French Bay House

Terms & Conditions

We look forward to welcoming you to French Bay House.

When you make your booking to stay at French Bay House you are entering into an agreement with us. Please read our terms and conditions of booking below.

Arrival and Departure

Check in is available from 2.00pm to 8.00pm (14:00 to 20:00) on the day of arrival. Check-in times outside of those specified must be confirmed with us prior to arrival.

We ask that you please vacate your room by 10.00am (10:00) on the morning of departure.

Reservations

Please note the cancellation policy before committing to a reservation.

In order for us to confirm a reservation, credit/debit card details are required to secure your booking. No payment is taken from this card unless you ask us to, or the booking is cancelled within 30 days of the scheduled date of arrival, or you do not show, or you use the card to pay on departure. However, we reserve the right to pre-authorise the card with a charge equivalent to the room(s) single night rate.

The exception to this policy is for bookings at peak times and / or special events where we reserve the right to take a deposit payment equivalent to the room(s) single night rate. You will be informed of this at the time of booking.

You may also secure the booking with a bank deposit for the full amount. We will then send confirmation once the money has cleared. We do require a credit card number on file which will not be charged unless there are additions to the bill or damages.

Bookings made online may be subject to differing terms and conditions in force at the time of booking. This is to protect your security in carrying out the booking and providing credit card details over the internet.

Our premises are not suitable for small children however children over 12 years of age are welcome. Each room is designed for a maximum of two people only.

Cancellation by the Guest

We are a small business, so cancellations can have a big impact on us, especially if we have turned away potential guests in favour of someone who has already booked and who then cancels. We do, however, appreciate that unforeseen circumstances can intervene, and we try to be as sympathetic and helpful as possible in such cases.

In the event of a cancellation up to 30 days prior to the scheduled date of arrival no charge will be made.

If you cancel your reservation within 30 days of the scheduled date of arrival a cancellation charge equivalent to the room(s) single night rate will be made, if we are unable to fill that booking with another person.

Guests failing to arrive, without notification, will be responsible for a charge equivalent to the total reservation price.

We take all bookings in good faith, as we are unable to judge reasons for change, cancellation or non-arrival, guests are reminded that mostly no exceptions to the above conditions will be made and that any booking made with French Bay House for either accommodation or goods, services, meals or drinks that are pre booked (verbal or written) forms a legally binding contract. For this reason we advise that you take out a suitable insurance product to cover against unexpected costs such as cancellation fees. In addition, we may take legal action, through the Courts, to recover any outstanding debts.

Cancellation by Us

Should it become necessary for us to cancel a booking we will contact you immediately. Any payments made will be refunded in full. Should you wish to, we will attempt to book you into another local bed and breakfast of the same or lower standard. Should this establishment be more expensive than French Bay House, we will pay the difference for the first night of your stay. Our liability will not extend beyond these conditions.

Car Parking

No guaranteed on site parking is available for guests’ use however there is free camper van day parking and vehicle parking within two minutes walk of the house next to the Gaiety Theatre and opposite the library, Akaroa. There is public street parking available in front and at the side of the house. Cars parked at any location are at the owners risk. If you have a special car and would like to have private secure parking please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate.

Change of Room

If a booking is taken out for a specific room and the room reserved is required to meet a specific guests’ needs or rendered unusable via circumstances beyond our control, we reserve the right to transfer the booking to an alternative room of similar quality.

Damage and Breakages

Please take care of our home. You are responsible and liable for any breakages or damages which you cause to the accommodation or its contents. Please report these as soon as they occur especially if you accidentally spill something – it’s much easier to clean if we know what it is and act quickly. We do not normally charge for breakages, but we reserve the right to charge for repair or making good if the damage is significant.

Personal Data

Some of the personal data gathered during the course of a booking may be held on computer. We would like to hold this data after your visit to be able to inform you of future offers. If you would prefer us not to hold this information please let us know.

Picnic Hampers and Breakfast

We are pleased to offer our guests picnic hampers upon request. Please telephone or email in advance to book a hamper and to notify us of any special dietary requirements. Picnic hampers are prepared to order and therefore we require a minimum of 24 hours notice. Without pre-ordering, we will unfortunately not be able to provide anything ordered on the day of arrival.

Full continental and cooked breakfasts are included in our room rates.

Keys

You have access to the building and your room 24 hours a day throughout your stay using a set of keys given to you when you register on arrival. You have full responsibility of these keys for the duration of your stay. Lost keys will be charged at $15.00 per set.

Liability

We do not accept any liability for any damage, loss or injury to any member of your party or any vehicles or possessions, unless proven to be caused by a negligent act by ourselves or our employees whilst acting in the course of their employment.

Lost Property

We are happy to return items that have been left following departure. However, there will be a minimum charge of $15.00 to cover postage and packaging. We are happy to ship worldwide and can advise you of the charges.

Missing Items

We reserve the right to charge for missing items.

Payment

Payment is due on the morning of departure and we accept the following credit and debit cards; Eftpos, Visa Debit, MasterCard, and Visa, as well as cash or direct bank transfer.

Pets

Pets are not permitted in the House, or on the adjoining land. Well behaved assistance dogs are welcome.

Prices

We reserve the right to change our prices at any time. This does not affect bookings already made.

Smoking

Smoking or vaping is NOT permitted within French Bay House. Please note that offending guests may be asked to leave immediately and may be liable for professional cleaning of any rooms and any outstanding balance of nights booked but not taken through early departure. However, there is nothing wrong with enjoying a good cigar outside in the garden with a glass of wine.

Termination Policy

French Bay House reserve the right, at its discretion, to terminate, without notice, an individuals stay where deemed necessary through unacceptable behaviour or as a result of actions which are likely to endanger or offend others (Please note that non compliance of our non smoking policy may constitute termination). In such circumstances any outstanding account must be settled, no refunds will be made.

GST

All published rates are inclusive of New Zealand’s Goods and Services Tax at the current rate.

Wi-Fi Access

By using our Wi-Fi Service you automatically agree to the terms and conditions of use in force at the time.

We reserve the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time.

You acknowledge and agree that all intellectual property rights (including, but not limited to, copyrights (including rights in software), trademarks, database rights, patents and inventions) in and relating to the service are owned by us and our licensors or contractors. Nothing in this agreement operates to transfer any such intellectual property rights to you.

We reserve the right to assign or sub-contract any of our rights and obligations under this agreement without notice to you.

If any provision of this agreement is found to be unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the other provisions shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect.

This agreement is governed by the laws of New Zealand and the parties hereto submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the New Zealand Courts.