Booking Terms & Conditions

1. Our role — we act as agent

We do not own the villas in the collection. For every booking we act as a booking agent on behalf of the villa's owner (the “Owner”). The rental contract for your stay is therefore between you and the Owner; we arrange and administer it on the Owner's behalf and issue documents in the Owner's name.

Any additional services we organise — a chef, a driver, an experience — are likewise arranged as agent for the supplier concerned, and your contract for those services is with that supplier. We are not responsible for the acts or omissions of an Owner or supplier, but we will always do our best to help put right anything that goes wrong.

2. Making a booking

Tell us your dates and party and we will confirm availability and the full price. To hold a villa we ask for a signed booking form (or written confirmation) together with the deposit. Your booking becomes a binding contract with the Owner once we have confirmed it to you in writing and received the deposit; we then issue a confirmation, on the Owner's behalf, in your name.

The person making the booking does so on behalf of everyone in the party and confirms that they are over 18, accept responsibility for payment, have authority to share the party's details with us, and that the names and dates given are correct. Please check your confirmation carefully and tell us at once of any error.

3. Payment

The deposit, the balance and the dates each falls due are set out in your rental contract and vary from villa to villa. Typically a deposit confirms the booking and the balance is payable in advance of arrival; for a booking made close to arrival, full payment is usually taken at the time of booking. Your rental contract is the authority on the exact amounts and dates.

Payment is normally by bank transfer in euros (€). Money you pay for a rental is held for, and passed to, the Owner in accordance with our agreement with them. If a payment is not received by its due date, the Owner may treat the booking as cancelled and apply the cancellation terms in your contract (see section 8).

4. The price and what it includes

Each villa page and your confirmation set out what the rate includes — typically the exclusive use of the house and the staff or services named for that property. We confirm the full, current price before any booking is signed; advertised rates are a guide and may change until then, and we reserve the right to correct genuine errors.

Exactly what the rate includes — and which charges are extra — is set out for each villa in your confirmation and rental contract, and varies from property to property. Charges that are commonly extra include heating, pool heating and air-conditioning, the local tourist (city) tax — usually paid locally on arrival — and optional services such as a private chef. Where a villa is offered “on enquiry”, the price is confirmed in writing before booking.

5. Security deposit and damages

Most Owners require a refundable security deposit against damage, breakages or extra charges — taken by bank transfer before arrival, or by card or in cash on arrival, as the Owner specifies. You are responsible for the villa and its contents during your stay and for the cost of any damage or loss beyond fair wear and tear. The deposit, less any agreed deductions, is returned by the Owner after departure, usually within about two weeks.

6. Your stay — the house and your party

A few practical conditions apply to every stay:

• Occupancy: only those named on the booking may stay, and numbers must not exceed the villa's stated capacity (infants under two aside) without our prior agreement.
• Arrival and departure: check-in is normally in the late afternoon on the start day and check-out mid-morning on the last; weekly stays usually run Saturday to Saturday. Tell us if you need different timings.
• Access: the Owner or their representative may enter the grounds at reasonable times for maintenance and inspection.
• Staff and extras: where staff are included it is stated on the villa page; additional staff or services are arranged on request, subject to availability and the Owner's approval.
• Getting there: some villas in the Tuscan countryside are reached by unsealed roads — tell us if you are bringing a low-slung car so we can check access.

7. Pets, smoking, weddings and events

The villas are non-smoking inside. Pets are permitted only with the Owner's prior written agreement and may carry an additional deposit.

Events such as weddings, parties and receptions are permitted only with the Owner's prior written agreement, and any guests beyond the booked party must be agreed in advance; additional fees and conditions usually apply. Several estates in the collection are set up for celebrations — please raise it with us early.

8. Changes or cancellation by you

Any change or cancellation must reach us in writing and takes effect when we receive it; changes are subject to the Owner's agreement and cannot always be accommodated. The cancellation charges, and how they change as your arrival date approaches, are set out in your rental contract and vary by villa — as a rule they increase the closer you are to arrival, and a deposit is commonly non-refundable. We will confirm the exact charges that apply at the time.

Because cancellation charges can be significant, comprehensive travel insurance in place from the time you book is a condition of your booking (see section 11).

9. Changes or cancellation by the Owner

If an Owner needs to make a significant change to, or to cancel, a confirmed booking, we will tell you as soon as we reasonably can and help arrange a suitable alternative or a refund of the monies paid for the rental, as the rental contract provides. Beyond that, our liability for an Owner's change or cancellation is limited as set out in section 12.

10. Events beyond control (force majeure)

Neither we nor the Owner is liable where our obligations are prevented or affected by events beyond reasonable control — including war or terrorism (or the threat of it), civil unrest, serious outbreaks of disease, natural disaster, fire, flood, extreme weather, strikes or other industrial action, or the acts of any government or authority.

11. Insurance

It is a condition of your booking that you and every member of your party have comprehensive travel insurance in place from the time of booking until the end of your stay, covering at least cancellation and curtailment for the full value of your booking, medical and repatriation costs, personal liability, and personal belongings. We or the Owner may ask for the name of your insurer and your policy number before arrival. If you travel without adequate insurance, neither we nor the Owner is responsible for any costs or losses that such insurance would have covered.

12. Our responsibility and liability

As agent, our responsibility is to make your booking with the Owner with reasonable care and in line with your instructions. The Owner is responsible for the villa and the services provided there. Information we pass on about a villa is given in good faith on the Owner's behalf.

Where we are found liable to you for our own acts as agent, our liability is limited to the commission we earn on your booking, except that we do not limit liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything that cannot lawfully be limited. The rental contract governs the Owner's liability for the stay itself.

13. Your responsibilities, conduct and risk management

Please treat the villa, its grounds and contents with care, and leave the house as you found it. You are responsible for any damage or loss during your stay and for paying the Owner for it. We and the Owner may end a stay immediately, without refund, where the behaviour of the party causes danger, damage or serious nuisance to others — and the party remains liable for any loss caused.

You acknowledge that accommodation in privately owned villas and holiday homes may involve certain inherent risks typically associated with residential and outdoor environments, including, without limitation, swimming pools, hot tubs, balconies, terraces, staircases, garden areas, pathways and uneven surfaces. By occupying the Property, you accept responsibility for your own wellbeing and that of all guests included in your booking, and understand that use of the Property and its amenities is undertaken at your own risk.

You agree to behave in a responsible and considerate manner throughout your stay and to ensure that all members of your party do likewise. In particular, you agree that:

1. Swimming pools, hot tubs, terraces and any similar amenities will be used with due care and in accordance with any guidance, instructions or safety information provided by the Owner or Property Manager;
2. No person under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any other intoxicating substance shall use swimming pools, hot tubs or similar facilities;
3. Children must remain under the supervision of a responsible adult at all times, especially when near or using swimming pools, hot tubs, balconies, terraces, staircases or other areas presenting potential safety risks; and
4. You and all members of your party will observe all house rules and comply with any reasonable health, safety or security instructions issued by the Owner or Property Manager.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, neither we, the Owner, nor the Property Manager shall be liable for any loss, damage, injury, illness, death, delay, disruption or inconvenience resulting from circumstances beyond our reasonable control. Such circumstances may include, without limitation, acts or omissions of third parties, neighbouring properties, adverse weather conditions, construction works, external noise disturbances, or interruptions to utility services and communications.

You further agree that neither we (acting solely as Agent) nor the Owner or Property Manager shall be responsible for any claims, actions, liabilities, losses, damages, costs or expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising directly or indirectly out of:

1. Any damage or loss to the Property, its furnishings, equipment or contents caused by you or any member of your party;
2. Any injury, illness, death, damage or loss suffered by you, any member of your party, or any third party resulting from your actions, omissions or negligence, or those of your party;
3. Any breach of these Terms and Conditions or any applicable house rules by you or members of your party; or
4. Any third-party claim arising out of or connected with your use, occupation or enjoyment of the Property.

The foregoing shall not apply where the relevant loss, damage or injury is caused by the negligence, breach of statutory duty or other legal responsibility of the Owner or Property Manager.

You further acknowledge and agree that you will be liable for any loss, damage, expense or cost incurred by us, the Owner or the Property Manager where such loss or damage is caused by, or materially contributed to by, your actions or the actions of any member of your party, including damage to the Property, its fixtures, fittings or contents beyond reasonable wear and tear.

14. Special requests and accessibility

Tell us any special requests or access needs at the time of booking. We will pass them to the Owner but cannot guarantee they will be met, and have no liability if they are not. If a villa cannot suitably accommodate a need we are told about, we may be unable to confirm the booking.

15. Complaints

Because your rental contract is with the Owner, anything wrong during your stay should be raised with the Owner or their on-site representative at once, so it can be put right while you are there. If it cannot be resolved locally, contact us and we will help. Problems reported only after departure are harder to remedy and may reduce any compensation due.

16. Passports, visas and health

Valid travel documents, any visas, and health requirements for travel to Italy are your responsibility; please confirm the current rules with the relevant authorities, as they can change. Neither we nor the Owner is responsible if you cannot travel for want of the correct documents.

17. Your data

We handle your details in line with our Privacy Policy, and share only what is necessary with the Owner and suppliers to deliver your booking.

18. Governing law

Our booking-agency service is governed by the law of England and Wales, and any dispute about that service is subject to its courts. The rental contract for the villa itself may be governed by Italian law and jurisdiction — your contract will state which.