Hotels Guide - Part 3 of 4

All these prices can be assorted between a minimum and a maximum. This is justified with the position and structure of the different rooms: the widest, more comfortable rooms, with view, the quieter etc., are more expensive than the smaller, darker, and noisier of the hotels. Therefore prices varied from a minimum to a maximum for the single rooms without bathroom, for the single ones with bathroom, for the double with and without bathroom and, consequently, for the treatment of half pension and complete pension.

Besides the price also depends on who makes the reservations in the hotels if it's the client, the agency or the tour operator. The prices of the rooms, with included IVA, must be shown in all rooms. The prices of the other hotel services should be exposed in rooms commonly used. Of course, hotel clients cannot be asked amounts higher than the ones requested in the lists, or agreed during the reservations. The prices of Italian hotels are the target of criticism for many parts. Statistically they are among the highest in the world, because hotel owners have a tendency to declare extremely high maximum prices. In fact, the most diverse rates are paid, according to the season, the client, the development of the hotel market, the type of reservation. The result is that few the clients pay the published rates.And the minimum rate is sometimes a tenth of the maximum price.

Except for particular cases, the license of hotel exercise foresees the obligation of opening of local throughout the year, excluding a period of vacations that should be agreed with the municipal authorities and stated to Public Security authorities. Only in towns that are temporary tourist destinations can be given licenses that foresee the opening for certain periods in the year. Opening schedules during the day are set by the Public Security authority, in accordance with the Mayor. The exercise license can be suspended to a hotel that has closes for more than eight days without giving word to the Public Security authority.

Hotel contract and hotel reservation

The hotel contract following the hotel reservation, is the one specified between the hotel owner and the client. The obligations the hotel assumes with this contract are:

- the lodging supply and food to the client and the benefit of all services foreseen by the structure of the hotel (bar, television, telephone, alarm clock, laundry etc.), - the responsibility towards people: - a doctor should be called if they get sick - should verify they don't have infectious illnesses - should make the obligatory authentication in the event of death - it's responsible with the parents and midwife for the accusations of birth - should reimburse those who suffer damages for their responsibility (for example anyone who falls on the stairways that haven't had an appropriate maintenance); - the responsibility with things on behalf of the clients, according to what's foreseen by the articles of the civil code.

The client's obligations (booked)

- the payment of the preset price or foreseen in the lists and arranged at the moment of the hotel reservation; - the respect of the times of arrival and departure foreseen by the contract and of the reservation of the hotel; with this purpose it's stressed that, except other agreements, the room that has been booked, is occupied between 18.00 in the day of arrival and vacant before 14.00 in the day of departure; - the care of the local in which the client is lodged, keep their integrity; - the prohibition of developing in the hotel room any activity, particularly those dangerous or annoying, like ironing, cooking in the hotel, to make noise, etc..

The hotel contract is not a contract-type, in other words it's not expressly regulated by the civil code. This fact sometimes leaves space to differentiated interpretations, especially those that have to do with the reservation of the hotel. Among the most common unfulfilments on behalf of clients are the following:

- the client's non arrival who had already made the reservation of the hotel. The hotel owner protects himself making advance payment as guarantee, if the client regularly uses the services, it also works as an advance payment of the final bill, if the client doesn't use the reserved services, it's then retained as compensation by the hotel; - the client's delayed arrival or premature departure which forces the hotel owner to lose the possibility to dedicate the rooms to other clients that had been reserved; - the not payment of the bill on behalf of the client. In this case the hotel owner is entitled to have the client's baggage levy for an official, as a guarantee of his credit.

The hotel owner's most common unfulfilment is given when the client who has made the reservation of the hotel, doesn't find it free as agreed. In this case the client who has given a guarantee is entitled to a compensation that comes up to double this guarantee.

Hotel booking and types of hotel contracts

To illustrate this topic we refer, as an example, to an "International Hotel Convention regarding contracts among hotel owners and travel agents", convention carried out between the A.I.H. and the F.U.A.A.V. some years ago. a) Each hotel contract should be preceded of applications of hotel booking on behalf of the travel agent and directed to the hotel owner. b) Each unwritten hotel reservations application will be confirmed by means of a written document (letter, telegram, telex, electronic, etc.). c) Each application hotel booking should specify the benefits offered. The cost of these may be mentioned in the same document. In this case the payment will be guaranteed only by the travel agent until he gets knowledge of the amount mentioned.

Acceptance of hotel reservations applications on behalf of the hotel owner

a) The hotel contract won't be definitive until the acceptance of the hotel booking on behalf of the hotel owner, made according to dispositions of art. 11 a). b) Such an acceptance of the hotel reservations will consist on a written document (letter, telegram, telex, electronic, etc.) specifically referring to the application and mentioning the price of the ordered services. c) This confirmation of the hotel booking should take place immediately or, at least, three days after receiving the application on behalf of the hotel owner. d) Where the travel agent demands a telegraphic reply, he should use the form of "paid reply".

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