Booking Terms & Conditions
CONFIRMATION OF RESERVATION
When you book your holiday, you will need to sign a Booking Form and are required to pay a Confirmation Deposit equal to 50% of the rental rate to secure your booking or full payment if your reservation within 8 weeks of the start date. This payment is deemed to be confirmation that you have read and accepted the Booking Conditions. Upon receipt of the signed Booking Form and payment, we will send you a Deposit Receipt or Statement of Account (if full payment has been made). This is our formal acceptance of the booking. Please check the details and advise us at once of any inaccuracies. It is understood that the person making the booking warrants that he/she has full authority to do so on behalf of all members of the group and will be deemed to act on behalf of all members of the group.
FINAL PAYMENT
Details for the final payment will appear on your invoice, and the balance must be paid in full not later than 8 weeks before the first day of the holiday. If we do not receive the balance by this time, we will be entitled to cancel the booking without prejudice to our claim for cancellation charges. It is important therefore that you pay the balance by the due date or advise us in writing of any cancellation. For bookings made within 8 weeks of the start of your holiday, the full cost should be paid at the time of booking.
INCLUDED IN THE PRICE
Unlike some other rental properties, the rental rate is fully inclusive of all bed linen, bathroom towels, tea towels, electricity, heating, pre/post stay cleaning & laundry (additional mid-stay cleaning can be arranged if required), local agent liaison, key handover & collection, and firewood.
TOURIST TAX
The tourist tax or ‘Taxe de Sejour’ is covered by Chalet Melchior in the Winter season. From June to October, the client must pay a daily tourist tax per person directly at the Tourist Tax office next to the train station in Villars. In return clients are issued with a ‘Carte de Bienvenue’ from the Tourist Tax office which gives discounted access to lots of transport and sports facilities for the duration of their stay. Proof of payment will be required on Check Out.
SECURITY DEPOSIT
The chalet is furnished and equipped to a very high level, therefore a refundable security deposit is payable at time of balance due. This is refunded within 10 working days of departure following full inspection of the chalet. The client is responsible for the transfer costs on payment of the security deposit and Chalet Melchior is responsible for the transfer costs on repayment of the security deposit.
ARRIVAL / DEPARTURE
Accommodation is available from 16.00pm on the start day of the booking until 10.00am on the final day, unless we have made a prior arrangement with you.
CANCELLATION BY YOU
If you wish to cancel a booking, you should advise us by telephone and confirm the cancellation in writing, signed by the same person who signed the original booking form. In all cases of cancellation the deposit will be forfeited. If the cancellation is made after the final payment is due, you are liable for the full cost of the holiday. We will however use our best endeavours to re-let, and if successful will refund the cost of the holiday, less administration costs incurred.
CANCELLATION BY US
We reserve the right to cancel a booking in any circumstance but, except for force majeure or the Client’s failure to pay the final balance, will not cancel a booking less than 60 days before commencement of the reservation. Unless the client fails to pay the final balance we will, upon cancellation, return all monies paid. In this instance this will be the full extent of our liability and we shall not be liable to you for any incidental expenses incurred by you as a result of any arrangements that you may have made.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
The importance of Travel Insurance: It is a condition of your booking with us that you have travel insurance for your trip. Depending on the details of your policy, you may be able to recover the cancellation charges less any excess on your travel insurance policy. Never travel without insurance, the unexpected can always happen and medical care in Switzerland can be very expensive. It is your responsibility to ensure you are adequately covered by insurance for all elements of your trip. This should include medical expenses arising through illness or accident prior or during your stay, including evacuation and repatriation in an emergency and loss of holiday monies through cancellation or curtailment of the holiday for insurable reasons. Clients should ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting protection from the type of activities they intend to do (skiing / hiking etc). The travel insurance cover automatically provided with credit card purchases does not provide adequate cover as standard. Please read your policy and take it on holiday with you.
Travel insurance is mandatory for all clients while staying at Chalet Melchior. Clients together with their personal property including baggage are, at all times, solely at their own risk when staying at Chalet Melchior.
COVID 19
Due to the continuing uncertainty with Covid 19 we have implemented the following changes to our Chalet Melchior cancellation policy (for the avoidance of doubt, when any of the following COVID-19 scenarios occur prior to booking or to the period of the reservation itself), this supersedes our cancellation conditions described above.
You will always need to have adequate travel insurance to cover you for any other reason that could prevent you from traveling or become ill.
If customers are unable to travel due to the following COVID-19-related scenarios prior to booking or for the period of the booking itself:
COVID-19 scenarios:
- If the Swiss government bans non-essential travel to Switzerland
- If the Villars ski resort has to close for winter sports activities (i.e. if the lift system is closed due to COVID-19)
- If Chalet Melchior is closed for the duration of the customer’s reservation due to intervention by the Swiss government due to a related problem to COVID-19.
In the event that any of the above COVID-19 scenarios occur prior to the reservation or for the period of the reservation itself, customers will be entitled to one of the following:
- Rollover the same reservation in 12 months time
- Request a 100% credit for any future reservation of Chalet Melchior valid from 18 months after cancellation.
PASSPORT & VISAS
It is the responsibility of the Client to be in possession of a valid passport, visa permits, inoculations as may be required for the duration of the holiday. Information about these matters or related items is given in good faith but without responsibility by us.
We cannot accept any liability if the client is refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on the client’s part to carry all required documentation including an acceptable passport and any necessary visa(s) and/or health certificate.
LOCAL LAWS
All members of the Client’s party are expected to obey the laws and regulations of Switzerland while staying at Chalet Melchior. Failure to do so will relieve us of all obligations that they may otherwise have under these booking conditions.
DATA PROTECTION
You consent to us storing personal information about you and other members of your party. We will not share these details with any third parties other than our team who are on hand to assist you during your stay.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
You agree to allow only those of your party to occupy the chalet. No pets are allowed. You undertake to leave the chalet and all its furnishings and effects in a clean state and in good order. You also undertake to advise us if any missing or damaged items and of any damage to the property and to reimburse us for such loss or damage. Dogs / small pets are only permitted in the accommodation with prior consent of the owner and after agreement to our pet policy. Any guests bringing a pet without prior consent of the owner will be asked to leave the accommodation. Smoking inside the chalet is strictly forbidden.
OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
We do not accept responsibility whatsoever for happenings or actions outside our reasonable control, such as breakdown of domestic appliances, plumbing, temporary invasion of pests, acts of insurrection, theft, break-in, industrial disputes, floods, or other events amounting to force majeure. We have taken the greatest care in the preparation of the information presented to you and every effort has been made to ensure accuracy. We do our utmost to ensure that the accommodation is satisfactory and enjoyable and take all reasonable care to maintain the property in good condition at all times. Although we take every reasonable care to ensure that nothing untoward occurs during your stay at Chalet Melchior, we shall not be held liable for any injury, loss, accident, delay, inconvenience, or irregularity arising, howsoever caused.
ACCEPTANCE OF BOOKING CONDITIONS
In signing this booking form, you acknowledge that you have read these conditions and that you accept them without reservation or exception.