Booking Policy
Last update: 01/01/2020
Our booking conditions outline the details of your booking with The Luxury Chalet Company. This also includes our privacy policy and any other information we send to you prior to booking. When we refer to “we,” “us” and “our company” we are referring to The Luxury Chalet Company. It is vital that the booking conditions are read carefully as they dictate your rights and obligations of booking with us. If you have any questions or queries, please contact us prior to making your booking.
The Luxury Chalet Company act as an agency and connect travellers with accommodation. We do not own any of the properties advertised on our website and communicate between the client and supplier (property owners and management companies). Every booking includes a free concierge service whereby we act as an agency to connect our confirmed clients to additional services including, but not limited to, flights, transfer, ski hire, ski pass purchase, restaurant booking and nanny services. We do not own or manage any of the companies used as part of our concierge services.
We trade as THELUXURYCHALETCOMPANY LIMITED – The Luxury Chalet Company (luxurychaletco.) at our registered office of Suite 2094 Unit 3A, 34-35 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8DX. Our companies house registration number is 14405524.
The terms set out in these booking conditions are governed by the laws of the United Kingdom. Any disputes arising from these conditions will be governed by the courts of England and Wales. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you have the right to pursue proceedings in the courts of Scotland and Northern Ireland under your local laws.
Your responsibility as the lead name
When we refer to “you” and “your,” we are referring to the first name on the booking, people who have had a booking made on their behalf, and any person from whom a booking was added or transferred to. If you are the leading name on the booking, you are agreeing to these conditions on behalf of everyone else in your group. You must make all persons aware of these booking conditions prior to booking.
By making this booking, you are agreeing that you have the capacity to read and agree to these booking conditions. You are also consenting to the conditions set out in our privacy policy, which includes handling of personal information including but not limited to: age, address, telephone number, email, disabilities and dietary requests. By making this booking, you are confirming that you are authorised to share the personal details of every other member on your booking (and that you have made them aware of this). Please refer to our privacy policy to understand how we store and use your information, as it will be passed to chalet owners and management companies.
You must be 18 years old to make this booking. If you are making a booking that includes services with an age limit, you are confirming that everyone in your party is the appropriate age to purchase these services. If you are not a resident of the United Kingdom, you should indicate this in your booking. You are taking financial responsibility for everyone in your party by making this booking.
You are obliged to ensure all information you provide us is correct, accurate and truthful. It is your responsibility to pass on information we have sent to you, or our suppliers have sent to you, to the rest of the people registered under your booking. It is your responsibility to check all information is correct in regards to your booking including but not limited to, the property location, property name, property price, and rental dates on your booking are correct. Ensure the names you have provided us with for each member of your party match the names on all passports and official travel documents. If any information is incorrect, you should advise us immediately. If you do not, you may lose some or all of your rights in relation to your booking without compensation.
Payment
You are required to pay a deposit as specified to make your booking. There is no official booking contract until we receive either your deposit or your full payment for the booking. Your booking is not valid until we have received your payment, the funds are cleared, and you have received a confirmation from us or from our suppliers. We and our suppliers have the right to cancel your booking confirmation and return your deposit if we deem it necessary.
By paying a deposit, you are agreeing to pay the full balance of your booking by the due date provided to you. If you do not pay this, we and our suppliers have the right to cancel your booking without refunding the deposit and charge you a cancellation fee. We may also charge you an admin fee for making the cancellation. We reserve the right to change our prices at any time without notice and you should confirm the price at the time of booking.
Unless stated in the terms and conditions of the supplier, all money you pay to us for your travel arrangements will be held by us on behalf of the supplier and paid to them on the terms agreed in our contract with them. The Luxury Chalet Company work on a pre-arranged contracted commission based model whereby our profits will be deducted from your payment to us or invoiced to the supplier.
Booking deposit amounts vary for each property and are dependant upon the contract we hold with the supplier. Timeframes for the final payment also vary for each property and are also dependant upon the contract we hold with the supplier. Typically a deposit will be 25% of the total rental price with the remained of the balance due 12 weeks prior to travel.
Payments by direct bank transfer are typically free. Payments taken from a card in the UK are typically charged at +1.5% of the total property rate. International card payments are typically charged at 3.25% of the total property rate. We reserve the right to change payments fees at any time during the booking process without notice.
We use Stripe and Revolut to take card payments and more information on their charges can be found on their website.
There may be additional fees for currency conversions.
Privacy
As outlined in our privacy policy, we only pass on your relevant information to our suppliers in order to fulfil your booking. We may be required to submit your personal information. Personal information could include but is not limited to name, address, age, email, telephone, disabilities, medical conditions etc.
We may submit your details to security and credit companies. We could also submit your information to customs, immigration, or other official bodies, especially if required by law. If you are travelling outside of Europe, this could include national customs and border protection bodies. The information we provide could include sensitive information about you such as disabilities, dietary requirements, or religion.
If you are travelling to the USA, the US Customs and Border Protection will receive and process your personal information to aid in the prevention of terrorism and international crime.
The European Economic Area has their own set of strict rules with regards to data protection. Travelling outside of the European Economic Area risks your data being used by bodies not governed by the same laws and standards of data protection. We cannot complete your booking if you do not consent to us supplying this information to the relevant bodies.
For more information on how we use your data, please refer to our privacy policy.
Insurance and healthcare
You and everyone in your party must be covered by insurance to book with us and enter a contract with us or our suppliers. This is the safest option for both us and you. It will cover you for unforeseen costs, such as cancellation by you or us, healthcare and emergency treatment, lost possessions or money, and repatriation. You should check if your insurer covers you for winter sports before you travel. If you don’t provide all of the correct information to us and the insurance company, your insurance may not cover you. If you travel without the correct insurance, we are not financially responsible for any costs you incur. It is important to abide by the conditions of your insurance whilst in resort to ensure any claim is not void.
Take time to thoroughly understand the safety information in the country you are travelling to. Sometimes these are different from the safety standards of the United Kingdom. Not familiarising yourself with safety information may put you at risk of injury.
If you have any medical conditions or disabilities, you must let us know at the time of booking. This allows us to assess the suitability of the accommodation and discuss any special arrangements with our suppliers prior to confirming your booking. We or the accommodation may ask for a medical certificate or confirmation from your doctor to make sure that you are fit to travel. If we or our suppliers feel that we cannot provide adequate accommodation to meet your needs, we will decline your booking. If you don’t provide us with the full details of this information at the time of booking, we have the right to cancel your booking and you may incur cancellation costs.
Behaviour
Please behave appropriately while travelling with us. You should not disrupt the peace or enjoyment of other travellers, staff, local people or anyone external to your party. If we, our suppliers, or any authority feel that you have acted inappropriately, we or our suppliers have the right to terminate your contract/booking with immediate effect. This could include but is not limited to annoyance or distress of other guests and third parties, noise, violence, damages to our supplier’s property or any other property in the area, and disruption that causes a delay to transportation. We have no responsibility for the behaviour of other guests or third parties who have no connection to your booking with us.
If we choose to terminate your contract, you and your party must vacate the property and give up your rights to any other services you have purchased by us. You will not have prior notice and must do this immediately. No refunds will be given and you do not have any rights to financial compensation for the costs of arrangements you have to make. We and our suppliers have no further obligations to you and your party. We have no obligation to assist your party with arrangements after your contract has been terminated. Any advice we do give you is in good faith and we will not be liable for the reliability of this advice.
Any costs and damages incurred from your behaviour are your financial responsibility. Every member of your party is jointly and individually liable for costs and damages incurred as a result of the behaviour and actions of any member in your party. This must be paid directly to the supplier before you leave the destination. If you cannot or refuse to pay any fees, it is your responsibility to meet any claims. You are responsible for the legal costs of making a claim against us. You will also have to pay any legal costs should we or our suppliers make a claim against you.
External parties
We work with independent suppliers to make your holiday happen. Suppliers are governed by their own terms and conditions, some of which are incorporated into your contract with us. Some of these conditions could limit the liabilities the supplier has towards you. If you require copies of relevant parts of their terms and conditions, you can contact us or the supplier for a copy.
We cannot guarantee the quality of ratings on any of our accommodations. The ratings and standards that we display are provided by our suppliers. Ratings should only be used as a guide to the amenities and services available at the property. Standards of accommodation can vary between different countries and suppliers. No warranty is provided based on the standards and ratings of the accommodation unless explicitly stated by us in writing.
Suppliers have the right to request a damage deposit prior to your stay. If a property requires a damage deposit, either prior to travel or on arrival, we will make this clear to you prior to booking confirmation. Usually it is requested 7 days before travel and held on a valid, in date credit card. The applicable amount will be returned to you after your holiday is finished, if the supplier is happy with the standard of how you left the accommodation and you didn’t cause the supplier to incur any costs or losses, the supplier will return the full deposit back to you.
When we create your booking, we arrange for you to enter a contract with the supplier named on your booking. We accept no liability or responsibility for the acts of the supplier. If they omit or change anything from their terms or services, we accept no liability for this. You should read the terms and conditions of the supplier as they contain important information about your booking. You can request a copy of these from us if you do not already have them.
We are acting as your agent between you and our suppliers. Any complaints should be addressed directly to the supplier. The contract for your arrangements in resort is between you and the supplier. Any issues or queries you have should be brought to the attention of the supplier. If you don’t follow this procedure or any procedures set out by us or the supplier when managing your complaint, we have less ground to help you rectify and fix any escalated complaints. This could affect the amount of compensation you receive, or you may not receive any.
In your confirmation documents, you will receive the contact details of your supplier. If you have a complaint after your trip, you should write directly to the supplier first. If you are struggling with this or you are not happy with the standard of communication from the supplier, we will offer the relevant assistance.
If a supplier needs to cancel or make changes to your booking, we will let you know as soon as possible. The supplier may offer alternative arrangements such as a change of dates or accommodation, or they may offer you a full refund. You must let us know your decision within the time frame proposed by the supplier. If you don’t, the supplier will assume you want a full refund. We will support you in any alternative arrangements you wish to make with your supplier but we accept no responsibility for any amendments or cancellations made by the supplier. We are not bound to the contact you have with your supplier.
We accept no liability or responsibility for the provision of services you have booked with our suppliers. We are only responsible for making the booking on your behalf. We do not accept liability for any help or information we provide to you to support your communication with the supplier.
Excursions and concierge services that you book and pay for before or during the trip are not covered by any part of your contract with us. Any arrangement or service you book is governed by the booking policy of the operator or supplier whom you purchased the product from. We have no responsibility or liability for anything that happens while you are receiving the arrangement or service.
Foreign travel and safety
We can provide you with general advice about passports and visa requirements for your holiday, but this should be taken as guidance and not official advice. We are not liable for any advice we provide you on travel requirements that turns out to be inaccurate or out of date. It is your responsibility to confirm any passport, visa, immigration, and other travel requirements for your trip with the relevant official government body. If you cannot travel because you have failed to obtain the necessary passport, visa, or immigration, or health requirements stipulated to you by the relevant embassy or consulate, we and our suppliers accept no responsibility. You may be liable for any fees or losses by us as a result of your failing to obtain the necessary requirements to travel.
We can provide information on any health requirements for travel, but these should be taken as guidance, not official medical advice. This should be confirmed with your own doctor who has the best understanding of your individual needs and requirements.
Most countries require your passport to have at least 6 months left before its expiry date on the date of your return in order to enter. If you are travelling in the British Isles, most airlines require official photo identification to board the plane. The US has more complicated visa and passport requirements. The US also requires all passengers to have individual, machine-readable passports. You should thoroughly check the visa requirements of any country you travel to, especially when travelling outside of Europe.
Since Brexit, the visa, health, and ticket requirements for entering EU countries has changed. You should check any impacts of Brexit in advance, including the validity of your passport. There could potentially be delays, longer waits and disruption when travelling between borders in the EU.
If you are travelling to the EU, you should travel with a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), unless you still have the right to use a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Norway, Lichtenstein, Iceland, and Switzerland do not accept UK GHIC or EHIC cards. Travellers to these destinations should purchase adequate medical insurance prior to travel.
The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office provide the most reliable and up-to-date travel information for British passport holders. Non-British passport holders should check entry requirements with the embassy or consulate of their home country or the embassy or consulate of the country they wish to visit.
It is your responsibility to check with The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office for advice on the safety of the country you are travelling to prior to travel. If they advise you to avoid or leave the country you are travelling to or in, we may not be liable as it could apply to events outside of our control.
Requests
If you have any requests, such as dietary requirements, we will do our best to fulfil them. Please let us know when booking so we have time to accommodate you. Understand that while we and our suppliers always try to meet special requests, sometimes this is not possible.
We are not bound to meet a request or requirement if it is noted on your confirmation or invoice. We don’t accept bookings that are dependent on a request being met. If we cannot meet your request, this is not a breach of your contract. You are not entitled to refunds or compensation unless this has been explicitly confirmed by us in writing.
Cancellations and breaches of contract
Unless explicitly stated by us, we and our suppliers are not liable to pay any compensation and have no contractual obligations to you if your contract is breached due to reasons outside of our control. This is any event outside the control of us or our suppliers with unavoidable consequences, even if we took the best measures possible to avoid them. This includes, but is not limited to, war, terrorism, outbreaks of disease, natural disasters, weather conditions that make it unsafe to travel, the acts of governments and local authorities, civil unrest, labour strikes, nuclear disasters, chemical disasters, biological disasters, fire, and technical problems with transport. Events beyond our control also covers any implications of Brexit, including flight delays, flight cancellations, and delays at borders.
If you choose to change or cancel any part of your booking, you must email or post this to us in writing. Confirmation of any changes or cancellations will not take effect until the day this has been received and you have written confirmation from us. Make sure you keep any written confirmation of changes and cancellations confirmed by us or the suppliers for your records. Changes and cancellations are only accepted in accordance with the booking conditions. We and our suppliers have the right to charge cancellation or amendment fees as outlined in the booking policies. This could be up to 100% of the costs of arranging your travel. The amount is likely to increase the closer it is to your departure date. We also have the right to collect an admin fee for any changes or cancellations you wish to make. We recommend you contact us in advance of making changes or cancellations so we can advise you of the exact costs and fees.
If we are found to be liable to you for any reason, we are not obliged to pay you more than the cost of 20% of your booking. If not everyone on the booking was affected by our liability, 20% will be proportionate to the people on the booking that were. If the liability is a death or injury as a result of our negligence or the negligence of our employees, we do not exclude or limit this.