1. Terms & Conditions of Booking (and Cancellation) :
1.1 Some Things to Consider Before Making a Direct Booking :
Clients should have Comprehensive Travel Insurance (including Covid cover) in place from the date the Booking is made and not just for the dates of their holiday. Cover should extend to everyone in the Group.
All travel and travel-related documentation must be in date at the time of and for the duration of travel for all the countries they’re visiting.
Clients should visit www.quatsaisons.com to assess the suitability of the Property/ies for everyone included in the Booking.
Direct Bookings are made using Freetobook, which is accessed from www.quatsaisons.com. The Booking should be made by the Group member nominated to manage the Booking Process.
Clients may wish to discuss their proposed holiday with the Owners prior to making a Booking and are welcome to do so.
Regrettably, it is not possible to hold provisional Bookings.
The Client should be satisfied that any travel arrangements (flights, ferries, car hire, etc) are available before Booking with the Owners.
The Client should not commit to any other travel arrangements until the Booking has been confirmed by means of an e-mail from Freetobook confirming Payment with a copy of the invoice. This will arrive instantly.
Card payments use secure PCI Compliant Card Payment powered by Stripe. All Payments (and Refunds, where applicable), are made in Euros. Payments by Bank Transfer are accepted on request; however the Booking Process for Bank Transfer Payments differs from that of Card Payments, so please contact the Owners for further information.
1.2 Some Things to Consider When Cancelling a Direct Booking
Cancellation of the Booking by the Client must be communicated to the Owners in writing as soon as the Client needs to Cancel the Booking. The date of Cancellation is the date that the Owners receive written notification. Acknowledgement will be made by the Owners in writing.
The sooner a Cancellation is confirmed to the Owners, the greater the opportunity to Re-let Cancelled dates. Subject to various conditions explained below, Re-letting the Property/ies increases the opportunity of Refunding the Client.
In the unlikely event that the Owners Cancel the Booking, the Cancellation will be communicated to the Client in writing as soon as the Owner knows that the Booking must be Cancelled.
1.3 Bookings made when the Arrival Date is MORE than 12 Weeks away:
A Deposit of 30% of the Rental Rate for the agreed Rental Dates is paid by the Client to the Owners.
At thirteen weeks – one week before the 70% Balance of Payment is due – the Owners will contact the Client via Freetobook’s messaging system, to advise that the Payment is due.
By twelve weeks before the Arrival Date, the Client must have paid the 70% Balance of Payment.
1.4 Bookings made when the Arrival Date is LESS than 12 Weeks away :
A Booking made at either twelve weeks or less than twelve weeks before the Arrival Date requires 100% Pre-payment of the Rental Rate.
1.5 Paying for Taxe de Sejour, Special Requests & Security Bond :
These charges are payable two weeks before the Arrival Date. One week earlier, the Owners will contact the Client via the Freetobook Messaging system, to advise that the Payments are due.
Whereas the Client is responsible for activating payment for the Booking itself, for these payments the Owners will process the payment directly using the Client’s nominated Payment Card, whose details are securely held by Stripe on Freetobook.
Payment of Taxe de Sejour is made to the Owners who will have calculated the amount payable for the Group, and who will pay it to the authorities on behalf of the Client.
The Security Bond is held for two weeks after the Departure Date. It will be refunded in full unless there are damages or breakages to be charged for.
Any chargeable Special Requests that the Client may have booked with the Owners will also require Payment at this stage.
1.6 Cancellation :
If the Client Cancels the Booking for any reason, subject to the following conditions, a FULL REFUND WILL BE MADE :
If the Property/ies are Re-let for the same Dates and for the same Rental Rates, resulting is no loss of Revenue to the Owners, nor an increase in costs to source the replacement Revenue as a result of the Client’s decision to Cancel the Booking.
If the Property/ies cannot be Re-let for the same Dates or for the same Rental Rates or a combination of both, then the Owners will determine if a Replacement Booking can be sought either by offering a discount, or by including a (costed) promotional activity, or by offering incentives or increased Commissions or Fees to Platforms or by any other means to attract a Replacement Booking.
If a Replacement Booking can only be sourced by deploying any or all of these or any other marketing tactics it is possible that there will be a shortfall in the overall Revenue for the Replacement Booking as well as increased costs incurred by the Owners to source the Replacement Booking. The value of the shortfall in Revenue plus the value of the increased costs will be deducted from the value of the Cancelled Booking. This may be more than, less than or equivalent to the monies paid by the Client. The residual balance (if any) will be Refunded to the Client.
When Funds are repatriated to a Client’s nominated Payment Card due to Cancellation by the Client, the Owners levy a charge equivalent to 3% plus VAT of the sum of repatriated Funds to cover processing costs. Its value is deducted from the Funds due for repatriation.
1.7 Refunding Taxe de Sejour, Special Requests Payments & Security Bond :
In the rare event of a client cancelling a Booking within two weeks of the Arrival Date and following the payment of Taxe de Sejour, any chargeable Special Requests and the Security Bond, the following will happen :
Both the Taxe de Sejour and the Security Bond will be refunded in full. The value of any chargeable Special Requests may be subject to a Refund, but this will depend on the nature of the Special Request in order to establish if a Refund is appropriate.
1.8 Amendments by the Client :
Amendments, complying with the Terms of Business, must be confirmed in writing by the Client to the Owners immediately. If they are agreed by the Owners, they will be Confirmed to the Client.
An Amendment is regarded as a minor change. Amendments materially changing the Booking (i.e. reducing a Booking from two to one week), is so significant it cannot be recognised as an Amendment. The Terms of Business would be referenced and applied (in this example the Amendment would be regarded as a Cancellation of one of the Confirmed weeks and Cancellation Terms may apply subject to the Cancellation Policy).
If Arrival and / or Departure Dates change or differ from the confirmed Dates, Clients should confirm it in writing to the Owners. Refunds or Compensation in this circumstance are not applicable.
1.9 Capacity & Occupancy :
Maison du Martinel accommodates up to 12 Guests in six en-suite bedrooms; there are cots for 2 additional babies / toddlers.
Loft du Vigneron accommodates up to 6 Guests in three en-suite bedrooms; A cot is available for 1 additional baby / toddler.
Combined, Le Domaine aux Quat’Saisons accommodates up to 18 Guests in nine en-suite bedrooms; there are cots for 3 additional babies / toddlers.
The numbers of Guests occupying the Property/ies must not exceed the advertised and licensed capacity.
If a property is rented to Guests on an Under-Occupancy / Reduced Rate basis, the Owner will restrict Guests’ access to unused bedrooms and their en-suite bathrooms at their discretion.
Indoor and outdoor sofas and outdoor sunbeds, are not alternative bed spaces and must not be treated as such.
Any Group exceeding the permitted number of Guests will contravene the Terms of Business. Over-capacity is a breach of the conditions of the license/s awarded to the Property/ies, which may result in prosecution by the French authorities and the license/s being revoked.
If the maximum number of Guests is exceeded, those who are not named in the Booking must leave immediately. If they refuse, the Client’s Booking will be terminated in its entirety with immediate effect and without Refund or Compensation.
If the Property/ies are not already booked for the permitted maximum numbers of Guests, then the Booking may be amended in writing prior to the Arrival Date by confirming the names of additional Guests up to and including the maximum permitted number of Guests.
Original Guests may be replaced by new guests; the names of Cancelled and replacement Guests must be provided in writing prior to the Arrival Date.
The age of persons below 18 years either on the Arrival Date or who become 18 at any date during the Rental period are required.
1.10 Prices, Currency & Card Fees :
Rental Rates are quoted for seven nights in principal seasons.
Stays of fewer than seven nights and / or flexible Arrival or Departure Dates may be considered in low season.
Rental Rates and any other charges are quoted and paid for in Euros; funds repatriated to a Client will also be in Euros.
Card handling fees for purchases are paid by the Owners.
When funds are repatriated at the Client’s behest, for example following Cancellation, an administration fee is charged at 3% plus VAT.
Rental Rates and any other charges (excluding Taxe de Sejour) are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate. Invoicing includes VAT analysis.
The Owners are also represented by Platforms. However, different Platforms have different commission charges, fees and administration costs attributed to them, which may make the booking more expensive. Clients should satisfy themselves that they are happy with such arrangements as a booking made on a Platform cannot be subsequently changed to a Direct Booking.
1.11 Arrival & Departure :
Changeover day between Rentals is Saturday. Occasionally in shoulder periods different changeover days may be agreed by the Owners.
Due to travel schedules, Guests may Arrive later or Depart earlier, or both, from the Confirmed Arrival / Departure Dates. It is the Client’s responsibility to communicate such changes to the Owners. Refunds or Compensation for unused days are not applicable.
The Arrival Time on the Arrival Date is from 16.00 hrs local time, and access is not available before this time. Whether Guests are arriving on the Arrival Date or on a later date they must advise the Owners so that access to the Property/ies is available.
The Departure Time on the Departure Date is 10.00 hrs or earlier if travel schedules dictate. Regrettably, later departures cannot be accommodated.
End-of-stay cleaning is included in the cost of the Rental Rate. Guests are expected to leave the Property/ies in as similar state as possible to the state in which they were presented to them on Arrival. Non-compliance may result in charges being deducted from the Security Bond.
Guests may wish to enjoy a barbecue. However, the cleaning of the barbecue is NOT included in the end-of-stay cleaning and Guests are required to fully clean the barbecue prior to their departure.
1.12 Security Bond :
The Security Bond is paid two weeks before the Arrival Date. Subject to there being no damages or breakages, the Security Bond is repaid two weeks following the Client’s Departure Date.
The Security Bond provides financial recompense to the Owners for any damage – accidental, wilful or neglectful – which occurs to the Property/ies or to their equipment or contents, either internally or externally, during the Rental Period.
Damage or breakages must be reported to the Owners immediately so a solution may be determined by means of Repairing and / or Replacing (and possibly requiring Professional Installation) whatever has been damaged. This is often difficult to achieve in peak summer months.
Unreported damage or breakages caused during the Rental Period will become evident during the turnaround process. Guests who do not report any incidents when they occur are at risk of adversely impacting the Booking that immediately follows theirs; if this is the case, it may be necessary to compensate the incoming guests and the cost of this will be deducted from the Security Bond or added to the Excess Damage Charge.
In the event of any damages or breakages which do require Repair or Replacement (and possibly Professional Installation), then the value of them will be deducted from the Security Bond and the balance repaid.
For the purpose of transparency, the Owners undertake to provide the Client with a statement of costs and expenses associated with the cost of Repairs and Replacements (and possibly Professional Installation). The value, as identified on the statement, will be deducted from the Security Bond. In the event of the value of the statement exceeding the Security Bond, overages will be regarded as Excess Damage Charges, as detailed below.
The Owners levy an additional cost equivalent to 10% of the total value of the Repairs and Replacements (and possibly Professional Installation) to reflect their time, effort and input to co-ordinate the restoration of the Property/ies to a lettable state to other Guests.
1.13 Excess Damage Charges :
The Repairs and Replacement (and possibly Professional Installation) costs attributed to the damages or breakages caused by Guests are not limited to the value of the Security Bond.
If the cost to make good the damages or breakages is greater than the value of the Security Bond, the Owners will seek additional financial redress from the Client. Acceptance of the Terms of Business by the Client constitutes the Client’s acceptance of this particular condition, and the Client undertakes to pay, in full, any amount over and above the value of the Security Bond.
If damage is so severe that the Property/ies cannot be let to future Guests until such time that all Repairs and Replacements (and possibly Professional Installation) have been completed, the Owners will be compelled to Cancel immediate future Clients’ Booking/s.
The impact of Cancelling other Clients’ immediate future Bookings is immeasurable; the financial impact upon those Clients would extend beyond the Rental of the Property/ies to include other travel costs associated with their holiday as well as further Compensation for the lack of provision of a holiday for up to six, twelve or eighteen Guests, depending on the Property/ies confirmed by the Client.
In the very unlikely event of the above happening, but as a direct result of the impact of the Client’s behaviour, under the Terms of Business, the Owners would seek financial redress from the Client in order to satisfy any claim made by future Clients against them.
In the event of damage being so severe and impacting, and when it is known to have taken place prior to the end of the Rental Period, the Owners will be entitled to terminate the Client’s Booking with immediate effect without Refund or Compensation and access the full Security Bond to fund immediate and urgent repairs before seeking financial redress for additional expenses over and above the value of the Security Bond.
1.14 Taxe de Sejour / Tourist Tax :
Taxe de Sejour is France’s Tourist Tax. It is calculated per person per night and applies to persons over the age of eighteen (occasionally a young guest may enjoy a holiday birthday meaning that some nights are exonerated from Taxe de Sejour, whilst other nights are not).
The Owners are collectors of this tax on behalf of the French Government. The overall charge for Taxe de Sejour is collected by the Owners from the Client and subsequently reported and paid to the local authority (which is Carcassonne Agglo for this region). The tax is not an income or revenue for the Owners and does not attract French VAT.
The prevailing Rate for Taxe de Sejour is not usually issued by the authorities until early in the applicable year. Therefore it is difficult to predict an exact amount until early in the applicable year, although the Owners make every effort to provide a guide for budgetary purposes. The rate for 2024 is 2,88 € per person, per night. Children (aged below 18 years) are exonerated.
The Owners will calculate the amount of Taxe de Sejour based on the number of adult (18+ years) Guests in the Group for the number of nights they’re staying. The calculation will be presented to the Client three weeks prior to the Arrival Date. The full amount will be charged by the Owners to the Client’s nominated Payment Card two weeks before the Arrival Date.
In the event of Cancellation following the Payment of the Taxe de Sejour, the Owners will Refund the full amount of the Taxe de Sejour to the Client.
1.15 Special Requests :
When planning any Special Requests, the Client may do so, but within the parameters of the Terms of Business. If the Client is unsure as to whether or not the nature of a Special Request is suitable, the Owners can advise. Clients are asked to advise the Owners about any Special Requests as soon as they are known to improve the likelihood of fulfilling it / them.
Special Requests may be goods, services or both and may be supplied either by the Owners or by external Third Party Suppliers depending upon the nature of the Special Request.
The Client is required to advise the Owners, in writing, of any Third Party Supplier they engage who will be accessing the Property/ies, including date, time and purpose.
The Owners mainly provide non-chargeable services for something that is straightforward but just requires some advanced planning (such as requesting that two single beds are combined to make a super kingsize bed or for baby equipment).
When chargeable Special Requests are required by the Client and are provided by and / or fulfilled by the Owners, the Owners will agree the price with the Client. This will be confirmed to the Client. Payment for a chargeable Special Request is made two weeks prior to the Arrival Date.
If Pre-payment is not forthcoming for the item/s comprising chargeable Special Request, the Owners will not provide and / or fulfil the Special Request.
When chargeable Special Requests are required by the Client and are provided by and / or fulfilled by a Third Party, the Client is responsible for paying the Third Party directly and for communicating directly with the Third Party regarding their requirements. The Client must keep the Owners informed of any such arrangements.
Clients may source a Third Party supplier themselves or they may require some input from the Owners, especially if there are language issues to navigate; if Clients require help from the Owners – who will be happy to assist – it will be on the basis that any recommendations by the Owners are simply a gesture of goodwill. The Owners will not be held responsible
1.16 Allergies:
The Owners may supply the Client with consumables. If the Client advises that anyone in the Group has allergies or intolerances to specific ingredients, the Owners will attempt to provide alternatives for those guests whenever possible.
Whilst every effort is made to account for Guests’ requirements, the Owners cannot guarantee that they can be met or that the environment in which food and drink is prepared is free of any ingredient/s which may cause allergies or intolerances due to cross-contamination.
1.17 Curtailment by the Client during the Rental Period :
If the Client Curtails the Booking and all Guests will be Departing before the due Departure Date, the Owners will not Refund or Compensate the Client in lieu of any unoccupied days.
Unallocated Taxe de Sejour (as calculated and collected by the Owners on behalf of the French Government) reflecting the period of Curtailment, will be due for Repayment to the Client at the same Rate as it was charged.
Pre-charged Special Requests provided by the Owners which are due for fulfilment will not be Refunded.
Special Requests provided by Third Party Suppliers which are due for fulfilment, must be Cancelled directly with the Third Party Supplier by the Client.
1.18 Cancellation by the Owners :
The Owners, in the event of any circumstances arising beyond their control and which impact the Client’s Booking, reserve the right to modify or withdraw a Booking. In such an event, the Client will be notified immediately in writing by the Owners.
If something impacts the Property/ies, but which doesn’t preclude the Booking from proceeding as planned, the Owners will explain the nature of the issue to the Client. If the Property/ies may be rented without significant impact to the holiday, the Owners undertake to offer the Client Compensation as a gesture of goodwill. By accepting the Compensation, the Client will have no further claim against the Owners.
If the impact of an issue is such that the Client is unable to proceed with the Booking, the Owners will offer the Client the opportunity to re-book for future Dates to the value of the prevailing Booking, in which case the Client will have no further claim against the Owners.
The Owners are not responsible for any other costs incurred by the Client, such as travel arrangements. The Owners strongly recommend that the Client subscribes to Comprehensive Travel Insurance thus insuring against any losses incurred due to Cancellation by the Owners.
The Owners may be compelled to Curtail the Booking with immediate effect if the actions or behaviour of the Client/s dictates. Examples of Curtailment (but not restricted to the examples) are found in the sections Capacity & Occupancy; Pets; Use of the Property/ies; Security Bond; and Excess Damage Charges. Financial forfeiture is highlighted pursuant to each section.
1.19 The Owners’ Responsibility for the Client’s Booking :
The responsibilities of the Owners are limited to the provision of the Property/ies as described, both pictorially and in text on www.quatsaisons.com .
Variously, the Owners may recommend a variety of goods, services or both to the Client to help the Client source such goods, services or both in order to add to the overall holiday experience. The Owners may direct the Client to Third Party Suppliers who may provide and fulfil Clients’ requests.
The Owners live at the domaine and are on hand or available by phone to provide any help and assistance Guests may need.
1.20 Travel Insurance & Travel-Related Documents :
The Terms of Business are transparent regarding the Cancellation and Refunds policy. If a Client elects not to subscribe to a Comprehensive Travel Insurance Policy, the Owners cannot be expected to, and indeed will not, serve as a default or substitute Insurance Policy under any circumstance. That is to say, any losses incurred as a result of Cancellation or Curtailment are solely the responsibility of the Client.
The Owners strongly recommend that everyone named in the Booking – including any named additions – is covered by one singular Insurance Policy. Alternatively, it is strongly recommended that the Client should be satisfied that all individuals are appropriately covered by their own Policy/ies.
A Travel Insurance Policy should provide coverage from the date the Booking is made and should remain in date until the end of the holiday.
Upon receipt of a claim, insurers usually ask the Owners to corroborate the details of the Client’s Booking and ensuing Cancellation or Curtailment; the Owners undertake to do so independently, expediently and honestly.
Everyone in the Group – including children – have in-date passports, which fulfil the requirements of travelling to France and / or into Europe.
Everyone in the Group – including children – is complaint with and has prepared for EU entry requirements, including biometric testing.
Ahead of departure, it is strongly recommended that Clients ensure they are in receipt of all ticketing and other travel documents on which they might rely, either in hard copy or online variants, including those on which they may rely to enter Europe.
Drivers in the Group should ensure that their driving licenses are in-date; it is a precaution to carry a photocopied version as a back-up.
Self-driving Guests should satisfy themselves that their insurance provides cover for driving in France or Europe, including breakdown cover.
Self-driving Guests who drive a leased vehicle should obtain the leasing company’s permission to take it out of the country in which it is registered.
Guests relying on medication should satisfy themselves that their medication is permissible for consumption in France or Europe and that they have sufficient supplies. They should bring a copy of their prescription, so that travelling with medication can be legitimised if challenged.
1.21 Complaints Procedure :
The Rental Property/ies is significant to the Client’s overall holiday experience. As such the Owners can liaise with the Client whenever the need arises to ensure that their experience is as good as it possibly can be. As a result, the Owners consistently welcome back regular Clients.
The Owners live at the domaine. They are available to personally welcome Guests and help to settle them into their Rental Property/ies. They are always available to help with anything, such as restaurant bookings or ideas about places to visit.
If the Client believes that the Property/ies fail to live up to the expectations set by pictorial and text descriptions on www.quatsaisons.com and that there is a fundamental discrepancy, or if the Client is concerned that something is damaged or broken or if there is a safety hazard, the Client must advise the Owners immediately.
The Owners must be allowed to correct any issues with which the Client is dissatisfied. In the event that the Owners believe the concerns of the Clients to be incorrect or unreasonable, they will respond to the Client with an explanation why they believe this to be the case.
If something fails to work or if the Client requires help with something, the Owners can quickly respond either in person or by phone if they are out. The Owners will address any arising issue as soon as possible preventing a small issue escalating into a bigger problem.
If an issue requires a Third Party to provide a repair, replacement or general correction, the Client must allow the Owner and the Third Party reasonable access so that the issue may be made good promptly, enabling the Client to enjoy using the Property/ies as expected.
If the Client is dissatisfied with the way an issue has been handled, the issue can be addressed to the Owners formally by written communication; the Owners undertake to consider the issue promptly and respond as soon as is practicable.
Any issue must be brought to the Owners’ attention promptly so it can be addressed and resolved equally promptly. If a Client fails to mention an issue to the Owners until either or following the departure day, then they cannot provide a resolution at the time the issue arises and therefore cannot be held responsible for any disappointment or distress that the Client may endure.
Both the Client and the Owners may take photographs to provide pictorial evidence which may be relied upon in the future.
