Terms and Conditions

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1. General

The Bernhäuser Forst Conference Centre (in the following: Conference Centre) an institution led by of the EJW in Wurttemberg. It belongs to the cooperation of the „Protestant conference houses in Wurttemberg“ as part of the Federal State Protestant Church in Wurttemberg. The conference centre offers accomodation, as well as rooms for conferences, seminars and similar events by external organizers and private individuals (in the following: Customers).

2. Booking contract

The present general terms of business (in the following: booking terms) content the agreement made between the conference centre and the customer (booking contract). The legal base of the booking contract is the description of the services provided in the reservation of the customer (online description under https://www.bernhaeuser-

forst.de/home/). The contract is effective through the reservation confirmation or the mutual signing of the booking contract by the conference centre and the customer. Only authorized persons are entitled to sign the contract. These booking terms apply to all services provided by  the conference centre, in particular for the booking of guest-rooms, other rooms and other services. The subletting or transfer of booked rooms to third parties are strictly excluded.

3. Arrival and departure

The dates for arrival and departure are determined individually by the conference centre and customer. In case of a room reservation, the customer can access it from 1 p.m., a right entitling an earlier entrance can not be granted. On the day of departure, the room must be left by 9 a.m.  at the latest. A later check-out can be arranged in time and for a fee. In case of a late arrival, the customer has the obligation to inform the conference centre as soon as possible, as far as it is accetable and reasonable for the customer. A compensation fee will be charged if the room has not been left by 9.00 a.m.

4. Payment terms

The customer receives an invoice for the agreed services. The conference centre will provide this in writing or via email  to the customer, payment is due immediately. Base of calculation are the agreed prices and services. These are calculated by the duration of stay and are valid for every customer as calculation basis. There will be a total invoice of all services; as an exception, separate calculations can be provided for individual guests against a fee are provided. The customer is responsible to cover all costs which are caused by the customer, by order or at request of the customer, or his guests, representatives or employees for any products or services. In the case of unclear invoice details, they have to be clarified with the conference centre within one week after the invoice was issued. The remaining amounts are due immediately and the customer has to compensate according to the regulations given above.

5. Withdrawal

5.1 Withdrawal and Cancellations by the conference centre

5.1.1 Withdrawal due to an important reason

The conference centre can withdraw from the booking contract if changed circumstances no longer allow accomodation and can not be accepted by the conference centre.

5.1.1.1 Force majeure

It is valid if the accomodation is in danger, or is disturbed or inhibited as a result of higher power by natural disasters or epidemics, and also if there are administrative orders for closing.

5.1.1.2. Guest-room and catering area

The conference centre can especially withdraw from the contract at any time before the beginning of the stay, if the guest-rooms or the catering and dining area or kitchen equipment are not fully available due to higher power

and no additional rooms or equipment are available.

5.1.1.3 Biased events

An important reason for the withdrawal from the contract is also given if facts become known to the conference centre that the conference, seminar or a similar event is carried out in ways that lead to reasonable doubts that the event is compatible with the principles of the EJW, as is described in §2 of its order.

5.1.1.4 Disturbing events

This is also valid if facts become known which lead to the assumption that the planned event affects remaining conference parties negatively or other guests are bothered by it.

5.1.2 Refunding of paid amounts

Already paid booking fees will be immediately refunded in full by the conference centre, in the case of the withdrawal before the beginning of the stay. If the withdrawal takes place after the beginning of the stay, refunds will be made accordingly to the total amount of days.

5.1.3 No further claims

In case of withdrawal due to important reasons as stated above, the customer is not entitled to claim compensation for additional costs such as travel or other accomodations costs or financial loss due to work loss. There will be no responsibility for indirect damage, particularly if it affects loss of profit or claims by third parties.

With refusal or notice of the allocation contract for important reason no claim to substitute exists for the guest to originating costs as for example travel costs, overnight costs or loss of working hours costs. For indirect damages, in particular escaped profit or claims of third, the conference centre will not cover.

5.1.4 Termination without notice due to unreasonableness

The conference centre can cancel the contract and keep the entitlement to be paid the agreed amount, if one or several participants of the customer’s party repeatedly disturb or interfere with other guests of the site, if equipment or furnishing is damaged or destroyed, or if the customer has to be made responsible for affecting the conference centre, the management or other guests in an unreasonable manner.

5.2 Withdrawal and cancellation by the customer

After a confirmed reservation and at any time before the beginning of the stay, the customer can still withdraw from the contract with an explanation to the conference centre. Any withdrawal has to be handed in in writing (letter, email, fax, etc.) to the postal address. After the beginning of the stay, the customer is entitled to withdrawal if there are severe damages or technical malfunctions where the conference centre can be made responsible. The withdrawal has to happen after a reasonable amount of time for the conference centre to react upon the damage. As an exception, this amount of time is not mandatory, if reparations are impossible, if the conference centre denies reparation or if the conditions due to the damage make it impossible for the customer to stay.

6. Cancellation expenses due to withdrawal or partial withdrawal by the customer

In the case of the withdrawal by the customer, the conference centre has the right to claim the whole agreed price, however, calculations for saved amounts and replacement arrangements have to be made.

Thus, the customer is merely obliged to pay the amounts agreed for the reservation of the rooms and services, if he cannot show less financial damage than listed below.The amounts for compensation payments are calculated according to the amount of days left before the beginning of the stay and the total of booked services:

These compensation payments are also due in the case the number of conference participants is less than the booked number of participants and will be calculated accordingly. If the number of participants is higher than in the booking and accomodation is still available, no additional fees apply apart from the regular booking fees.

6.1 No remission of cancellation fees

Cancellation fees caused by the customer’s withdrawal will not be remitted.

6.2.Non-attendance or delayed cancellation

In case of non-attendance of the customer or one of the customer’s group members to the conference or event without previous notice („no show“), the full booking fee has to be paid. This also applies in case a cancellation notice reaches the conference centre after the beginning of the stay. The conference centre, however, has the obligation to look for possible replacement bookings

6.2 Nonappearance or late cancellation notice

If the group of the customer or the single customer does not appear and does not cancell in advance to the event or at the agreed beginning („no show“), the whole booking price becomes due, also if a cancellation note arrives after the beginning of the stay.

However, the conference centre has to provide alternative bookings for the rooms within the range of usual business; if these efforts lead to another booking or to other savings, section 6.3 as mentioned below, is valid.

6.3. Compensation with proof of the actual damage

Both contract parties have the obligation to prove a financial damage that is not covered by the booking fee and that might be caused by a replacement booking for the same duration on the same date with the same services or in case of withdrawal or „no-show“. The same applies to the total of administrative costs. If this is sucessfully proved, the customer is obliged to the payment of a calculated financial damage.

7. Conference registration (check list / registration form)

For the proper realisation of an event the customer has to send back the check list at the latest 15 days before beginning of the event.

8. Meals

Full catering includes five meals offered per day. The fixed meal times are as follows:

Breakfast 07.30 – 09.00 a.m.

Lunch Mon. – Fr: 12.15 p.m.; Sat., Thus, holidays  at 12.00 p.m.

Dinner 06:00 p.m.

Teatime as requested

Different meal times have to be announced through the check list (Item 7). Special diet requirements have to be handed in with the participant lists 15 days in advance of the event. Special arrangements like receptions, buffets or similar, have to be made in advance and will be charged separately. Self catering is generally not allowed.

9. Liability and guarantee

9.1. If the actual sevices do not correspond to the agreements by contract the customer hast to report it to the conference centre immediately and claim a solution.

If the defect or damage considerably affects the customer’s stay, the customer has to set an adequate date until which the conference centre can react to the damage. Regulations described in section 5.2 are valid. The day centre does not cover damages originating from injury of the customer’s life, body or health, as far as is not based on a deliberate or careless breach of duty injury by the conference centre or one of its assistants. The customer is obliged to claim possible guarantee compensations against the conference centre within one month after the end of the planned stay.

9.2 The customer covers costs towards the conference centre for damages or losses caused by careless or deliberate behaviour of the customer, his guests, employees or representatives. In general, the damaging of walls, windows and doors by placing stickers is not allowed. Material damages and losses caused by the customer are to be announced to the conference centre immediately.

9.3 For the time the conference centre offers a parking space on site, there will be no contract of custody. There is no obligation for the conference centre to be supervised. The conference centre does not cover for damages done to the vehicle caused on the parking space.

9.4. The conference centre does not cover for damage, loss or theft of private belongings and objects of value for the customer. Left-behind articles will only sent back to the customer upon request and on their own risk. The conference centre commits to store left-behind items for six months.

10. Animals

Taking animals is not permitted to our customers for hygienic reasons and with respect to our other guests. The only exception are guiding dogs for the blind that have to be announced to the conference centre at the latest 3 weeks before the beginning of the stay. The holder covers for damages caused by the animal. This is valid for damages that happen during the stay as well as for those which are established up to six months after the end of the stay.

11. Spend the night in the tent or passenger car

Spending the night in the car, in a camper or caravan or in a tent is prohibited on the whole site. The customer has to ensure that all his participants are informed accordinlgy.

12. Permits

The customer has to procure necessary official permits for an event on time and at own expenses. The compliance of public and other regulations lies within his responsibility.

Costs arising from third parties have to be covered immediately by the customer himself.

13. Data protection and data use

For the preparation and realisation of the accomodation as well as for the calculation of the invoice the required personal data of the customer will be recorded and processed electronically. A recording for reasons apart from the above or the use for information of the customer of futre events will only occur by explicit request of the customer. The customer data are not transmitted to others for commercial purposes. Recorded and processed personal data of the customer occurs according to the data protection act of the Protestant Church in Germany and the regulations of the federal data protection act.

14. Limitation

All claims of the customer towards the conference centre come under the statute of limitations with the exception of intentional cases and of those cases where the claim arises from the injury of life, body or health,concerning contractual and non-contractual liability within one year from the beginning of legal limitation. The limitation begins at the end of the year in which the customer states his claims towards the conference centre.

15. Legal venue

For complaints of the customer against the conference centre or of the conference centre against the customer the seat of the conference centre is agreed as a legal venue.

Correspondence address:

Conference centre Bernhäuser Forst

Dr.-Manfred-Müller-Strasse 4

70794 Filderstadt

These general terms of business come into force as of 01/03/2017.