COVID-19 MEASURES

INFORMATION ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS

Lovely that you want to visit us!

We are happy to welcome you here in Sölden.
The happenings of the past couple months have made us think about lots of things. Firstly, our focus lies on ensuring your holiday is as enjoyable and stress-free as possible while still making sure to take care of our guest’s well-being and safety. Because of that we have spent the last weeks working on and implementing all the safety regulations set by the government, as well as recommendations by professionals, regarding the containment of the COVID-19 Virus. Down below you can find a summary of all the questions we have receives from our guests that might interest you.

These questions mirror the current situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria and mainly focus on possible bookings in the upcoming winter months. We will of course adapt the regulations to the development of the regulations, since, as we have seen in the past weeks, they can change really quickly, depending on the situation. Of course, we hope for a positive outcome.

For any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask us!
Ute Thurnher and your Valentin Team

Our COVID-19 Safety measures

• With comfort and social distancing:  We kindly ask all our guests to wear a FFP2 face mask and keep the requiered social distance of 2m. Our team will be trained intensively and will help in case of open questions.
  
  
• Sauna and relax-area are open: Our Saunas can be used while keeping the regulated distance to others. The maximum of guests in each cabin will be written on a sheet of paper in front of the sauna. As per actual Austrian regulation we kindly ask you to wear a FFP2 face mask when entering or leaving the sauna and relax-area.
  
  
• Latest hygiene-regulations are natural for us – not only since the start of this pandemic. All regulations are being fully implemented at all times. We will make sure of that.
  
  
• All our employees will be tested weekly. In addition to that, every morning or before every shift, all employees must measure their temperature.
  
  
• Safety-concept for our hotels and apartment houses. The ensure your holiday to be perfect we, as a team, stick together. By implementing the safety-concept we and our partners have created we can offer you stress-free holidays and a safe workplace for all employees.

Although we have thought about lots of different regulations and are doing our best to make sure your holiday will we wonderful, we do understand, that such plans can only go accordingly if you will help us. We also count on you to help us keep everyone safe and happy during their stay in Sölden!

Cancellations

Because of the current situation and possible unsafe travel, we have decided to change our cancellation policies. Deviating from the policies on your confirmation we have decided to grant following policies to our direct bookers.

The following policies apply to all arrival from June until September 2021:

• When cancelling up to 15 days before your arrival: 0%
• When cancelling 14-0 days before your arrival: 90%
• When not cancelling and not showing up at the day of your arrival: 100%
• When cancelling an “Early-Bird” booking: 100%
• When leaving earlier than planned there will be no refunds
• Other cancellation policies apply to group bookings, please ask our reception

You can find further information regarding our cancellation policies in case of restriction of entry in Austria, quarantine and regulations in our FAQ section.

Your stay with us

We can ensure you that we will take all the measurements needed to make sure you have a wonderful and also safe stay in our hotel. The measures will be changed as soon as the Austrian government has changed their regulations, which is the reason for ongoing changes.

• There will be hand sanitizer in all “sensitive” areas of our Valentin Design Apartments, to disinfect your hands regularly and contact-free at all times.
  
  
• FFP2 Face masks: due to the current situation in Austria we kindly ask you to wear a facemask in all public areas of the hotel. The governmental regulations for the hotel and tourism industry in regard to the summer / winter season will be updated regularly.
  
  
• Your room will be disinfected, especially focusing on “touch-sensitive” areas (door- and window handles, TV-remote, etc.), before your arrival. This can be checked when inspecting the sign on your door.
  
  
• You can use our Relax-Area: the regulations are limited to keeping the distance of 2 meters to other guests. This distance has already been implemented for our couches.
  
  
• Our Sauna is open. The regulations are limited to keeping the distance of 2 meters to other guests. Because of the distance there will be a maximum amount of people to be in the Sauna at once. You can find the maximum amount in front of the Sauna. Exceptions are families or people that live in the same household. Our Stam-bath is currently not opened.
  
  
• Our Changing rooms and Late Check out rooms are still available. We are doing our best to prevent the meeting of guests in these areas.
  
  
• Our Ski depot and our Ski room: are being disinfected regularly during the day. In addition to that we also take measures to open the windows and let air in regularly.
  
  
• Since the beginning of time the sincerity of our staff has been one of our biggest strengths. Unfortunately, we must do without handshakes this year but the smile on our faces will stay the same, even when keeping a bit of distance. We are happy to see you!
  
  
• All our staff members will be receiving courses regarding hygiene constantly. Please see them as helpers when you have any questions. They will help you as much as possible.

Travel cancellation insurance

Sometimes things do not go the way you want them to! Please also make arrangements for a carefree vacation and take out a travel cancellation insurance. The European Travel Insurance offers a suitable package - according to the motto "Special times require special measures".

European travel insurance
If the situation remains stable, full cancellation insurance and travel interruption protection apply again. Cancellation cases in relation with COVID-19 are also covered, although COVID-19 is still classified as an epidemic or pandemic (WHO, Austrian health authorities, the pandemic exclusion according to the ERV-RVB is not objected for so long). This also applies to any travel interruption costs.

Here are some examples to explain the cancellation cover.
There is coverage in the event that you as an insured customer cannot commence or have to break off the trip,

• because you have an elevated temperature, even if a later test result is negative, or you have tested positive for COVID-19 without showing symptoms
• because you have COVID-19 symptoms
• because a close relative or a person living in the same household is ill with COVID-19 and your urgent presence is required
• because a close relative or a person living in the same household is ill with COVID-19 and your presence is urgently required

However, there is no protection against cancellation if you cannot or do not want to go on the trip because you are a risk patient or - even as a risk patient - you are worried about an infection due to increasing numbers of cases at the vacation destination.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Cancellation

• I would like to cancel free of charge, because my travel partner/ fellow traveler, with whom I booked, belongs to an endangered target group (risk patient).
  In this case we recommend that you take out travel insurance before you arrive. In case of illness or medical certificate, please contact your travel insurance company, as this is usually covered by a cancellation insurance. 

 EuroPEAN TRAVEL INSURANCE

• In my home country there is a ban on leaving the country, but not in Austria. Can I cancel free of charge in this case?
  

  If it is impossible to travel to Austria, it is possible to rebook your stay or to convert your deposit into a voucher.

• In case of a free cancellation within the deadline, when will my deposit be refunded by the hotel?
  As a team we always work hard to handle all requests of our guests as fast as possible, but the experience of the last months has shown us that sometimes there are limits to what we can do. We cannot always carry out our processes and procedures as usual. We ask for your understanding, especially in these unusual times, that sometimes delays in remittances must be expected. However, we assume that you will have to wait a maximum of 14 days for a return transfer of your deposit.

• Can I cancel free of charge if a feared second wave breaks out and restrictions are being implemented again?
  If it is not possible to travel to Austria, it is possible to rebook your stay or to convert the deposit paid into a voucher.

 Rebooking`s

• I would like to rebook a booked package - which conditions apply here?
  

  The original contractually agreed cancellation and payment conditions apply to rebooking’s. Please refer to your reservation confirmation for details.

• I have booked for this summer / winter season, but would like to rebook for the 2021-22 season - is there a price increase?
  If due to entry restrictions, it is not possible to travel to the region, it is possible to rebook for summer / winter 2021-22. Due to the current exceptional situation, a postponement to the same travel date, only 1 year later, is possible without additional fees. Should your stay fall on a different season, the price will be adjusted according to the seasonal price difference of the year 2021, depending on the travel period.
  
  
• If I agree to a rebooking, do I have to accept an additional charge?
  We are happy to accept rebooking’s for a travel period in the same season free of charge. If your stay falls into another season, the price will be adjusted according to the seasonal price difference.
  
  
• What happens if my new travel period falls into a cheaper season? Will I be credited with the difference?
  We are happy to rebook for a travel period in the same season free of charge. If your stay falls into a different season, the price will be adjusted according to the seasonal price difference of the year 2021. The deposit can also be used for other additional consumptions (e.g. breakfast baskets, etc.).

Arrival

• I have a reservation or am planning a vacation. What happens if the national borders are closed by then?
  

  The opening or closing of the border crossings is determined exclusively by the governments of the individual countries. Please refer to the country-specific digital information pages for current border closures. We take a very close look at the situation in the individual countries of origin and also react to any changes. We also recommend that you keep an eye on this development.
  
  
• I have a reservation in summer / winter. Now my flight has been cancelled. Can I therefore cancel my booking at Valentin Design Apartments free of charge, even though the cancellation conditions according to the booking no longer offer this possibility?
  Unfortunately, we have no influence on the corporate policy of the airlines. If there are entry restrictions for the travel period due to the Corona Pandemic, it is possible to rebook your stay at a later date or to convert the deposit paid into a voucher. If there are no entry restrictions, a free cancellation of your booking is unfortunately no longer possible.
  
  
• I have booked a stay in your aparments, but Austria has imposed an obligatory quarantine for travelers and I cannot start the trip. What happens now?
  If there are entry restrictions to Austria for the travel period due to the Corona pandemic, a rebooking of the stay or a conversion of the made deposit in form of a voucher is possible.

• What happens if the Valentin Design Apartments or the region is quarantined during my vacation stay?
  The health of our guests and employees is our highest priority. Therefore, an action plan has been developed in accordance with the requirements of the health authorities. This also includes the isolation of sick guests at our hotel on site. Should an emergency occur (which we will avoid as far as possible), a room contingent as well as a catalog of measures for isolation is available at the hotel. We are trying to ensure a safe return home as quickly as possible by supporting all authorities.

• In my home country there is a ban on leaving the country, but not in Austria. Can I cancel free of charge in this case?
  If it is impossible to travel to Austria, it is possible to rebook your stay or to convert your deposit into a voucher.

 Sickness

• What happens if I get infected with Covid-19 and get sick during my stay?
  

  We have reserved a number of guest rooms in the hotel or in the apartment house that we can use as isolation rooms in case of emergency. These rooms are equipped with all the comforts and necessary utensils to ensure a relaxing and restorative atmosphere. In the event of illness, your stay will be immediately transferred to an isolation room in order to protect your family, other guests and our staff and to avoid transmission. Afterwards, the responsible doctor or the relevant health authority will be contacted immediately and will take over the further procedure in accordance with the legal medical guidelines. We support you and your family in all necessary arrangements (e.g. return journey, notification of relatives etc.). Furthermore, we will try to find out together with you which other guests or employees you have been in contact with, in order to inform them accordingly and thus protect all of them as best as possible. Our team will be trained intensively and will take all steps based on our Corona Protection Catalogue to make the right decisions on site.
  
  
• What happens if I fall ill with Covid-19 outside the free cancellation period?
  In the event of illness or medical certificate, it is possible to rebook your stay or to convert the deposit paid into a voucher.
  
  
• How does Valentin Design Apartments deal with the quarantine of sick guests during their stay?
  Health is our top priority. This applies to our guests and also to our employees. We have drawn up an action plan to guarantee your health in the best possible way. An essential component is the isolation of sick persons on site. In case of an emergency, a room contingent as well as a catalog of measures for isolation is available in the hotel or in the apartment house.
  
  
• What happens if the Valentin Design Apartments or the region is quarantined during my vacation?
  The health of our guests and employees is our highest priority. Therefore, an action plan has been developed according to the requirements of the health authorities. This also includes the isolation of sick guests at our hotel on site. Should an emergency occur (which we will avoid as far as possible), a room contingent as well as a catalog of measures for isolation is available in the hotel or in the apartment house.
  
  
• What do you do if a positive-tested Corona case occurs in the Valentin Design Apartments?
  We have reserved a number of guest rooms in the hotel or in the apartment house that we can use as isolation rooms in case of an emergency. These rooms are equipped with all the comforts and necessary utensils to ensure a relaxing and recreational atmosphere. In the event of illness, your stay will be immediately transferred to an isolation room in order to protect your family, other guests and our staff and to avoid transmission. Afterwards, the responsible doctor or the relevant health authority will be contacted immediately and will take over the further procedure in accordance with the legal medical guidelines. We support you and your family in all necessary arrangements (e.g. return journey, notification of relatives etc.). Furthermore, we will try to find out together with you which other guests or employees you have been in contact with, in order to inform them accordingly and thus protect all of them as best as possible. Our team will be trained intensively and will take all steps based on our Corona Protection Catalogue to make the right decisions on site.

During your stay

• What do I have to take into account due to the special situation regarding my luggage?
  Please bring along your own FFP 2 masks. We generally recommend that all guests carry a mini first-aid kit with them. In our Valentin Design Apartments we have set up disinfection dispensers for you in all important and critical areas.

• Can I have my self-brought protective mask cleaned by you?
  For hygienic reasons, we cannot offer you a cleaning service for fabric masks. Of course you can use our laundry cleaning service for all other laundry cleaning requests.
  
  
• Do I have to consider anything when I arrive at the Valentin Design Apartments?
  We assure you that we take the requirements of the legal measures as well as the recommendations of the health authorities very seriously. We have adapted the necessary processes accordingly and we have also changed our daily work procedures accordingly. Taking into account the risk areas known to us, we have drawn up a detailed plan of measures. As soon as you arrive, our staff will familiarize you immediately with all special features.

• What measures are taken to prevent the virus from spreading in the Valentin Design Apartments?
  We have implemented comprehensive guidelines for the highest standards of hygiene in all areas of our hotels. For the areas of hygiene prevention, cleaning and disinfection we have created a catalog of measures in cooperation with our hygiene partner Hollu System-Hygiene GmbH. Our employees are continuously trained in our new working methods. Our managers are required to regularly check the compliance with the guidelines. A few days before your arrival you will receive news (if the initial situation has changed) in an information message via e-mail. The recommendations of the health authorities as well as the state legislation are strictly followed and further measures are added.
  
  
• In case I notice first symptoms. How do I get medical help?
  We have cooperation agreements with the relevant medical authorities. On site, our employees are familiar with the processes involved in suspected cases and ensure that you, as our guest, receive immediate medical care. It is very important to us to immediately isolate potentially infected guests from other guests and from hotel staff.

 Check In / Ceck Out

• Is there anything special to consider when checking in?
  The receipt of the room key/keycard is still done by our reception. Our keycards will be disinfected accordingly before handover.

• Do I have to come to the reception for the check-out, or can the payment of my bill also be made contactless?
  Special situations require special solutions. In the coming months, our guests will receive their information invoice via e-mail on the evening before their planned departure. To settle yours, online payment is possible as an alternative to paying on site. You will receive a payment link via websline, which has to be paid before leaving the hotel. The original invoice will be sent to you by e-mail.
  In this way the possibility of a contactless check out is given. When you leave us, you can simply drop your room card in a box at the reception. Of course you can also pay your bill as usual at the reception. Our employees are trained accordingly and are anxious to reduce the contact to a necessary minimum for your health.
  
  
• Can I still take advantage of a late check out during this extraordinary time?
  It is possible to leave your room later for a corresponding surcharge. However, we ask for your understanding that this may not always be possible due to the extensive hygiene measures and the time involved. Our colleagues at the reception will be happy to help you with words and deeds. We ask for your understanding that in the next few months our Late Check Out checkrooms will not be available as usual. 
  
  
• Can I pay cash as usual in the Valentin Design Apartments?
  Cash payment is possible in principle, but we recommend - in the interest of your own health - a card payment.

• I am traveling with friends. Naturally we do not live in the same household. What do I have to consider if I travel with friends?Basically, the legal regulations in Austria apply. Since distance rules apply to people who do not live in your household, these rules should also be observed during your vacation.
  
  
• What happens if travel restrictions change during the stay?
  Unfortunately, we are not able to provide any guarantees or warranties in this regard. We recommend that you check the terms and conditions of your travel insurance regarding cancellation rules, short-term rebooking options and travel health insurance before you arrive.

Reception

• I would like to avoid personal contact as much as possible. Can I get information from a member of staff without going to reception?
  

  Our colleagues at reception are available to provide you with information, advice and tips by phone, via text messages on smartphones (e.g. WhatsApp) or by e-mail. Despite the current situation, we would like to maintain our quality of service and will therefore do our best to provide you with the best possible care during your stay.
  
  
• Do I have to expect restrictions (e.g. restricted opening hours) in Sölden?
  A few days before your arrival you will receive news (if the initial situation has changed) in an information message via e-mail. Unfortunately, from today's point of view, we cannot guarantee whether the use of all tourist infrastructures in Sölden will be possible without restrictions.