Terms

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR THE HOTEL INDUSTRY 2006

(AGBH 2006) as of 15 November

Accommodation contract conditions (excerpt)
Legal assessment in case of cancellation of reserved accommodation.

The contractual rights and obligations resulting from the accommodation contracts are often not known. As long as no difficulties arise which require legal clarification of the mutual contractual positions, this ignorance may not be perceived as unpleasant. However, it usually becomes problematic if contractual partners, unaware of the legal situation, want to claim rights from the contract for themselves which the legal situation does not grant them. Such cases usually occur when the guest wants to cancel a reserved room. The professional group of hotels and lodging establishments has compiled the following terms and conditions for this purpose, which are recognised in all jurisdictions:

 

§ 1 Scope of application
1.1 These General Terms and Conditions for the Hotel Industry (hereinafter referred to as “AGBH 2006”) shall replace the previous ÖHVB [Austrian Hotel Contract Conditions] as amended on 23 September 1981. 
1.2 The AGBH 2006 shall not exclude special agreements. The AGBH 2006 shall be subsidiary to agreements made on an individual basis.

§ 3 Execution of the agreement – Down payment
3.1 The Accommodation Agreement shall be deemed entered into upon the acceptance of the Party’s order by the Proprietor. Electronic declarations shall be deemed received when they can be collected by the party to which they are addressed under normal circumstances provided that they are received during the published business hours of the Proprietor. 
3.2 The Proprietor shall be entitled to enter into the Accommodation Agreement under the condition that the Party makes a down payment. In such event, the Proprietor shall be obliged to inform the Party of the required down payment before accepting the written or oral order of the Party. If the Party agrees to the down payment (in writing or orally), the Accommodation Agreement shall be deemed entered into upon the receipt of the Party’s declaration of consent on the down payment by the Proprietor. 
3.3 The Party shall be obliged to make the down payment no later than 7 days (receipt) before the accommodation. The costs for the financial transaction (e.g. remittance fee) shall be paid by the Party. Credit and debit cards shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the issuing company. 
3.4 The down payment shall be deemed an instalment of the agreed remuneration.

§ 4 Start and end of accommodation 
4.1 Unless the Proprietor offers any other time of occupancy, the Party shall be entitled to move into the rented rooms from 4.00 p.m. on the agreed date (“date of arrival”).
4.2 If a room is occupied for the first time before 6.00 a.m., the preceding night shall be deemed the first night of accommodation.
4.3 The rented rooms shall be vacated by the Party by 12.00 noon on the date of departure. The Proprietor shall be entitled to charge another day if the rented rooms are not vacated in time. 

§ 5 Rescission by the Proprietor  – cancellation fee

Rescission by the Proprietor
5.1 If the Accommodation Agreement provides for a down payment and such down payment has not been made by the Party in time, the Proprietor may rescind the Accommodation Agreement without granting any grace period. 
5.2 If the Guest fails to arrive by 6.00 p.m. on the agreed date of arrival, the Proprietor shall not be obliged to accommodate them unless a later time of arrival has been agreed upon. 
5.3 If the Party has made a down payment (see 3.3), the rooms shall be deemed reserved until 12.00 noon on the day following the date of arrival at the latest. If a down payment to the amount of more than four days has been made, the obligation to accommodate the Guest shall end on 6.00 p.m. on the fourth day, the date of arrival being deemed the first day, unless the Guest informs the Proprietor of a later date of arrival. 
5.4 Unless otherwise agreed upon, the Proprietor may rescind the Accommodation Agreement for objectively justified reasons by means of a unilateral declaration by 3 months before the agreed date of arrival of the Party.

Rescission by the Party – Cancellation fee 

5.5 The Party may rescind the Accommodation Agreement by means of a unilateral declaration by 3 months before the agreed date of arrival of the Guest without being liable to pay a cancellation fee. 
5.6 Outside the period specified in § 5.5., the Party may only rescind the Accommodation Agreement by means of a unilateral declaration subject to the following cancellation fees:

  • - 40% of the total agreed price by 1 month before the date of arrival
  • - 70% of the total agreed price by 1 week before the date of arrival
  • - 90% of the total agreed price within the last week preceding the date of arrival Prevention from arrival 

    Obstructions to arrival

    5.7 If the Party is prevented from arriving at the accommodating establishment on the date of arrival since this is impossible due to unforeseeable extraordinary events (e.g. extreme snowfall, floods etc.), the Party shall not be obliged to pay the agreed remuneration for the date of arrival. 
    5.8 The obligation to pay the remuneration for the booked stay shall revive as soon as the arrival becomes possible again provided that it becomes possible within three days.

    § 6 Provision of substitute accommodation 
    6.1 The Proprietor may provide the Party or the guests with adequate substitute accommodation (of the same quality) provided that this is reasonable for the Party, particularly if the difference is insignificant and objectively justified. 
    6.2 An objective justification shall, for example, be deemed given if the room(s) has (have) become unusable, guests that have already been accommodated prolong their stay, the establishment is overbooked or this becomes necessary due to other important operational activities. 
    6.3 Any extra expenses arising from such substitute accommodation shall be paid by the Proprietor.

    § 7 Rights of the Party 
    7.1 By entering into an Accommodation Agreement, the Party shall acquire the right to make normal use of the rented rooms and the facilities of the accommodating establishment that are usually accessible to the guests for use without any special conditions and of the usual service. The Party shall exercise their rights in accordance with any applicable hotel and/or guest regulations (rules of the house).

    § 17 Place of performance, place of jurisdiction and applicable law 
    17.1 The place of performance shall be the place where the accommodating establishment is situated. 
    17.2 These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by Austrian adjective and substantial law under exclusion of the provisions of international private law (particularly IPRG [Austrian act on international private law] and the Rome Convention of 1980) and the UN Sales Convention. 
    17.3 If the Party is an Entrepreneur, the exclusive place of jurisdiction shall be the domicile of the Proprietor; however, the Proprietor shall also be entitled to assert its rights before any other court that is competent for the location and matter. 17.4 If the Accommodation Agreement has been made with a Party that is a Consumer who has their domicile or ordinary residence in Austria, actions against the Consumer may exclusively be filed at the domicile, ordinary residence or place of work of such Consumer. 
    17.5 If the Accommodation Agreement has been made with a Party that is a Consumer who has their domicile in a member state of the European Union (except for Austria), Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, the court that is competent for the domicile of the Consumer in the event of actions against the Consumer in the relevant matter shall have exclusive jurisdiction.