BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS

MERIBEL SKI CHALETS LTD

1. Definitions  

In these Terms, the following definitions apply: “Confirmation Letter” means the letter from us confirming your booking and sent by post, email or other electronic means; “Contract” means the contract for the provision of the Services; “you” or “your” means the person named as the lead name on the Confirmation Letter; “we” or “us” or “our” means Meribel Ski Chalets Ltd; “Services” means the provision of fully catered self-catered chalet accommodation to include such additional extras as specified in the Confirmation Letter; “these Terms” means the terms and conditions as set out in this document.

2. Formation of the Contract

1. These Terms and the Confirmation Letter form the basis of the Contract between you and us. Any changes or alterations to these Terms must be agreed in writing between you and us.

2. Quotations given over the telephone are always subject to written confirmation. Quotations given in Euros will be based on the pounds sterling list price and converted at a live exchange rate.

3. A non-refundable deposit of 20% of the total cost of the booking (or the equivalent sum in Euros as calculated above) will secure your reservation.

4. Once we are in receipt of cleared funds, the booking will be confirmed by our Confirmation Letter. Please let us know immediately if any of the details contained in the Confirmation Letter are incorrect. The Contract is not made until we are in receipt of cleared funds.

5. By making a payment to us, you and all members of your party are deemed to have accepted the Booking Terms and Conditions Meribel Ski Chalets Ltd.

6. The contract will name the lead person making the booking.

7. A contract cannot be made for young persons unless one member of the party is at least eighteen years of age and is the lead name on the booking.

3. Payment

1. The total cost of the booking will be specified at the time of booking, and receipt of payment contained in the Confirmation Letter.

2. Whilst we would not anticipate any pricing errors at the time of booking or in the Confirmation Letter, in the event of an obviously incorrect price we reserve the right not to be bound by this and will issue a revised holiday price and request payment of the correct amount.

3. Full payment is due no later than 8 weeks prior to your departure date to Meribel. If you book less than 8 weeks before your departure date then the total cost of the booking will be due at the time of booking.

4. We accept payment in pounds sterling or Euros and payment can be made by credit or debit card, by bank transfer to our specified bank account, or by cheque made payable to Meribel Ski Chalets Ltd (for sterling cheques) and Meribel Ski Chalets (for euro cheques).

5. You are responsible for the total cost of the booking and for any cancellation charges but for your convenience we can accept different payments from individuals within your group.

6. If full payment is not received within 5 working days following one reminder phone call or email to you, we shall have the right to terminate the Contract. You will lose your reservation and you will forfeit your deposit paid.

4. Cancellation

1. If you choose to cancel your booking, you must notify us immediately by email or letter. Upon receipt of cancellation, the following charges will apply:

No. of weeks before departure date:
Charge as % of total booking cost

More than 8 weeks:
20% Deposit paid

4 weeks or more but less than 8 weeks:
50%

2 weeks or more but less than 4 weeks:
80%

Less than 2 weeks:
100%

Please also see Clause 4.6 and please note that depending on the circumstances of your cancellation, you may be able to claim under your travel insurance policy.

2. In the very unlikely event that we have to cancel your booking due to matters within our control, you will be offered a full refund of any monies already paid or suitable alternative week(s) chalet accommodation. This however will be the full extent of our liability to you in such circumstances.

3. Should you decide to curtail your stay with us, due to injury, or any other reason, we will not refund any part of your stay.  You may however, be able to claim under your insurance policy, and we will endeavour to provide any appropriate documentation that you require from us for this purpose.

4. We cannot be held responsible for weather, or for forecasts, or for snow conditions.  Should skiing not be possible at certain times of the season due to snow conditions we will not be liable, and no refunds, in part or full will be offered, although please see Clause 4.6.

5. We have no control over resort facilities such as ski lifts and/or ski areas, swimming pools, saunas, ice rinks, bus services, après ski activities etc and we will not be liable if some or all of these are closed due to maintenance/refurbishment, adverse weather conditions, lack of tourists, health pandemics or otherwise. We cannot accept any responsibility should such facilities be withdrawn, curtailed or moved at any time, and no refunds, in part or full will be offered, although please see Clause 4.6

6. PANDEMIC CLAUSE.  Due to the current Covid 19 pandemic, we have adapted and amended our pandemic clause to cover most possible scenarios.  We would advise that you have robust travel insurance in place as we cannot offer refunds except in the circumstances detailed below.  Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any concerns about booking with us at this time.

In the event of a local or global pandemic prohibiting your travel, or causing the ski lifts of Meribel to close, you will be entitled to a full or partial refund in the following circumstances:

a.If travel restrictions out of your home country or region or into France 4.2.1  prevent you from travelling to Meribel, you will be paid a refund as follows:

1. If 3 or more members of your party can’t travel, a full refund will be given.

2. If 1 or 2 members of your party can’t travel, a per-head refund to those who can’t travel. This is calculated as follows:  Total price paid for the chalet divided by normal capacity of the chalet. 

3. Clause 4.6.a.1&2 only apply to bookings of one week or shorter. Proof will be needed for guests unable to travel.

b. Full refund if all ski lifts within the Meribel Valley remain closed on the start date of your booking and you choose not to travel to Meribel. Only applies to bookings of one week or shorter.

c. Partial refund on a pro-rata basis if travel restrictions out of your home country or home region or into France cause you to arrive in Meribel late or leave Meribel early.

d. Partial refund on a pro-rata basis if the authorities ask visitors to leave Meribel due to a pandemic, and as a result reduce the length of your stay with us.

e. In all circumstances, the decision to operate chalets for guest use will be taken by the management of Meribel Ski Chalets Ltd based on current advice and regulations of the local and national authorities.  Should you make the decision to not travel to Meribel, or to return home early and any of the above restrictions are not in place, this will be at your cost, and you may not be entitled to a refund.

Clause 4.6 only applies to a pandemic closure of the ski resort, and not closure due to poor snow conditions or other reason (see Clause 4.4).

5. Accuracy of Information

1. To the best of our knowledge the information contained on our website and in our marketing materials is correct at the time of publication. However, we reserve the right to make changes after publication and cannot be liable for inaccuracies. We will however endeavour to inform you of any material changes at the time you book. Pictures shown on the website and in marketing materials are intended to give an indication only of the general appearance and standard of the accommodation and resort.

2. Where accommodation is described as offering ‘ski-in/ski-out’ this is subject to individual skiers’ ability and snow conditions in resort. Where distance is quoted in time taken to walk, timings will vary according to footwear, age, personal fitness and surface conditions.

3. Verbal descriptions, assurances and agreements can seldom be confirmed or amicably clarified in subsequent disputes and for this reason we do not accept liability for them. If you wish to include such items within the Contract you should request them in writing and acceptance will be established only on dispatch of written confirmation by us, separate and additional to the Confirmation Letter.

6. Special Requests

1. Please specify any special requests you or your party may have (such as particular dietary requirements if appropriate or special facilities needed) or any other requirements you consider important, at the time of booking.

2. We will try and meet any special requests but cannot guarantee to do so. Special requests do not form part of the Contract and we will have no liability if they are not met.

7. Additional Extras

1. We can organise and book on your behalf additional extras such as minibus transfers, ski passes and ski hire. The cost of these extras will be clearly identified as an additional cost on the Confirmation Letter. It is possible for extras to be added to your booking afterwards however, no guarantee can be made as to availability.

2. Please note that we do not provide any of these extras ourselves personally unless otherwise specified on the Confirmation Letter, and booking arrangements are made by us acting as your agent and not principal. We have taken reasonable steps to ensure that the suppliers used are of an acceptable standard however cannot accept any liability for any act or default or omission on the part of any supplier.

8. Damage and Behaviour

1. We reserve the right to recover the cost (or estimated cost if an actual cost is not yet known) of any loss, damage or breakage of anything belonging to or contained within the chalet caused by you or a member of your party either before you depart from the chalet, or retrospectively. In order to indemnify ourselves against unwanted or unneeded charges from the chalet owner, we will automatically charge this amount to your payment card, with no obligation to notify you prior to this happening.

2. We also reserve the right to terminate the Contract without compensation or further obligation, if it is deemed by us that you or a member of your party’s behaviour is unsociable, abusive or in any other way unacceptable to ourselves, our staff or any other guest.

3. No pets are allowed.

4. Smoking is only permitted on chalet balconies.

5. We also reserve the right to withdraw the complimentary wine in catered chalets at any point of your stay, if our staff or chalet are subjected to unnecessary rude, drunken or abusive behaviour* (applicable to winter catered clients only).

6. You will obey the rules of the land, and we reserve the right to terminate your stay with us should you not do so.

9. Insurance

1. We strongly recommend that all members of your party take out appropriate holiday insurance.

10. Liability

1. We shall have no liability to you for any loss, damage, costs, expenses or other claims for compensation arising from any information or instructions supplied by you which is or are incomplete, incorrect or inaccurate.

2. We shall not be liable to you for any unforeseeable loss or damages arising from the provision (or non-provision) of the Services, if the delay or failure was due to an act of God, war, terrorism, power failure or any other cause beyond our reasonable control.

3. We cannot accept responsibility for any delays you incur whilst travelling to Meribel. The accommodation booked will be held for you between the dates specified on the Confirmation Letter.

4. All personal belongings belonging to you and your party and any ski equipment hired, are your sole responsibility. We will accept no liability for any loss or damage to such items.

5. For the purposes of all of clause 10, “We” includes our employees, sub-contractors, licensors, and suppliers, who shall therefore have benefit of the limits and exclusions of liability set out in the Clause in the terms of Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

6. Nothing in these Terms affects any liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or for fraudulent misrepresentation, or your statutory rights as a consumer.

11. Complaints Procedure

1. Should you have any reason to complain about our performance, or the services we are offering, in the first instant please talk to the on-site management, and we will endeavour to resolve the issue quickly.

2. If a problem still persists, please write or email us, at the time, and no later than 10 days after the end of your stay with us, giving full details of your complaint. We will reply within 14 days of receipt of your letter.

3. If we cannot resolve a dispute reasonably, you can call upon a scheme administered by the United Kingdom’s Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (www.ciarb.org).

12. Data Protection 

1. We will only use personal information provided by you for the purpose of   providing the Services, or for informing you of the availability of similar services, unless you agree otherwise.

13. General

1. Nothing in this Contract gives any right to any third party to enforce any provision under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 or otherwise.

2. These Terms will be subject to English law and the English courts will have exclusive jurisdiction in respect of any dispute arising from the Contract.

End.