travel info

Arrival and departure

On the day of arrival, you can usually only enter your accommodation after 5PM. On your day of departure you are expected to leave your apartment by 9AM. Late arrivals are very common in the French and Austrian Alps. The management of hotels and apartments are used to people arriving late, and always have a plan! It is however extremely important that you let them know in advance. You can make a request with Sunweb to add a note to your booking that you will be arriving late, BUT it is important that you also contact the accommodation directly. On your travel documents you will find contact information for the accommodation including a phone number. It is best to call the reception a few days before your arrival for instructions on how you can collect your keys.

 

PLEASE NOTE: This applies to both self drive and flight bookings.

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Hotel

For many Sunweb guests a hotel is the most pleasant accommodation option. Therefore we also offer a wide choice from a great number of hotels offering different quality and prices. The rooms we offer have private bathrooms; sometimes there are rooms with showers only or so called standard rooms where the shower and toilet are located in the corridor. It can occur that one accommodation offers different types of rooms (renovated/not renovated, old/new). Unless stated otherwise you may be allocated any of these rooms.

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Apartment

Since apartments and studios more or less look the same, we will give you a general description in this information. More detailed information can be found on the page of the accommodation in question. The descriptions for the accommodation in question can differ in reality and only figure as an example. Often the apartments and studios are privately owned by people who have decorated the interior to their own liking. A number of studios and apartments come equipped with a mezzanine, a semi-detached sleeping area. A cabin is a separate sleeping area without a window that can usually be sealed with a sliding door.
At maximum occupation the apartments and studios are often not ideal. The space is usually quite cramped for the maximum number of persons. The number of square meters in the description figure as a guideline. The actual surface area can differ from this. Please take into account for instance the warm water supply: there is often only one small boiler for everyone. The interior design is not what you are used to back home: in the French bathrooms it is usually not possible to hang up your shower head. There is also often a shower curtain missing. Appliances like coffee makers and cheese cutters are often not part of the kitchen.

If you are booking several studios or apartments at the same time then we will try to reserve them next to each other. This is at all times a preference! In practice this is not always possible.

Studios
A studio is always one living space with sleeping places for 2, 3, 4 or more people, depending on the size of the studio. There is a bathroom in every studio with a shower or bath and a toilet. Every studio also has a kitchenette consisting of an electric cooker, a fridge and in some cases a dishwasher. The studios usually have a balcony.

Apartments
An apartment is different than a studio because the living space always consists of at least two separate areas. Every apartment has a bedroom and living room functioning as a living and sleeping area. Please take into account that the living rooms aren't always equipped with an eating and sitting corner. In some cases only one of the two is present. If it is a six person apartment there is usually a bunk bed in the hall. An apartment with one bedroom and a living room is called a two room apartment. An apartment with two bedrooms and a living room is a three room apartment etc. In every apartment there is a bathroom with bath or shower present. Often there is a separate toilet (otherwise there is one in the bathroom). Every apartment has a kitchenette with an electrical cooker, a fridge and in some cases a dishwasher. The apartments usually have a balcony.

 

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Chalet

If you would you like to stay together with family or a group of friends, then staying in a chalet is the perfect choice. Sunweb offers you the choice of a wide range of chalets of which some have an especially luxurious design. If you want to stay in a chalet we advise you to book early. Because from experience we know these accommodations to be very popular and they usually sell out fast. In the French winter sports destination of Les Menuires we offer a chalet on an all inclusive basis. This means that besides the accommodation also the meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and drinks are included. The Chalet manager takes care of the meals and the chalet but doesn't stay in the chalet himself.

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Facilities

In the description of the different accommodations you will find a summary of the facilities. Please take into account that there is a small fee for the usage of certain facilities like the sauna and solarium. It is possible that some facilities like discotheques are closed outside of peak season due to a lack of interest. You can almost always hire a locker at the reception for your valuables and important documents. Sometimes you even have your own locker in your room/apartment. There is usually a fee attached to using the lockers. If there is nothing mentioned about the costs in the description of an accommodation then it was not known at the time of publication whether or not guests have to pay for certain facilities. We strongly advise you to make use of the lockers, because nothing is more annoying than losing important items during your holiday.

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Interior

Most accommodations have pictures printed of the interior of the hotel room or apartment. These photos serve only as an indication. There are so called sleeping couches in the living rooms of most apartments. You should take into account that these can be slightly less comfortable than a normal bed. Also in hotel rooms the extra beds are often camping beds. Even in the luxurious hotels the beds can be less comfortable than you are used to at home. All apartments have a kitchenette. This kitchenette is equipped according to local standards with a refrigerator, two hot plates and a limited number of kitchen utensils. You might not be able to prepare elaborate meals here. A coffee maker might not be present. In the bathroom a shower curtain can be missing and it might not be possible to hang up the shower head. In case the room is equipped with a mini bar you need to pay what you use unless stated otherwise. There is sometimes an option to hire a small refrigerator.

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Luggage room

There is often the possibility to leave your luggage in the luggage room at your destination for a fee, so that you can store your luggage on the day of arrival and can still ski on the day of departure. The luggage room is always an extra service offered on location. The usage of the luggage room is always at the owner's risk and responsibility. Sunweb has no influence on the price or quality of the luggage room and any problems or complaints therefore cannot be dealt with by Sunweb.

 

Lockers

You can almost always hire a locker at the reception for you valuables and important documents. This can also be one main locker. Sometimes you can use your own locker in your room/apartment. Usually there is a fee attached to using the lockers.

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Meal plan

Self catering: only lodging.
Bed and breakfast (BB): lodging and breakfast. This meal plan begins with breakfast on the next day after arrival and ends with breakfast on the day of departure.

Half board (HB): lodging, breakfast and dinner. This meal plan begins with dinner on the day of arrival day and ends with breakfast on the day of departure.

Full board (FB): lodging, breakfast, lunch and dinner. This meal plan begins with dinner on the day of arrival and ends on the day of departure when you check out.

All inclusive (AI): lodging, all meals, local alcoholic drinks and sodas and often snacks as well. This meal plan begins the moment you check in and ends on the day of departure when you check out.

Sunweb more inclusive (SMI): lodging, breakfast, local alcoholic drinks and sodas and various snacks.

 

The board always starts on the day of arrival with dinner and ends on the day of departure with breakfast. Due to flight times, you may not be able to use dinner on the arrival day or breakfast on the day of departure. This can occur, Sunweb can not reimburse you for this.

In most of the hotels the dinners consist of three or four course meals (sometimes with menu options) or a buffet where everyone can choose what they like themselves. The meals are adjusted to the customs of the country in question. This means that they are different and often simpler than what you are used to back home. The breakfast is often limited to a bread roll, some jam and a cup of coffee or tea and the dinner is simple, comes with a limited amount of fresh vegetables and isn't always varied. It can occur that salad buffets included with a half pension will be removed. Outside of peak season a course might be removed. At a low occupying rate your meals might be served al la carte instead of as a buffet. Especially in smaller hotels and pensions there is a possibility that you might have to share the same table with other guests.

In case you are on a special diet we will inform the accommodation in question. You should take into account however, that the more basic hotels in particular might not be able to cater for you. A vegetarian diet often means that you don't eat meat on location. Meat substitutes as we know from back home are often unavailable. Sunweb cannot take responsibility for, nor guarantee, any special diet requests that have been made. For the Christmas and New Year dinner you might need to pay a surcharge in advance or on the spot.

 

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Half board for apartment guests

At many destinations Sunweb offers guests staying in apartments the possibility to add half board onto their booking. You will then have the privacy and luxury of an apartment combined with the ease of half board. The meals are served in a nearby restaurant. The arrangement begins with dinner on the day of arrival and ends with breakfast on the day of departure.

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Cleaning service

Naturally, hotel and pension rooms are kept clean on a daily basis. In apartments you are responsible for the cleaning yourself. These are guidelines. At the end of your stay you need to thoroughly clean the apartment or studio before handing it over. If you fail to do so, an amount varying between £30 and your entire deposit will be held back. Some accommodations issue a fee for hygiene checks. This fee includes the use of cleaning liquids, vacuum cleaners and toilet paper. The costs of the final cleaning are often obligatory.

 

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Linen

If you are staying in a hotel then the bed linen and bath towels are included in the total costs. You usually use the bed linen throughout the week; bath towels are usually cleaned two or three times a week. As a guideline the day of arrival is included. With the apartments it is dependent on the accommodation whether or not the linen (bed linen and/or bath towels) is inclusive. You can find this clearly stated in the description. If sheets are not inclusive you can often hire them on location (approx. £10 p.p) or bring your own. In case apartments are stated to include the linen, you will usually receive one towel per person and the bed linen. Sometimes only the bed linen is included. It is advised to bring extra bath towels yourself because the bath towels will not be changed during the week. More information can be found under the header 'details' of the accommodation.

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Deposit

For studios, apartments and chalets there is usually a deposit required. You will get this back when you depart as long as the state of your accommodation is approved. In some cases the deposit will be sent to your home afterwards through the post. The deposit sum and the payment details are always listed in the details of the accommodation in question. For hotel and pension rooms there is usually no deposit. Sometimes you are expected to pay a small deposit for the key. Dealing with deposits is always between you and the accommodation provider. Sunweb has no influence on this and can therefore not be held accountable for conflicting opinions regarding the deposit between you and the accommodation provider.

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Tourist tax

At most accommodations you will have to pay a small fee as tourist tax when you arrive on location. The amount of this fee is stated in the description of the accommodation and is based on information we received in June 2009. During the winter season the amount might change.

 

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Smoking

Many countries have adopted new laws with regard to smoking. Restaurants and hotels are not exempt from this either and have often reserved separate events for smokers. In many hotels you are no longer allowed to smoke in the rooms. Which of the hotels have adopted these rules however, is unknown to us.

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Preferences

Sunweb will do its best to fulfill any special wishes stated with the booking. Unfortunately we are dependent on the actual service provider, like the carriers and the accommodation providers, and preferences will not always be met here. It can occur that the preferences you have given with your booking are not entirely possible. In that case this information was not known to us in advance.

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Disabled persons

The accommodations we offer are usually not equipped with special facilities for disabled persons. This does not mean that disabled persons are not welcome. On the contrary, but the lack of these facilities cannot be held against us. An adjusted room or a preference for the location of a room is always a preference. Sunweb cannot be held accountable for this.

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With a baby

If an accommodation states that there are baby cots available, this always involves a limited number. Therefore Sunweb can only treat this as a preference. In most cases you pay for any costs for a baby cot on location.

 

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Distances

The distances listed with the accommodations for the ski lifts, the centre and points of interest are always taken as the crow flies. This means that the actual distance by foot or car can differ. It is sometimes necessary to use stairs or steep roads to reach the destination.

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Pets

In the information about the accommodation you can find whether or not it is allowed and what the costs are. Click here for more information about bringing pets.

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Refrigerator

All apartments include a kitchenette with a refrigerator. Hotel rooms are in some cases equipped with a fridge (usually against payment) or you can hire one. Where possible, this is stated by the hotels under the header 'rooms'.

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Television

In many accommodations there is the possibility to hire a television. Sometimes the television is already present and often this is free of charge. The choice of channels offered is down to the controller of the receiving system and we can not be held accountable for the chosen channels or their quality.

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Noise pollution

In the case that a description mentions lively surroundings, a central location or the presence of a (pool) bar, then this usually means that it could be lively or traffic could be busy. Many accommodations organize activities during the day and in the evenings. Someone's pleasure is someone else's annoyance. We try to mention such activities/animations in our description. The norms and the late and lively nights are different than back home. That is way absolute peace and quiet after midnight cannot be guaranteed. Unfortunately, noise pollution due to construction is unavoidable. In the case that there is construction taking place in the accommodation itself we will always try to inform you in advance. Unfortunately, it can happen that there are fellow holiday makers who are causing a disturbance. We have no influence on this. It can also occur that you yourself (knowingly or not) cause a disturbance. Our hostess or the hotel management may request you to adjust your behavior. If the complaints persist the hostess or the hotel management have the right to remove you, or to have you removed, from the premises. All the consequences leading from this are for your own account.