Bookings

We have changed the way we offer our accommodation, including motel units and campsites. For most ot the year, these are now only available to be booked by groups.

The smallest venue we offer, has a minimum hire equivalent to 14 guests, so even if you have less people, you still need to cover that cost.

However on a few occasions each year, we will open up dates where families and individuals can book to come - join our mailing list or keep your eye on our Facebook page for details.

We have a range of meeting spaces across our large site and the majority of them have accommodation that is included with them. This means that to use those spaces you need to book the adjacent accommodation for a minimum two night stay.

The exception is Founders Lounge. It is a small café style space, perfect for meetings and gatherings of up to around 30 people. It is a stand alone space, which we often hire for community organisations to use if there is availability.

Please complete our online Group Booking Enquiry Form. You can find this under the 'Contact Us' tab on our website.

We have several different facilities available and we cater to many - our venues range in size from a 14 person minimum hire right up to 500+ guests!

Please give us as much information as possible when completing the form so that we can look at options to best suit your needs.

Please note that we are a busy site, and get multiple enquiries daily. We will endeavour to respond to you as soon as possible, but there may be a queue. If you don't hear from us within 3 working days, please feel free to give us a call on 04 902 6287 to check that we have received your enquiry.

One of our Group Coordinators will be in touch to let you know whether or not the facilities are available on your preferred dates, or to give you other options if it is unavailable. They will advise the best space to cater for your needs, and send you rates and venue information.

Once you have reviewed the rates and options, and wish to proceed with the booking, let us know as soon as you can - we are busier than ever and cannot guarantee that dates will remain available until we have heard back from you and have pencilled you in.

We will send you a full Quote, Booking Form (contract), Terms and Conditions and Deposit Invoice. Your dates will be held for 30 days (a shorter timeframe may apply if we have multiple requests for the same dates or if it is a last minute booking). Within that time, we ask you to sign and return the booking form having accepted the terms and conditions. We also ask you to pay a deposit, which would be non-refundable upon cancellation. Your deposit will later be deducted from your final invoice.

Your booking will be confirmed upon receipt of the signed booking form and deposit paid. Your pencil booking will expire if the booking is not confirmed in the timeframe given.

When your booking is confirmed, we will send you confirmation via email and access to a portal for your booking, that gives you access to lots of helpful information and is where you'll let us know special dietary requirements.

We are happy to help with any queries along the way, and will send intermittent reminders as we need information from you as well. Planning a camp/event is an exciting process and we're here to help make it as easy as possible for you!

When initially making a booking request, we will need a really good estimate of your numbers, so that we can offer you a space with enough beds. Each space that we can offer will have a minimum and maximum number attached to it. The minimum is roughly 70% of the beds available in the facility.

If you agree to a booking, you will be signing a contract to cover the minimum hire for the facility, even if your actual numbers are less. If your numbers are more than the minimum, you will be paying for the actual number of attendees.

Your final, confirmed numbers will be required 10 days out from your event. Your final invoice will be based off the numbers you confirm with us 10 days prior to arrival, or your actual numbers - whichever is greater.

Please note that if you are a Family Reunion or a new customer booking with us, we may ask you for this information one month out and require your final invoice to be paid prior to your stay.

Each group will need one key coordinator who will liaise with us throughout the booking process, and who will be responsible for arranging payment of the deposit, final invoice and any supplementary charges if applicable.

You will be given an overview of our rates when you first make an enquiry. If you decide to then make a tentative booking, we will create a quote customised to your needs for your event. This quote will not include total costs (as the total amount is very dependent on the actual number of attendees and optional extras you may choose to add in) but is more of a pricelist to help you work out what will suit your event and your budget best.

You will need to pay a deposit to confirm your booking (which is non-refundable but is taken off your final bill). Your final invoice will be based off the prices quoted and the final numbers and details you supply us prior to the event.

All invoices issued must be paid in one amount, and with the correct booking references (which will be supplied). We are not able to accept individual or partial payments for group bookings.

If your group is coming to El Rancho for the first time or is not a registered organisation (eg. a family reunion or community gathering), we will ask the group organiser to supply a copy of their photo ID when making the booking.

We will invoice you prior to your event and this will need to be paid before the day of arrival. The key contact will also be responsible for any outstanding payments owing.

Generally if you are booking for two nights during the week, you can either book Monday - Wednesday or Wednesday - Friday. If you are booking for three or more nights, we can be more flexible with the days you come. Most weekend bookings are from Friday - Sunday, but a longer stay can be booked if desired. We don't typically allow bookings to start on a Sunday as it means we can't then have guests for the weekend prior.

We have a 2 night minimum stay for all group bookings, and this may be a 3 night minimum over long weekends/public holidays.

Our standard weekday check in time is 2pm, and check out is 10am. Weekend bookings are generally from 3:00pm Friday - 3:00pm Sunday. Unless otherwise arranged with your El Rancho Group Coordinator, these are the times you will have access to the site. You will need to plan your travel to and from camp around the agreed times. We are happy to look at requests to alter access times, however please note that we are a busy site and have to factor in hosting multiple group bookings at once, and ensuring enough time to clean and reset facilities between guests.

Because El Rancho is a non-profit organisation and 'camp' style setting, we ask that groups using our venues leave them as they found them. If facilities are not left clean to a high standard, a cleaning fee may be added to the final bill.

If your group is catered by us, we often require helpers to assist with serving meals and also, with keeping your dining room tidy with tables wiped and floors vacuumed between meal sittings.

Our Group Co-ordinators will be able to inform you of the duties associated with the venue you are booking.

Unless your group is 300+ (chat to us about exclusive use if this is the case), the site will most likely be shared with other groups. We are a large site with the capacity to host multiple groups and holiday makers at once.

To respect others onsite, we ask you to adhere to our noise curfews (no loud noise before 7am and after 10pm). We'd also ask that you ensure that your group is aware of the allocated accommodation and facilities they have access to, so as not to disturb other guests.

This is definitely an option! Please note that if there is onsite crossover (eg. second group arriving on transport that will take the first group home) then you will be required to take full responsibility for cleaning and preparing the cabins/meeting rooms for your next group on the day in between groups.

We will send you a copy of our Booking Terms & Conditions when you first enquire to make a booking. Please read the Ts&Cs carefully prior to signing your booking contract. Our cancellation policy is explained in detail in this document.

Any damages caused by a group will be assessed by our Facilities Department and any relevant contractors for repair/replacement. You will be invoiced for the costs incurred, including labour, materials and an admin fee if needed.