectful. Excessive complaints against your group may result in loss of your security deposit and/or removal from the property and/or forfeiture of your reservation. Parents are responsible for the general conduct of their children at all times. Damage to the rental property or personal property at the unit is the responsibility of the parent. Children must respect the quiet enjoyment of neighbors.
Motor Vehicles, ATVs, and Trailers:
Vehicles shall be parked only in the parking areas provided. All commercial vehicles and RVs of any kind or description are prohibited from parking on any portion of the property. Trailers of all types are prohibited in Alto Lakes Country Club and other planned communities. If you are traveling with a trailer, please contact us to verify allowance or parking. We do not allow ATVs of any kind to or driven on or around our properties.
Alterations:
No alteration or addition to the property shall be made by any guest. This includes moving furniture around in the unit. If housekeeping has to move furniture back to its proper place you will be charged an additional fee.
Lock-outs:
Lock-outs may result in additional service charges against your security deposit. Primary access is through doors with key code entry systems. Do not exit the home and lock the secondary lock on doors with key code systems.
Check Out
Check out is at 10:00 AM. A late check out is available for an additional fee as long as no reservation is scheduled to arrive the same day. Late check out will be considered but MUST be arranged in advance with our office. Refunds will not be available for departures earlier than the reserved departure date. Unapproved late check out may be subject to late check out fees, an additional night stay charge, or potential removal of belongings from the property after reasonable attempts have been made to notify you of the unapproved late check out.
Trash
All trash must be put in secured plastic bags and placed into any of one of the tan dumpsters you will see lining the road in Ruidoso. The tan dumpsters are public property and ok for you to use. If you need to know where to find the nearest dumpster to your unit, please contact us. If trash is left on the property (or outside and the animals have scattered it) a portion of your security deposit may be held. Properties in the Alto Lakes Country Club utilize the facility at 1221 High Mesa Rd for disposal. (There is a printed page in the back of the book with these directions). Properties in Cedar Creek trash locations are on Cedar Creek Drive near the Ranger station.
Firearm Left Behind (if applicable)
Should you accidentally leave your firearm at your rental home; you have 24 hours to call our office to claim AND retrieve your firearm. After 24 hours, it will be taken to Sandman Armory, our local FFL. We will give you the information for their office in this event and from then on you are to work with them to retrieve your firearm.