General conditions

1. General Terms and Conditions of Sale
These general terms and conditions are an integral part of the hotel contract. However, the reservation conditions take precedence over these general terms and conditions insofar as they conflict with them.

2. Definitions of Contracting Party – Customer
For the purposes of these general terms and conditions, the term “Contracting Party” refers to the individual or legal entity that enters into a hotel reservation contract and/or is obliged to make a payment (as consideration); “Customer” refers to the individual(s) intending to stay at the hotel. A person staying at the hotel is not necessarily a contracting party; a hotel contract may be entered into on their behalf by a third party.

3. Place of Service Performance
The services are provided at the hotel’s premises, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

4. Complaints Procedure
Complaints regarding the provided services will only be accepted if they are sent by registered mail to the hotel owner within seven calendar days after the service has been completed.

5. Hotel Contract
In accordance with the hotel contract, the hotelier is obliged to provide lodging and the usual services to the customer. The usual services refer to the standard services provided by the hotel according to its category, including rooms and common facilities generally available to the customer.

6. Form of the Hotel Contract
No specific form is required for the contract. The contract is concluded upon the express acceptance of the offer by the customer. In the case of a written contract, the hotelier must specify the customer’s arrival and departure dates, the agreed price, a description of the agreed services, and any deposit arrangements.

7. Duration of the Reserved Stay
If a customer reserves a specific number of nights, the start and end dates must be specified in the hotel contract. The reservation ends on the day mentioned in the hotel contract, at the latest by 10:00 AM. If the customer does not vacate the room by 10:00 AM on the scheduled departure day, an additional night will be charged at the current rates. The contract is considered terminated when the customer leaves the room before 10:00 AM and all outstanding amounts are paid.

8. Distance Contract
If the contract is concluded at a distance, there is no right of withdrawal. Regarding consumers (as defined in Article I,1.2° of the Economic Law Code), the provision of Article VI.53, 12° of the Economic Law Code applies, meaning they do not have a right of withdrawal.

9. Non-Performance of the Contract
Cancellation of a reservation, in whole or in part, is possible by both parties up to 48 hours before the arrival date without penalty.
In the case of full or partial cancellation less than 48 hours before the arrival date, the canceling party owes a penalty to the other party amounting to the total contract amount.
If the customer does not arrive on the scheduled arrival date, the full contract amount will be charged.
If the hotelier is unable to perform the contract on the scheduled arrival date, the hotelier is obliged to offer the customer an alternative accommodation of equivalent or higher quality or category. Any price difference resulting from this will be borne by the hotelier.

10. Price
The price is the one stated in the contract unless the hotelier is obliged to adjust the price based on changes in fixed and/or variable costs.
Price revision occurs according to the following formula, established in compliance with applicable legal regulations and jurisprudence:
P = p {a + b (S/s) + c (I/i)}
Where:
– P = the new price
– p = the original price in the offer
– a = the percentage of the price not subject to revision (a ≥ 0.20)
– b = the percentage of labor costs in the total price
– S = the new wage index (the month preceding the payment of the invoice)
– s = the original wage index (the month preceding the offer date)
– c = the percentage of material costs in the total price
– I = the new material index (the month preceding the payment of the invoice)
– i = the original material index (the month preceding the offer date)
– a + b + c = 1
If the hotelier is compelled to apply a price revision, they must notify the contracting party and the customer in writing at least one month in advance, or, if this is not possible, as soon as possible.

11. Payment Terms
The hotelier has the option to request full or partial prepayment (deposit). See Article 23.
If the hotelier receives an amount in advance from the contracting party, it will be considered as a deposit towards the contractual price unless otherwise agreed.
Hotel bills are payable in cash upon presentation.
In case of partial dispute of the hotel bill, the undisputed portion must also be paid in cash.
Unless otherwise specified, the hotelier is under no obligation to accept checks, dividends, credit cards, or other deferred payment methods, and payment must be made in the currency of the country where the hotel is located.
The contracting party is responsible for the payment of all services provided to the customer, including services agreed upon when the contract was concluded, unless specified otherwise in writing, in which case the costs will be borne by the customer.
Amounts not paid by the due date will automatically accrue default interest. For consumers, interest will be calculated in accordance with the statutory interest rate, starting 14 calendar days after a first (free) reminder without payment. For businesses, default interest is due without reminder. These interests will be calculated according to the law of August 2, 2002, concerning the combatting of payment arrears in business transactions. In addition, a flat-rate compensation of 10% of the outstanding amount is owed, without prejudice to any legal costs and enforcement expenses.
If the hotelier fails to offer the contracted accommodation or an equivalent or higher-quality alternative as per Article 9, paragraph 4, they owe the contracting party a flat-rate compensation equivalent to the price of the stay.

12. Termination of the Hotel Contract
Any serious or repeated breach of contractual obligations by one of the parties gives the other party the right to immediately terminate the contract without notice and without paying compensation to the breaching party.

13. Hotelier’s Responsibility for Damages and Hotel Custody
The hotelier is not responsible for personal items deposited in the rooms during the stay, except in cases specified by law (Articles 952 to 1954 bis of the Civil Code). Valuable items such as money, jewelry, etc., are excluded from the hotelier’s responsibility unless explicitly entrusted to the reception as part of a custody agreement. The hotelier is not liable for damage, destruction, or theft caused by:

  • The guest or persons accompanying, employed by, or visiting the guest
  • Force majeure
  • Theft
  • The nature or defect of the item itself
    The hotelier is not liable for vehicles and their contents, nor for animals and damages caused by them. Complaints of loss or damage must be reported in writing immediately upon discovery. Proof of loss or damage must be provided by the guest and/or contracting party. The hotelier bears no responsibility after the guest’s departure.
    In case of legal dispute, only the courts of the judicial district of Bruges-Oostende have jurisdiction.

14. Responsibility of the Customer/Contracting Party
The customer and the contracting party are jointly responsible to the hotelier for any damage caused to persons, the building, furniture, or equipment of the hotel and public-access areas.
The hotelier may therefore hold both the customer and the contracting party liable for damages suffered.

15. Behavior of the Customer
The customer must comply with the hotel’s customs and regulations, which are available for inspection.
Any serious or repeated breach of these regulations gives the hotelier the right to immediately terminate the contract without notice and without compensation.

16. Pets
If a customer wishes to bring a pet to the hotel, pets are allowed in the rooms for an additional fee. Pets are not allowed in all common areas.

17. Room Occupancy and Release: Check-in/Check-out
Unless otherwise specified contractually, rooms reserved for a customer must be available by 3:00 PM, and rooms occupied by the customer must be vacated by 10:00 AM on departure day.

18. Reservation Validity and Late Arrival
A reservation accepted by the hotelier is only valid until 7:00 PM.
In case of delay, the customer is obliged to inform the hotelier and provide the exact time of arrival.
A late arrival, i.e., arrival after the agreed time, not communicated by the customer, will result in the automatic termination of the hotel contract, with the hotelier entitled to compensation.
The compensation is set at the price of the stay.

19. Force Majeure and Excessive Hardship
Any case of force majeure automatically relieves a party from any obligation without the other party being entitled to compensation.
Force majeure includes any event that prevents the fulfillment of an obligation, beyond the control of the party invoking it, including accidents, equipment breakdowns, exceptional weather conditions or natural disasters, fire, strikes, war and terrorism, theft, pandemics, and government orders, including mandatory closures, partial closures, or operation under strict conditions.
The hotelier invoking force majeure must inform the customer as soon as possible.
In the case of unforeseen circumstances that make the performance of the contract excessively burdensome, so that performance can no longer reasonably be demanded, the contract and/or price may be adjusted.
The unforeseen circumstance must not be attributable to the contracting party invoking it.
Initially, both parties must renegotiate the hotel contract considering the changed circumstances.

20. Forfeiture of Granted Benefits
Any hotel bill subject to a price reduction, refund, or commission granted by the hotelier expires in the event of non-payment by the due date.

21. Deposit
Deposits representing 30% of the total amount for the contractually agreed services must be paid immediately to the hotelier, no later than one month before the arrival date.
In the absence of timely payment, the hotelier has the right to cancel the hotel reservation without notice and without compensation.

22. Group Reservations
If discounts are granted to groups, a group is defined as a minimum of 20 paying individuals (customers) who actually check in at the hotel.
The final number of customers must be communicated to the hotelier at least one week before arrival.
The stated number is binding for the settlement of the hotel bill.
In case of cancellation by a group, the following compensation applies:

  • 100% of the contract amount, minus the received deposit, if cancellation occurs less than 48 hours before the arrival date.
  • 0% of the contract amount, minus the received deposit, if cancellation occurs more than four weeks before the hotel contract start date.

23. Processing of Personal Data
The hotelier will process the personal data of the customer – natural person in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and the Council (General Data Protection Regulation) and the Act of July 30, 2018, concerning the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data (B.S. September 5, 2018).
For complaints regarding the processing of their personal data, the customer – natural person can contact * (hotelier’s email) (to be filled in). If this does not lead to the desired result, the customer – natural person can contact the Data Protection Authority (www.gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit.be).

24. Applicable Law and Jurisdiction
The hotel contract is governed by Belgian law.
All disputes arising from the hotel contract will be settled by the competent court of the hotelier’s place of establishment.
If the customer is a consumer as defined in Article I.1, 2° of the Economic Law Code, this provision does not affect the application of Article 624, 1°, 2°, and 4° of the Judicial Code.