Terms and Conditions
These terms and conditions are applicable for all bookings.
VILLA BOOKINGS
By completing an online reservation/booking, or by placing your booking over the telephone, or by signing and posting/faxing a booking form, you accept these Terms and Conditions as a binding contract between Villa Sogni D’Oro (abbreviated “VSD”) on behalf of yourself and any other members of your party. VSD will not accept your booking without a signed booking form, or a completed online reservation, or an email request to reserve your villa, or your verbal confirmation to proceed given over the telephone, accompanied by payment. A written/emailed booking confirmation sent to you by VSD means VSD has accepted your booking, subject to receiving your deposit.
EMAIL ADDRESS, TELEPHONE & PASSPORT COPIES
It is vital that we have a valid email address. If you change this you should inform us immediately. We correspond by email. Once your booking has been made and we have received your deposit, all further correspondence is by email. We will also email you all of the information that you’ll require to get to the villa. We also require a mobile phone so we can contact you during your stay. In order to comply with rentals laws, we also require a copy of all guest passports. We also require the telephone number of any person(s) who are paying for the villa rental by credit/debit card. For all payments made by credit/debit card the cardholder must be present on arrival at the villa, and must show their credit card and passport as proof of card ownership and verification.
PAYMENT, RESERVATION AND DEPOSIT
Upon booking and confirmation that your requested dates for villa rental are available, you will be charged the full rental price, plus any additional concierge services you have booked for you and your party. This deposit is partially refundable as set forth below. Your reservation is only guaranteed once your deposit has been received. A 500 euro fully refundable security/damages deposit is due upon arrival, plus a non-refundable one-time charge of 250 euro for cleaning upon your departure. Payments are made by bank transfer into our bank account or via credit card (details will be sent to you to make payment). Failure to make your balance payment on time could result in you losing your booking. We do not surcharge you for using a credit card.
SECURITY DEPOSIT
The security deposit of €500 has to be paid no later than upon your arrival. Failure to pay the security deposit will result in the non-refundable cancelation of your booking. We require you to inform us of any serious damage or breakages caused during your stay, and a list of all breakages, stains, or damages in writing upon leaving. Where time permits we like to do a quick initial check of the property when you depart. We understand that sometimes this is not possible due to various time constraints; such as leaving for your return flight, your guests using the bedrooms or packing or our representative not being available / have sufficient time to check the villa. A full and detailed check will take place after your departure and before the next guest’s arrival. You will be advised of any faults or damages found after this detailed check (pictures will be taken if possible) and we will advise you as soon as possible the cost of repair or replacement. Sufficient time must be allowed for us to do this, as we are often waiting for suppliers to give us quotations.
Anything damaged, spoiled, or broken will be charged at the replacement cost. We make a charge of 50 euro per hour to cover our time obtaining quotations, labour, travel, telephone, and any additional work required to fix, repair or replace broken or damaged items in time for our next client. Any items having to be purchased will be replaced with ‘like for like’, of the same quality and standard. No ‘mark-up’ will ever be added.
The security deposit will be refunded after the property is fully cleaned and checked as detailed above. Should the security deposit not cover all the damage, repair or replacement caused then we will request extra funds to make up the difference. You authorize us to charge your credit card to cover such additional damage or replacement costs, or if no credit card was supplied you agree to transfer the additional funds within 7 days of the notification of the extra costs.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TIMES
On the first day of your rental, the villa will be ready for you from 4pm. You may arrive between 4pm and 9pm. However in some cases, we are able to arrange for you to drop your bags at the Villa if you arrive earlier. After 9pm you will incur a €50 charge to cover out of hours staff costs. If your flight is delayed or cancelled, you are required to contact VSD so we can notify everyone involved. If there is any delay, please call and text the mobile number of the villa manager you have been given in your arrival information. If for any reason you can not contact the villa manager you may phone us at 1.561.789.9143.
On your departure day please be ready to meet our representative for an initial villa inspection between 8am and 10am. The villa must be vacated by 11am.
Unless by prior agreement with VSD, failure to leave by 11am will incur an extra half day rental charge. Failure to leave by 2pm on your departure day will incur an extra full day rental charge.
CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS
If you cancel your booking more than two calendar months before your arrival date then you will lose your 25% deposit only and any non-refundable concierge costs. If you cancel your booking within two calendar months of your arrival date then you will be liable for 100% of the villa rental and any non-refundable concierge costs.
No exceptions to this policy can be made for any reason, therefore holiday insurance with a cancellation policy to cover any such rare occurrence is strongly recommended.
CORONA FLU VIRUS GUARANTEE
If an official Covid-19 related travel ban prevents you from traveling to Montepulciano, you can select new dates to the same or lower value, up to 12 months away from your original arrival date, without penalty. If any new dates you choose are higher priced then you just pay the difference. To qualify for this guarantee your payments must be made as per the original booking.
CHANGES TO BOOKING AND PROPERTY AVAILABILITY
VSD reserves the right to amend the booking dates. This may be due to several reasons, not limited to but including, war, adverse weather conditions, riots and or matters concerning participants safety, operational circumstances such as damage caused by fire, or the villa becoming unusable due to utility company work or lack of services, leaks, repair work or any other such reason. In these circumstances, the booking may need to be adjusted accordingly. VSD is not liable for any additional costs or losses that may be incurred by the client due to the change of booking. This includes, but is not limited to, any extra hotel reservations or car rentals, or the cost of non-refundable airline tickets. Situations may arise which, in our opinion, make it necessary for us to alter the normal booking schedule. If VSD has canceled your scheduled booking, if you cannot accept the dates of any new booking that VSD propose, then you can propose alternative dates which VSD will consider. If VSD has changed your booking date and you choose not to rebook, VSD will refund you your entire deposit.
In the event before your arrival, or during your period of rental, your villa choice becomes unavailable or unusable for any reason, excluding Force Majeure, we reserve the right to offer you an alternative property of the same level of quality and in a similar area, or to refund all monies paid to date and cancel the booking. We reserve this right in the case of availability clashes, unexpected, unforeseen or uncontrollable situations. Should VSD successfully be able to offer a similar property and location, a pro-rata refund for the difference will be refunded if the property offered is a lower rental cost for the same period. If VSD is not able to find a similar property then a full refund of monies paid will be returned, or in the case that some time has been used already at the property before it becomes unavailable then a pro-rata refund will be given. This constitutes the maximum liability of VSD. VSD are not responsible for any other expense or costs incurred including rearranging or canceling flights or car hire. We strongly recommend holiday insurance cover.
INSURANCE
VSD recommends that you take out adequate travel insurance, including cover for medical treatment, accidents and repatriation, and holiday cancellation and curtailment. It is your responsibility that you arrange, or ensure your party has appropriate comprehensive travel insurance. This to include cover for illness, personal injury and travel delay/cancellation. We assume that such a policy is in force before you depart. There is a hospital local to Montepulciano.
VILLA RENTAL RATES AND PRICE GUARANTEE
Prices quoted or viewed on our website are those in effect at the time when you made your booking, and remain guaranteed once the deposit has been paid. Once a price has been agreed and the deposit paid VSD will not change this price under any circumstances, thus guarding against any future price increases.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY
We are responsible for providing the services listed on our website, where it is within our control. We carefully and regularly monitor our properties. VSD cannot guarantee that all items listed on our website will be functional at all times, however all endeavors will be made to rectify any problems as soon as we possibly can. We reserve the right without prior notice to withdraw any part or all of the facilities available, and to make such changes as may be necessary. Furthermore, it is agreed by you that the owners, operators and agents of the rental properties of VSD are not the guardians of any customers safety and they, individually or collectively, cannot be held liable in any way for any occurrence, which might result in illness, injury, death or other damage, loss or theft to the customer, his property, or his family, heirs, or assigns. The liability of VSD is limited to a total of the booking price irrespective of the title/claim.
VSD AGENTS AND REPRESENTATIVES
Our agents and representatives are not a party to this contract, nor are they responsible or liable for failure to provide any service as may be described in our literature pertaining to the contract.
YOUR DUTY OF CARE
You agree to keep the villa at all times clean and tidy. If any spillage occurs or breakages it must immediately be wiped and cleaned. Under no circumstances can glass or crockery be left outside as it attracts insects and rodents, as well as can be broken by the wind.
You make sure that the villa is in the same condition when you leave, as it was when you arrived. You must leave the villa clean and tidy in all rooms, glasses and kitchen items must be collected and washed, and any rubbish must be bagged and disposed of before you leave. It is acceptable to load the dishwasher and start the cycle. Towels can be left in the bathrooms. Please let us know immediately if something gets broken, stained, marked or damaged during your stay so that we can replace it at once. Depending on what is broken, we may have to make a charge.
When you leave a room you must turn off the lights, and especially air conditioning and other high-energy consumption devices. Air conditioning should never be left on in rooms unoccupied as it only takes 5 minutes to cool a room. Air conditioning should never be switched on in rooms with either doors or windows open, this not only defeats the purpose of putting on the air conditioning but can also lead to breakage of the air conditioning system as it will be overworking trying to cool a room to a desired temperature that it will never be able to reach.
The villas are thoroughly checked before your arrival for any damages and any problems that cannot be fixed are recorded. If you see any stains or markings especially on fabrics, scratches on glass surfaces, broken items of furniture, doors or any item not functioning, you should report it as soon as possible after you arrive and within the first 24 hours after arrival. After you depart the damages found during by the villa representative will be final.
YOUR VILLA INCLUDES
The use of the villa and its facilities as described on our website or your booking confirmation. Please note, VSD cannot guarantee that all items or facilities listed on our website will be functional at all times. If you or we find a fault, all endeavors will be made to rectify any problems as soon as we possibly can, you must advise us straight away of any such problems. Items do breakdown, and utility services can get interrupted however rare. No refunds or rate adjustment shall be made for unforeseen mechanical failures. At times we can be in the hands of outside contractors, or waiting for spare parts, but we will push them as hard as we can to rectify any faults as quickly as possible.
VILLA KEYS
You will be given two sets of keys. You may also receive an electronic remote control for garages, entrance gates or estate entrance gates.
If the gate remote is lost or broken, you authorize us to charge your credit card €150. If keys are lost or not returned, you authorize us to charge your credit card €50.
All keys and security cards must be well guarded and returned to our villa representative upon your departure.
SMOKING
Our property is a non-smoking property. Smoking is only allowed outdoors. Please do not throw cigarette filters or cigarette/cigar stubs in gardens or plant pots. If the house smells of smoke then a cleaning of the fabrics will be performed which will cost approximately €300 per room depending upon how much of the villa (sofas, curtains, linen etc.) need to be cleaned. You authorize us to charge your credit card for such cleaning.
PROPERTY ACCESS
VSD, our maintenance team, gardener, housekeeping staff, the representatives of VSD or their subcontractors have the right of access to the properties at any time with due regard to the convenience of the renter for the purpose of linen changes, garden maintenance, inspection and/or viewing of the property and to carry out any essential or routine repair or maintenance work.
Except for the essential repairs, maintenance, cleaning and regular gardening we will make every effort to schedule such brief showings at a time convenient to you, to respect your privacy, and not interrupt your stay.
OCCUPANCY / MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF PROPERTIES / ADDITIONAL GUESTS
Under no circumstances may more than the maximum number of persons specified in the property description, and listed on the booking confirmation, whichever is lower, occupy the property except by prior written agreement by VSD. The property cannot be re-let or sublet to any other group/party or individual without the written approval of VSD. The standard number of guests for our villas are:
Half the Villa: 6 – 8 persons
Full Villa: 12 – 14 persons
The number of guests that a property can accommodate can only be increased by prior arrangement. The total number of persons allowed in the villa at any one time is restricted to the number of persons confirmed on the booking confirmation. At VSD’s discretion the extra guests may be asked to vacate the villa immediately. Exceptions to this clause are made only for infants under 24 months old at the time of travel. We do not supply baby cribs or baby seats.
HOUSEKEEPING SERVICES
This covers general cleaning of the villa, to keep the pool clean, tidy the house, to change beds and clean the bathrooms. It is not the housekeeper’s responsibility to cook, serve, wash dishes, or pots and pans, or to clean up after guests. If you would like such additional maid services please make this request at the time of booking as we can provide additional help.
We provide a full bedding, bathroom towel and beach towel change at the start of each rental. We then provide another change mid-week, and two further changes each week thereafter. Daily cleaning services may be arranged at a cost to be determined.
If you request our staff to assist you with laundry, washing and ironing then we cannot be held responsible for any shrinkage or any damage that may happen to your clothing.
WEDDING AND CORPORATE EVENTS
Weddings and special events are permitted, however, please contact us to discuss your requirements. An additional deposit may be required based upon the event and property. We can hold intimate weddings and medium-sized weddings or events. If you would like us to help you organize your event/wedding we can also outsource wedding or events using specialist wedding planners and catering companies. We only allow approved catering companies at our properties. This is to ensure high-quality standards, to prevent damage to the equipment, to have knowledge of the kitchen and equipment, and be familiar with the distribution and layout of the properties. It also provides you with security and our suppliers are trusted partners. When having a wedding or corporate event with us, a wedding / event fee of €1,500 up to 25 guests, and €2,500 for 26 to 40 guests, and €3,500 from 41 to 60 guests is charged. This covers the extra wear and tear, usage, set up and take down that our properties are exposed to during any event.
Guests at events shall always be respectful of the property, and adhere to our and the communities noise rules (Please see NOISE DISTURBANCE, EVICTION below), so as not to disturb other residents of the neighborhood, particularly after 10.30 pm at night. If we discover that the wedding or any sort of group gathering has more persons than officially scheduled and paid for at the villa, and/or without our advance written permission, the party is subject to forfeiture of the entire villa security deposit, and will be requested to immediately pay the difference to the appropriate villa event fee.
The property can accommodate a maximum of four cars, including any vehicles for caterers and the organizer. It is not allowed for your guests to park on the private road outside the properties, so for your guests, relatives and friends who are not staying at our property we can assist you with arranging shuttle transport, or they need to arrive by taxi.
PRIVATE CHEFS AND CATERING PROVIDERS
For the protection of the property and our guests we only allow approved third-party catering suppliers. If you would like a private chef we can help arrange one for you. In the past we have found that chefs need access to the villa very early and late and this can compromise the security of the property unless we approve the chef. Chefs also have a habit of being very messy and can cause extensive damage to the kitchen of a private villa. For this reason we only allow chefs approved by VSD in advance. Any damage caused by a chef or caterers you contract is the responsibility of the guests. Under no circumstances can third party contractors be given keys or property access codes.
OTHER EXTERIOR CONTRACTORS
For the protection of the property and our guests we only allow approved third party suppliers. All guests must request the approval by VSD in advance. This includes all third party suppliers including babysitting services, fitness instructors, DJ, musicians and all entertainment services. Under no circumstances can third party contractors be given unaccompanied access (without the prior approval of VSD), or keys or property access codes.
NOISE DISTURBANCE, EVICTION
Our property is located within exclusive private locations. We therefore request you respect our neighbors and keep your noise to acceptable ‘talking’ levels. If you wish to play music in the evenings then please do so but inside with the doors closed only – never outside. Loud music inside the villa should not be played after 10.30pm. Please keep background music to talking levels when outside. Failure to observe these rules could result in immediate eviction in severe cases and/or loss of your security deposit.
VSD wishes to maintain a family atmosphere for the quiet enjoyment of our guests. We rent to families and responsible adults. Guests shall be respectfully quiet and peaceful, so as not to disturb other residents in the immediate area. The community have very strict rules regarding noise that must be respected. These set strict guidelines is to control excessive noise. It is a criminal offense for people to cause noise and nuisance which results in people being unable to relax and enjoy their home and community life.
To avoid noise and nuisance to neighbors it is recommended:
- To monitor the level of sound being emitted from electronic devices at all times of the day.
- Place music systems on rubber mats and facing towards our properties to help absorb sound.
- If going out or returning home late at night take extra care not to disturb neighbors through loud voices and slamming of (car) doors.
- Make sure the children are playing in a way that is considerate to neighbors and not causing a disturbance.
If we receive a complaint from our neighbors we will notify you directly to reduce your noise. If we then receive a second complaint about careless or excessive noise our community will penalize us with a €250 fine. This amount will be deducted from your security deposit. If we receive a third complaint, this complaint is likely to result in contacting the local authorities and/or police requesting that the person responsible reduces the noise and nuisance to neighbors and the community. At this stage, the local authorities may request the villa to be vacated which will result in immediate eviction. If this happens your deposit will be forfeited. The penalties for causing excessive noise are both quickly administered and strictly enforced.
ANIMALS
Generally we do not accept animals at the Villa. However, there may be certain exceptions, such as dogs for the blind. In such cases you must obtain written permission from VSD.
UTILITY USAGE AND ENVIRONMENT
VSD takes special care to minimize the impact we place onto the environment. We feel it is both ours, and our guests responsibility to care for the environment. We, therefore, ask you to think carefully and be thoughtful about the usage of both water and electricity. Included within the cost of your holiday rental is electricity usage to the value of €125 per week. This is ample for normal use of air conditioning, lights, electrical facilities and the hot tub/pool. Some clients, unfortunately, leave all lights, fans, air conditioning and the hot tub heating/pumps running 24 hours per day. If you do this then the cost of a week’s electricity is likely to be 3 to 4 times the level of normal household usage. Extra usage over €125 will be deducted from your security deposit. For example air conditioning should never be left on in rooms unoccupied as it only takes 5 minutes to cool a room. Again, air conditioning should never be switched on in rooms with either doors or windows open, this not only defeats the purpose of putting on the air conditioning but can also lead to breakage of the air conditioning system as it will be overworking trying to cool a room to the desired temperature that it will never be able to reach. Fans should also be switched off when the room is not being used, as should lights and other electrical items. The hot tub, pool jet, saunas and steam rooms should also be switched off when not in use.
We thank you in advance for your consideration. It not only helps us to keep our rentals prices as low as possible, it also saves you any extra costs after your holiday, and helps protect our environment as well.
LIABILITY, DUE CARE AND SUPERVISION/INDEMNITY
You accept and acknowledge that you are responsible and liable for the safety and well-being of all your guests, third parties you contract, and any other persons you invite to stay at our properties during the time of the rental. Children MUST be under supervision of an adult at all times when staying at the villa. Damage or injury arising as a result shall not be the responsibility of VSD. VSD will be blameless for any injuries incurred during your stay. You are encouraged to act responsibly and courteously during your stay.
LOST AND FOUND
Items left at a property will be returned only upon request and at the guest’s expense. VSD is not liable for lost items. VSD will only hold items for fourteen (14) days before they are discarded.
WEATHER CONDITIONS
Weather conditions can be unpredictable, and can change quickly and significantly. VSD cannot be made liable for unpleasant or unsuitable weather conditions and no refunds are made for such conditions.
CONSTRUCTION WORK
VSD cannot predict construction plans in the area and therefore cannot be held responsible for any inconvenience. In the event of building works taking place by local authorities, private developers or neighbors, it is important to note that we are not responsible for such work and we are unable to stop such work taking place and we are unable to control the level of noise. We cannot be held responsible for any building works that take place during your rental period. No refunds can be given in the event of nearby construction
CHEF SERVICES
If for any reason a chef is not available and if you have paid for additional chef services then you will be refunded the money paid for those services only. If you have been given a free chef service and for any reason, a chef is not available, no refund shall be paid. VSD cannot guarantee the availability of chefs due to reliance on third party services.
FORCE MAJEURE
Means any unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our normal control, which the consequences of could not have been avoided even when exercising all due care. Such circumstances or events include but are not limited to, war, or threat of war, riot, civil unrest, epidemics or pandemics, industrial disputes or strikes, unavoidable or unforeseen technical problems with the villa, transport, or closure or congestion of airports, terrorist activity, natural disasters, industrial disasters, fire, theft, flooding and adverse weather conditions. In the event of any of the above then a reduction of services may happen, and refunds or compensation payments cannot be made.
VERBAL CHANGES
Verbal changes of contract are not valid unless agreed and confirmed in writing by VSD.
LANGUAGE, PRINTING, TYPING, TERMS & CONDITIONS, CALCULATION ERRORS AND OMISSIONS
VSD reserves the right to correct any printing or typing errors, omissions or calculation mistakes at any time. We also reserve the right to amend our terms and conditions that apply to your booking at any time and without prior notice. In all matters the original English language version of these terms and conditions takes precedent.
CONTRACT, COMPLAINTS AND SUGGESTIONS
VSD prides itself on the quality of its properties, and accuracy of its villa descriptions but should a guest feel that the villa has not met its description it should first be brought to the attention of VSD representative at the property. If the guest is not happy with the local resolution, then, any further comments or suggestions should be put in writing, within 14 days of your return, specifying the problems to, [email protected].