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Here at Solmar Villas we are working hard to keep you up to date with the latest travel information and how this might affect your upcoming booking.
We appreciate that you will have many questions relating to your booking. The below options are regularly kept up to date and we recommend that you read these before getting in touch with us.
Thank you for your ongoing patience. Please click on the option below that applies to you:
I have the 100% Refund Guarantee included in my booking
If you have the 100% Refund Guarantee included on your booking and if, on your day of travel, the official UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice is against all travel to your chosen destination, OR you will be required to hotel quarantine either in your destination or upon your return, you'll be able to cancel your villa booking and receive a 100% refund (in the same method that you paid for your booking with).
For full T&Cs, please click here.
I have taken out the Travel Restrictions Guarantee
If you have added the Travel Restrictions Guarantee to your booking, we will continue to monitor the Government updates and be in contact with you if your destination becomes restricted by either Government advice or local restrictions.
You can find more information about each destination's restrictions and entry requirements here.
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What if I haven't got the 100% Refund Guarantee included in my booking or taken out the Travel Restrictions Guarantee?
Although the 100% Refund Guarantee and the Travel Restrictions Guarantee scheme is available for the majority of our villas, there are a handful where it is unfortunately not available. In these circumstances we therefore recommend you contact your travel insurance provider for any losses incurred as a result of not being able to travel.
Travel Insurance Claim
Contact your insurance company to make a claim to recover cancellation losses.
We have received reports that some insurance companies are being less than forthcoming in paying claims. Therefore, we recommend you:
- Ascertain your cover level and options from reading your ORIGINAL policy, sent to you at the time of purchase. As most insurers have recently updated their cover, the policy available to view online may have changed in comparison to that of which you purchased. Therefore, this updated policy may not be relevant as insurance providers are not able to change your agreed cover and exclusions part way through a policy. Please note that insurance providers may advise that they no longer cover this, but if it doesn't state that in the policy document you were provided when you purchased the policy, then please contest this with them.
- Read your policy and establish yourself if you think you are covered - do not make the decision based on advice provided by your insurer's website, by phone etc.
- If you are unable to reach your accommodation, (due to flights being cancelled, borders closed etc.) you are making a claim for not being able to use your accommodation, and not a 'pandemic' claim or due to 'Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Advice'. With this in mind, if your insurance is rejected advising you don't have cover for 'Pandemic, epidemics or changes in travel advice', go back and restate your claim utilising the above guidance.
- Some insurance companies may ask you to ask Solmar Villas for a refund and process a credit card claim first, if they do please advise:
"Due to the current situation, I am unable to occupy my booked accommodation and therefore need to reclaim my losses of the cancellation charges which Solmar Villas have confirmed are non-refundable and irrecoverable.
As the cancellation doesn't constitute a breach of contract, I have no claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act and therefore I wish to reclaim my losses incurred from my insurance policy."
If this isn't sufficient, we can provide you with a letter to confirm to them.
With our preferred partner Holiday Extras, Covid-19 cover comes as standard on all Travel Insurance policies. Find out more here.
What if I have booked a package holiday?
If you have a package holiday with Solmar Villas, you are covered by the current Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. If we are unable to provide an element of the package you have booked, you have the option to request to defer your holiday or we can offer a refund.
If you are required to quarantine on your return home to the UK, as this has no impact on Solmar’s ability to provide your holiday, this would not provide you with the option to cancel the holiday and receive a refund.
For clients who have booked villa & flights within 24 hours of each other, through Solmar, we have limitations around making changes which are led by the airline booked.
Currently most airlines are allowing people to move their booking. Some are offering free amends but others are charging up to 70% change fees.
If you are considering what to do about your package holiday, we would suggest the first question to answer is Do you want to go – Yes or maybe? Or are you a definite no.
Based on the answer to this question, we have detailed below the possibilities you have that we are able to offer.
"Yes, I want to go!"
Option A
Continue with your booking as planned. If your flight is cancelled, we will try to find a suitable alternative and if none are available we will contact you to discuss a possible alternative nearby airport option or re-book.
If we are unable to find a suitable alternative or a re-book that suits you, you would be entitled to a full refund.
Please note that the airlines are taking up to 90 days to refund for flights.
"I don't want to travel at the moment"
Option A - Cancel
Cancel your booking and reclaim the cancellation fees through your insurance. You should confirm they will cover this before making this decision.
Option B - Move your holiday
If you are unsure about travelling on your planned date we can look to move your travel dates to an alternative date, and/or destination.
If you choose to do this, we will re-price the holiday for you and advise you of any difference in price (up or down) as well as any amendment fees where applicable.
If the value of your new holiday is less than the original you can use any overpayment towards ancillary extras such as car hire or transfers or keep it towards a future holiday, a refund isn't an option.
"I don't want to travel at all"
Option A - Cancel
Cancel your booking and reclaim the cancellation fees through your insurance. You should confirm they will cover this before making this decision.
We would like to assure all our customers that any monies paid to Solmar Villas are fully financially protected, which in short means that if Solmar Villas ceased trading for any reason, your money would be refunded in full via the CAA/ATOL and repatriated if overseas.
If you choose not to pay your balance on time, standard terms and conditions apply and your booking will be cancelled with loss of monies paid as detailed in our terms and conditions, Section 7. You may be able to reclaim any loss from travel insurance but you should confirm they will cover this before making this decision.
FAQs
Please see below for a Q&A for customers who are planning to travel. For full information relating to the Coronavirus outbreak please visit the Government website for more information on the risks and advice on the preventative measures
Q: What happens if my travel plans are affected?
A: The majority of villas are eligible for our Travel Restrictions Guarantee scheme and you will will have the option to opt in when booking. If you have opted out of the scheme and are unable to utilise your accommodation due to restrictions, you will need to contact your travel insurance provider to recover any losses incurred. Please see our 'Already Booked' page for more information.
Travellers are advised to read the FCDO travel advice for the country they are travelling to, which includes a link through to the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) TravelHealthPro website that provides specific travel health advice for countries. The Foreign Office also has a specific page with more information on Coronavirus.
Q: How do I know what the entry requirements for my destination is?
A: We have detailed information on each destination on our Travel Requirements page here.
Q. My insurance have told me you have to refund me in full for accommodation?
A. As the villas are available for occupancy, there is no failure in the contract to supply the booked arrangements and therefore no obligation to refunds. We are confident that our current terms and practices, which have been in place for many years, are entirely transparent, fair and reasonable. We have incurred costs directly relating to clients bookings which are irrecoverable and the level of these are directly reflected in the cancellation charges within our terms and conditions.
The CMA published an article on the subject of Holiday deposits and Cancellation fees last year which can be read here and explains that companies are within their rights to ask for deposits and charge cancellation fees inline with costs incurred.
Q: Where the Foreign Office advises against travel to a country or a specific resort or area of a country does Solmar Villas have to refund the full package or only the parts of my holiday that are cancelled?
A: If the FCDO advise against travel, this does not mean your holiday has been cancelled and therefore no refund would be due but we would look to offer re-location to an alternative destination or postpone your trip where possible at the suppliers discretion.
If you have booked a flight inclusive “Package Holiday” with Solmar Villas (defined as a holiday with a Villa and flight booked within 24 hours of each other) and we are unable to provide you with the booked arrangements, we will seek to find you suitable alternatives as per our standard terms and conditions. If we are unable to find suitable alternatives then we may have to cancel your holiday or offer you the opportunity to relocate or postpone.
Villa and car packages would not be cancelled due to FCDO advise changes as per our terms and conditions
If FCDO advise against ‘all but essential travel’ to your destination, but the booked arrangements are still going ahead (i.e. your flight isn't cancelled) then you can still continue with your booking if you choose. There are multiple travel insurance companies offering travel insurance cover when travelling to areas the FCDO have advised against travel to for around £30pp.
Q: I’ve booked Villa only with Solmar Villas. Will I get a refund if FCDO advise against travel?
If the FCDO advise against travel, this does not mean your holiday has been cancelled and therefore no refund would be due. If you hadn't opted in to our Travel Restrictions Guarantee Scheme, please get in touch to discuss your particular situation
We recommend you contact your travel insurance provider to make a claim.
Q: What if I want to change my travel plans?
A: If you have concerns about your 2021 holiday, please get in touch to discuss your options.
If you are due to travel imminently, and there are no restrictions or advice against travel, but choose not to travel, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to claim any cancellation charge on your insurance as there isn’t normally cover for disinclination to travel but you should check the terms of your insurance policy.
Q: I have a pre-existing medical condition and do not want to travel – can I get a refund if I cancel my holiday?
A: As with the above advice, you’re free to make the choice not to travel, but if the FCDO are not advising against travel to your destination then any cancellation would fall within our standard booking conditions.
Q: When am I not entitled to a full refund?
A: The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCDO) advice is in relation to imminent departures and if you have booked a “Package Holiday” and are not due to travel imminently, Solmar Villas will decide on an ongoing basis how far in advance we will begin offering alternative arrangements.
Q: What happens if I have to travel if non-essential advice is in place?
A: British people who decide that they still need to travel abroad should be fully aware of the increased risks of doing so. That includes the risk that they may not be able to get home, if travel restrictions are put in place. Anyone still considering travel needs to be realistic about the level of disruption they are willing and able to endure, and to make decisions in light of the unprecedented conditions we face.
Anyone planning to travel should check the validity of their travel insurance.
British nationals who need to travel are advised to read the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCDO) travel advice for the country they are travelling to, which includes entry requirements and a link through to the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) TravelHealthPro website that provides specific travel health advice for countries.
As a precautionary measure enhanced health screening procedures have been put in place at arrival and departure areas in many countries.
Many countries have also introduced entry restrictions for people travelling from certain countries, travellers are advised to read the FCDO travel advice and sign up to email alerts for the country they are travelling to, as these are subject to change at short notice.
Q: If I cannot follow my initial travel plans due to the coronavirus outbreak, am I entitled to compensation?
A: You won’t be entitled to any compensation, as the reason for the holiday not continuing is outside the control of Solmar Villas.
Q: My travel insurance company have advised me to ask you for a refund and contact my credit card company before they will process my claim?
A: Solmar Villas will only provide a refund for monies due after cancellation charges are applied. Please advise your insurance company:
Due to the current situation, I am unable to occupy my booked accommodation and therefore need to reclaim my losses of the cancellation charges which Solmar Villas have confirmed are non-refundable and irrecoverable.
As the cancellation doesn’t constitute a breach of contract, I have no claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act and therefore I wish to reclaim my losses incurred from my insurance policy.