Booking Terms & Conditions – Gippsland Lakes Escapes Carefully read the following Terms and Conditions of Gippsland Lakes Escapes. It is important to note that having made a booking with Gippsland Lakes Escapes it is deemed that you have read, understood and accepted the Booking Terms and Conditions as detailed below. The following terms and conditions apply but some clauses of these terms and conditions will vary if there is an attachment of additional terms and conditions. These attachments may then override some related clauses and may include additional clauses. A property that has these additional terms and conditions will have those details listed towards the bottom of that property’s web page It is the responsibility of the person who is making the booking to read all terms and conditions of their booking. If the booking is made by one guest for multiple guests, it is the responsibility of that guest making the booking to ensure that all guests are aware of these terms and conditions Travel Insurance is strongly recommended, in particular for both medical and cancellation coverage.

CANCELLATION POLICY 

Strict cancellation policies apply. Gippsland Lakes Escapes reserves the right to cancel a booking at any stage.

A credit card number must be provided to Gippsland Lakes Escapes as a security upon booking, even if payments for reservations are made by other means. If a credit card is given as the main payment option, Gippsland Lakes Escapes will automatically debit any amounts outstanding, including credit card surcharges, or any extra charges for cleaning, extra packages, extra guests staying, extra bedrooms being used or damage fees.

Cancellations notified more than 28 days prior to arrival will incur a cancellation fee of 15% of the deposit or $35, whichever is the greater.

Cancellations notified 28 days or less and more than 14 days prior to arrival will forfeit the full deposit which is 30% of the total tariff.

Cancellation 14 days or less, prior to arrival will forfeit 100% of the total tariff.

SUMMER PEAK PERIOD BOOKINGS: Balances must be paid 30 days prior to arrival. Cancellations more than 30 days prior will incur a cancellation fee of 15% of the deposit. Cancellations within the 30 days prior will forfeit 100 % of the total tariff.

GIPPSLAND LAKES ESCAPES do not accept cancellations due to Natural Events (at the discretion of Gippsland Lakes Escapes)

All bookings must be confirmed with a minimum of 30% deposit on booking. The balance must be paid no later than 14 days prior to arrival otherwise the booking can be cancelled by Gippsland Lakes Escapes, regardless of whether a deposit has been paid or not.

SUMMER PEAK PERIOD CONDITIONS ALSO APPLY: All bookings tariffs are inclusive of GST. Payments can be made by Credit Card or Direct Deposit to “Gippsland Lakes Escapes”.  It is essential that all components are paid in full prior to arrival so that keys can be issued on arrival.

Please be aware that all credit card payments incur a non-refundable 1.75% surcharge. Security in the form of a valid credit card number is required on or before arrival to cover circumstances that may arise as detailed in the clause below headed ‘Damage, Missing or Lost Property’.

DAMAGED, MISSING OR LOST PROPERTY 

In the event that any property or its contents is damaged, beyond normal wear and tear, or is taken/lost during the course of your booking, Gippsland Lakes Escapes reserves the right to charge for the reasonable cost of repair or replacement of that property to the guest and in that regard, the guest acknowledges that the charge may be debited from the credit card used for payment of the booking. In the event of any property being left in an excessive state of uncleanliness, including pet hair, unwashed dishes, uncleaned BBQ, stains, Gippsland Lakes Escapes reserves the right to charge an extra cleaning fee and the charge may be debited from the credit card used for payment of the booking – up to the value of $200 (or higher in negotiation with the guest. In addition to any cost incurred, an administration charge of no less than $10 or up to 15% of the incurred cost will also apply to the guest responsible for such breakages, damage, or missing items. Any belongings left behind after checkout will be held at our office for 14 days. If not claimed within that time it will be donated to charity. Gippsland Lakes Escapes claims no responsibility for lost property.

 

AMENDED BOOKINGS 

Should any accommodation booking need to be varied, fees will be charged in accordance with our cancellation policies. Should any ancillary bookings be varied more than 14 days prior to the date of service a $35 administration charge will apply per variance. In the event that both accommodation and ancillary bookings are varied, both cancellation fees and administration charges will apply.

 

SPECIALS/VOUCHER/COUPON POLICY 

Special(s), such as discounts, advertised on rental properties are only available if requested by the person making the booking at the time of booking request. Vouchers/coupons will not be issued until full payment is received. Package vouchers (e.g. activity & restaurant vouchers) will be sent via email. Vouchers/coupons are subject to availability and must be redeemed with the completion of a stay prior to the expiry date. Only original vouchers/coupons signed and validated by a Gippsland Lakes Escapes representative can be redeemed. If a voucher/coupon booking cancellation occurs. No refund or credit will be given. All vouchers/coupons have an expiry date commencing from the date of purchase. Vouchers or discount offers are not available to be used during peak season or holiday times. The validity of vouchers/coupons cannot be extended. No aspect of the voucher/coupon is cash refundable. In the event that the product or service named in the voucher/coupon is no longer available in the same format or at all, Gippsland Lakes Escapes reserves the right to substitute the product or service for a similar product or service to the same value as the original voucher/coupon. 

 

PRICE VARIATIONS 

In the event that a booking is made but any portion of the payment is not made until a later date, the cost of the accommodation and/or package that is applicable is the cost as at the date the final payment is made. For bookings made where any portion of the booking cost is to be paid by way of a voucher, the cost of the accommodation and/or package is that applicable as at the date the final payment is made. Should accommodation requirements or any component of a package be varied, even subsequent to final payment, the cost applicable to the accommodation and/or package is that applicable as at the date of variation or final payment, whichever is the latter and the guest is responsible for any shortfall occasioned by reason of this condition. It should be noted that any additional cost chargeable under this condition is in addition to cancellation fees and administration charges. Prices quoted are subject to change at any time without prior notice up until full payment has been received and vouchers have been issued. Gippsland Lakes Escapes reserves the right to charge the correct tariff if a guest is quoted an incorrect tariff by Gippsland Lakes Escapes.

 

GENERAL 

Strict adherence to guest numbers will be enforced with all Gippsland Lakes Escapes properties. Guests is the terminology applied to both adults, teenagers and children and is counted as a total. For example: If a property has an 8-guest maximum, this means 8 is the maximum number of guests that can stay in that property, and therefore only 8 guests will be allowed. Gippsland Lakes Escapes will actively ensure that the guest numbers are not exceeded, and if found that there are more guests in a property than allowed, will undertake proceedings to evict those guests and charge the booking guest accordingly unless prior knowledge and permission has been given by Gippsland Lakes Escapes.

Gippsland Lakes Escapes reserves the right to charge a fee to guests for additional visitors which have not been included in the final booking confirmation. Any additional cleaning or maintenance of the property as a result of visitors is the responsibility of the guests.

Minimum tariffs and nights may apply even if Specials are offered. Most properties have a 2-night minimum midweek (Mon. to Thur.) and weekends (Fri., Sat., Sun.). Long weekends and public holidays often require longer. To avoid disappointment, we recommend all bookings to be made well in advance especially for peak periods.

Keys to be collected at the office of Gippsland Lakes Escapes is generally between 4 pm and 5 pm on the day of arrival.  Collections after this time must be arranged with the office prior to arrival by the guest. The standard check-in time is 4 pm on the day of arrival and check-out is 10 am unless otherwise advised by Gippsland Lakes Escapes. Strict adherence to notified check-out times is required, or charges of a half-day tariff may be imposed. Guests should advise Gippsland Lakes Escapes if their departure is to be delayed so we can make arrangements for cleaners etc. to be notified.

Gippsland Lakes Escapes is not responsible if the chosen accommodation does not “meet” the expected style of accommodation required. Noisy and unruly behaviour will not be tolerated. Any complaints about such activity will result, at the discretion of Gippsland Lakes Escapes, in the immediate vacation of the property with no refund. The credit card number provided will be automatically debited by Gippsland Lakes Escapes for any amounts outstanding or any extra charges for cleaning, extra packages, more guests staying, extra bedrooms being used or damage fees.

Gippsland Lakes Escapes will not be held responsible for the failure of appliances in properties, such as utilities, internet/wifi, home theatres, entertainment services/platforms, and essential services such as electricity, gas, and water. However, when this occurs it should be made known to Gippsland Lakes Escapes, and every attempt will be made by Gippsland Lakes Escapes to contact the appropriate authorities or maintenance people to rectify the failure(s).

In the event that the accommodation is not up to the standard of cleanliness, efforts must be made to contact Gippsland Lakes Escapes via phone, email or in-person during the guests stay at the accommodation. Gippsland Lakes Escapes will make every effort to address the raised concerns within a reasonable time frame. Any concerns raised upon day of departure or after day of departure will be taken into consideration and acted upon as needed, but will not be eligible for a full or partial refund of the cleaning fee of the property.

If any key, lock, security device or other goods belonging to a rental property is lost, payment to repair/ replace the item is the responsibility of the guest. Gippsland Lakes Escapes will debit the credit card that was given to initially secure the booking. If no credit card is supplied payment will need to be made at the time of departure.

Peak Period Bookings for Repeat Annual Guests

Generally, GLE Properties are booked on a first come basis. At the same time, we like to honour our repeat guests by giving them priority to repeat book their favourite property year on year.

Process

  • GLE invites repeat guests to place a “Hold” on their chosen property 18-15 months prior to arrival.
  • The “Hold” needs to be confirmed as a firm booking 15 months prior to arrival.
  • Deposit for the booking is due at 12 months prior to arrival. Final price is confirmed at this time.
  • Remaining balance is due 2 weeks prior to arrival

Conditions

  • Responsibility to place a “Hold” and/or “Booking” rests with the repeat guest. GLE reserves the right to open the property to the general market once the above dates have expired. If another booking is made after this time, they will be given priority.
  • Holds and bookings are only considered accepted by GLE once they have been confirmed in writing by GLE.
  • It is the responsibility of the returning guest to pay the deposit by the due date.