Reservations
Reservations are made in the interest of the property’s owner at the prices listed in the website of SopranoVillas.com.
Rentals
The minimum stay is one week, preferably from Saturday to Saturday. In some properties, there is a minimum stay of 14 days, which will be stated during the booking process. Sopranovillas reserves the right to change the rates of the properties list if it is necessary due to a change of the market conditions or following special offers. The customer must not sub-let the rented property. Customers are liable for their personal belongings such as jewellery and other precious items. Customers are also liable for the rented property, taking care to lock the property at all times when vacating it. The property is equipped with an initial supply of soap and toilet paper (may vary depending on property). The customer must not practice any activity that can be of annoyance to the Owner or to the neighbours.
Payment and booking liability
To secure a reservation, the Tenant is obliged to fill out the Rental Agreement that SopranoVillas.com will send via email. To validate a reservation, it is necessary to send a 50% prepayment of the total rental amount upon booking, at the latest within 3 working days after the Rental Agreement signature. These prepayments can be sent by bank wire transfer, by PayPal or paid directly by credit card (Visa/MasterCard) over the phone or on our secure online payment system. As soon as we receive the prepayment we will immediately send you the booking confirmation email. Only after this process is the reservation secured. The total remaining balance (50% of the total rental amount) is to be paid using the same method as previously stated no later than 60 days prior to your arrival date (may vary depending on property). Final payments made with delays exceeding seven days can invalidate the contract.
The security deposit is to be paid upon arrival or via bank wire transfer one week before the arrival. The method of payment is dependant on the property. In the case that the Tenant books within 60 days prior to arrival, Tenant will be required to pay the total amount of the rental at the time of booking.
Check-in/Check-out
Arrival: Saturday between 16.00 and 20.00 (may vary depending on property).
Departure: Saturday between 07.00 and 10.00.
Any change to the arrival time must be advised as soon as possible before the arrival. Depending on the property, late arrivals may incur a late check in fee. In the unforeseen event of a late arrival that the owner cannot accept, the customer is responsible for the extra cost of a hotel room.
Upon the arrival, you will need to bring with you a copy of the confirmation email as well as a copy of your ID or passport, from all the members of your party, in order to register yourself in accordance with the Italian laws.
Cancellation Policy
Any cancellation must be notified in writing to our email address [email protected] The cancellation date is when we receive your email.
Cancellation sanction policy:
Within 60 days or more prior to the arrival, 20% of the 50% deposit amount is refundable.
Within 59 days prior to the arrival the entire rental fee is non-refundable.
Damage and Liability
All bookings need a security deposit for eventual damages (the amount of the deposit depends on the property rented). It is due upon arrival if paid in cash, or paid via bank wire transfer one week before arrival. The customer is responsible for any damages to the property (external and internal areas) during the rental stay. This deposit will guarantee damages that might occur to the property. The Tenant is also responsible for any further damage costs that surpasses the original security deposit amount. The deposit will be refunded up to one week after departure (unless there is any charge due to damages of the property or agreed extra services). The access to the villa will be refused in the event that the deposit is not paid upon the arrival. SopranoVillas cannot be held liable in the event of a conflict between Tenant and Owner regarding the security deposit or any damages.
SopranoVillas is not responsible for any accident, injury, or loss suffered by customers.
SopranoVillas is not responsible if your stay is compromised by a natural disaster (earthquake, hurricane) and won’t issue travel insurance coverage.
Extra Services
The provision of extra services is dependent on the rented property. SopranoVillas will communicate the extra services that are available as provided by the Owner. Once the booking has been confirmed, additional services can be arranged with due notice. These extra services will generally be paid upon arrival directly to the property manager.
It may be possible for SopranoVillas to arrange additional services with due notice that are not provided by the Owner at a commissionable rate. In this case, payment for these services must be paid via a bank wire transfer to SopranoVillas.
Locks Outs
Any lock-out must be communicated to the onsite staff of the rented property. This may incur a key and lock replacement and service fee for anyone who locks themselves out of a unit. The fee (that may vary) will be deducted from the security deposit. Furthermore, anyone who loses the keys will be responsible to pay for new locks. The fee will be deducted from the security deposit as well.
Pets
The Tenant is obliged to advise SopranoVillas at the moment of booking if he/she desires to bring any pets to the property. Pets are not permitted in some of the properties listed. There may be an additional surcharge on the cleaning fee at the end of your stay.
Termination By Owner
SopranoVillas accepts no responsibility in the case that the Owner of a villa decides to remove his/her property from the website after the point of booking. SopranoVillas will do its utmost to provide the Tenant with a comparable property at the original rate. If this is not possible due to unavailability or if the proposed villa does not suit the Tenants needs, the Tenant agrees to accept a full refund of the amount that has been paid for the rental of the property.
The Owner reserves the right to evict any individual from a rented property in the case of disruptive or inappropriate behaviour.
Property Substitution
In the case that the booked property becomes unavailable due to maintenance issues, necessary building works or other issues, SopranoVillas will do its utmost to provide the Tenant with a comparable property at the original rate. If this is not possible due to unavailability or if the proposed villa does not suit the Tenants needs, the Tenant agrees to accept a full refund of the amount that has been paid for the rental of the property.
Age Requirements
There must be at least one individual 25 years of age or older who will occupy the property during the entire stay.
Complaints
SopranoVillas acts as a selling agent for Property Owners/Managers. In the case of complaints, please notify immediately the Owner/Property Manager and SopranoVillas. SopranoVillas cannot be held responsible for issues stated to us during the Tenants stay but will do its utmost to rectify said issues by collaborating with the Owner. Complaints notified after your stay are not valid.
Jurisdiction
In case of controversies, the Italian Court can deal with the matter and Italian laws apply.
SopranoVillas Terms and Conditions listed above are intended as automatically accepted by the Tenant with the confirmation of the booking and signature of the rental agreement.
Catania is Sicily’s second largest city after Palermo, and bear a turbulent and eventful history. It lies in the shadow of Mount Etna. This means it has been destroyed and rebuilt many times courtesy of the various eruptions. Nevertheless, the Catanians also benefit from the incredibly arable and fertile land that surrounds this volcano. Unfortunately, Catania has also been very susceptible to earthquakes. Many of these have been completely destructive, for instance that of 1169 and the more recent 1693. Catania, along with its home Sicily, has seen many different rulers. It belonged to the Greeks for a long time, and has also had Arab, Roman and Byzantine rulers amongst others.
