Terms and conditions

We provide three services which we tailor to suit you.

ROOM SERVICE
If you are planning a holiday and require guidance to choose the most suitable accommodation to create your perfect holiday in Sicily.

This service includes:

Initial consultation
A choice of 1 – 3 suggested accommodation
Detailed product specification with costs
Secure booking in one hotel or villa
Pre-departure information
Local assistance

This service is priced at €50

DESIGN SERVICE

This service is where we take a holistic approach to designing your holiday working with partners or source solutions from specialized companies or people.

This service includes:

Survey – Initial consultation.The project may require a conversation by telephone or skype.

Design – Initial layout of one or more itineraries including possible special events, activities or other services such as a chef or yoga teacher.

Specifications – Detailed specifications of proposed itineraries and costs.

Pre-departure information

Local assistance – Local staff on hand to oversee your holiday step-by-step and be available to give assistance when necessary and act as the liaison between the client and possible partners ensuring that the holiday proceeds as planned.

This service is priced at 15% of the total holiday cost.

PRIVATE TOUR ESCORT
If you want to beat the worries of where to go and how to get there, we will provide a local staff to accompany you on your travels. He will be responsible for driving, giving assistance when necessary, liaise with possible partners and ensure that the holiday proceeds as planned.

This service is priced at £150 per day plus expenses for travel, accommodation and meals.

Your contract is with Sicily à la carte Ltd, which is registered in England and Wales under company number 9424291.

All holidays advertised or promoted by Sicily à la carte Ltd are sold subject to the following conditions.

1) MAKE YOUR BOOKING Please complete the booking form and forward it to Sicily à la carte Ltd, together with your non-refundable deposit of 30% of the total holiday cost or £250 per person (whichever is the greater) made payable to Sicily à la carte Limited. On occasion, some tours may require a higher deposit, in which case you will be advised at the time of booking. If you are booking less than 90 days prior to departure, the full cost of the holiday is payable. On receipt of your booking form and deposit we will confirm your booking in writing, then, approximately 100 days before departure, we shall send you further information relevant to your booking, together with a final invoice, which will also show any surcharges due (if applicable). You must pay the invoice within 10 days of the invoice date otherwise we reserve the right to treat the booking as cancelled and apply the cancellation conditions as set out below. Your travel documents will be dispatched about 10/14 days before the departure date.

2) SURCHARGES The price of your travel arrangements may be varied due to changes in transportation costs e.g. fuel and Government action such as increases in VAT or any other Government imposed increases, currency in relation to adverse exchange rate variations. In the case of any small variation, an amount equivalent to 2% of the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes any amendment charges, will be absorbed or retained. For larger variations this 2% will still be absorbed for increases but not retained from refunds. In either case there will be an administration charge of £1.00 per person together with an amount to cover agents’ commission. If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% of the price of your travel arrangements, you may cancel your travel arrangements and receive a full refund of all monies paid, except for any amendment charges. Should you decide to cancel for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so within 14 days from the issue date printed on your final invoice. Whether you cancel or not you will also be entitled, on the terms set out in respect of major changes in the ‘Alterations by Sicily à la carte Limited’ paragraph below, to accept an offer of alternative travel arrangements from us if we are able to do so and. Please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your travel due to contractual and other protection in place.

3) CANCELLATIONS BY YOU
You or any member of your party may cancel your holiday at any time providing that the cancellation is made by the party leader responsible for the booking and is communicated to us in writing. As this incurs administration costs we will retain the deposit and in addition we will apply cancellation charges as shown below:

The periods before departure within which written cancellation is received and the cancellation charges, shown as a percentage of the total holiday price, which will be applied are:
More than 90 days no cancellation charge
More than 60 days 50% of booking total charged
More than 40 days 75% of booking total charged
30 days or less 100% of booking total charged

If you are obliged to cancel, you may, with reasonable notice, transfer your booking to a third party who satisfies the conditions required, but we will retain your deposit to cover the administration cost for the transfer.

4) TOUR & YOGA HOLIDAY CANCELLATIONS The prices of tours are based on a varying minimum number of passengers travelling. If this minimum number is not reached, at least 8 weeks prior to the scheduled departure date we will either, cancel the tour and offer a refund in full, or we may propose a supplementary charge to enable said tour to operate, subject to the passengers’ agreement.

5) ALTERATIONS BY SICILY à LA CARTE We will do our utmost to provide the arrangements that have been confirmed, but we must retain the right to modify or cancel any tour, accommodation or arrangement, if unforeseen circumstances beyond our control or amounting to ‘force majeure’ arise. In such circumstance, we will inform you as soon as possible, and, should the change be such that it alters the nature of the holiday, we shall give you the choice of an alternative or a full refund of all money paid.

6) ALTERATIONS BY YOU We will do our best to make any alterations you may require after confirmation has been issued, subject to availability and to the payment for any increased costs relevant to the change. Any requests for alteration to an itinerary should be made in writing and signed by the party leader of the original booking form. If alterations are made less than 10 weeks prior to departure, an additional £50 per booking charge will be levied together with any communications costs incurred.

7) THE PARTY LEADER The party leader is the person who holds the booking, to whom all correspondence and invoices are addressed and who is responsible for the booking and must be over the age of 18.

8) OUR LIABILITIES We promise to use reasonable skill and care in making your booking and selecting the properties, property owners and any other suppliers we work with.
As Sicily à la carte remains an outsider of the relationship between the client and the villa owner, Sicily à la carte is exempt of any responsibility for any action and/or failure by the villa owner or by a representative chosen by the villa owner that could harm or prejudice to the client.
We have no responsibility for the properties themselves or for any services provided by or on behalf of property owners or other suppliers or for the acts or omissions of any property owner or other supplier or any of their employees, agents, suppliers or subcontractors.
The client expressly exempts the villa owner and Sicily à la carte of every responsibility for direct or indirect damages to persons or things from malicious or negligent actions from anyone.
Neither Sicily à la carte nor the villa owner can be held responsible for any noise or disturbance beyond the villa owner’s control from outside the property. Sicily à la carte will however, do its utmost to foresee any considerable noise outside the villa prior to the client’s arrival, and will endeavour to inform the client as soon as possible.
Sicily à la carte cannot be held responsible for the breakage of any electric device such as heating, air conditioning, boilers, swimming pool filters, nor for any missing public services such as water, gas or electricity nor the breakage of any domestic device. Sicily à la carte can also not be held responsible for not adhering to the terms and conditions of this contract in cases of natural disasters such as explosions, hurricanes, accidents, fires, war or menace of war, civil revolt and for actions, restrictions, laws and any measures on behalf of the state or local authorities, strikes, closures, and any other industrial action or dispute and any adverse weather conditions.
We shall endeavor to afford general assistance to our clients in the event of illness, injury or death during the period of their holiday. We accept responsibility for ensuring that all parts of the booking are supplied as described and that all services shall reach a reasonable standard. These obligations and responsibilities shall be limited to where international conventions in respect of air or sea carriers apply. Naturally we cannot assume responsibility for loss or expense due to war, riots, strikes, terrorist activities or natural disaster.
Additional services provided by local companies or individuals are wholly independent of Sicily à la carte. We act solely as agent for the provider concerned and your contract will be directly with that provider. The provider’s own terms and conditions will apply to your contract. Copies of these are available on request. These terms and conditions may include limitations and exclusions of the provider’s liability.
The provider may cancel or change your additional service at any time at its discretion for many reasons including where it considers that there may be a risk to your comfort, health or safety or for factors outside its control such as weather conditions. Some activities (e.g. helicopter rides, excursions on Mount Etna, boat charter etc. ) may involve an element of risk or require a good level of physical fitness. If you are in any doubt as to what may be involved (including any fitness requirements), you should contact us so we can put you in touch with the provider before deciding to confirm your booking. It is essential you check that your activities and any additional services are covered by your travel insurance. It is your responsibility to ensure this.

9) PRICES
The listed prices are quoted in pounds and we reserve the right to adjust the prices of our listed properties any time.

10) PRICING ERRORS AND CHANGES
Whilst we endeavour to ensure that the most up to date and correct prices are shown on our website and in our brochures, there may on occasion be an incorrect price shown, due to an unfortunate error or pricing change. We will advise you of any pricing change at the time of booking. If we become aware of any error, we will endeavour to notify you at the time of booking (if we are then aware of the mistake) or within 7 days of the time of booking, or as soon as reasonably possible. We must reserve the right to cancel the booking if you do not wish to accept the price which is actually applicable to the holiday in which case, you will be given the choice to amend your booking to an alternative holiday, at the correct price.

11) WEBSITE ACCURACY
Whilst every effort has been applied to ensure that the information given on our website is correct and up-to-date, some information and prices may have changed by the time you come to book your holiday. Regrettably errors do occasionally occur. It is your responsability to ensure that you have carefully read the villa and local area description, and that you have selected the most appropriate villa for your requirements.
Please note, the description photographs on our website are intended to give a general overall impression of the standard of the properties we feature. By the time you make your booking, some features may have changed. For example, some furniture may have changed or been removed by the owner or the layout of gardens may have been changed. We cannot accept any liability if this situation should arise.
Our website is our sole responsibility. Some of the photos on our website and in our brochure show places of local interest and beaches that are near to or accessible from our villas. The latter are subject to significant climatic and natural events, including erosion and storms. Particularly harsh winds and storms can completely wash away the sand from a beach, replacing it with pebbles or rocks or covering it with seaweed. Areas can be deserted during certain months and very busy other months. We cannot therefore guarantee that the beaches represented on our website will be the same as when they were photographed. We will, where possible, inform you of any significant changes but we cannot be held in any way responsible for such phenomena.

12) REDUCED MOBILITY, OTHER DISABILITIES AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS
If you have any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday or any special requirements as a result of any medical condition or disability (including any which affect the booking process), please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the arrangements and/or making the booking. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking and whenever any change in the condition or disability occurs. You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability, which may affect your holiday, develops after your booking has been confirmed.

13) INSURANCE AND HEALTH Before you come on holiday it is imperative that you are covered by adequate travel insurance and provide us with these details in case of emergency. Sicily à la carte is not liable for non compliance with this. You are responsible for obtaining any travel insurance required for the holiday and the activities you choose to do whilst on holiday. You must check with your doctor that you are sufficiently fit and healthy to undertake all physical activities that we have arranged for you.

14) TOUR LEADERS/FITNESS TO TRAVEL Where applicable, a tour leader has the right to disqualify any client at any time during the course of a tour, if considered necessary for the medical well being or safety of the individual, or if, in the tour leader’s opinion, the client’s actions are materially affecting the enjoyment of the tour for the remainder of the group. Any decision with regard to reimbursement for any part of the tour not completed will be decided by the Managing Director of Sicily à la carte Ltd. and the tour leader. While we do not impose any age limitations on joining a tour, participants must be reasonably fit and able to cope with its specific demands, specially where sustained periods of sightseeing and walking are involved. If you are in any doubt, please ask for our advice before booking your place.

15) BEHAVIOUR If you participate in an active holiday, it is necessary that you abide by the authority of the leader who represents the company. If, in the opinion of the leader, your behaviour is causing or is likely to cause danger, distress or annoyance to others, we may choose to terminate your holiday arrangements without any liability on our part.

16) SWIMMING POOL SAFETY
It is your responsability to take great care when using swimming pools.
Naturally, neither Sicily à la carte nor the villa owner can be held responsible for any accident that could occur as a consequence of the presence of the swimming pool or from using the pool.
You should for example make sure you and all members of your party are aware of the depths, including the location of any change of depth prior to use.
You must ensure that no-one dives into the pool at any time or enters it while under the influence of alcohol. Check the pool before use and report any apparent defects.
Normally swimming pools are not used all year round. Swimming pools are usually open from mid May until mid September or beyond, depending upon the weather and is at the owner’s discretion. Request for an extension to the opening times could result in an added cost. We will however endeavour to inform you, should you book a villa with pool during a period that the pool may be closed. Swimming pools are not heated unless specified.

17) COMPLAINTS We will always endeavour to resolve any complaints on the spot. However, if the matter cannot be resolved, you must write to Annamaria Tomba, Director, within 7 days of the end of the trip. We will endeavour to resolve the problem as promptly as possible.

18) FORCE MAJEURE Sicily à la carte can accept no liability whatsoever where the contract is affected by “force majeure”. In the context of these conditions, “force majeure” is any event that we could not, even with due care, foresee or avoid. These events include but are not limited by wars, revolutions, terrorist activities, riots, civil commotion or strike, lockouts, industrial dispute, natural disaster, fire, floods, storms, failure of public utilities, mechanical breakdown, nuclear disaster, adverse weather, government action, acts of Gods, changes imposed by rescheduling or cancellation of ferries, railways, airlines or other events outside our control.

18) OTHER SUPPLIERS’ TERMS & CONDITIONS Should we make any arrangements on your behalf with third parties for services, we will do so on the basis that it is an agent of the contract and any contract is between you and the supplier. As such, we will have no liability to you.

19) HEALTH & SAFETY We operate in accordance with our company Health and Safety Policy which includes villa audits. However, please note, it is the laws and applicable standards of the country in which the property is located which apply to your holiday arrangements and not those of any other country. As a general rule, these laws and standards will not be the same as those of your home country and may sometimes be lower.

20) PASSPORTS, VISAS AND GENERAL TRAVEL INFORMATION All clients are personally responsible for ensuring that they have a valid passport, relevant visa/s and driving license if required.

Your contract is with Sicily à la carte Ltd, which is registered in England and Wales under company number 9424291.

All holidays advertised or promoted by Sicily à la carte Ltd are sold subject to the following conditions.

1) MAKE YOUR BOOKING Please complete the booking form and forward it to Sicily à la carte Ltd, together with your non-refundable deposit of 30% of the total holiday cost made payable to Sicily à la carte Limited. On occasion, some villa owners may require a higher deposit, in which case you will be advised at the time of booking. If you are booking less than 10 weeks prior to departure, the full cost of the holiday is payable. On receipt of your booking form and deposit we will confirm your booking in writing, then, approximately 8 weeks before departure, we shall send you further information relevant to your booking, together with a final invoice, which will also show any surcharges due (if applicable). You must pay the invoice within 10 days of the invoice date otherwise we reserve the right to treat the booking as cancelled and apply the cancellation conditions as set out below. Your travel documents will be dispatched about 10/14 days before your departure date.

2) SURCHARGES The price of your travel arrangements may be varied due to changes in transportation costs e.g. fuel and Government action such as increases in VAT or any other Government imposed increases, currency in relation to adverse exchange rate variations. In the case of any small variation, an amount equivalent to 2% of the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes any amendment charges, will be absorbed or retained. For larger variations this 2% will still be absorbed for increases but not retained from refunds. In either case there will be an administration charge of £1.00 per person together with an amount to cover agents’ commission. If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% of the price of your travel arrangements, you may cancel your travel arrangements and receive a full refund of all monies paid, except for any amendment charges. Should you decide to cancel for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so within 14 days from the issue date printed on your final invoice. Whether you cancel or not you will also be entitled, on the terms set out in respect of major changes in the ‘Alterations by Sicily à la carte Limited’ paragraph below, to accept an offer of alternative travel arrangements from us if we are able to do so. Please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your travel due to contractual and other protection in place.

3) CANCELLATIONS BY YOU
You or any member of your party may cancel your holiday at any time providing that the cancellation is made by the party leader responsible for the booking and is communicated to us in writing. As this incurs administration costs we will retain the deposit and in addition we will apply cancellation charges as shown below:

The periods before departure within which written cancellation is received and the cancellation charges, shown as a percentage of the total holiday price, which will be applied are:
More than 60 days no cancellation charge
More than 50 days 50% of booking total charged
More than 40 days 75% of booking total charged
30 days or less 100% of booking total charged

Please note that some villa owners may have different contractual agreements to the above, in which case we will inform you at the time of booking.

If you are obliged to cancel, you may, with reasonable notice, transfer your booking to a third party who satisfies the conditions required, but we will retain your deposit to cover the administration cost for the transfer.

4) ALTERATIONS BY SICILY à LA CARTE We will do our utmost to provide the arrangements that have been confirmed, but we must retain the right to modify or cancel any tour, accommodation or arrangement, if unforeseen circumstances beyond our control or amounting to ‘force majeure’ arise. In such circumstance, we will inform you as soon as possible, and, should the change be such that it alters the nature of the holiday, we shall give you the choice of an alternative or a full refund of all money paid.

5) ALTERATIONS BY YOU We will do our best to make any alterations you may require after confirmation has been issued, subject to availability and to the payment for any increased costs relevant to the change. Any requests for alteration to an itinerary should be made in writing and signed by the party leader of the original booking form. If alterations are made less than 10 weeks prior to departure, an additional £50 per booking charge will be levied together with any communications costs incurred.

6)THE PARTY LEADER The party leader is the person who holds the booking, to whom all correspondence and invoices are addressed and who is responsible for the booking and must be over the age of 18.

7) OUR LIABILITIES We promise to use reasonable skill and care in making your booking and selecting the properties, property owners and any other suppliers we work with.
As Sicily à la carte remains an outsider of the relationship between the client and the villa owner, Sicily à la carte is exempt of any responsibility for any action and/or failure by the villa owner or by a representative chosen by the villa owner that could harm or prejudice to the client.
We have no responsibility for the properties themselves or for any services provided by or on behalf of property owners or other suppliers or for the acts or omissions of any property owner or other supplier or any of their employees, agents, suppliers or subcontractors.
The client expressly exempts the villa owner and Sicily à la carte of every responsibility for direct or indirect damages to persons or things from malicious or negligent actions from anyone.
Neither Sicily à la carte nor the villa owner can be held responsible for any noise or disturbance beyond the villa owner’s control from outside the property. Sicily à la carte will however, do its utmost to foresee any considerable noise outside the villa prior to the client’s arrival, and will endeavour to inform the client as soon as possible.
Sicily à la carte cannot be held responsible for the breakage of any electric device such as heating, air conditioning, boilers, swimming pool filters, nor for any missing public services such as water, gas or electricity nor the breakage of any domestic device. Sicily à la carte can also not be held responsible for not adhering to the terms and conditions of this contract in cases of natural disasters such as explosions, hurricanes, accidents, fires, war or menace of war, civil revolt and for actions, restrictions, laws and any measures on behalf of the state or local authorities, strikes, closures, and any other industrial action or dispute and any adverse weather conditions.
We shall endeavor to afford general assistance to our clients in the event of illness, injury or death during the period of their holiday. We accept responsibility for ensuring that all parts of the booking are supplied as described and that all services shall reach a reasonable standard. These obligations and responsibilities shall be limited to where international conventions in respect of air or sea carriers apply. Naturally we cannot assume responsibility for loss or expense due to war, riots, strikes, terrorist activities or natural disaster.
Additional services provided by local companies or individuals are wholly independent of Sicily à la carte. We act solely as agent for the provider concerned and your contract will be directly with that provider. The provider’s own terms and conditions will apply to your contract. Copies of these are available on request. These terms and conditions may include limitations and exclusions of the provider’s liability.
The provider may cancel or change your additional service at any time at its discretion for many reasons including where it considers that there may be a risk to your comfort, health or safety or for factors outside its control such as weather conditions. Some activities (e.g. helicopter rides, excursions on Mount Etna, boat charter etc. ) may involve an element of risk or require a good level of physical fitness. If you are in any doubt as to what may be involved (including any fitness requirements), you should contact us so we can put you in touch with the provider before deciding to confirm your booking. It is essential you check that your activities and any additional services are covered by your travel insurance. It is your responsibility to ensure this.

8) NUMBER OF PERSONS AND MINIMUM PERIOD OF RENTAL If the number of persons (adults and children) staying at the property exceeds the number stated on your confirmation invoice and you have not obtained prior writtten permission for this, we and the property owner reserve the right to terminate your stay with no further responsibility to you.

9) PRICES
The listed prices are quoted in euros and we reserve the right to adjust the prices of our listed properties any time.

10) PRICING ERRORS AND CHANGES
Whilst we endeavour to ensure that the most up to date and correct prices are shown on our website, there may on occasion be an incorrect price shown, due to an unfortunate error or pricing change. We will advise you of any pricing change at the time of booking. If we become aware of any error, we will endeavour to notify you at the time of booking (if we are then aware of the mistake) or within 7 days of the time of booking, or as soon as reasonably possible. We must reserve the right to cancel the booking if you do not wish to accept the price which is actually applicable to the holiday in which case, you will be given the choice to amend your booking to an alternative holiday, at the correct price.

11) WEBSITE ACCURACY
Whilst every effort has been applied to ensure that the information given on our website is correct and up-to-date, some information and prices may have changed by the time you come to book your holiday. Regrettably errors do occasionally occur. It is your responsability to ensure that you have carefully read the villa and local area description, and that you have selected the most appropriate villa for your requirements.
Please note, the description photographs on our website are intended to give a general overall impression of the standard of the properties we feature. By the time you make your booking, some features may have changed. For example, some furniture may have changed or been removed by the owner or the layout of gardens may have been changed. We cannot accept any liability if this situation should arise.
Our website is our sole responsibility. Some of the photos on our website and in our brochure show places of local interest and beaches that are near to or accessible from our villas. The latter are subject to significant climatic and natural events, including erosion and storms. Particularly harsh winds and storms can completely wash away the sand from a beach, replacing it with pebbles or rocks or covering it with seaweed. Areas can be deserted during certain months and very busy other months. We cannot therefore guarantee that the beaches represented on our website will be the same as when they were photographed. We will, where possible, inform you of any significant changes but we cannot be held in any way responsible for such phenomena.

12) REDUCED MOBILITY, OTHER DISABILITIES AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS
If you have any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday or any special requirements as a result of any medical condition or disability (including any which affect the booking process), please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the arrangements and/or making the booking. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking and whenever any change in the condition or disability occurs. You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability, which may affect your holiday, develops after your booking has been confirmed.

13) INSURANCE AND HEALTH Before you come on holiday it is imperative that you are covered by adequate travel insurance and provide us with these details in case of emergency. Sicily à la carte is not liable for non compliance with this. You are responsible for obtaining any travel insurance required for the holiday and the activities you choose to do whilst on holiday.

14) DAMAGE
When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you. Full payment for any such damage or loss (reasonably estimated if not precisely known) must be paid direct at the time to the property owner or manager or other supplier. If the actual cost of the loss or damage exceeds the amount paid where estimated, you must pay the difference once known. If the actual cost is less than the amount paid, the difference will be refunded. Where damage is not identified until after your departure, we reserve the right to subsequently request full payment for this. If you fail to make payment when required, you will be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us (together with our own and the other party’s full legal costs). Please note that administration charges may apply.

15) CAUTIONARY DEPOSIT A returnable deposit paid by credit/debit card or as bank transfer is required as security for the rental and related charges. The card details will be held and debits will only be applied following any damage made to the villa or to settle an outstanding balance or final bill if payment cannot be made in local currency. Please note that administration charges may apply.

16) BEHAVIOUR If, in the opinion of Sicily à la carte or of any other person in authority (for example a property owner or manager), your behaviour is likely to cause danger, distress or annoyance to others or damage the property, we are entitled to terminate your holiday arrangements without prior notice and without any liability on our part.

17) SWIMMING POOL SAFETY
It is your responsability to take great care when using swimming pools and children must be supervised at all times.
Naturally, neither Sicily à la carte nor the villa owner can be held responsible for any accident that could occur as a consequence of the presence of the swimming pool or from using the pool.
You should for example make sure you and all members of your party are aware of the depths, including the location of any change of depth prior to use.
You must ensure that no-one dives into the pool at any time or enters it while under the influence of alcohol. Check the pool before use and report any apparent defects.
Normally swimming pools are not used all year round. Swimming pools are usually open from mid May until mid September or beyond, depending upon the weather and is at the owner’s discretion. Request for an extension to the opening times could result in an added cost. We will however endeavour to inform you, should you book a villa with pool during a period that the pool may be closed. Swimming pools are not heated unless specified.

18) ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE Check in is normally available between 02:00 p.m. – 07:00 p.m. on the first day of rental and check out is at 10:00 a.m. on the last day of the holiday. In case of an unavoidable delay on the day of arrival, you must inform us or the contact that you have been given by us as key holder immediately. We will do our utmost to accommodate you but you may be responsible for an additional cost. The property must be vacated by 10:00 am in order to allow the property to be prepared for the next guests. Please also note that an early departure should be notified to the owner so as to arrange an alternative time for the property inspection. Should you not be present at the inspection we reserve the right to hold your security deposit accountable for the Final Bill or for any outstanding amount due to the property owner plus £30.00 administration fee. On arrival you must present your accommodation voucher as well as Passport or ID to enable registration in accordance with legal local requirements.The names and number of guests are stated on your voucher. We must be informed of any changes to the guests’ names and numbers at least 48 hours before arrival.

19) ACCOMMODATION Properties are rented fully furnished and equipped, including crockery, cutlery, bed and bath linens. Fresh linen and towels are provided at least weekly. Please note, that beach towels are not always provided. Gas and electricity are usually included in the rental price, except in some houses where fuel for air conditioning, heating or Jacuzzis is charged extra and paid directly to the owner or care taker during your holiday in which case we will inform you at the time of booking. During the time of rental you are responsable for all keys pertaining to the villa you have rented and may be charged in case of loss or damage to keys. No pets are allowed unless by special arrangement.

20) CLEANING The property will be handed over to you clean, tidy and in good order and should be left upon departure in the same condition. Extra cleaning can be arranged in all villas on request at an extra cost. While guests are not expected to scrub floors, a general sweep and tidiness is expected. Cleaning of the cooking facilities, crockery, cutlery, kitchen and the removal of rubbish is your responsibility and is not included in the final cleaning. If you neglect the cleaning we are obliged to charge you an additional amount.

21) WILDLIFE AND THE SURROUNDING AREA
The majority of our villas are located in rural areas where animals and insects are naturally part of the landscape. Insects, rodents and animals can be attracted by water, food and light. We therefore suggest to clear away food and crumbs, to keep windows and doors closed, especially, in the evenings when the lights are on inside as this will attract mosquitoes. Neither we nor the property owner can be held responsible for the presence of any animals or insects at the villa you choose.
Please do not feed any local animals – it will encourage them to return and they may not be so welcome to the next guests.
Neither we nor the property owner can be held responsible for noise or disturbance which comes from beyond the boundaries of the property or which is beyond the owner’s control.
We ask that you are respectful of the local situation including any neighbours and do not make undue noise or cause disruptions which might disturb other people or wildlife during your stay.

We at Sicily à la carte are respectful of the environment and hope you are too. Sicily suffers from serious drought and we therefore ask you to be sensible with the usage of water which can be scarce at times. We also like to think that our guests limit the use of detergents in order to protect nature and that you will respect the regulations on garbage collection when you come on holiday. Electricity and gas are far more expensive here than in most countries and as most our properties include such extras we wish to draw your attention to limit its use where possible.

22) COMPLAINTS We will always endeavour to resolve any complaints on the spot. However, if the matter cannot be resolved, you must write to Annamaria Tomba, Director, within 7 days of the end of the trip. We will endeavour to resolve the problem as promptly as possible.
Vacating the property without speaking directly to the property owner or a Sicily à la carte staff member will void the clients’ right to claim compensation or refund for costs of rental charges. We will not be held liable for any issue, problem or complaint raised after the rental period.

23) FORCE MAJEURE The property owner can accept no liability whatsoever where the contract is affected by “force majeure”. In the context of these conditions, “force majeure” is any event that we could not, even with due care, foresee or avoid. These events include but are not limited by wars, revolutions, terrorist activities, riots, civil commotion or strike, lockouts, industrial dispute, natural disaster, fire, floods, storms, failure of public utilities, mechanical breakdown, nuclear disaster, adverse weather, government action, acts of Gods, changes imposed by rescheduling or cancellation of ferries, railways, airlines or other events outside our control.

24) OTHER SUPPLIERS’ TERMS & CONDITIONS Should we make any arrangements on your behalf with third parties for services, we will do so on the basis that it is an agent of the contract and any contract is between you and the supplier. As such, we will have no liability to you.

25) HEALTH & SAFETY We operate in accordance with our company Health and Safety Policy which includes villa audits. However, please note, it is the laws and applicable standards of the country in which the property is located which apply to your holiday arrangements and not those of any other country. As a general rule, these laws and standards will not be the same as those of your home country and may sometimes be lower.

26) PASSPORTS, VISAS AND GENERAL TRAVEL INFORMATION All clients are personally responsible for ensuring that they have a valid passport, relevant visa/s and driving license if required.

HOTELS

Your contract is with Sicily à la carte Ltd, which is registered in England and Wales under company number 9424291.

All holidays advertised or promoted by Sicily à la carte Ltd are sold subject to the following conditions.

Sicily à la carte Ltd acts as a booking agent for the hotels it books. When you make a booking, you are entering into a contract with the hotel via Sicily à la carte ltd, not with Sicily à la carte ltd itself.

1) MAKE YOUR BOOKING Where an offer of availability is made, the rooms are held until the date specified by us in our correspondance with you. Please complete the booking form and forward it to Sicily à la carte Ltd, together with your non-refundable deposit of 30% of the total holiday cost or £250 per person (whichever is the greater) made payable to Sicily à la carte Limited. On occasion, some hotels may require a higher deposit, in which case you will be advised at the time of booking. If you are booking less than 10 weeks prior to departure, the full cost of the holiday is payable. On receipt of your booking form and deposit we will confirm your booking in writing, then, approximately 8 weeks before departure, we shall send you further information relevant to your booking, together with a final invoice, which will also show any surcharges due (if applicable). You must pay the invoice within 10 days of the invoice date otherwise we reserve the right to treat the booking as cancelled and apply the cancellation conditions as set out below. Your travel documents will be dispatched about 10/14 days before your arrival.

Sicily à la carte cannot be held liable for errors or omissions in bookings or pricing, either made by the hotel, or as a result of system failure of any kind.
We do our utmost to ensure all Sicily à la carte hotel information is accurate, however hotel facilities may change at any time and any opinions expressed are subjective.
Any advance deposits, additional fees or charges will always be clearly marked before you confirm your booking. Once paid, these additional charges are non-refundable.
Refunds will be made by the same method used to pay for the booking. Any payment made by credit card will be returned to that card and any payment made by bank draft will be refunded as a bank draft.

Any changes to a booking that involve the addition of sequential nights to a stay will be considered an amendment to the original booking, regardless of whether the extra nights are booked by the person who made the original booking, or by another guest with whom they are staying.

Please note: any applicable VAT/taxes may be subject to change at any time.

Some destinations in Sicily are subject to a tourism tax charged by the hotels locally and is often requested in cash. The charge varies depending on the resort and is a minimum of approxomately €0.50 to €3.00 per person per night. We will endeavour to inform you at the time of booking of any such charges when applicable. These do however fluctuate and depend on regional and comunal legislations that may change without any forwarning.

2) SURCHARGES The price of your travel arrangements may be varied due to changes in transportation costs e.g. fuel and Government action such as increases in VAT or any other Government imposed increases, currency in relation to adverse exchange rate variations. In the case of any small variation, an amount equivalent to 2% of the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes any amendment charges, will be absorbed or retained. For larger variations this 2% will still be absorbed for increases but not retained from refunds. In either case there will be an administration charge of £1.00 per person together with an amount to cover agents’ commission. If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% of the price of your travel arrangements, you may cancel your travel arrangements and receive a full refund of all monies paid, except for any amendment charges. Should you decide to cancel for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so within 14 days from the issue date printed on your final invoice. Whether you cancel or not you will also be entitled, on the terms set out in respect of major changes in the ‘Alterations by Sicily à la carte Limited’ paragraph below, to accept an offer of alternative travel arrangements from us if we are able to do so. Please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your travel due to contractual and other protection in place.

3) CANCELLATIONS BY YOU
You or any member of your party may cancel your holiday at any time providing that the cancellation is made by the party leader responsible for the booking and is communicated to us in writing. As this incurs administration costs we will retain the deposit and in addition we will apply cancellation charges as shown below:

The periods before departure within which written cancellation is received and the cancellation charges, shown as a percentage of the total holiday price, which will be applied are:
More than 60 days no cancellation charge
More than 50 days 50% of booking total charged
More than 40 days 75% of booking total charged
30 days or less 100% of booking total charged

If you are obliged to cancel, you may, with reasonable notice, transfer your booking to a third party who satisfies the conditions required, but we will retain your deposit to cover the administration cost for the transfer.

4) ALTERATIONS BY SICILY à LA CARTE We will do our utmost to provide the arrangements that have been confirmed, but we must retain the right to modify or cancel any tour, accommodation or arrangement, if unforeseen circumstances beyond our control or amounting to ‘force majeure’ arise. In such circumstance, we will inform you as soon as possible, and, should the change be such that it alters the nature of the holiday, we shall give you the choice of an alternative or a full refund of all money paid.

5) ALTERATIONS BY YOU We will do our best to make any alterations you may require after confirmation has been issued, subject to availability and to the payment for any increased costs relevant to the change. Any requests for alteration to an itinerary should be made in writing and signed by the party leader of the original booking form. If alterations are made less than 10 weeks prior to departure, an additional £50 per booking charge will be levied together with any communications costs incurred.

6) THE PARTY LEADER The party leader is the person who holds the booking, to whom all correspondence and invoices are addressed and who is responsible for the booking and must be over the age of 18.

7) OUR LIABILITIES We promise to use reasonable skill and care in making your booking and selecting the properties, property owners and any other suppliers we work with.
As Sicily à la carte remains an outsider of the relationship between the client and the villa owner, Sicily à la carte is exempt of any responsibility for any action and/or failure by the villa owner or by a representative chosen by the villa owner that could harm or prejudice to the client.
We have no responsibility for the properties themselves or for any services provided by or on behalf of property owners or other suppliers or for the acts or omissions of any property owner or other supplier or any of their employees, agents, suppliers or subcontractors.
The client expressly exempts the villa owner and Sicily à la carte of every responsibility for direct or indirect damages to persons or things from malicious or negligent actions from anyone.
Neither Sicily à la carte nor the villa owner can be held responsible for any noise or disturbance beyond the villa owner’s control from outside the property. Sicily à la carte will however, do its utmost to foresee any considerable noise outside the villa prior to the client’s arrival, and will endeavour to inform the client as soon as possible.
Sicily à la carte cannot be held responsible for the breakage of any electric device such as heating, air conditioning, boilers, swimming pool filters, nor for any missing public services such as water, gas or electricity nor the breakage of any domestic device. Sicily à la carte can also not be held responsible for not adhering to the terms and conditions of this contract in cases of natural disasters such as explosions, hurricanes, accidents, fires, war or menace of war, civil revolt and for actions, restrictions, laws and any measures on behalf of the state or local authorities, strikes, closures, and any other industrial action or dispute and any adverse weather conditions.
We shall endeavor to afford general assistance to our clients in the event of illness, injury or death during the period of their holiday. We accept responsibility for ensuring that all parts of the booking are supplied as described and that all services shall reach a reasonable standard. These obligations and responsibilities shall be limited to where international conventions in respect of air or sea carriers apply. Naturally we cannot assume responsibility for loss or expense due to war, riots, strikes, terrorist activities or natural disaster.
Additional services provided by local companies or individuals are wholly independent of Sicily à la carte. We act solely as agent for the provider concerned and your contract will be directly with that provider. The provider’s own terms and conditions will apply to your contract. Copies of these are available on request. These terms and conditions may include limitations and exclusions of the provider’s liability.
The provider may cancel or change your additional service at any time at its discretion for many reasons including where it considers that there may be a risk to your comfort, health or safety or for factors outside its control such as weather conditions. Some activities (e.g. helicopter rides, excursions on Mount Etna, boat charter etc. ) may involve an element of risk or require a good level of physical fitness. If you are in any doubt as to what may be involved (including any fitness requirements), you should contact us so we can put you in touch with the provider before deciding to confirm your booking. It is essential you check that your activities and any additional services are covered by your travel insurance. It is your responsibility to ensure this.

8) NUMBER OF PERSONS AND MINIMUM PERIOD OF RENTAL If the number of persons (adults and children) staying at the property exceeds the number stated on your confirmation invoice and you have not obtained prior writtten permission for this, we and the property owner reserve the right to terminate your stay with no further responsibility to you.

9) PRICES
The listed prices are quoted in pounds and we reserve the right to adjust the prices of our listed properties any time.

10) PRICING ERRORS AND CHANGES
Whilst we endeavour to ensure that the most up to date and correct prices are shown on our website, there may on occasion be an incorrect price shown, due to an unfortunate error or pricing change. We will advise you of any pricing change at the time of booking. If we become aware of any error, we will endeavour to notify you at the time of booking (if we are then aware of the mistake) or within 7 days of the time of booking, or as soon as reasonably possible. We must reserve the right to cancel the booking if you do not wish to accept the price which is actually applicable to the holiday in which case, you will be given the choice to amend your booking to an alternative holiday, at the correct price.

11) WEBSITE ACCURACY
Whilst every effort has been applied to ensure that the information given on our website is correct and up-to-date, some information and prices may have changed by the time you come to book your holiday. Regrettably errors do occasionally occur. It is your responsability to ensure that you have carefully read the hotel and local area description, and that you have selected the most appropriate hotel for your requirements.
Please note, the description photographs on our website are intended to give a general overall impression of the standard of the properties we feature. By the time you make your booking, some features may have changed. For example, it may be busier or quieter than in the images, some furniture may have changed or been removed by the owner or the layout of gardens may have been changed. We cannot accept any liability if this situation should arise.
Our website is our sole responsibility. Some of the photos on our website and in our brochure show places of local interest and beaches that are near to or accessible from our featured hotels. The latter are subject to significant climatic and natural events, including erosion and storms. Particularly harsh winds and storms can completely wash away the sand from a beach, replacing it with pebbles or rocks or covering it with seaweed. Areas can be deserted during certain months and very busy other months. We cannot therefore guarantee that the beaches represented on our website will be the same as when they were photographed. We will, where possible, inform you of any significant changes but we cannot be held in any way responsible for such phenomena.

12) REDUCED MOBILITY, OTHER DISABILITIES AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS
If you have any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday or any special requirements as a result of any medical condition or disability (including any which affect the booking process), please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the arrangements and/or making the booking. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking and whenever any change in the condition or disability occurs. You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability, which may affect your holiday, develops after your booking has been confirmed.

13) INSURANCE AND HEALTH Before you come on holiday it is imperative that you are covered by adequate travel insurance and provide us with these details in case of emergency. Sicily à la carte is not liable for non compliance with this. You are responsible for obtaining any travel insurance required for the holiday and the activities you choose to do whilst on holiday.

14) DAMAGE
When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you. Full payment for any such damage or loss (reasonably estimated if not precisely known) must be paid direct at the time to the hotel manager or staff or other supplier. If the actual cost of the loss or damage exceeds the amount paid where estimated, you must pay the difference once known. If the actual cost is less than the amount paid, the difference will be refunded. Where damage is not identified until after your departure, we reserve the right to subsequently request full payment for this. If you fail to make payment when required, you will be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us (together with our own and the other party’s full legal costs). Please note that administration charges may apply.

15) BEHAVIOUR If, in the opinion of Sicily à la carte or of any other person in authority (for example a hotel manager or staff), your behaviour is likely to cause danger, distress or annoyance to others or damage the property, we are entitled to terminate your holiday arrangements without prior notice and without any liability on our part.

16) SWIMMING POOL SAFETY
It is your responsability to take great care when using swimming pools and children must be supervised at all times.
Naturally, neither Sicily à la carte nor the hotel can be held responsible for any accident that could occur as a consequence of the presence of the swimming pool or from using the pool.
You should for example make sure you and all members of your party are aware of the depths, including the location of any change of depth prior to use.
You must ensure that no-one dives into the pool at any time or enters it while under the influence of alcohol. Check the pool opening times and don’t hesitate to ask Reception for information.
Normally swimming pools are not used all year round. Swimming pools are usually open from mid May until mid September or beyond, depending upon the weather and is at the hotel management’s discretion. Request for an extension to the opening times could result in an added cost. We will however endeavour to inform you, should you book a hotel with pool during a period that the pool may be closed. Swimming pools are not heated unless specified.

17) ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE Check in is normally available from 12 o’clock and check out is at 10:00 a.m. On arrival you must present your accommodation voucher as well as Passport or ID to enable registration in accordance with legal local requirements. The names and number of guests are stated on your voucher.

18) COMPLAINTS We will always endeavour to resolve any complaints on the spot. However, if the matter cannot be resolved, you must write to Annamaria Tomba, Director, within 7 days of the end of your holiday. We will endeavour to resolve the problem as promptly as possible.
Vacating the property without speaking directly to the hotel or a Sicily à la carte staff member will void the clients’ right to claim compensation or refund for costs of rental charges. We will not be held liable for any issue, problem or complaint raised after your departure.

19) FORCE MAJEURE The property owner can accept no liability whatsoever where the contract is affected by “force majeure”. In the context of these conditions, “force majeure” is any event that we could not, even with due care, foresee or avoid. These events include but are not limited by wars, revolutions, terrorist activities, riots, civil commotion or strike, lockouts, industrial dispute, natural disaster, fire, floods, storms, failure of public utilities, mechanical breakdown, nuclear disaster, adverse weather, government action, acts of Gods, changes imposed by rescheduling or cancellation of ferries, railways, airlines or other events outside our control.

20) OTHER SUPPLIERS’ TERMS & CONDITIONS Should we make any arrangements on your behalf with third parties for services, we will do so on the basis that it is an agent of the contract and any contract is between you and the supplier. As such, we will have no liability to you.

21)HEALTH & SAFETY We operate in accordance with our company Health and Safety Policy which includes hotel audits. However, please note, it is the laws and applicable standards of the country in which the property is located which apply to your holiday arrangements and not those of any other country. As a general rule, these laws and standards will not be the same as those of your home country and may sometimes be lower.

22) PASSPORTS, VISAS AND GENERAL TRAVEL INFORMATION All clients are personally responsible for ensuring that they have a valid passport, relevant visa/s and driving license if required.

ACTIVITIES & SERVICES The activities and services described on our site are provided by independent local companies. Sicily à la carte Ltd act as an agent and as such we are not responsible for them. Any activities and/or excursions that you undertake on your Sicily à la carte Ltd holiday, that are not run by Sicily à la carte Ltd but through a local company offering diving, climbing, hiking, skiing, kayaking, bike tours, walking etc. are of the responsibility of the participant and the company involved and not Sicily à la carte Ltd. Customers must adhere to the involved company terms and conditions and Sicily à la carte Ltd is not liable for anything on the part of these companies. Please also check that you are covered for the activities in question by your travel policy. Should we make any arrangements on your behalf with third parties for services or activities, we will do so on the basis that it is an agent of the contract and any contract is between you and the supplier. As such, we will not liability to you.