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When you make a reservation, you will receive a Villa Rental Confirmation & Security Deposit Form from us requesting your deposit on the villa you have booked with St Martin Villa Rentals. This Villa Rental Confirmation becomes a binding agreement when you submit your completed Security Deposit form and send further payment for your villa rental; it states the terms and conditions concerning this villa rental between you (the "Guest") and St Martin Villa Rentals. Your sending payment in response to this invoice constitutes your acceptance and agreement to these terms, conditions, limitations and restrictions as printed below. If you have any problems or questions with any of the following, please be sure to phone us for discussion and explanation before you send us your rental deposit monies.
CONFIRMATION OF RESERVATION
The completed and signed Security Deposit form must be returned via fax or email within 48 hours to confirm your reservation. Failure to submit this completed form subjects your reservation to automatic cancellation without notice to you. Guests must secure their reservation with a credit card valid at least 60 days after their departure date.
PAYMENT & CANCELLATION POLICIES
Twenty-five percent of your rent is due here within 14 days of booking to confirm your reservation. Failure to make this payment subjects your reservation to automatic cancellation without notice to you. The balance due of rent, Government Hotel Tax, and any additional fees must be paid in full at least 60 days prior to your arrival. Only ONE credit card will be accepted from a rental party for villa payment. All cancellations and any request for changes to your reservation (such as date changes or changes in the number of persons) must be made IN WRITING. If you cancel before we receive your deposit payment a US $100 fee will be charged to your credit card provided on the security deposit form. If you cancel more than 60 days prior to your arrival date, 90 per cent of your total rent will be refunded to you and 10 per cent of your total rent will be retained by St Martin Villa Rentals as full liquidated damages. If you cancel 31 to 60 days prior to your arrival date, St Martin Villa Rentals will retain 50 per cent of your total rent as full liquidated damages. If you cancel within 30 days of your arrival date, St Martin Villa Rentals will retain 100 per cent of your total rent as full liquidated damages. However, if your cancelled dates are rebooked to another guest, 90 per cent of your rental monies will be returned to you for the nights rebooked, and 10 per cent will be retained by St Martin Villa Rentals as full liquidated damages. In rare cases, some villa owners may be persuaded to allow you to rebook your villa at a later date, without penalty to you. Refunds due to last-minute reductions in the total headcount originally booked will only be considered on a case-by-case basis when requested within 30 days of your arrival. Please ask us to check with the villa owner. We highly recommend travel insurance! For a free, no-obligation quote for travel insurance, go to www.csatravelprotection.com. Finally, please send your payments in on time to avoid cancellation of your reservation. If you must change or cancel any portion of the services you have already booked, please notify us IN WRITING (by email or fax). No-shows, late arrivals, a reduction in number of persons in your group after your arrival and early departures after your arrival are non-refundable. No refunds will be granted unless there is a serious problem which cannot be remedied within 24 hours, and/or which causes the Guest extreme, undue discomfort or serious inconvenience (see also Complaints and Maintenance below). Guests who abandon their villa without permission from St Martin Villa Rentals agree they have no rights to compensation.
SECURITY DEPOSITS
The credit card you provide on the Security Deposit form when you confirm your reservation will be held on file for 60 days after your departure from the villa. This credit card will be charged for breakage, damage, missing items, additional cleaning for villas left abnormally dirty, long-distance calls charged to the villa's telephone, and other charges incurred before, during or after your stay, still outstanding. All normal utilities (except for long distance phone calls or careless or extremely excessive use of your villa’s water supply) are included in your rental price. You hereby agree to pay St Martin Villa Rentals on behalf of the owner of your villa the cleaning or replacement costs for all damages to personal property or to the real estate, which may occur as a result of your occupancy, excluding normal wear and tear. Locked pantries and closets are reserved for the use of the villa owner and are not included in this rental. You as the Guest agree to take all reasonable steps to ensure that your family and other guests in your party adhere to the rules and regulations affecting your villa. All villas are privately owned, so decor, colors and inventories will of course vary. All villas are fully furnished, including an ample supply of bed linens and towels for Guests' use. Rearranging the furniture or removing any items from the villa is prohibited. A 5% service charge will be added to all credit card charges excluding your villa rental payments.
LIABILITY
St Martin Villa Rentals is acting hereunder as agent for accommodations and assumes no liability for property loss or damages, nor liability for injury, accidents, delay, or irregularity which may be occasioned either by reason of defect in any vehicle or the acts of any company or persons engaged in conveying passengers to or from their villa. Transportation (airlines, ferries, charter vessels, rental cars and taxis) is supplied by providers who operate independently of St Martin Villa Rentals. We assume no responsibility, therefore, for any loss, injury, or damage to person or property because of the acts of those providers. Furthermore, Guest is responsible for his villa during occupancy, must lock villa's windows and doors securely at all times when not on the premises and must exercise care in securing all personal property. Guests must observe all cautions as given by your escort or local contact people and/or written instructions provided to the Guest prior to arrival or in the villa. All St Martin Villa Rentals properties are privately owned. The villa owner and St Martin Villa Rentals reserve the right to refuse service or rentals to anyone at their complete discretion.
PETS
Pets of any kind are NOT allowed in or on the villa's premises without specific written permission from St Martin Villa Rentals (granted prior to arrival). A pet or evidence of a pet found on premises will cause immediate eviction, and forfeiture of Guest's entire rent and deposit.
COMPLAINTS AND MAINTENANCE
St Martin Villa Rentals shall make every effort to keep all villas and their inventories in good working order. In case of a maintenance problem, they will strive to repair the problem as soon as possible after being notified. They reserve the right to be allowed several hours (up to 24 hours) to cure a reported problem. However, no refund or rate adjustment shall be made for unforeseen mechanical failures such as the supply of electricity, telephone service, internet service, water, pool filtration systems, hot tubs, air conditioning, television or cable service, appliances, etc. St Martin Villa Rentals will not be held responsible for independent contractors hired to repair maintenance issues with the villa and/or its utilities and services. We cannot guarantee the time frame these independent contractors will respond to and/or repair said maintenance issues. It is the Guest's obligation to report any problems or damage to their villa IMMEDIATELY to us, regardless of the hour. (Please also see Payment & Cancellation Policies, above).
CHECK-IN and CHECK-OUT TIMES
Guests must vacate their villas no later than 11 AM, and check-in time is 2 PM. Failure to check out of your villa at 11 AM sharp may result in a US $250 penalty charged to Guest. Check-in and check-out times are strictly enforced at our villas. If you would like a later check-out time, you are required to check with our office during your stay to see if another group is arriving the day you leave. If not, you might be able to stay on later into the afternoon at no charge, but you are required to get prior permission to stay later than the published check-out time.
ENTRY INTO VILLA
St Martin Villa Rentals or its staff may enter your villa to perform any repairs as necessary. If your villa is on the market for sale, we reserve the right to allow the villa to be shown, but only by advance appointment made with Guests. We will make every effort to schedule such brief showings at a time convenient to you, to respect your privacy, and not interrupt your stay.
SUBSTITUTION
St Martin Villa Rentals reserves the right to substitute comparable or better accommodations without liability, should the villa reserved be sold, be out of order, been inadvertently double-booked, or be deemed substandard by us for any reason. If comparable accommodations are not available, Guest may receive a complete refund of all pro rated rent and Hotel Tax paid for the original villa.
DRUGS AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Guest and members of his party shall not use or permit to be brought into any villa any illegal substances, inflammable fluids (e.g., gasoline, kerosene, naphtha or benzene), or other explosives or articles deemed hazardous to life, limb or property.
VILLA KEYS
St Martin Villa Rentals shall charge Guest $35 for each set of lost or mishandled keys; gate remote controls will be charged at replacement cost ($75 to $150). Guest is required to follow all instructions precisely on where to leave your villa keys and gate remote controls when you depart - call our office if you are unsure!
CAPACITY OF VILLAS
The total number of persons allowed in the villa at any one time is restricted to the number of persons scheduled and paid for, based on two persons per bedroom. Should a group misrepresent themselves, they will be required to pay for all excess persons immediately, or shall vacate the villa without refund. Exceptions to this Term are made only for infants under 2 years old; if sleeping in a baby crib and not occupying one of the villa's beds, they are NOT included in the villa's total headcount.
QUIET ENJOYMENT AND PARTIES
St Martin Villa Rentals wishes to maintain a family atmosphere for the quiet enjoyment of Guests. We rent to family groups and responsible adults only; absolutely NO house parties or functions such as weddings are allowed without advance WRITTEN permission from St Martin Villa Rentals. Guests shall be sufficiently quiet and peaceful, so as not to disturb other residents of the neighborhood, particularly after 10 pm at night. If Guest is found to have had a wedding or any sort of group gathering for more persons than officially scheduled and paid for at the villa, and/or without St Martin Villa Rentals' advance written permission, he/she is subject to a fine of up to US $2000, at the joint discretion of St Martin Villa Rentals and the villa's owner.
RATES AND PRINTING ERRORS
The information pertaining to each villa in St Martin Villa Rentals' catalog and rate sheet was correct at press time, and our web site is constantly updated. St Martin Villa Rentals is not responsible for printing errors or inadvertent omissions. All rates and villa details are subject to change without prior notice. In any dispute arising out of this rent agreement, the laws of the Netherlands Antilles shall apply and the prevailing party shall recover its costs, expenses and reasonable attorneys' fees. This Villa Rental Confirmation becomes a binding agreement when you submit your Security Deposit form as confirmation of your villa rental. Your credit card security deposit and further payment of the villa rental fee constitutes your acceptance and agreement to these terms, conditions, limitations and restrictions as printed above. If you have any problems or questions with any of the preceding, please BE SURE to email or phone us BEFORE you send us your rental deposit monies. Thank you.
ARRIVAL ON ISLAND - IMPORTANT!
We will need to know your airline FLIGHT NUMBER, ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TIMES, AND YOUR CAR RENTAL COMPANY at least 30 DAYS before you travel (please email this vital information to villas@stmartin.com)! This is essential - our escort will meet you at your car rental 30 minutes after your flight is scheduled to arrive. This should leave ample time to clear immigration, get your luggage and be transported to your car rental company. Always travel with your list of island contact numbers in case of emergencies as provided on our Arrival Procedure Information that will be given to you after you have submitted your flight and car rental information. Be sure you remember to bring your passport! Always check with your airlines for the latest requirements before you travel! If your flight is delayed or cancelled while en route, you are REQUIRED to contact St Martin Villa Rentals so we can notify everyone involved, including your car rental company - failure to do this will result in a $100 penalty. You may phone us during daytime office hours at our St. Maarten office Mondays through Fridays at +866 441 0223 x 2 or +599 545 4330, or after hours call +603 283 7441 or +599 557 7116. We are on Atlantic Standard Time (during the winters, this is one hour ahead of New York's time).
ISLAND MANAGER WILL ESCORT YOU TO YOUR VILLA
You'll be met upon arrival at your car rental agency, led (escorted) to your vacation villa, and when you arrive at your villa, you'll be given the villa keys and a walk-through of the property to help get you settled and comfortable. These "meet-and-escort" services are included in your rental rate. There is no extra charge for these services, although a tip for your escort is at your discretion for excellent service. You'll also have the island manager's day and night phone numbers for contact in case you need anything (even advice!) during your island vacation. However, transportation back to the airport or ferry dock upon your departure is NOT provided or included. Please be sure that you rent a vehicle large enough for your entire party PLUS your luggage! Island rental cars are usually small compact models, and jeeps will hold four passengers but little to no luggage - please plan accordingly. If your vehicle will not hold all your passengers and luggage you will need to hire a taxi at your own expense to follow our escort to the house. Insurance does not allow our escorts to carry passengers and they may not have enough room in their personal vehicle for excess luggage.
HOUSEKEEPING SERVICE
At all private homes housekeeping service is provided every day except Sundays and holidays. Most condominiums provide housekeeping 3 days per week. This service is for hotel-type general cleaning and tidying only; any personal laundry, cooking, or babysitting must be arranged in advance, and prices set according to services required. We'll be happy to book these extra services for your vacation.
GROCERY DELIVERY and A CHEF FOR YOUR VILLA STAY
With sufficient advance notice (2 weeks or more), we can pre-stock your villa with the food and beverages of your choice. There is a charge of $150 for shopping and delivery plus the cost of food. There are excellent chefs on St Martin/St Maarten who are available for just one special dinner only, to one, two, or three meals a day for the duration of your villa stay. We recommend Fabulous Feasts (www.fabulousfeasts.com). Please contact island chefs directly so you can discuss menus, dietary requirements and your grocery shopping list with him or her. Chefs will require an advance deposit for both grocery shopping and for their cooking; you may pay them directly. And please remember: all of our chefs book up far in advance for all holidays, so please plan way ahead.
SPECIAL SERVICES
We can arrange almost any special services you wish, on any island, and also arrange your car rentals with ample advance notice. We can also help with restaurant reservations, water sports and other island activities such as sailboat and power boat charters, SCUBA diving, jet skis, parasailing, windsurfing, massage and spa services, etc., that you might wish to try during your vacation. You can also find suggestions for these activities at our website www.stmartin.com.
BABIES & TODDLERS AT OUR VILLAS
Portable wooden baby cribs are available for rent ($10 per night, for furniture only - you bring your own sheets). High chairs rent for $5 per night. There are also very comfortable air beds for rent at $15 per night. All rentals are delivered to your villa ready for you to set up in the area of your choice after your arrival (it's easy!). There is a flat fee of $50 for delivery and pickup, for one item or for several items. Infants and toddlers under 2 years old are NOT included in the headcount which determines your rental rate IF they sleep in a crib. If they sleep in one of the villa's beds, they are counted as a paying guest. Car seats are available from your rental car agency. Please order one when you book your rental car; there may be a small charge.
TIPPING THE VILLA'S STAFF
For really excellent service with a smile, we recommend tipping about $5 - $10 per couple per day that the housekeeper works. And if you have food and drink left in your villa when you depart, you may also leave these for the housekeeping staff - they will appreciate it.
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