BOOKING CONDITIONS

Portugalvilla.com has asked owners to accept the following conditions of booking :

In these Booking Conditions, "you" and "your" means the first named person on the booking form. "We", "our" and "us" means the owner and Portugalvilla.com as agent of the owner

1. Your accommodation booking

Once you have made a provisional reservation, the owner requires you to complete a booking form. This must be signed by the first named person on the booking (the party leader). The party leader must be at least 18 and authorized to make the booking on the basis of these booking conditions by all persons named on the booking form, including those substituted or added by an agreed amendment of the booking. All correspondence and documents are sent to the party leader who is responsible to the owner for all payments in respect of the booking and for ensuring that members of the party are kept informed of details affecting their arrangements.

On receipt of the signed booking form and the accommodation being arranged, we will send confirmation of your reservation. Accommodation is reserved only for the use of persons named on the booking form so please check all documents carefully, and notify us immediately if any detail is not correct.

A contract between you, the party leader, and the owner will come into effect when you have paid a deposit (non refundable) or full payment if booking within 10 weeks of departure and the owner accepts your booking and you are notified in writing. Your contract and all matters arising out of it are governed by Portuguese law.

2. Payment

A non refundable deposit of 25% of the rental is required. If you book within 10 weeks of arrival the full amount is due at the time of booking. Deposits in excess of the above may be required for long stay contracts, for selected properties, these will be advised at the time of booking.

The balance of rental, which is non refundable, is due 10 weeks prior to arrival. If all payments due are not paid in full and on time, the owner reserves the right to treat the reservation as cancelled by you, to retain any deposits held and require you to pay the cancellation charges as specified in clause 6.

3. No-surcharge guarantee

The price of your confirmed reservation, as prevailing at the time you book and pay your deposit, subject only to the correction of errors,  will be guaranteed against any increase. This guarantee is subject to the conditions of payments being adhered to as set out in clause 2 Payment. However, the owner reserves the right to increase or decrease the prices of unsold periods at any time. The price of your accommodation will be confirmed at the time of booking.

4. Your accommodation

This is reserved exclusively for the people named on the booking form and no other persons whatsoever are permitted to stay there unless this has been agreed with us in writing and appropriate payment made.

Local communities expect certain standards of behaviour; and guests are required to observe them.

Arrival at the property: between 4 pm and 7 pm (other times have to be agreed with the owner in advance).
You must vacate the property by 10.00 a.m. on the day of departure to enable cleaning and preparation to be completed prior to the arrival of new guests.

Should you or any member of your party be responsible for any breakages, loss or damage of any item at the property or of the property itself during your stay, a charge will be made locally or after you leave the property (deducted from your deposit) to cover the cost of replacement or repair.  If extra cleaning is necessary after your departure, the charge incurred will also be deducted from your deposit.

A deposit to cover the property and, where applicable, any telephone charges is payable with the balance.  This deposit will be refunded after your departure less all applicable deductions.  This will usually be during the month after you leave the property, but if it has a telephone which can be used for outgoing calls, a deposit can only be refunded once details of any charges incurred have been received from the telephone company (these will be deducted together with any applicable connection/reading charges).  This usually takes approximately 60 days after leaving the property.

Additional optional facilities are available at some properties, e.g. satellite or cable TV, pool heating etc., and for which a supplement may be payable. Where requested in advance and in writing, the owner will endeavour to provide the additional service(s) or special request(s). The owner regrets that he cannot guarantee these services as they are often outside his control. Failure to make provision of such service will not be a breach of this contract and the maximum liability will be a refund of any supplement paid.

5. If you change your accommodation

If you need to change your accommodation arrangements, Portugalvilla.com will do their best to help but we must first receive a written request from the party leader to do so. It is not always possible to make changes since different owners are usually involved; so please let us know as soon as possible. The alteration becomes effective when we have given you written confirmation of this and may be subject to a charge of £15 per person each time a change takes place, plus any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of the owners. Any revised accommodation arrangement must be taken in the same season as that originally booked. Except as detailed in the next paragraph, no change can be made within 8 weeks of departure.  Any such change will be treated as a cancellation and will incur cancellation charges, as set out in clause 6.

6. If you cancel your holiday

If you or any member of your party cancels the booking or part of it, this must be done in writing and signed by the party leader. Cancellation will become effective when you receive our confirmation that the holiday is cancelled.

Each accommodation provider has their own cancellation policy and we are always pleased to provide details if required.

Cancellation due to most reasons genuinely beyond your control (except disinclination to travel or financial reasons) is usually covered by a travel insurance policy and it is a condition of booking that this is taken out.  It is not a service we or the owner provide.

Other conditions may apply for long stay holidays or for selected properties. Details will be given at the time of booking and will form part of this contract.

7. If we change or cancel your accommodation

Occasionally circumstances beyond our control make it necessary to make changes to or correct errors in the on line brochure or other details both before and after bookings have been confirmed. Whilst we always endeavour to avoid changes and cancellations, we must reserve the right to do so where the owner cannot fulfill his obligations as a result of "force majeure" as defined in clause 11 below.

Most changes are minor. Occasionally the owner may need to make a significant change. A "significant change" is one made before departure that involves a change to a lower standard of accommodation than originally booked. If the owner has to change your accommodation for any reason he and portugalvilla.com will always endeavour to provide an alternative of at least a similar or better standard than booked.

If a significant change (or significant changes) has to be made or a cancellation,  you will be informed by email as soon as possible.  If there is time to do so before departure, the choice of the following options: will be offered:

(a) accepting the changed arrangements, or

(b) Renting  other available accommodation of a similar standard to that originally booked if available. (if the accommodation is less expensive than the original, the difference will be refunded but if it is more expensive, you may be asked to pay the difference), or

(c) Cancelling, in which case you will receive a full refund of monies you have paid.

Please note, the above options are not available where any change is a minor one.  You must notify us or the owner as to which of the above options you wish to take within seven days of being told of the significant change or cancellation (or within 48 hours if you are told four weeks or less before departure). If we or the owner do not hear from you within this period of time, we are entitled to assume that you accept the changed arrangements (for significant changes) or accept the cancellation and receive a full refund.

If a significant change has to be made 10 weeks or less before departure, the owner will pay you compensation subject to the following exceptions. Compensation will not be payable and no liability accepted beyond offering the above mentioned choices where the change is as a result of unusual and unforeseen circumstances beyond his control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even with all due care. No compensation will be payable if we cancel as a result of your failure to make payments due in full and on time.

8. If you have a complaint

In the unlikely event that you have a complaint regarding the accommodation, you must inform the owner immediately so that the matter may be resolved on the spot. If you are not completely satisfied with the solution offered or provided, you should contact us for assistance.

9. Insurance

We consider travel insurance to be so essential that it is a condition of booking that you have comprehensive insurance cover. You must ensure that you obtain suitable insurance at the same time when accommodation is booked.

Please read your policy details carefully. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is adequate for your particular needs.

10. Our Liability and that of our owners

Great care to ensure the accuracy of information printed on our web site and Portugalvilla.com accepts responsibility for ensuring that when you book with us the property supplied is as described on the site and to a reasonable standard. We are not liable for personal injury, illness or death as set out in the next paragraph. Our acceptance of liability is subject to clause 11 "force majeure" and other terms of these booking conditions.

We will not be liable where any failure to perform or improper performance was due to:

(a) The act(s) and/or omission of the person(s) affected or;

(b) Those of a third party not connected with the provision of your stay and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable at the time of writing the description.

(c) An event which either ourselves or the supplier of service(s) in question could not have foreseen or avoided even with all due care..

Please note that we cannot accept liability for any damage, loss, expense or any sum(s) of any description which:

(a) on the basis of the information given by you concerning your booking prior it being accepted, we could have foreseen you would suffer or incur if the owner breached his contract with you or;

(b) did not result from a breach of contract or other fault of the owner Additionally, we cannot accept liability for any business loss,

If you or any member of your party suffers illness, personal injury or death during the period of their holiday as a result of an activity which does not form part of your accommodation arrangements, we will provide you with all reasonable assistance.

11. Force majeure

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected by 'force majeure'. In these Booking Conditions 'force majeure' means any event which the supplier of the accommodation in question could not, even with due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include, but are not limited to, war, threat of war, civil commotion or strife, hostilities, strikes or other industrial dispute, natural disaster, fire, acts of God, terrorist activities, technical problems with transportation, closures of ports and ferries, quarantine, epidemics, weather conditions, government action or other events outside our control. Holiday insurance, if you choose to take it, provides cover in respect of some of these events.

12. Conditions of suppliers

Some of the services are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions.

OTHER MATTERS

Breakage Deposit

A refundable deposit is payable with the final payment. This is to cover damage and breakages to the property, furniture or crockery etc. or additional costs such as extra cleaning. This deposit will be refunded to you during the month following your departure unless the villa has been left in an unsatisfactory condition. The refund can be a cheque or bank transfer depending on the owner.

Passports and Visas

For citizens not travelling on a passport issued by a member of the European Union it is possible that a visa is required. It is the responsibility of the party leader to confirm that all members of the party have valid passports and, where necessary, valid entry visa.

Travel Insurance

It is a condition of booking that all persons have Travel Insurance. This will usually cover the costs incurred through inability to travel, through illness or death of yourself or, close relative, loss of baggage, repatriation in the event of illness and also other benefits. It is a requirement that the costs arising from these conditions and the costs of repatriation are covered by the insurance. Insurance cover is not a service we provide.