1 Location and prices
The lease is concluded in the name and on behalf of the owner of the property, exclusively for tourism purposes, at the prices indicated in the price list.
All houses are private facilities; the name of a private facility derives from the fact that the owner rents the property as private and not as a company or accommodation with special hotel or similar licenses. The substantial difference between a private structure and a receptive structure is the lack of being able to provide ancillary services, on the part of the owner, during the guest’s stay. In the absence of guests, moreover, private structures are very often inhabited by the owner, so the rent is intended as occasional and non-continuous and above all in a non-entrepreneurial form. Since these are private houses for holiday use, they do not have an internationally recognized standard or category, but they reflect the local traditions and the owner’s personal taste in architecture and furnishings, which is normal – as is normal in homes where they usually we live – that there may be small defects.
All houses are furnished and have a kitchen or kitchenette (dishes, pots, fridge). The equipment of household appliances (washing machine, dishwasher, TV, etc.) is indicated in the description of each individual accommodation. It should be noted that the houses are mostly private and therefore have different characteristics from each other. Therefore, if you have specific needs, you must make it clear at the time of booking before defining the contract and put it in writing on the confirmation.
The beds marked with the symbol “+” are to be considered emergency and in any case less comfortable for the arrangement or for the privacy of the normal beds (eg in the sofa bed, or located in the living room).
Rental prices include: consumption of water, electricity and gas; Bed linen and towels; any heating and / or air conditioning costs (if available);
The tourist tax is not included, if established in the Municipality of reference of the property, also to be settled on the spot.
2 Reservations
To make a reservation, please contact us personally or by phone, fax, e-mail at SICILY DISCOVERY LTD or at affiliated Portals or Travel Agencies. The reservation is subject to the prior confirmation of the availability of the accommodation by SICILY DISCOVERY LTD.
Within 72.48 or 24 hours (the duration depends on the period in which the booking is made) a deposit equal to 30% of the rental price must be sent to SICILY DISCOVERY LTD. At the time of booking you will receive (via email) a confirmation containing: personal data, amounts and deadlines for the various payments (ADVANCED / BALANCE) payment conditions, general booking conditions.
Upon receipt of the deposit you will be sent the “rental voucher” in which you will be provided with all the information necessary for the collection of keys and to reach the accommodation. The contract will be final with the payment of the deposit. In the absence of any type of communication from the customer and / or In case of non-payment of the deposit, within the established terms, the reservation will be canceled and the structure will return free and available to other customers.
3 Duration of leases – arrival time
The estimated time of arrival is between 4.00 pm and 7.00 pm. We invite customers to communicate their arrival time at least one week in advance of the arrival time so that the owner or his representative can be on site waiting for the client and facilitating entry to the facility.
Any changes regarding the date and time of arrival must be communicated to SICILY DISCOVERY as soon as possible by e-mail / fax or by telephone to the SICILY DISCOVERY customer service number. In case the arrival should take place in the late evening and after 8.00 pm, it will be the owners’ discretion to accept check-in or not. In the event that the owner can not accept any delay communicated on the day of arrival, the customer will have to pay the costs of accommodation at a different structure from the one booked with SICILY DISCOVERY. The company in any case will work to facilitate the arrival of customers at the property booked trusting in the cooperation of the owners who can request an extra payment for late check-in, the amount of which will be evaluated from time to time.
The departure from the property must take place in the morning by 10.00 am, allowing access to the owner for checking the state of the property.
If the check-out takes place before 08.00 the owners at their discretion can request an extra payment that will be communicated at the time of the request for early check-out. The departure time must always be communicated at least 12 hours before to the owner or to the person in charge of the property.
4 Number of vacationers
At the time of booking, customers will be required to enter the names and age of persons who will stay in the property for the communication of the presence to the competent authorities.
Only persons whose name appears in the booking confirmation of SICILY DISCOVERY LTD may occupy the property. Any substitutions of people during the rental period are allowed only if previously agreed with Sicily Discovery Ltd. The number of guests (adults + children) can not be higher than the number declared at the time of booking and in any case can not exceed the number of beds indicated in the catalog and / or on the website www.sicilydiscovery.it. The person in charge of the keys can prohibit entry to excess persons.
Siciliy Discovery Ltd – (‘THE COMPANY’, ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’) acts only as an agent for the owners of the facilities and for the suppliers of
other services on our website. We do not sell or sell any kind of “package” or act as a “organizer” according to the Package Travel Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 and these rules do not apply to each reservation received. When making a reservation, a contract is signed with the owner of the property that has been selected and will be subject to the terms and conditions of that owner. To the extent that the terms and conditions of each owner differ from those established in these booking conditions, we will bring the differences to your attention.
By making a reservation, you agree to the terms and conditions of the contract which are indicated below:
5 Methods upon arrival – Security deposit (if agreed)
Upon arrival, the holiday-maker must present the “rental voucher” and an identification document and pay a deposit in euros equal to the amount indicated in the price list. The owner or his representative can refuse entry to the holiday-maker who has not paid the security deposit. The security deposit will be returned at the end of the stay after the inventory is verified at the same time as the return of the accommodation and after deduction of any damage caused to the accommodation itself.
6 Cleaning and External Maintenance
The change of linen is guaranteed at the first check-in.
The final cleaning of the property is not included in the price, unless otherwise indicated in the card of the house published on the web and in the catalog. Final cleaning (where provided) does not include kitchen cleaning and waste disposal.
The buildings will have to be returned in good hygienic conditions in all their parts and accessories. Otherwise the customer must pay the owner or his representative the cost necessary for cleaning. It is up to the customer to take care of the waste disposal.
If the guests do not dispose of waste from the property, the owner or his delegate can request a supplement for this service. The kitchen must be left clean and tidy. If, for any reason, even time, guests can not clean the kitchen and the furnishings before their departure, the owner will be entitled to request a supplement for cleaning the same.
The owner or his representative has free access to the property to carry out the necessary maintenance operations (garden, swimming pool, etc.).
It is understood that the owners will always provide a notice and require the presence of the guests themselves, provided that if guests can not be present during the work, the owners or their staff will still enter the houses, if necessary, to carry out the any repair work
7 Cancellations – Changes
In case of cancellation, confirmed in writing, the holiday-maker will be entitled to a refund of the rental price net of the following penalties:
• 100% of the rental price if the cancellation is communicated to SICILY DISCOVERY LTD at least 30 days before the start date of the rental;
• 70% of the rental price if the cancellation is communicated to SICILY DISCOVERY LTD within 30 days prior to the start date of the rental.
• 50% of the rental price if the cancellation is communicated to SICILY DISCOVERY LTD in the 7 days prior to the start date.
The renouncing customer may be substituted by another person up to 4 working days before the beginning of the rental, upon written communication to SICILY DISCOVERY LTD
Changes in the period or accommodation are considered cancellations and therefore the relevant penalties will be applied. After 24 hours from the missed arrival and in the absence of communication received to SICILY DISCOVERY LTD the lease will be resolved and SICILY DISCOVERY LTD will return the availability of the accommodation to the owner without any charge against him.
8 Additional services
Although we are happy to assist our customers, when possible, with some additional services available (for a fee), please note that we do so only as an agent and do not enter into the contract between you and them. We can not guarantee that these services will be provided (wait for confirmation) and will not be held responsible if they are not. Your contract will be with the service provider in question, which will be subject to the terms and conditions of the supplier. These services include the provision of rented phones and routers, cooking services, bike rentals or boat and car rentals, excursions etc. If things go wrong, our local agent or representative or homeowner will speak with the provider for try to find a solution
9 Responsibility of SICILY DISCOVERY
If, for reasons beyond their control or due to force majeure, SICILY DISCOVERY LTD could not make available the property booked, a property with similar characteristics will be assigned to the holiday-maker, subject to approval.
In the event that the price of the new property is lower, SICILY DISCOVERY will provide a refund in favor of the customer equal to the difference, while if the price of the new property exceed 10% the amount paid by the customer, this by accepting the proposed property , will be required to pay the difference in the higher price.
In the event that the customer accepts a replacement of property as a result of his claim, it will have nothing else to request and / or claim, either from SICILY DISCOVERY, or from the owner of the structure previously booked and then replaced.
Under no circumstances will SICILY DISCOVERY pay hotel or other bills
In the event that the above is not possible SICILY DISCOVERY LTD will be obliged to cancel the booking and to reimburse the amount paid to the holiday-maker and he will not be entitled to any further compensation.
Sicily Discovery is not responsible if a customer, who has correctly viewed the website, does not find, on arrival, the property of his taste having the company tried to provide with photos, videos, maps and detailed information the best possible description of the structure itself.
Furthermore, no reimbursement will be given to customers who will be removed from the facilities at the request of the owners due to lack of communications regarding surplus persons or the presence of animals (the number of excesses and the presence of animals must always be communicated to SICILY DISCOVERY and this accepted in agreement with the owners) or in the absence of payment of the deposit required upon arrival.
No form of reimbursement will be given to customers who in case of problems or problems leave the property without a prior written notice to SICILY DISCOVERY, or customers who decide to anticipate the departure from the property booked, in the absence of valid reasons or serious inconvenience and without having given in advance explanation and justification written to SICILY DISCOVERY, or that we have not carefully consulted the website and have therefore found situations that do not fit or leave the property without having given way to the representative SICILY DISCOVERY to verify the reason for the complaint.
SICILY DISCOVERY does not recognize as a reasoned cause of complaint atmospheric events, insect bites, lack of electricity, gas or water.
SICILY DISCOVERY declines any responsibility for any inconvenience caused by third parties or for external events not directly attributable to the owner of the structure or its collaborators, such as, for example, atmospheric events, local wildlife, seasonal phenomena, works of use of public roads or renovations of buildings and similar properties near the properties rented with SICILY DISCOVERY.
The owners and Sicily Discovery, disclaim any responsibility for personal items and / or valuables left unattended within the property. SICILY DISCOVERY and the owners are not responsible for any inconvenience or damage caused by third parties or external events not directly attributable to the property and that are not under the direct control of the owner himself.
9 Animals
Inside the cards of each property is indicated if pets are allowed, of which size and customers will be asked to pay a cleaning fee to be paid locally to the owner. At the time of booking, the customer is required to communicate any pets that he will bring with him indicating the number and size. The owner may prohibit entry to the client who will bring an animal in tow without having notified him at the time of booking, or not accepting animals when the number of the same seems excessive for his property.
10 Complaints
Each proposed accommodation has been visited and checked by SICILY DISCOVERY LTD which therefore declines any responsibility for any changes made by the owner without his knowledge. On arrival, the holiday-maker must check the condition of the property, the inventory, the functioning of the appliances and make any complaints within 24 hours.
SICILY DISCOVERY, however, reserves the right to verify on site and during the stay of the vacationers through a representative the reasons for the claim and possible inaccuracies of the owner, both outside and inside the property.
The repair of any faults occurring during the stay are the responsibility of the customers. SICILY DISCOVERY LTD is at your disposal to solve any problems. To make this possible, it is essential that complaints be made promptly. However, for all claims made after the end of the lease the holiday maker will not be entitled to any kind of compensation.
11 BEHAVIORAL RULES
Guests are kindly requested to observe the behavioral rules in force in our country, regarding good education and to bring the utmost respect towards the owner and the structure in which they stay. It is therefore absolutely forbidden to move furniture inside the house, bring furniture and furnishings inside the house and / or make a different use from that to which they are responsible. In the event that a guest does not comply with the rules of good behavior and these are the basis of damage caused to the structure or furnishings contained in it or to supplies outside the home relating to the garden and pool, the owner will have the right, at his unquestionable judgment, to consider terminating the lease contract by means of verbal communication to the guest and in writing, for knowledge to Sicily Discovery, and request immediate removal of the client from the property with the right to resort to the public force.
SICILY DISCOVERY assumes no responsibility in the event of disputes between customer and owner. In case of legal actions the owner will provide the customer with the data of the Competent Court.
12 PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA
Personal data and any other element learned by our Agency during the course of the assignment, will be subject to secrecy and will be treated in compliance with the privacy and rights of the person through the systematic application by us of appropriate protective measures and guarantee prepared for both paper and electronic data processing and measured to the specificity of the data itself (simple personal data or sensitive or judicial data). Pursuant to and for the purposes of Legislative Decree 196/03, the Customer is informed that his personal data will be processed only for the purposes determined by the contractual relationship for these purposes (including accounting and administrative purposes). We also inform you that such data could be used for commercial and promotional activities related to the services provided by our Agency, for this last use a consent to the treatment is required. The lack of consent by the Customer will not allow our Company to use personal data to carry out commercial activities.
13 Place of jurisdiction
For any dispute or controversy only the Malta Judicial Authority is competent