The following Conditions form the basis of your contract with Villatravellers. Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations.
Villatravellers S.r.l. Unipersonale | Viale Leonardo Da Vinci, 145 - 90145, Palermo - Italia
C.F. Part. IVA e Reg. Imp. Palermo 06007910828 | R.E.A. Palermo 291319 | Capitale sociale € 10.000,00 i.v.
In these Terms & Conditions, Villatravellers uses the word “Customer” to mean the party representative/booking party; and the word “Customers” to mean all members of the booking party. Villatravellers requires that all Customers read these Terms & Conditions – point by point – and understand the rights and obligations of Customers renting a property through Villatravellers. If, after reading these Terms & Conditions, there are unanswered questions, Villatravellers must be contacted in writing for further explanation.
These Terms & Conditions, along with the entire contents of the Villatravellers website www.villatravellers.com, constitute the rules and regulations for renting a property through Villatravellers. By confirming their booking and making payment, the Customer explicitly acknowledges having read and accepted the entirety of Villatravellers’ Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
Each booking party must designate a booking representative to communicate on behalf of the booking group. The booking representative must make the booking with Villatravellers and will be considered Villatravellers’ contact person for all communications necessary in planning and carrying out the booking. The booking representative must be at least 18 years old and be authorised to make decisions for the booking party.
Villatravellers will not be held liable for any commitment made by the booking representative in the name and on behalf of the group without the consent of each member of the group.
The Customer may make a villa booking request by phone, email, via chat, or directly online. The villa booking process takes place online on the Villatravellers' secure booking page. If you have made a request via telephone, email, or chat, a Villa Specialist will send you the appropriate link to finalise your villa booking online. By booking with us you are creating an online contract that states you have accepted these Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy.
The Customer will receive access to their own personal Client Area. The booking will be finalised in this secure area. The booking representative must provide the details as requested (home address, mobile phone number, email address, identification) in the Profile section. Once these personal details are submitted the Customer will have access to the Travel Documents.
All Villatravellers prices are in Euro. All payments to Villatravellers must be made in Euro. All invoices relative to payments can be found in the Client Area.
Payment can also be shared with other members of your booking for bookings made more than 60 days before arrival. This payment can only be made by credit/debit card (MasterCard or Visa). If the Customer chooses to divide the payments with others, the full payment is made at the moment of booking. The Booking Representative must pay at least 30% to confirm the booking.
4.1. Villa bookings made more than 60 days before the Customer's arrival date:
Deposit
When the booking is made, 30% of the total cost is to be immediately paid by the Customer. This payment must be made to Villatravellers by credit/debit card (MasterCard or Visa) or by bank transfer.
Balance
The unpaid balance of the total cost must be paid at least 60 days before the arrival date. Customers can pay the balance at any time before this time, in their Client Area. Balance payment can also be shared with other members of your booking. This payment can be made by bank transfer or by credit/debit card (MasterCard or Visa).
If the full balance payment is not made at least 60 days before the arrival date, the booking will risk cancellation, no refund will be granted under any circumstances and the Customer will be obligated to pay the cancellation penalty charges. (See Article 5)
4.2. Villa bookings made less than 60 days before the Customer's arrival date:
When the booking is made, 100% of the total cost is to be paid by the Customer. This payment must be made to Villatravellers by bank transfer or by credit/debit card (MasterCard or Visa). For bookings made less than three weeks before arrival, only credit/debit cards are accepted.
To communicate a change or cancellation, the party representative must always contact Villatravellers in writing. When the Customer reserves a property more than 60 days before the arrival date and pays the 30% deposit, the Customer is given a 10-day grace period to make changes or cancel without penalty. If the Customer makes a villa booking within 60 days of the arrival date, there is no grace period.
Villatravellers must be notified of any changes to an existing villa booking as soon as possible. Changes are not always possible. Increases in the booking party size will only be accepted if the rental property can accommodate the increased number of people. If a Customer wishes to increase the booking party size, the Customer will be expected to pay the additional fees that apply to the reserved property. Decreases in the booking party size after the 10-day grace period will be accepted but no refund will be granted and the Customer must pay the original agreed-upon invoice amount. If a new booking representative must replace the designated booking representative or if the booking party in its entirety must change, the new booking representative and/or booking party must meet Villatravellers' standards and agree to Villatravellers' Terms and Conditions. Villatravellers reserves the right to deny the transfer of an existing booking to a new booking representative or booking party for any reason.
If a Customer makes a villa booking and then cancels the booking after the 10-day grace period, the Customer will be subject to a Villatravellers cancellation penalty charge.
Cancelled 60 days or more before arrival: 30% (of Total Cost) Penalty Charge
Cancelled 40-59 days before arrival: 50% (of Total Cost) Penalty Charge
Cancelled 30-39 days before arrival: 70% (of Total Cost) Penalty Charge
Cancelled 0-29 days before arrival: 100% (of Total Cost) Penalty Charge
The Customer will receive a Cancellation Form in their Client Area. Cancellations are confirmed when the Customer fills in and accepts the Cancellation Form.
Villatravellers does everything possible to avoid changes, including cancellations, after a villa booking has been made. However, on occasion it is necessary to modify or cancel an existing villa booking. Villatravellers reserves the right to make changes to a property or to the conditions of property use at any time. Most changes made by Villatravellers are minor; however on occasion Villatravellers must make a substantial change to a property or to the conditions of property use. A substantial change is a change in which the rental structure, property, location, or specific facility or structure on the property is changed from the original booking conditions in a way that decreases the value of the property, or if the originally rented property is no longer available and an alternative accommodation is provided.
In the event of a substantial change for any reason other than Force Majeure (See Article 19) to an already reserved property, Villatravellers will immediately alert the Customer. The Customer will then be given the option to modify their villa booking. In the event of a substantial change to an already rented property, the Customer must notify Villatravellers in writing of how they would like to proceed within 48 hours of being notified:
- The Customer may accept the changes of the originally rented property. With this option the Customer chooses not to change the booking and no refund will be made by Villatravellers.
- The Customer may decide to reserve a rental property of a similar standard to the original property. In this case, no refund by Villatravellers or additional payment by the Customer will be made.
- The Customer may decide to reserve a rental property of a lesser standard than the original property and will therefore receive the difference in property values as a refund made by Villatravellers.
-The Customer may decide to reserve a rental property of greater value than the original property and will therefore be required to pay the difference in price between the properties.
- The Customer may decide to cancel all bookings with Villatravellers and receive a full refund for all costs already paid.
If Villatravellers must change or cancel an existing villa booking more than 60 days before the arrival date, Villatravellers will not be subject to a penalty.
If Villatravellers must change or cancel an existing villa booking less than 60 days before the arrival date, Villatravellers will provide the following compensation (per person) for all people of at least 16 years of age who have been officially listed on the booking:
Cancelled 29-59 days before: €15 compensation per person
Cancelled 14-28 days before: €30 compensation per person
Cancelled 0-13 days before: €45 compensation per person
If any refund is due, the Customer must fill in the Acceptance Refund Form in order to receive their refund. After this the refund payment will be made within five working days.
Instant online booking is not available. Customers can make a request for their preferred dates online. Credit card details (Visa or MasterCard) are taken, but no charge is made until the experience is confirmed. In-villa experiences are only available to Customers who have booked a villa. Once the experience is confirmed, the Customer will receive access to their own personal Client Area. All details of the experience booking, including the Experience Voucher and Invoice can be found in the Client Area.
Payment for experiences can only be made by credit card (Visa or MasterCard). Once availability is confirmed, the amount will be charged from the Customer's credit card that was previously given during the booking phase. Payment terms vary for experiences. All payment details can be found on each experience's webpage. For some experiences a non-refundable deposit is due at the time of booking and the remaining balance is to be paid in cash at the time of the experience. Please check terms of payment of your experience, and ensure that you have sufficient cash if necessary.
Cancellation terms vary for each experience, but terms can be found on the experience webpage. Villatravellers cannot be held responsible for losses, inconveniences or discontentment related to additional services.
Villatravellers provides the Customer with the necessary Travel Documents for their stay. These can be found in the Client Area. These documents will be available to Customers once they have made the full payment for their booking and have filled in the required details. Travel Documents include:
- Property Voucher
- Villa Guidebook
- Arrival Instructions
The Property Voucher includes the Security Deposit Receipt. This must be printed and brought to the villa for check-in and check-out.
In the case of an experience booking, there will also be an Experience Voucher in the Client Area. This must be printed and presented at the experience.
A refundable security deposit is required to access the rental property. The amount of the security deposit varies based on the rental property and is stated on each villa webpage. The security deposit will be held on your credit/debit card (MasterCard or Visa) at least two weeks before arrival. Cheques or cash are not accepted.
The security deposit will be used to cover the cost of potential damages reported by the Customer or found upon inspection at check-out. It can also cover any extra fees for electricity usage or extra services requested by the Customer.
Please bear in mind that guests are responsible for the property and its indoor and outdoor facilities when they are staying at the villa. Any damages caused during your time at the villa are your responsibility. The cost of any such damages must be paid by the Customer.
The check-out process must be completed in full by the Customer. The full check-out process consists of meeting with the Property Representative at the appointed time, correctly filling in the Security Deposit Receipt and signing the document. If the Party Representative leaves before check-out they must nominate another guest to fulfil the check-out process who will take responsibility for all damages found in their name.
The terms of payment for damages are:
No damages: Full amount released back to credit card.
Damages found: Partial charge made from security deposit, remaining balance released.
Excessive damages found: Full amount charged. Excess balanced invoiced.
If the Customer neglects to complete the full check-out process, and damages are found, Villatravellers has the right to charge the amount to cover the repair/replacement, or to pay for extra services, to the customer's credit/debit card without the customer's explicit consent. Failure to make payment will result in you being responsible for any claims made against us. Customers will also be responsible for paying any legal fees, including any third party's fees and those of Villatravellers.
Please note that normal wear and tear of the property will not be counted as damage against the refundable security deposit.
Normal wear and tear: eg broken drinking glass.
Damages: eg broken umbrella, or broken window.
Excessive damages (exceeding refundable security deposit amount): eg broken table, or a broken jacuzzi.
By agreeing to these Terms & Conditions, every Customer agrees to maintain a reasonable standard of conduct during the rental period and agrees to respect the House Rules. We ask that all guests are respectful of the property and the villa staff. Villatravellers reserves the right to enforce the immediate removal of any person(s) at any time based on reports of inappropriate behaviour that come from any third party including the Property Representative, property neighbours/community or based on Villatravellers' own judgement. Upon removal from the villa, no refunds will be made. Inappropriate behaviours include but are not limited to:
- causing damage to the property;
- endangering or distressing any third party;
- verbal, physical or threatening abuse;
- using illegal drugs or participating in other illegal or disturbing activity on the rental property;
- increasing the number of people at the rental property without notifying Villatravellers and paying the appropriate extra cost;
- bringing pets/animals onto the property without direct consent from Villatravellers.
Often Customers have special requests and needs regarding disability accessibility, allergies and other requests. Villatravellers must be informed of these at the time of booking. If the Customer fails to specify a special request within 10 days of making a booking, Villatravellers cannot guarantee that the request or need will be met. In this case, Villatravellers will not be responsible nor be able to provide a refund.
Commercial filming and/or photography in any Villatravellers villa is not allowed except with the express permission of Villatravellers. We ask that this request is sent in advance, in writing, to Villatravellers.
Customers must arrive at the agreed-upon property at the agreed-upon arrival date from 4:00 pm onwards. The Customer must clearly communicate to the Property Representative or Villatravellers their intended arrival time on the arrival date. The Customer must present the Property Voucher to the Property Representative upon arrival. If a Customer must change an arrival or departure time, the Customer must receive written confirmation from Villatravellers of the change. If while travelling to the rental property there is an unexpected delay such as a delayed flight, the Customer must alert Villatravellers as soon as possible. If for some reason the arrival time is changed due to:
- an unexpected delay which results in the inability of a Property Representative to arrive on time;
- the impossibility of a Property Representative to accept a new time of arrival, even if the new time is communicated in a timely fashion;
Villatravellers will work with the Customer to find a new arrival time. If delivery of the property keys is not possible on the arrival date, Villatravellers may decide to deliver property keys on the next available day. If the arrival time must be rescheduled no refund will be granted.
The rental property must be vacated on the agreed departure date by 10:00 am in the presence of the Property Representative.
The Property Representative will be on the villa grounds at 9:00 am given that check-out usually takes one hour, depending on the property.
If an early check-out is needed (before 10:00 am, or the evening before an early departure), please arrange this with your Villa Specialist prior to your arrival in Sicily or the Property Representative as soon as possible during your stay. If your check-out takes place the evening before your departure, please ensure you leave the villa in good condition as you will be charged for any damages found after your departure.
The check-out process must be completed in full by the Customer. If the Customer neglects to complete the full check-out process, and damages are found, Villatravellers has the right to charge the amount to cover the repair/replacement, or to pay for extra services, to the customer's credit/debit card, without the customer's explicit consent. (See Article 11)
Customers are responsible for educating themselves about and abiding by visa and passport law. Villatravellers is not able to provide passport and visa advice nor is Villatravellers able to sponsor visas for Customers. Cancellations of property rentals that occur because a Customer was not admitted into Italy or failed to obtain the necessary documentation to enter Italy will not qualify for a refund. Villatravellers will not be responsible for the costs of obtaining the necessary travel permissions nor will Villatravellers be responsible for any other losses or inconveniences relating to travel documentation. It is the Customer’s responsibility to ensure that all members of the booking party have the required documents to travel to Italy. Please note that guests will also be required to provide their documents at the moment of check-in for registration with the local police.
All members of the booking party must have valid traveller's insurance and health insurance during the time of the rental period. It is the Customer's responsibility to ensure that all members have the required health insurance and that their traveller's insurance covers all accidents, loss and damages. Villatravellers will not be responsible for the costs of obtaining health insurance, for any other losses or inconveniences relating to health insurance, or for losses of any kind due to the lack of traveller's insurance. Villatravellers also recommends that all Customers obtain cancellation insurance. This is the Customer's responsibility. Villatravellers declines responsibility for loss due to Customer cancellation.
Villatravellers expects that all Customers follow standard safety practises to prevent any occurrence of personal damages, injury or death. This is especially relevant when children are present on a rental property, especially when facilities such as swimming pools are present . The safety and well-being of children on a rental property is the sole responsibility of the Customer. Villatravellers takes no responsibility for children’s safety and well-being.
Furthermore, neither Villatravellers nor the Property Owners will be responsible for personal damages, injury or death that takes place on the rental property. Villatravellers will provide the Customer with an electronic villa guidebook which explains the rules and guidelines for using the property facilities. All Customers are expected to follow the guidebook's instructions as well as carry out daily checks of all facilities, including sports structures and swimming pools.
Sports structures on the rental property, including swimming pools, may not be used by individuals who are under the influence of alcohol or other substances. Villatravellers and the Property Owners decline all responsibility for any damages or accidents caused by incorrect use of sports or recreational structures, including swimming pools, during the rental period.
On the rare occasion that a Customer encounters a problem with a rental property, Villatravellers will work with the Customer to provide an acceptable solution. The Customer will be provided with relevant contact details to enable 24-hour a day access to Villatravellers via the Local Manager for the duration of the holiday.
Please note that Villatravellers cannot be held responsible for problems reported subsequent to departure. It is important that complaints are registered promptly in order for them to be investigated fully. In the event of a problem, the following should be implemented immediately:
- As soon as a problem or complaint arises the Customer should immediately communicate it verbally to both Villatravellers and the Property Representative.
- If the problem or complaint persists the Customer should notify Villatravellers immediately in writing.
- Villatravellers will look into every problem and complaint on an individual basis and decide on the best course of action.
- Villatravellers' liability in all cases will be limited to the amount paid by the Customer for the villa booking.
- If Villatravellers agrees to refund a Customer an Acceptance Refund Form will be sent to the Customer via email. The Customer must respond to the email or complete and return the signed form within seven days of receiving it. No refund will be granted if the Customer fails to follow the instructions provided within the time-frames notified in these Terms and Conditions.
No refund or compensation will be offered in the following circumstances:
- The Customer fails to notify Villatravellers of their complaint during their stay;
- The Customer and the booking party have not taken reasonable care to protect themselves and the booked property;
- The Customer or a member of the booking party is at fault;
- In the event of unusual or unexpected circumstances which are either unavoidable or beyond the control of Villatravellers (See Article 19);
- Any event which Villatravellers or the Property Representative could not help or prevent;
- Resolution of the problem during the rental period;
- The offer of similar alternative accommodation by Villatravellers;
- The Customer chooses to leave the villa before the arranged check-out day.
Villatravellers will not be held accountable for any damage, loss, change, disappointment and/or dissatisfaction as a result of unforeseen circumstances or Force Majeure. In these Terms and Conditions “Force Majeure” means any circumstances beyond Villatravellers reasonable control including, without limitation, war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural disasters, epidemics, adverse weather conditions, fire, flood, beach/coastal erosion, pollution and negligence on the part of any government body or outside company. For these Terms and Conditions, Force Majeure includes lack of maintenance around the rented property, including beaches, roadways necessary to arrive to the property and any inconveniences with transportation companies, such as airlines, that prevent the Customer's smooth arrival to the rented property.
Information listed in the Villatravellers brochure and on the Villatravellers website www.villatravellers.com are subject to change at any time without notice. Villatravellers reserves the right to change brochure and website information, including price, at any time. The Customer should be aware that new editions of the Villatravellers brochure are regularly published. It is important to realise that the Villatravellers brochure that may be in a Customer's possession may not be up to date.
Villatravellers' property and location photos displayed in the Villatravellers brochure, website or anywhere else serve to offer the Customer a general idea of the property’s basic characteristics. Please keep in mind that details about a property such as furniture, paint colours, garden layout etc. may differ from what is represented in a photo as changes and renovations to Villatravellers properties may occur. Additionally, the Customer must be aware that the location and the environment, including beaches and mountains, surrounding the rental property may have changed since the time a photograph was taken. Villatravellers cannot be held responsible for these changes and for the reasons listed above, Villatravellers recommends that all Customers review the website for the most up to date information.
Sometimes the Customer chooses to book additional services. These can be booked online in the Client Area, or a request can be made to your Villa Specialist. All details of any additional service booked can be found in your Client Area. Villatravellers cannot be held responsible for losses, inconveniences or discontentment related to additional services.
Sometimes the Customer incurs extra fees during their stay on a Villatravellers rental property. Extra fees may result from extra services such as the request for daily cleaning or other domestic help such as a waiter, or extra costs such as the use of extra electricity, or the use of the pool's heating system. In the case that extra fees are incurred, the Customer can make payment directly to the Property Representative, or may request that the sum be charged from their Security Deposit. Villatravellers cannot be held responsible for losses, inconveniences or discontentment relating to extra fees incurred.
Villatravellers chooses to work with the best property suppliers and Property Owners in Sicily. However, it should be noted that Villatravellers takes no responsibility for the properties themselves. Villatravellers concludes these Terms and Conditions with a concise list of occurrences and elements for which Villatravellers cannot be held responsible and cannot offer any compensation or refund. Villatravellers declines all responsibility and is explicitly not liable for claims that occur as a result of:
- the actions and the services of the Property Owner and the actions of any of the Property Owner’s employees or collaborators;
- the fault of anyone other than Villatravellers;
- Customer illness, injury or death;
- Customer financial loss;
- damage or loss of the Customer’s personal property;
- Customer loss of any kind;
- errors or incorrect information stated on the invoice or other documentation from Villatravellers where Villatravellers was not informed of the misinformation within five business days;
- financial loss due to excessive damages on a property during the Customer's rental period that go beyond the normal wear and tear of a property;
- financial loss due to the stated cancellation fees;
- the failure to inform Villatravellers within 10 days of booking of special request or needs;
- the fault of an occurrence or element of Force Majeure;
- the failure to arrive at the rental property on the designated date/time;
- any false or untrue information provided by the Customer;
- the Customer's inability to read or understand these Terms & Conditions.
Every dispute arising under or connected to this contract will first be object of an attempt of mediation procedure under the European Directive 2008/52/EC in accordance with the Mediation Rules of D.Lgs. 28/2010 as adopted by Italy. The seat of the mediation will be the city of Palermo. If the dispute is not resolved within 120 days from the deposit of the request of the mediation procedure, the dispute shall be settled by arbitration. The arbitrator shall have no connection with the mediator or the mediation proceedings, unless both parties have consented in writing. The Arbitral Tribunal will consist of a sole arbitrator appointed pursuant to those Rules. The arbitration will be formal. The Arbitral Tribunal will decide in accordance with the rules of EU Law adopted by Italy. The seat of the arbitration will be Palermo. The language of the arbitration will be Italian. The decision of the arbitrator will be final and binding on the parties.