ITALIAN VACATION RENTAL PROPERTIES
It
is important to understand that the properties we offer are not official
tourist accommodations, such as hotels and resorts, but private houses owned
by individuals. Being such, they do not have standards or categories that
are internationally recognized. Indeed they reflect, in their architecture
and furnishings, the local traditions and the personal taste of the owner.
This is precisely the kind of vacation experience that we offer you: the chance
to partake in the culture of the area chosen, living for a few weeks in the same
surroundings as a native would. In order to live this experience in the
right spirit, it is important not only that you accept but also that you will be
able to appreciate the differences in the properties we propose in comparison
with those where you normally live.
For their part, our Italian associate agencies have carefully chosen
properties using a minimum and maximum quality range within which they
believe that any European and indeed a citizen of the world can find a
memorable experience. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that these
differences can sometimes result in minor inconveniences due to the special
nature of the architecture and traditions of the area.
BOOKING PROCEDURE
Following your selection of a property from our online catalog, we ask that
you register with us on our web site with some basic information that is
used only for the purposes of completing and servicing your requested
booking. Our privacy policy is shown online and is strictly followed.
Booking is accomplished by completing and faxing to us the first two pages
of the Booking Contract. The reservation becomes effective as soon as a
down payment of 30% of the total rental accommodation price is made and the
signed Booking Contract has been received by the Gira! reservation
office. The balance is due at least 60 days before the start of the rental
period. There is a one-time non-refundable $35 booking fee per booking.
As part of the booking procedure, you will be asked to identify a single
contact person who is responsible for all communication regarding the
reservation. You are asked to also name a secondary contact person (does
not have to be part of the travel group). Travel documents are provided
either electronically or by mail once final payment has been received and
will be sent to the contact person. Upon request, one additional travel
packet may be mailed to another member of your group for a charge of US$ 40.
For bookings made less than 60 days prior to the start of the rental period,
full payment is due at the time of booking.
It is your responsibility to provide us with your expected date of departure
from home as soon as you know it to ensure that you receive all the travel
documents on time.
For bookings less than $4000, we accept
checks drawn on a US bank, bank wire, Visa and MasterCard. For bookings of
$4000 or greater, we accept checks drawn on a US bank and bank wire.
When additional onsite services are arranged (such as cook, babysitter,
driver, etc.) a valid Visa or MasterCard number must be provided as
guarantee. This card will be used only for a guarantee or deposit on these
services, or for reimbursement to the owner in the event of cancellation or
forfeiture of pre-arranged services.
IMPLEMENTATION OF CURRENCY ADJUSTMENTS
Prices are in US dollars per week and are based on Euros. Prices are
subject to change at any time prior to full payment. Balance amounts on
your contract may increase if there is a substantial increase in the value
of the Euro to the U.S. dollar before full payment is due. If there is such
a change, you will be notified at the time your final payment is due and it
will appear on your final invoice. If you pay in full at the time of
booking, no price adjustment will be done.
This policy applies only if you are making a deposit at the time of your booking
and paying the final balance later. On the day of your booking, we note the
wire transfer rate as of that day for payment of Euros from the U.S. to Europe.
We note this once again on the day your final payment is due. If this
difference is greater than .05 (five cents) Dollars/Euro, your final balance due
will be adjusted proportionally.
FOR EXAMPLE:
At the time of your booking:
Your rental amount is: US$ 2000.00
Your deposit paid is: US$ 1000.00
Dollar/Euro exchange is: 1.25 Dollars / 1.00 Euro
On the date of your final payment:
Your balance due is: US$ 1000.00
Dollar/Euro exchange is: 1.32 Dollars / 1.00 Euro
Percent of change is: 5.6% (1.32 / 1.25)
Your adjusted final balance due is: US$ 1056.00
Please note that this example ignores the non-refundable booking fee, which
is charged at the time of booking.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Most rentals run from Saturday to Saturday, with a minimum stay of one
week. Unless otherwise indicated in the description of the property,
arrival and departure must take place on Saturday. Arrival is between
5:00pm and 8:00pm. Many of our owners or keyholders are responsible for
more than one vacation rental. In order for them to efficiently organize
all of their Saturday arrivals, your estimated arrival time must be known to
them in advance. We ask that you let us know this at least one month before
your arrival. You will also be asked to call the owner when you are en
route to the property. We highly encourage arranging a cell phone that will
work in Italy, not only for your arrival, but also for restaurant
reservations and other activities during your stay.
In
the event of a delay in your arrival and
-it is not
possible to inform the owner/keyholder because they are unavailable; or
-the late
arrival was not previously advised or arranged; or
-the owner
cannot accept a late arrival
you alone are responsible for the cost of an overnight stay in a hotel. The
owner/keyholder is also entitled to claim expense reimbursement from the
guest for the unplanned check-in at the property. (Many owner/keyholders do
not live close to the property.)
You are expected to vacate the premises (after they have been inspected by
the owner or owner’s representative and after any supplementary charges have
been settled) between 8:00am-10:00am on the Saturday departure date. When
departing before Saturday, it is mandatory that you contact the owner or the
owner’s representative to arrange for a departure time and inspection.
LENGTH OF STAY
Under no
circumstances may you, or any member of your group, exceed the period agreed
upon nor may you exercise any right to remain on the premises at the end of
the rental period unless an agreement has been made between you and the
owner of the property.
LIABILITY
Individual property owners and Gira! cannot be held responsible
for any unforeseen events, acts of God or war, riots or civil strife,
terrorist activity, industrial disputes, natural or nuclear disasters, fire,
adverse weather conditions, or the actions of any person outside of Gira!.
The responsibility of Gira! and its agents is limited. They act only
as agents in regard to the services described in these Booking
Conditions.
In booking through Gira!, you agree that Gira! shall not be liable for
injury, damage, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity resulting from acts
or defaults of others, including our Italy affiliates and their
representatives or of the individual owners. Except as specifically
provided in this agreement, Gira! expressly disclaims any representations or
warranties in connection with this agreement, whether express or implied,
statutory or otherwise, including, without limitation, warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, without limiting the
foregoing, the rental properties hereunder are available in accordance with
these Booking Conditions and Gira! does not warrant that the services
provided hereunder shall result in any particular level of customer
satisfaction.
BALANCE PAYMENT
You agree to
pay the balance to the Gira! reservation office at least 60 days
prior to the beginning of the stay. If the balance has not been paid by this
date, the booking will be considered canceled, the contract will be void and
the property will be available for rental again.
LATE BOOKING
In the event that the booking occurs less than 60 days in advance of the
beginning of the rental period, the total payment is required at the time of
reservation.
ALTERATIONS - CANCELLATION CHARGES
For any alteration to the booking, or if you intend to transfer your booking
to other person, on condition that the accommodation and the period do not
change, you agree to pay US$ 70. Our
Italian associate agency reserves the right to charge you any additional cost relative to the
booking.
For the cancellation of a booking, even if it is substituted by another one,
the following penalties must be paid:
- 15% of
the total rental price if the cancellation is made at least 75 days before
the start of the rental period
- 25% of
the total rental price if the cancellation is made between 74 and 43 days
before the start of the rental period
- 50% of
the total rental price if the cancellation is made between 42 and 30 days
before the start of the rental period
- 90% of
the total rental price if the cancellation is made between 29 days and 1 day
before the start of the rental period
- for
cancellations on the date of arrival and no shows without prior notice, 100%
of the total rental price, in addition to any other extra charges
The booking fee is non-refundable.
INSURANCE
The Gira!
reservation office does not offer travel protection insurance. You are
strongly advised to have insurance to cover potential cancellation or
delay. Upon request, Gira! will provide you with a short list
of reliable insurance providers.
RESPONSIBILITY OF CLIENT
It is the responsibility of the client to communicate to Gira! your
expectations, requirements, and any special needs. We must be informed
BEFORE your villa selection of any health conditions in your group such as
allergies, asthma, heart conditions, walking difficulties, or any other
special requirement relevant to the accommodation selection. Not all
properties will be suitable for elderly guests, pregnant women, mobility
challenged guests, children or people with above-average height or weight.
You are expected to treat your vacation home with the same respect as you would
your own home. Doors and windows must be closed and locked each time you
leave, even if for just a short time. It is your responsibility to find
out at check-in time how appliances and equipment (e.g. washing machine,
dishwasher, breaker box, etc.) work as well as other pertinent details of the
house.
INTERRUPTION OF THE HOLIDAY STAY
In the event of interruption on the part of the client, no refund will
be made.
NUMBER OF GUESTS
ALLOWED
The rental
contract is established for a specific number of persons. Only the number
and names of persons on the rental contract may occupy the reserved
accommodation. Any substitution of persons during the stay is forbidden
without the previous consent of Gira!
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
Gira!
will not accept any liability or grant refunds for any improper, expired or
invalid documents (passport, visa, medical certificate, vaccination) which
might be motive for cancellation or modification of your trip or holiday
stay.
FORMALITIES UPON
ARRIVAL
Upon
arrival, you must show your passport to the owner or the owner’s
representative. You will also be required to pay the security deposit to
the owner, the sum of which is indicated on the contract. In some
circumstances, the final cleaning fee is also collected at arrival time.
HOUSE CLEANING AND
MAINTENANCE
The final
cleaning is either included in the rental price or charged as a supplemental
cost, as indicated on the first page of the Booking Contract. This amount
does not however include the cleaning of the kitchen area and the removal of
trash to the bins outside the villa, which are your responsibility. The
owner is allowed on the property for maintenance and gardening purposes.
SECURITY DEPOSIT
Your security
deposit is independent from any other deposit, such as a utility deposit or
cook deposit.
The sum is indicated on the booking contract.
Should there
be damages to the villa, deductions from the security deposit will be held
for repair, refurbishment or renewal as determined by the owner. If such
costs or damage exceed the deposit, you will be informed by the keyholder
and agree to pay the additional amount to the keyholder in Euros cash. The
keyholder can refuse occupancy of the rental property if the security
deposit is not paid. Gira! is not responsible in the event of complaints
and disagreements about the security deposit between the guest and the
owner. It is your responsibility to obtain an accounting of the deposit and
collect the unused portion.
OTHER DEPOSITS
AND PAYMENTS
If specified
in the booking contract, other deposits and payments may be collected at the
accommodation. Utilities deposit and final cleaning fee are collected in
cash Euros at arrival by the keyholder. At departure, any unused
portion of the utility deposit will be refunded in cash Euros.
Any fees for special services (extra maid service, laundry service, cooking
service) will be paid when the service is rendered. An advance deposit
could be requested for these services.
AMENITIES
The use of
amenities, such as swimming pool, moorings, boats and bicycles is entirely
at your own risk. Gira! is not liable for injury to a user or visitor and
loss or damage to your belongings.
DAMAGES
You are responsible for all
damages caused by you, your family or your guests.
BEHAVIOR
The person signing the booking contract is responsible for the behavior
of the party. Should anyone in the group behave in a manner that is not
acceptable by civilized standards or cause a risk to the property itself,
the key holder may ask the party to vacate the accommodation without
compensation. In the case of destructive behavior the key holder may evict
the party by locking them out.
SUPPLEMENTARY COSTS
If the owner
requires a final cleaning fee, this is noted on the booking contract and is
collected in Euros cash by the keyholder at arrival. In accommodations
where air conditioning or heat will be used (depending on the season), an
advanced deposit in Euros cash is required, and is also collected in Euros
cash at arrival. This is also noted on the booking contract. Any unused
portion of this advance deposit will be returned to you at departure unless
the usage exceeds the deposit.
If the amount of air conditioning or heat consumption exceeds the deposit,
you will be required to pay any sum exceeding the deposit. If the booking
contract specifies that other utilities (besides air conditioning or heat)
such as gas or electricity be paid according to consumption, these are
metered and paid accordingly in Euros cash at check out.
Any fees for special services (extra maid service, laundry service, cooking
service) must be paid in Euros cash when the service is rendered.
PETS
Pets will be admitted only in those properties where it is expressly specified,
and must be approved at the time of booking. Only well behaved dogs are
allowed. No cats or other animals are permitted.
CLAIMS/DISPUTES
Gira!
declines all responsibility for any modifications to available services or
to the property made by the owners without our knowledge. All discrepancies
relating to the general specifications or the inventory of the premises must
be communicated to the owner/caretaker immediately and s/he be allowed the
necessary time to fix the problem. If the matter cannot be corrected, you
must contact Gira! by telephone and then in writing within 2 days. No
reimbursement will be made for a late arrival or early departure. Whenever
possible you are urged to settle minor grievances (burnt-out light bulbs,
faulty appliances, etc.) with the owners before filing a formal complaint.
Often the owner is not aware of these minor problems. No consideration will
be given to complaints that are received following the end of your rental
period.
JURISDICTION
In the event
of legal claims or disputes, this contract shall be governed by the laws of
the United States and the State of Colorado. Any legal action brought
against Gira! shall be brought in Denver, Colorado.
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