Updated Booking and Cancellation Policy
16/08/2021
Booking a safari during the time of Covid-19: Hideaways is committed to providing flexibility and financial security for any guests planning travel to any of our safari lodges. We will be as flexible as reasonably possible amending guest bookings. With country-specific requirements and quarantine eventualities, there might not be a universal solution, however, we aim to provide conditions that ease the uncertainty and provide you with the faith that even in a time where we travel or book our safari with COVID-19, we are available to look after you.
These new terms will replace the previously released terms and will stay in place until such time as the WHO declares the pandemic as over or travel restrictions in the destinations we operate in, have been lifted. Once that is the case, we will revert back to the standard terms & conditions.
The below outlined T&C’s apply to Hideaways’ properties. Whereas we endeavour to offer the same for third party properties, this will be at the discretion of our partners.
CONFIRMED BOOKINGS TRAVELLING UNTIL 31 August 2021:
We are offering to postpone your guests’ travels to a date of their choice.
- Anyone booked to travel by 31 August 2021 can postpone to any time or season for up to 18 months from original travel date.
- In the event that guests are travelling after August 2021; we recommend waiting before making a decision on moving the departure. We are currently prioritising travellers with immediate travel plans and guests travelling until the end of August 2021.
- We will retain the 20 % deposit paid for the original booking and will apply standard payment terms to the revised dates. All deposits must be pre-paid with immediate effect.
- If guests are unsure of their future travel arrangements, we will automatically provisionally book them for the same dates in 2022. This will be subject to availability. In these instances, provisional bookings will be held for 90 days which allows guests time to consider when they would like to travel.
- Once a booking has been postponed to new dates, our standard cancellation and payment terms and conditions will apply to the new travel dates.
CONFIRMED BOOKINGS TRAVELLING AFTER 01 September 2021:
- We recommend that guests wait until 45 days prior to their confirmed date of travel in order to monitor the global status of travel restrictions.
- With Hideaways flexible policies for all future travel, we highly recommend guests take out comprehensive travel insurance to ensure any funds lost can be recovered.
- The responsibility is on the traveller to ensure that they are aware and compliant of the COVID rules and regulations set out by the country that they are travelling to.
For any enquiries on the above booking policies, please contact us at info@hideawaysafrica.com.
NEW BOOKINGS – FREE CANCELLATION & MORE FLEXIBILITY
Transformative times call for transformative and flexible measures. In the nature of understanding uncertainty, we have created policies that accommodate ongoing adjustments.
For new Hideaways bookings:
- The guest may cancel the booking by notifying us in writing by no later than 45 days before travel, in which case the guest will be refunded his previously paid 20 % deposit minus the conservation contribution of 2 % on the total booking value. This will be paid to the Hideaways’ Grow Africa Foundation to fulfil its financial commitments to our community and conservation projects.
- Final payment needs to reach our account 45 days before travel.
- All our 2020 rates and offers have been extended into 2021 until further notice.
- Provisional bookings can be held up to a period of 21 days; should we receive a confirmed booking for the provisionally booked dates/rooms, we will request you confirm your booking with a deposit paid within 5 working days or cancel the booking.
CANCELLATION POLICY FOR NEW BOOKINGS:
- Free cancellation up to 45 days prior to travel. Booking is 100 % refundable, less 2 % conservation contribution.
- Cancellation within 45 days of travel – standard cancellation fees apply unless cancelled due to COVID related reasons, for COVID-19 related cancellations (see details below).
Cancellation for non-covid-19 related cancellation remains as follows:
- Should a cancellation be received once a confirmed status is held, 20 % of the contracted rate will be charged.
- Cancellation within 8 – 4 weeks prior to date of travel: 50 % of the total rate
- Cancellation within 4 – 2 weeks prior to date of travel: 75 % of the total rate
- Cancellation within 2 weeks of travel: 100 % of the total rate
REFUND POLICY FOR NEW BOOKINGS IF CANCELLATION OCCURS DUE TO COVID-19 RELATED REASONS:
Between confirmation and 45 days prior to arrival: 100 % refund of monies received less 2% conservation contribution, or credit to the value of money received for postponed / future travel.
From 45 days prior to arrival: 100 % credit to the value of money received. This may be used towards a future travel date. Clients can postpone to any time for up to 18 months from the original travel date.
COVID-19 TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Due to the status of the global health pandemic, we at Hideaways are committed to providing guests with both flexibility and security during these uncertain times. The below COVID-19 terms and conditions are applicable as of 27 October 2020, and set out until The World Health Organisation has declared the pandemic over, or restrictions have been lifted in the guests country of residence or destination they are travelling to, allowing guests to travel.
Once these conditions are lifted, Hideaways standard terms and conditions to all future bookings will be applicable.
These revised cancellation terms only apply to COVID-19 related reasons for cancellation, these include:
- The World Health Organisation has not revised the Pandemic Status.
- There are travel restrictions in the guest’s country of residence and prohibits guest from travelling.
- There are travel restrictions in the destination that the guest is travelling to, prohibiting the guest from travelling.
- The destination the guest is travelling to has closed their borders to travellers from the guest’s country of residence.
- Guests are unable to reach their destination due to International flights being cancelled, and no alternative routing is available.
- If quarantine for longer than 24 hours required in destination that cannot be avoided with negative covid test or vaccination and itinerary cannot be successfully rerouted.
- Home country of traveller requires quarantine for longer than 24-hours that cannot be avoided through testing or vaccination, nor can be avoided through re-routing of itinerary.
- We recommend that guests take out comprehensive travel insurance; should a guest contract COVID-19 and is under treatment or in quarantine and is unable to travel, they will need to claim from travel insurance.
- Contracting corona within 30 days of travel.
- Should a guest be travelling with someone that has contracted COVID-19 or is in self quarantine, we will allow the guest to postpone their travel up to 18 months after their original date and carry over 100 % of their booking value to the new future booking.
Any reason for cancellation not listed above, HIDEAWAYS Standard Terms & Conditions apply
The responsibility is on the traveller to ensure that they are aware and compliant of the COVID rules and regulations set out by the country that they are travelling to.
The above Terms & Conditions solely apply to Hideaways’ services and products booked. Any third party suppliers, transfers, flights do not fall under these amended terms & conditions.
Interview with Chief Medical Officer
As global citizens, making responsible and proactive decisions are key to having a positive impact on world wide health issues. Hideaways’ CEO Katja Quasdorf shares an enlightening conversation she held with Dr Simon King from Park Doctor, highlighting the importance of collaboration across business sectors and countries, finding strength in unity as the Covid-19 situation continues.
We welcome you to contact us should you require any further information.