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General Booking Policies
Compass Tours
Payment & Cancellation Policies
At any point during the planning, and duration of, your vacation, please don't hesitate to contact us if you have questions or concerns.
We want you to have a worry-free experience and will do everything we can to help you achieve that!
Acceptance
By providing Compass Tours with your personal details and instructing us to proceed with the arrangement of your vacation, you confirm that you have read, understood and accepted the policies set out below and on the Payment Policies page. Please take the time to read this information carefully.
Privacy
Compass Tours confirms that your personal information will not be shared with anyone, in any form, without prior consent.
Currency
All prices are quoted in Canadian Dollars and will be charged in Canadian Dollars. The exchange rate into your home currency will be set by your credit card company, based on the exchange rate the card company is using on the date that the payment is processed. For more information about the exchange rate being used by your card company, and any fees that apply to foreign purchases, please contact your card company directly. Please note that Compass Tours has no control over exchange rates. Any non-Canadian amounts shown on the Compass Tours website or in any quotes or correspondence are approximate and are subject to fluctuation without prior notice. These non-Canadian currency values are provided only as a convenience to our international clients.
Taxes
Prices exclude all applicable taxes unless stated otherwise. Taxes are payable in advance, at the time of full payment. There is 5% General Sales Tax on all items. There is 7% Provincial Sales Tax on rental equipment. There is 8% (in Panorama) or 10% (in Sun Peaks, Whistler, and Vancouver) B.C. Hotel Tax on all accommodation.
The Canadian government refund of GST on short-term accommodation and souvenirs is being phased out. Please visit the Canada Revenue Agency website for more information.
Travel Documentation
This information is applicable to all visitors who reside outside Canada, including non-resident Canadians and visitors from the USA.
It is the responsibility of the traveler to ensure that valid travel documentation is carried by all members of the party, and that all persons in the party are eligible for entry to Canada.
If entering Canada from any other country, it is recommended that each traveler possesses his/her own passport which is valid at least six months after returning home.
At least three months before you leave home, we recommend that you contact your nearest Canadian government representative (consulate or embassy) for details about requirements and restrictions for entering Canada, as well as your home country's immigration department regarding re-entry to that nation.
If children are traveling alone, with only one parent, or with a guardian, be sure that the non-traveling parent/s provide the relevant documentation allowing the children to travel into Canada. All children, regardless of age, should have their own passports.
Neither Compass Tours, nor any of its partners, will be responsible should any person be denied entry to Canada, or re-entry into the country of residence, for any reason. No refund is possible for cancellations that are made because entry to Canada has been denied.
Note to all citizens/residents of, or visitors traveling through, the USA: The US government's Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative currently requires valid passport documentation for all air travelers between the USA and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Please visit the WHTI website for current information on road and sea travel documentation requirements, and updates on air travel - regulations change all the time.
Accommodation Security Deposit
Upon check-in, a signed credit card voucher (the credit card is to be in the name of the person renting the room, and the slip is to be signed by the credit card's legal owner) will be required as a security deposit by the hotel/property manager. The credit card slip is usually destroyed ten days after your departure, once it has been ascertained that no damages have been sustained in the unit, that no items are missing from the unit, and that there are no outstanding incidental charges.
Any disputes about security deposits are to be resolved by the guest directly with the hotel/property manager.
Booking Age
Most condominiums and private homes require that renters be at least 25 years of age. At least 80% of the party must be over 25 years, except in the case of bona fide families with children. Hotels generally have a minimum age limit of 21 years to rent a room, and require that the guest present a valid credit card in his/her own name. Identification may be checked upon arrival and guests will be subject to the discretion of hotel management should age requirements not be met. Should the property manager elect to deny guests who do not meet age requirements access to the property, or for this or any other reason, the guests will have no recourse through either Compass Tours, or its partners, and no refund will be processed.
Conduct
The registered guest is at all times responsible for the conduct of his/her accompanying guests. Please ensure that behaviour is not offensive or disturbing to other guests' enjoyment of the resort, nor damaging to any property, equipment or facilities, whether public or private. It is the guest's responsibility to ensure that all Canadian and B.C. laws are adhered to, from littering through to the consumption of alcoholic beverages and illegal drugs. Ignorance of the law is not considered a valid excuse. Should the property manager elect to deny guests access to the property for any reason, the guests will have no recourse through either Compass Tours, or its partners, and no refund will be processed.
Check-In & Check-Out
As a general rule, check-in is from 4pm, and check-out is required by 10am, but this varies from property to property. Early check-in and/or late check-out can be requested, but cannot be guaranteed. Most properties have the facilities to store your luggage if you're not able to check in immediately, or would like to check out late, so that you're free to spend the time elsewhere. A fee, which will vary from property to property, may apply if you do not check out in a timely manner. At some properties, the facility is available to prepay a guaranteed early check-in or late check-out.
Bed Configuration
While the unit provided to the guest is guaranteed to sleep the relevant number of people, and every effort will be made by both Compass Tours and the property manager to provide the guest with a unit that features the bed configuration requested, the bedding cannot be guaranteed.
Ski In/Ski Out Location
While many properties are correctly described as ski in/ski out, please be aware that this access is subject to weather and snow conditions. At any time, any ski in/ski out property may, due to circumstances beyond anyone's control, not have this access. No refund or discount is possible, from either Compass Tours or its suppliers, should this access not be available.
Housekeeping
Maid service varies from property to property, but as a general rule hotels have daily maid service, while most condominiums are light-clean serviced every three or four days during stays of seven nights or longer. Linen changes in condo's are usually done once a week. The current trend in self-contained and fully-equipped condominiums is for guests to take complete care of their own units between check-in and check-out, ie: washing linens/towels, cleaning kitchens/bathrooms, garbage removal, etc. Extra condo housekeeping services are always available upon request, for a fee. Please note that if rooms are left in a particularly poor condition, a fee may be charged against your security deposit by the property manager for deep cleaning and/or repairs.
Cots, Highchairs, Cribs
Extra equipment rentals must be arranged in advance to guarantee availability, and a fee may apply. Cots (roll-away beds), highchairs, and cribs are not available to rent in all units. Cot/crib rentals include linens/blankets/pillows.
Minimum Stay Requirements
Minimum stay requirements vary from property to property, and from season to season. Compass Tours will advise guests about any restrictions at the time of initial inquiry. There will be no refund for early check-outs.
Pets
Unless a pet has been prebooked and declared upon check-in, no animals (be they mammal, reptile, aquatic, avian or insect) are permitted in the rooms. Some properties allow pets in certain room categories and a fee often applies. Please note that pets are not to be left unattended in the room, even if the pet is crated. Additionally, please be aware that if you leave your pet alone in your vehicle or tied up somewhere for any length of time, in any weather, there's a good chance that it will be reported to the authorities and action may be taken to rescue the animal. A fine and/or impounding may occur.
Parking
Parking for one vehicle per unit is available at all properties, unless otherwise stated. A nightly fee, which varies from property to property and from season to season, applies at most hotels/lodges, while most condo's have free parking. If you have more than one vehicle, please make the necessary arrangements with the property manager when you check in.
Parking fees are not included in Compass Tours packages unless specifically stated.
Overnight parking is not permitted in the day lots, but daytime parking in the day lots is free. The earlier you arrive, the shorter the walk! Wherever you park, please observe all posted parking regulations and fee requirements - tickets will be issued! Illegally parked vehicles will be towed and a fee will apply to release them from impound.
Gratuities & Incidental Charges
Gratuities are not included in Compass Tours packages unless specifically stated. In general, tipping 15% of the value of your meal (including beverages) is standard - more for exceptional service is always appreciated. The tipping of housekeeping staff, porters, concierges, instructors, guides, etc, is encouraged but entirely at your discretion.
Please note that incidental charges such as telephone calls, internet access, parking, meals, laundry, minibar snacks, etc, are not included in packages unless specifically stated.
Fireplaces
Please be aware that, due to environmental concerns, most properties offer gas or electric fireplaces. The few locations that offer presto-log or wood-burning fireplaces, usually provide a small supply of fuel. A fee may apply for extra logs.
Smoking
For the most part, accommodations and indoor public spaces (restaurants, shops, bars, etc) are non-smoking. Smoking is not permitted in public enclosed areas and, when outdoors, the proper disposal of butts/ashes is mandatory. Throughout B.C., it is law that outdoor smoking is not permitted within 3m (about 10ft) of a door or an open window, except in Vancouver where 6m (about 20ft) is required.
Forest fire is a very real threat. Never throw butts/ashes out of car windows or off lifts, or dispose of them anywhere except in designated ashtrays or garbage receptables, even if you think they're properly extinguished. Not only is carelessly dropping your cigarette butts a fire hazard and offensive to the natural environment that you're visiting, it is also incredibly selfcentered to assume that someone will go around behind you picking up your toxic trash.
Extra Person Charges
"Extra person" refers to guests over and above the standard number of guests (regardless of age) permitted per room, based on occupancy rules set by unit owners and municipal fire regulations. For example: hotel room, studio and one-bedroom units are based on one or two occupants, while up to four people can be accommodated in most of these units, with the third and fourth people paying extra person charges; similarly, a two-bedroom unit is based on two to four people with a maximum of six people - the fifth and sixth would pay extra person charges; etc.
Rates and age-limits for extra persons vary from property to property. Generally, hotels/lodges accept children under 18 sharing with parents at no extra charge, and condo's accept children under 12 sharing with parents at no extra charge.
Customer Discretion
Reservations made through Compass Tours are made based on the assumption that the number of guests, and their ages, specified by the client at the time of booking is accurate. The property manager requires prior notification should the number of guests increase, and an additional charge may apply. Any increase in numbers is to conform to maximum occupancy rules and municipal fire regulations. The property manager has the right to refuse additional guests, or interrupt the stay of guests who disregard maximum occupancy regulations. Such guests will secure alternative lodgings at their own expense. Disputes regarding the number of guests staying in each unit are to be resolved by the guest directly with the property manager, and no refund will be processed by Compass Tours.
Limit of Liability
While Compass Tours acts as an agent for the hotels and property managers featured, the company accepts no liability on their behalf. Compass Tours and/or its partners reserve the right to transfer guests to an equivalent accommodation if the reserved property becomes unavailable due to circumstances beyond their control, eg: fire, flood, etc. Prior notification of changes may not be possible. The availability of certain properties may change after confirmation.
Award Points & Airmiles
Frequent traveler points and airmiles cannot be redeemed or collected when booking through Compass Tours. However, travel club memberships, such as Delta Privilege, may afford guests other benefits. Such benefits will be at the discretion of hotel management and cannot be guaranteed. The guest should advise Compass Tours of his/her membership number so that his/her eligibility for any special consideration can be forwarded to the hotel prior to arrival.
Duty Free & Customs Restricted Items
There are limited amounts of alcohol and tobacco products, among other items, that can be purchased tax-free when traveling internationally. There are also strict rules regarding the transportation of items such as weapons, some camping products, chemicals (including toiletries), plants, animals, etc. The traveler is responsible for educating him/herself about, and adhering to, these regulations. Please be sure to observe all regulations to avoid punitive charges and/or confiscation and/or arrest. Compass Tours does not take any responsibility for charges and/or confiscation and/or arrests of this nature, or delays resulting from disputes regarding these products that cause disruption of reserved arrangements. No refunds will be made for cancellations due to these delays.
Travel Insurance
Cancellation, interruption, and travel medical insurance are strongly recommended. For insurance matters, please contact your credit card company which may offer various travel insurance options, your home-owner's insurance carrier which may offer add-on options to your home-owner's policy, or a retail travel agent who will be able to provide cost-effective options.
Flora and Fauna
Many species of interesting animals and plants abound in the mountains of British Columbia. When encountering animals, please remember that they are wild and are therefore unpredictable and possibly dangerous. Never approach an animal or offer it food, or provide any other stimulation for the animal to move towards your position in order to provide entertainment or photo opportunities. It is the traveler's responsbility to educate him/herself about the flora and fauna in the areas that he/she will be frequenting.
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