Tips

Q1: Wanna know if your desired dates are up for grabs?
Use our snazzy booking form and enter your arrival and departure dates. The calendar will pop up and let you know if the condo's all yours for the days you book! 

Q2: How much will a stay cost you?
Rates depend on the season, but we offer weekly and monthly discounts, returning guest discounts, and sometimes even special event rates. The best way to know for sure is to enter your dates in the booking form and voila! A transparent, no-hidden-cost quote will appear!

Q3: What if you need to cancel?
We get it, stuff happens. Here's the deal: If you cancel over 14 days before arrival, you'll receive 100% (minus a cancellation fee), over 7 days before arrival you'll receive 50% (minus a cancellation fee), and within 7 days of arrival, we can't give any refunds.

Q4: What's included in your final quote?
We keep it simple with three components: base rate, fixed cleaning fee, and taxes. Third-party sites like Airbnb and VRBO add extra fees, but booking with us directly on our website is the cheapest and easiest way to go.

Q5:Got a question before you book?
Fill out our booking form, select the "Ask Us a Question" button instead of "Book now," and we'll be happy to help you out!

Q6: How to book?
Just enter your dates and info in the booking form, review our terms and conditions, pick your payment method, and pay online. Once you're done, we'll send you a confirmation email.

Q8: Do you charge a security deposit? 
We will send you a secure form through our payment processor for payment of all charges. We will use that same information to place a hold on your credit card in the amount of $275. This is not a charge - it is a hold. And would only be processed as a charge if any damage occurs.

Q7:Is Grandma's Elephant Hideaway legal and permitted?
Yes, we're licensed by the City of Penticton (00113298), our Strata, and registered with the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia to collect and remit taxes. We proudly display a decal on our door from the City of Penticton, and we're members of Tourism Penticton.

Q8: Are there extra fees for anything?
Nope, we don't charge extra for anything. Wi-Fi, parking, laundry, dishwasher, and toiletries are all included. We do sell some branded items, and all profits go toward supporting our adopted elephant, Kainuk.

Q9: Is XYZ included in the condo/kitchen?
Probably! Our fully equipped kitchen boasts a fridge, stove, microwave, air fryer, instant pot, waffle maker, egg boiler/omelette maker, and deluxe coffee maker. If you're wondering about something specific, just ask us! We love suggestions, and we're always looking to add to our collection. And hey - want some brilliant kitchen hacks to try - these are cool.  

Q10: Is the bed comfortable?
You betcha! Check out our photos - we only buy high-end products for our condo so that you can have the best possible experience.

Q11: Why “Elephants”?
In the 1970s, Dale and his sister Trudi purchased an elephant for their mother, Ann, and she began collecting elephants over the years. In 1986, her house, filled with elephants, was burned down by an arsonist. Though Ann vowed to stop collecting elephants, Debbie, who later became Dale's partner, decided to buy her an elephant. Ann's collection continued to grow, and in the mid-1990s, Ann and her husband Pat opened a Bed and Breakfast in Lillooet, BC, called Elephant Cottage. They operated it until health reasons caused them to close it in 2005. Ann had collected over 1000 elephants from all over the world, and many were sent by guests who stayed at the B&B. In 2016, Grandma (Ann) passed away after a long struggle with dementia. When Pat passed away in 2020, some of the elephants were disposed of, but some of Ann's favourites were kept. When they decided to open a Short Term Rental, Debbie suggested incorporating the elephants into the experience and naming it Grandma's Elephant Hideaway. Guests have enjoyed counting the elephants, voting on their favourites, and playing "hide a seek the elephant."

Q12: What prompted you to choose the area of Penticton to purchase a condo?
We have always enjoyed visiting Penticton and have seen it grow over the years into a wine and brewery center with great restaurants, breweries, retail shops, and amazing ice cream. In 2020, we purchased our first condo there and decided to share it with visitors. However, in the summer of 2021, we decided to sell our home in Chilliwack and purchase another condo in Penticton because we fell in love with the city and wanted to call it home. Being just up from one of the Okanagan's best beaches helped us decide this is where we wanted to call home. You can find a map of the area on our Location page, where, if you zoom in, you can see how close we are to so many activities.  You will also find a map showing where we are in relation to all of the wineries you may want to explore.  If you want to read more about how we chose this condo go to the the About Us page.

Q13: We are first-time vacation rental condo bookers and are nervous about booking directly from the owner. Can we trust you?
We completely understand your hesitation and assure you that you can trust us. We are real people who can be verified on social media, and you can read more about us on our website. If you prefer to book through larger corporate websites, we have provided links to our condo on those sites at the bottom of our webpage. However, booking through those sites may be more expensive than booking directly with us. You can also call us directly to discuss any concerns you may have. Read the page about us. You can find Dale on LinkedIn. You can find me on Facebook. 

Q14: Will you share my data or information with anyone?
Never. It is illegal (as it should be) to sell our data to anyone or to use it in any manner without your permission.

Q15: Is there any other information you can provide to help us make our decision?
We recommend reading our guest reviews to hear from past guests about their experiences staying with us. Some reviews on our website are from before we took over management in October 2021. If you have any further questions, please let us know, and we will be happy to answer them and consider adding them to our website for future guests.

Q16: Do you have another Condo in the same building that may be available to rent if you are full or if we want two places?
If we are not available, we may be able to recommend other trusted condos for you to consider, one of which is just down the hall from ours.

Q17: What are the neighbours like? 
We have amazing neighbours and they treat our guests like family and friends. We are so fortunate to have great neighbours and they will help us when needed. Yes they will even go so far as helping us clean, help guests when needed, and even bake our welcome signature cookies - (yes you will get fresh warm cookies).

Do you still have a question that is not answered here? Let us know, and we'll answer it and consider adding it here for future guests.