Objective obstacles as a reason for a cancellation
Compared to many other countries, Switzerland is currently doing well. The hotels are open and overnight guests may also be entertained in the restaurants. It is currently difficult for hotel owners: on the one hand, they want to satisfy the guests, on the other hand, planning security is required. What if the number of infections increases and there are changed entry regulations? How can the hotel accommodate the guest and at the same time keep itself afloat?
Cancellation is possible if? Objective obstacles? exist. The question now arises, what exactly? Objective obstacles? should be? The person skilled in the art explains that these are circumstances that are to be seen as an obstacle for a larger group of people. Consequently, it is not an objective obstacle if only one person or family were affected. Examples of such obstacles are quarantines or entry bans as well as the closure of tourist facilities and facilities ordered by the authorities.
So if there is a real obstacle to travel or there are reasons that make the trip impossible or difficult to carry out, cancellation is usually quite problem-free. This is also possible at short notice and is not subject to fees. However, anyone who expects the hotel to cancel a booking free of charge because the guest has a bad feeling after booking and is afraid of a possible infection is wrong. The contractually agreed cancellation conditions apply here, which can usually be staggered over a fixed period of time and, depending on the period, charge part of the booking fees as cancellation fees until the start of the trip. A private travel insurance can cover these things.
Better to book directly in the hotel
In Corona times, travelers should best stay away from booking portals on the Internet. The booking should be made directly at the hotel, as many hoteliers offer significantly more favorable cancellation conditions. You are now much more flexible and have some solutions up your sleeve that could not be used via the booking portal on the Internet. The usual cancellation rules apply, but regular guests or guests who can prove an infection can often assume a fair arrangement. However, hoteliers also warn that the guests have to rethink themselves. Because: Many booking portals advertise with particularly accommodating solutions, but many of them have been secretly reversed since they had to be used so heavily during the first Corona wave. The hotel operators therefore warn customers to make the necessary bookings themselves. This has another advantage for the hotel in question: on the one hand, it can plan better and, on the other hand, it saves the commissions that would normally have to be paid to the booking portals.
Found a good solution with vouchers
If the trip has to be canceled at short notice, there are still solutions that can save everything. These provide for a voucher to be awarded. This means that the guest has to cancel the booked period, but the hotel does not have to reimburse the money that has already been paid. A voucher is issued which the guest can then redeem at a later date. A good solution for both parties if the booking could otherwise no longer be legally canceled!
Conclusion: nice hotels with hospitable cancellation conditions
Thanks to the Corona crisis, the hotels had to come up with something about how to deal with cancellations in the future. What can be done to keep the guest happy? The solution now consisted of, for example, issuing vouchers so that the hotel does not have to reimburse the down payment that has already been made, which in most cases the customer would no longer be entitled to anyway. Another sensible solution is that the guest only books directly with the hotel, then there are more accommodating cancellation options.
