Booking Conditions

Please read the following Booking Conditions carefully. These Booking Conditions will apply to all bookings that you make through our web site. We will ask you to confirm that you have read and understood these conditions before you make a booking.

1. Our Contract
American Reservations is a trading name of Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd, ("we") act as booking agents for the owners/providers of the hotels, apartments and villas featured on this website ("accommodation provider(s)" and "accommodation") Your contract will be with these accommodation providers. Please read these booking conditions carefully. They apply to all bookings made through Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd and to all members of the booking party. Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd is responsible for the administration of the booking but, except where otherwise stated in these booking conditions, do so solely on behalf of and as agent for the accommodation providers. Where these conditions mention "we" or Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd without using words such as "on behalf of the accommodation providers" or "as agents for the accommodation providers", this means Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd in its own right rather than as agent for the accommodation providers. The accommodation providers may also have terms and conditions, which are additional to these booking conditions.

References to "you" and "your" mean the agent acting as the principal on behalf of the customer making the booking (the "lead name") and everyone else named on the booking (including anyone added or substituted at a later stage). When we confirm your booking you will need to pay a deposit of 10% of the booking value when you book. The balance will be payable 56 days before the customer's departure. All communications relating to your booking must be sent by email to sales@customtours.co.uk. References in these booking conditions to notifying us/the accommodation providers by email mean emailing us at this address.

2. Your Contract
Your contract is with the accommodation providers featured on this website. When you book accommodation, we, on behalf of the accommodation providers, send you confirmation of the booking. It is at the time that this confirmation is sent that a binding contract comes into existence between you and the accommodation provider. The date of the contract is the date that appears on the correspondence. These booking conditions form the basis of your contract with the accommodation provider. Once the contract is made, the accommodation provider is responsible to you to provide you with what you have booked or an alternative of equal or higher quality and you are responsible to pay for it, in each case subject to these booking conditions, and any other booking terms and conditions specific to the relevant accommodation.

Please note: It is important to check carefully the details of the booking, when you receive them. If you want to cancel or change the booking later, you may have to pay amendment or cancellation costs (stated below), which may be as much as the whole accommodation cost. We, on behalf of the accommodation providers, will send the invoice and other information to you, who will in turn be responsible for ensuring that all members of the party are kept fully informed. Should you wish to make an amendment or cancel to the booking, we must receive confirmation by email or fax. This confirmation must come from you.

3. Payments
Payment of the price of the accommodation booking is due:

Deposit - 10% per room.

Full Payment required for bookings within 56 days of travel.

a) If you book more than 56 days prior to your arrival date at the accommodation (or your first accommodation where more than one is booked), you must pay us on behalf of the accommodation provider a deposit of 10% of the booking value when you book, or the full amount if this total is less than the deposit required - payment within 7 days. The balance will be payable 56 days before your arrival date unless you advise us by email that you wish to cancel your booking before the balance due date. If the payment is not received via the arranged payment mechanism (such as direct debit, cheque or credit card), we, on behalf of the accommodation provider, will be entitled to treat your booking as cancelled by you and keep your deposit. If your booking is not cancelled straight away because you have promised to pay, you must, in addition, pay the cancellation charges shown in clause 6 depending on the date we, on behalf of the accommodation provider, reasonably treat your booking as cancelled.

b) If you book less than 56 days before departure, you must pay the full price of the accommodation when you book. Please note: Your booking may be cancelled, if you fail to make payment on time You will then lose your deposit and may be liable to pay the cancellation charges shown in clause 6. Payment for incidental extras (e.g. mini bars, telephone charges, etc.) has to be made directly to the accommodation provider, upon customer check out.

4. Special Requests
If you have any special requests (for example dietary requirements, cots or room location) please let us know by email or fax at the time of booking. We will pass on all such requests to the relevant accommodation provider, but unfortunately cannot guarantee that they will be met. Further, if the accommodation provider is not unable to meet any such requests, neither we, nor they, can have any liability to you in this respect.

5. Amendments
If you want to change any of the details on the booking, after the booking confirmation has been sent to you, we, on behalf of the accommodation provider, will do our best to help, however, the accommodation provider has no obligation to make any change. You must request any change by email to sales@customtours.co.uk or by fax. If the accommodation provider is able to make the change, there will be a Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd administration charge as shown below plus any applicable charges of the accommodation provider, subject to their terms and conditions.

Change requested more than 29 days before departure:
Change of name £40 per person.
Change to booking £40 per hotel per booking plus any other additional costs.

Change requested 28 days or less before departure: Cancellation charges as below may apply.

If you wish to make any change to the booking while on holiday (e.g. upgrading accommodation or extending your stay), all requests are subject to availability and any extra cost must be paid immediately.

6. If You Cancel The Accommodation Booking
If you wish to cancel a confirmed booking, this must be done by email or fax. Cancellation charges will be calculated as set out in the table below and will be notified to you at the time of cancellation. (Please remember these charges may also apply as set out in clause (7) these cancellations are set out below as:

More than 56 days: deposit
42-29 days: 50% of accommodation cost
28-8 days: 50% of accommodation cost
Within 7 days of departure: 100% of accommodation cost

Charges are shown as a percentage of total accommodation booking value.

7. Changes to and cancellation of the booking by the accommodation provider
If the accommodation provider makes a significant change to, or, cancels the booking, we will inform you as soon as possible as Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd act solely as agent for the accommodation providers, we will have no other liability towards you. No refunds can be given for stays that are ended earlier than planned. Although we act only as agent, we will, however, endeavour to offer you the following:

If a significant change has to be made (and the change is not acceptable to you) or your booking has to be cancelled, we will, if possible and as soon as reasonably practical, offer you alternative accommodation (from the range we advertise on behalf of accommodation providers) of similar type and standard in a similar location for the same or similar time of year. As the alternative accommodation is likely to be owned by a different accommodation provider to the original accommodation, the advertised cost of the alternative accommodation will be payable. However, it is possible you may be able to claim any price difference (if the alternative accommodation is more expensive) from the original accommodation provider. Obviously, if the alternative accommodation is advertised at a lower price, you will receive a refund (if you have already paid the balance of your total holiday cost) of the price difference. If you do not wish to accept a significant change or any alternative accommodation offered or we cannot offer you suitable alternative accommodation, you will receive a full refund of all monies paid to us for the accommodation concerned.

In the unlikely event that you fail to email us with confirmation that you wish to accept any change or alternative accommodation within the time period we reasonably stipulate, we, on behalf of the accommodation provider, are entitled to assume you wish to cancel your booking of the accommodation concerned and receive a full refund of all monies paid to us for it.

Compensation will not be payable where any change or cancellation results from "force majeure" (please refer to clause 8 below) or where you have refused, without good reason, to accept alternative accommodation you have been offered.

Please note, no compensation is payable for minor changes. Such minor changes do not entitle you to change to alternative accommodation or to cancel without paying the normal charges as set out in these conditions. A minor change is a change, which the accommodation provider could not reasonably expect to have a significant effect on your confirmed booking.

8. Circumstances beyond the control of the accommodation providers/Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd (Force Majeure)
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these conditions, the accommodation providers and Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd shall not be liable, jointly or individually, for any changes, cancellations, effect on your holiday, loss or damage suffered by you or for any failure by the accommodation providers and/or Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd to perform or properly perform any of their respective obligations to you which is due to any event(s) or circumstance(s) beyond the reasonable control of the accommodation provider concerned and/or Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd as applicable (referred to as 'force majeure' in these conditions). By way of example, force majeure includes fire, flood, exceptional weather conditions, epidemics, destruction or damage of accommodation by any cause (other than negligence of the accommodation provider) and all similar situations. In appropriate cases (for example where your booking has to be cancelled before departure) we on behalf of the accommodation provider will, however, refund to you all monies paid to us by you for the accommodation affected.

No compensation, expenses, costs or other sums of any description (including without limitation the cost of securing alternative accommodation) will be payable in such circumstances by either the accommodation provider or Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd.

9. Our responsibility to you for the Booking
As we act only as a booking agent we have no liability for any of the accommodation arrangements (including any shortcomings or defects with or in any accommodation) and no liability for any illness, personal injury, death, damage or loss of any kind, unless caused by our negligence or that of any employee of ours (providing they were at the time acting in the course of their employment). We cannot accept any liability for any act(s) or omission(s) of the accommodation providers or anyone representing, or employed by, the accommodation providers. Please also refer to Section 8 (Force Majeure) above. Any claim arising from the stay in the accommodation and/or the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the accommodation provider or any employee of the accommodation provider must be brought against the accommodation provider directly. The accommodation provider shall have no liability for any illness, personal injury, death, damage or loss of any kind unless caused by the accommodation provider's negligence or that of any employee of the accommodation provider (providing they were at the time acting in the course of their employment).

The client must take all necessary steps to safeguard their personal property. No liability is accepted by the accommodation provider or Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd in respect of damage to, or loss of, such personal property except, in the case of the accommodation provider, where the damage or loss is caused by accommodation provider's negligence or that of any employee of the accommodation provider (providing they were at the time acting in the course of their employment) or, in the case of Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd, where the damage or loss is caused by the negligence of Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd or its employees (providing they were at the time acting in the course of their employment). For any claim made against us, which does not involve death, illness or injury, any liability we have is in any event limited to twice the cost of the accommodation booking concerned.

10. Complaints Procedure
If your client has a complaint while they are staying at the accommodation in question, they must inform the accommodation management or the local agent immediately, in order to give them the chance to resolve the problem. If you fail to reach an agreement with either during your stay, you will certainly find it more difficult to negotiate an amicable solution once you have returned home.

If you fail to resolve matters on the spot via the accommodation managerment or travel agent, we may be able to act in an intermediary capacity, but will only offer to do so if you write to us (see address below) within 14 days of the final day of your stay in the accommodation. In the event that we are unable to do so, and you wish to take matters further, you must do so directly with the accommodation provider concerned.

We are to acknowledge a complaint within 14 days of its receipt, thereafter within 28 days to either send a full reply or a letter explaining why we are unable to provide a full response and 56 days in total to complete the file.

11. Customer Behaviour
When you book accommodation through Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd, your customers accept responsibility for their proper conduct during their stay. The accommodation provider reserves the right at any time to terminate their stay or that of any member of their party due to their misconduct, where justified in their reasonable opinion. Full cancellation charges will then apply and no refund will be given. Furthermore, neither the accommodation provider nor Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd shall be under any obligation whatsoever to pay compensation or meet any costs or expenses you may occur as a result of your stay being terminated. If their actions or those of any member of their party cause damage to the accommodation in which they are staying, they must fully reimburse the accommodation provider for the cost of the damage before they end their stay. They must also indemnify us against any claim (including legal costs) made against us as a result.

12. Room Allocation
After registration, on arrival at the accommodation, the customer will be allocated a room. Please note: when checking-in after midnight, their room will be reserved from the previous day. They must therefore, normally check out of their room at 11:00hrs of the booking departure date, unless otherwise stated on the accommodation voucher issued by Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd.

13. Accommodation Details
We aim to ensure that the information provided by accommodation providers is accurately conveyed on this website. Unfortunately changes and errors occasionally occur. There may be small differences between the actual accommodation and its description. Occasionally, problems mean that some facilities or services become unavailable or subject to restriction. Neither we, nor the accommodation providers can accept responsibility for any changes or closures to area amenities or attractions. We cannot accept responsibility for any inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information about any accommodation or its facilities and/or services, except in the case of our negligence.

14. Other Websites
This website may contain links to other websites. Except where they belong to Custom Tours.co.uk Ltd, such other websites are not under our control or maintained by us. We are not responsible for the content of such websites. We provide these links for their convenience only but do not monitor or endorse the material on them. We cannot accept any liability whatsoever and howsoever arising in relation to any such other websites (including, by way of example, any inability to access or delay in accessing any such other website) or in relation to any material or information appearing on them or which you may otherwise come across after leaving our site by way of a hypertext link or any other means or for any services or facilities of any description which you may book through or via any such website.