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At Hotel Direct we continually strive to offer you the best booking service and short break experience. Our unique Arrival Assurance® and the promotion of our telephone number (0800 633 8000; from overseas: +44 1872 261100) on every web page are just two examples of our commitment to customers.

These booking terms and conditions form the basis of your contract with Surest Ltd. (trading as Hotel Direct and hoteldirect.co.uk) of Bridge House, St Clement Street, Truro, Cornwall, TR1 1ER. Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. All bookings are subject to the applicable terms and conditions as set out below.

Package Breaks
If you book a "package" with us, (a "package" is a combination of at least two different types of travel services for the purpose of the same trip, for example: a hotel plus theatre tickets or hotel plus rail tickets) then we will accept responsibility for your booking in accordance with these terms and conditions and as an organiser under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.

Hotel-only bookings
If you make a hotel-only booking with us then the applicable conditions below (which excludes those which describe only "package" travel) form the basis of your contract with us.

1. Making your booking
The lead guest must be authorised to make the booking on the basis of these Booking Conditions by all persons named on the booking and by their parent or guardian for all party members who are under 18 when the booking is made. The lead guest is responsible for making all payments due to us and must be at least 18 years old when the booking is made. We do not accept bookings from minors (under 18 years of age). At least one guest per every hotel room booked must be 18 or over. Hotels are likely to refuse to accommodate guests who do not fulfil these age criteria and under such circumstances, the cancellation terms of the hotel and any other travel services booked will apply.

Please make your booking via our website www.hoteldirect.co.uk (for theatre: www.hoteldirect.co.uk/theatrebreaks) or via our Customer Service Centre on 0800 633 8000 (or 01872 261100). Your booking will be confirmed with a booking reference which commences with the letter "B". Your booking is not complete until you receive this and please do not travel without it. We will reconfirm your booking reference, and all the details that you should require for your break, by email or upon your request, by post. Some train fare types require us to dispatch printed rail tickets, but you will be advised of this before completing your booking. Please ensure that you print and keep your email confirmation as you will require this when checking into your hotel, and if applicable to collect your theatre tickets at the box office and for 'ticket on departure' rail tickets. If we have sent you rail tickets it is your responsibility to keep these safe. Please treat rail tickets as you would cash because any replacement of delivered tickets will be at your cost.

Please check your Booking Confirmation carefully as soon as you receive it. Contact us immediately if any information which appears on the confirmation appears to be incorrect or incomplete as it may not be possible to make changes later.

2. Our obligations to you
As the organiser of your travel package, Hotel Direct is responsible for the proper performance of all travel services included in your travel package contract.

You must inform us without delay of any shortcomings that you perceive in the delivery of the travel services that you have booked; preferably whilst at the hotel in question or with the service provider.

We are responsible for remedying, in a reasonable time period, any lack of conformity between the travel package that you have booked and the delivery of the travel services unless that is impossible, or entails disproportionate costs taking into account the value of the travel services booked, and the extent to which the service delivery did not conform with the booking.

In the event that you are in difficulty during your travel package, we will make every reasonable effort to provide assistance including information on health services, local authorities and assistance if you require alternative travel arrangements. Whilst these services will normally be provided free of charge as part of our customer service, we reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee that does not exceed our costs.

3. Your responsibilities
Bookings are accepted on the understanding that all persons travelling are in good health and able to fulfil the physical demands of a rail break, hotel stay or theatre break (including accessing the theatre seats booked). If you have special access requirements, please call us on 0800 633 8000 (or 01872 261100) so that we can personally assist you with your booking and make the appropriate requests to each travel service provider. It is your responsibility to notify us before booking, of any special access requirements that you or any member of your party has.

4. Cancellations and alterations by us
Occasionally, we have to make changes to, or to cancel bookings that have been confirmed. We reserve the right to do this.

You will be advised of small changes deemed 'insignificant'. These would include but are not limited to a small change of train travel time in the same day-part, or a change of theatre seat(s) to other seat(s) of equivalent or superior standard, or a change of hotel to a hotel of the same or superior standard in the same or a nearby area, or a change of room type to a room type of equivalent or superior standard accommodating the same number of guests, or the closure or unavailability of facilities that are non-essential to the performance of the booked travel service such as the closure of a hotel pool, gym or bar.

Very occasionally, we have to make a 'significant' change. If we have to make a significant change or cancel your booking, we will tell you as soon as possible. If possible and if time is adequate, we will offer you the choice of the following options:

a) accept our proposed change(s), or
b) receive a refund for the full value of your cancellation or the cancelled elements


The above options are not available where any changes made are not significant.
If we have to make a significant change or cancel, we will pay you compensation (up to a maximum of £20 per person) where appropriate, except where we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control. Such circumstances include but are not limited to the closure of a hotel or show. Under such circumstances, compensation will not be payable and our liability will not extend beyond offering the alternatives above, if possible.

Very occasionally we may be prevented from performing our contract because of circumstances described under 'Force Majeure'. Under such circumstances we reserve the right to notify you of the cancellation of your booking without undue delay and to provide you with the options stated above.

In the event that a theatre show is cancelled at the last minute and you have already travelled and/ or checked into your hotel before we are able to contact you, you will be entitled to a refund of the monies paid by you for the theatre tickets. We will not be able to refund the cost of any travel or accommodation services used or booked on a non-refundable basis, nor any ticket replacement costs nor additional transport or other costs incurred as a consequence of the show cancellation. Our liability under these circumstances will be limited to the theatre ticket cost only.

We cannot accept liability or offer you a right to cancel or compensation for the non-appearance, publicised or otherwise, of a theatre show cast member.

In all cases, our liability for significant changes and cancellations is limited to offering you the above-mentioned arrangements. We regret we cannot pay any other expenses, costs or losses incurred by you as a result of any change or cancellation.

5. Cancellations and alterations by you
Unfortunately, all packages are non-cancellable, non-refundable and non-amendable and will incur a 100% cancellation charge if cancelled or amended at any time after payment is made.

The exceptions to this are a change of name (see paragraph 8) and some rail fares which are cancellable and refundable in part or whole subject to the rail ticket conditions.

For hotel-only bookings, unless you have booked Advanced Purchase rates or unless otherwise stated on our booking page, if you provide Hotel Direct with 3 working days' notice (Monday to Friday) we will not charge any cancellation fee. Cancellations or changes made within 2 working days of the arrival date at the accommodation will incur the price of the first night's stay.

Advanced Purchase rates are special discounted rates and no refunds are available for any cancellations or changes. Additionally, sometimes the room type states 'Db/Tw' or 'Double/ Twin'. This means a double or a twin room is assigned at the hotel.

Some hotels have cancellation and amendment policies that differ from Hotel Direct's normal policy. Such exceptions are described on the 'Your Hotel Booking' page before payment is made and confirmed on the booking confirmation.

As all cancellation terms are strictly applied, Hotel Direct advises guests to obtain appropriate travel insurance.

6. Force Majeure
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking terms, we regret that we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage or loss (as more fully described in clause 'Complaints and questions' below) as a result of "force majeure".

In these Booking Conditions, "force majeure" means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include, whether actual or threatened, war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events outside our control.

7. Our liability to you
We promise to make sure that all parts of the break we have agreed to arrange, perform or provide as part of our contract with you are arranged, performed or provided with reasonable skill and care. If you have booked a "package" with us, we are responsible for any failure or deficiency in the travel package that is attributable to us.

We are not however liable for any booking errors or oversights which are attributable to you. We will not be responsible for any loss, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following:

* the fault of you or any member of your party, or
* the fault of a third party not connected with the provision of your package which we could not have predicted or avoided, or
* an event or circumstance which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not have predicted or avoided even after taking all reasonable care (see clause 'Force Majeure'), or
* the fault of anyone who is not carrying out work for us at the time. In addition, we will not be responsible where you do not enjoy your break or suffer any problems because of a reason you did not tell us about when you booked your break or where any problems you suffer did not result from any breach of our contract or other fault of ourselves or where any losses, expenses, costs or other sum you have suffered relate to any business. We cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract; this includes services supplied by service providers not involved in our contract and additional services supplied by our suppliers but not as part of our contract with you.

When an error is attributable to you as outlined above, any efforts that we make to assist you are undertaken in good will and do not imply acceptance of liability by us for the error or alter any terms of your booking.

The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 require us to provide security for the monies that you pay for the package breaks booked and for your repatriation in the event of our insolvency. We have chosen to additionally protect hotel-only bookings within our ABTA membership (ABTA no. Y6662). When you book any travel service with us including theatre breaks, rail breaks and hotel bookings, full financial protection is provided by way of a bond held by ABTA. You can contact ABTA - The Travel Association at: 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ for a copy of the guide to ABTA’s scheme of Financial Protection.

8. Your right to transfer a package to another traveller
A lead guest ("transferor") may transfer a travel package contract to another person ("transferee") over the age of 18 years of age. If you wish to do this you must give Hotel Direct at least 7 days' notice (by telephone), prior to your check-in date. Whilst we will endeavour to comply with your request without cost to you, we will pass on any reasonable and actual costs that we incur as a result of a transfer; in particular, costs imposed by the travel service provider(s). If transfer costs are applicable, the transferor and the transferee are jointly and severally liable for these.

9. Complaints
Hotel Direct has made every reasonable effort to ensure the quality of your accommodation and if you have booked a package, the performance of all travel services. In the unlikely event of a complaint, customers must immediately inform the supplier of the service(s) in question and if possible, any verbal complaint should additionally be put in writing and given to the service provider with a copy retained by the customer. With regard to hotel complaints, we will not accept responsibility for any matter that you are aware of and do not bring to the attention of the hotel during your break, thereby giving them an opportunity to rectify the issue. If the hotel or other service provider(s) does not resolve your complaint you must notify Hotel Direct at your earliest opportunity, ideally whilst at the hotel or service provider, and not later than 14 days following the last day of your break giving your booking reference and full details of your complaint.

We cannot accept liability or offer any refund or compensation for claims arising from accessibility issues if you or a member of your party has special access requirements that you failed to notify us of at the time of booking.

The promises we make to you about the services we have agreed to provide or arrange as part of our contract, will be used as the basis for deciding whether the services in question have been properly provided. If the particular services which gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with local laws and regulations applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided.

Where any claim or part of a claim concerns or is based on any stay in a hotel or rail travel which we agree to supply as part of our contract, the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the most the rail carrier or hotel keeper concerned would have to pay under the international convention which applies to the travel arrangements or hotel stay in question. Please note: Where a rail carrier or hotel would not be obliged to make any payment to you under the applicable International Convention or Regulation in respect of a claim or part of a claim, we similarly are not obliged to make a payment to you for that claim or part of the claim. When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the rail provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question.

You may lodge a complaint by calling 0800 633 8000 or writing to info@hoteldirect.co.uk. In the event that your complaint cannot be amicably settled, you have access to EU Online Dispute Resolution.

10. Accessible rooms
If you require accessible room(s), please call us on 0800 633 8000 (or 01872 261100) so that we can personally assist you with your booking.

11. Room requests
Some room preferences can only be requested by Hotel Direct and are not guaranteed by all hotels. Aspects of your accommodation that can be requested but not guaranteed are: smoking rooms, triple rooms with 3 separate beds (all triple rooms will provide beds for 3 people but some hotels may deem a room with a double and single bed a triple room), particular room positions within a hotel such as rooms with a view or rooms on a particular floor. We will endeavour to meet all such requests but can accept no liability if a hotel fails to meet a request.

12. Rail package bookings and tickets
If railcards are used to book a rail package, passengers must travel in possession of the submitted railcards. If a train is delayed or cancelled and customers wish to apply for a refund within National Rail guidelines, tickets must be retained and will be required for the application for a refund. Children under 5 travel free of charge but will not receive a ticket nor be allocated a seat. Hotel Direct customers are required to travel with proof of their package booking (ie. the Hotel Direct confirmation email) which may be required for inspection during the journey by the Train Operating Company. Breaking a train journey is normally allowed on the return journey of Off-Peak tickets but is often not allowed on the outward journey; please check with the Train Operator. Where it is necessary to change trains, break of journey is allowed to continue the journey. Due to frequent timetable changes, it is possible that your booked journey time could change. Please ensure that you check your departure and return times on the National Rail website prior to the time of travel.

It is your responsibility to check that your rail tickets are correct. Immediately upon receipt of your tickets, ensure that you have received the correct quantity, that the departure and arrival dates and times are correct and that you have received the correct seat reservations, if applicable. Under the terms of your booking with Hotel Direct, claims for incorrect or missing tickets and/or seat reservations will only be considered within 48 hours of the ticket delivery date or pick-up from a station. Hotel Direct will not accept liability for any ticket errors, or missing tickets or seat reservations that are first reported more than 48 hours after the date of ticket delivery or pick-up from a station. In the event that you report missing or incorrect tickets or seat reservations more than 48 hours after receipt of the tickets, you will be required to purchase additional tickets at the prevailing price, in order to travel.

13. Hotel Direct Loyalty Rewards
Hotel Direct Loyalty Rewards are earned each time a qualifying booking is made on hoteldirect.co.uk or through our customer service centre. It is a financial credit attributed to a customer's email address and redeemable against any future booking that has not yet been paid for. Any booking qualifies for Loyalty Rewards unless an additional discount, such as a seasonal sale discount or an individual concession, was offered on the reservation. Bookings made by our registered corporate clients are also excluded. Hotel Direct Loyalty Rewards are not transferable for cash nor redeemable against any purchase other than a future hotel, theatre break or rail break reservation via the booking services of hoteldirect.co.uk. A refund cannot be made against existing reservations that have already been paid for. A small number of hotel rates are supplied by third parties who are not part of the Hotel Direct Loyalty Rewards program. Hotel Direct Loyalty Rewards cannot be redeemed against any such reservations. To remain part of Hotel Direct's Loyalty Rewards program an individual must consent to receiving emails so that we can send email notification of the credit built up and a website link that allows it to be redeemed online. In the event that an individual does not consent to receiving emails or unsubscribes from our emails, in line with our Privacy Policy that individual's personal data will also be removed from the Loyalty Rewards program and they will lose access to any credit previously built up. Loyalty Rewards must be used within a 5-year period of a customer's last booking with Hotel Direct as our Privacy Policy requires personal data including any credit balance to be removed from our system when there has been no active customer relationship for 5 years.

In the event of a cancellation or change of booking where a refund is due, the refund will not include the free credit provided by Hotel Direct but will only include the proportion of the monies paid by the customer which qualify under the terms of the reservation for refund. Hotel Direct Loyalty Rewards are only redeemable by the individual whose email address has been used in placing the reservations against which the credit has been awarded. Any unauthorised use of Hotel Direct Loyalty Rewards by any other party or other individual is not permitted and will result in a cancellation of related bookings and removal of all free credit. Hotel Direct Loyalty Rewards cannot be transferred to another party or individual. More than one Loyalty Rewards account cannot be redeemed against any one booking. Hotel Direct reserves the right to remove credit from any party who is deemed to have abused or attempted to abuse the program.

14. Gift vouchers
Gift vouchers must be redeemed through Hotel Direct by telephoning 0800 633 8000 (Outside UK: +44 1872 261100) and as part or in total payment for a hotel or package that is available on www.hoteldirect.co.uk. Gift vouchers have no cash redemption value and cannot be exchanged for further gift vouchers. They must be redeemed in full on a single booking. No balance is payable or transferable. If the booking value exceeds the value of the gift voucher, the balance can be paid by debit or credit card at the time of booking. For some bookings it is necessary for Hotel Direct to take payment at the price listed on hoteldirect.co.uk and at the same time refund the redeemed voucher value to a customer's debit or credit card. On such occasions the customer will be forewarned. All normal HotelDirect.co.uk terms and conditions apply. The gift voucher must be redeemed by placing a booking within 18 months of the issue date. This does not affect the booked date of arrival.

Gift Vouchers are not financially protected by ABTA until they are redeemed against a travel service. When a voucher is redeemed and a booking placed, the financial protection described in paragraph 7 applies.

15. Value Added Tax and City Tax
Any applicable UK VAT is included in our prices. Hotel Direct operates within the Tour Operators' Margin Scheme and bookings placed with hotels contracted by Hotel Direct fall under the Value Added Tax (Tour Operators) Order 1987. Under this Order we are required to supply our VAT number and to state "This is a Tour Operators' Margin Scheme supply" but we are not permitted to separate out VAT. A small proportion of our reservations are placed via an intermediate who does not operate within the UK VAT scheme. No VAT details can therefore be supplied on these reservations. Any such bookings are either flagged on our booking pages and confirmation emails or will be booked under the sub-domain, world.hoteldirect.co.uk or under the domain name travelnow.com. If you have a requirement for a VAT receipt for your reservation, please contact Hotel Direct on 0800 633 8000 (or 01872 261100) prior to booking.

At Hotel Direct we endeavour to include all taxes and service charges in our prices. However, a small number of cities including but not limited to New York, Rome, Paris and Barcelona, have elected to charge a small city tax per person per night which can only be collected by the hotel.

16. Disputes
Access to this website is conditional upon your agreement that any dispute or matter which arises between you and us will be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales only to the exclusion of the Courts of any other country.

If any exclusions or limitations contained in these Conditions is found, in whole or part, to be unlawful, void or for any other reason unenforceable for any purposes, that exclusion or limitation or the part in question shall be deemed severable and omitted from these Conditions for that purpose. Such omission shall not affect the validity, effectiveness or enforceability of the other provisions of these Conditions.

We may alter these terms and conditions at any time. If we do so, all subsequent use of our website will be governed by the newer version.

17. Privacy policy. Please see www.hoteldirect.co.uk/privacy.htm

The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018

Surest Ltd. (trading as Hotel Direct), Bridge House, St Clement Street, Truro, TR1 1ER.

Email: info@hoteldirect.co.uk. Telephone: 0800 633 8000 (or 01872 261100)