Weather
The destinations featured on this website are occasionally affected by adverse
weather conditions, eg, hurricanes. Due to unpredictability, they are a force majeure
event and we shall not be liable for any changes to your holiday arrangements,
either before departure, or during the holiday, which in our judgment are necessary
to protect your interests and/or safety.
Hotel Gradings
The dictat from Brussels demands that we give CATEGORIES for our hotels. In the USA, there are NO standard grading systems. Indeed some of the grading awards require the hotels to pay subscriptions! One factor to take into account is the way that Americans actually describe their hotels. They call them 'Inns', 'Lodges', 'Resorts', 'Motels' and even 'Hotels'. 'Motels' can include some of the nicest possible properties. Please note that facilities and standards can vary between hotels of the same rating throughout the world. For example, city hotels can have higher standards overall than a beach resort. If you compare the single-supplement charges shown in the hotel's price panel, you can get a general idea of how hotels, of the same rating in the same resort or country, compare.
We have decided to award Virgin 
s
to our hotels. We range from 2 VIRGIN V's to 5.
Hotel/Resort Facilities/Amenties and Descriptions
The Hotels we feature are generally open year round, so will have quieter times occasionally. This will enable you to take advantage of, for example, uncrowded beaches and a more personal service from hotel staff. However, this may mean that hotels scale down the availability of some facilities, such as the number of restaurants open or their opening hours, to reflect the number of guests.
Whilst the descriptions and information contained on this website about hotels and resorts were accurate at the time of publication, there can be changes. Facilities may become unavailable, for example the swimming pool may undergo maintenance work or restaurants may change from buffet to à la carte meals. Where possible, we will try our best to notify you of any changes that may affect your holiday. The information provided on our website relating to resort descriptions, local events or markets, resort attractions, restaurants etc, is offered in good faith and we therefore ask should this be important to you, that you check the details independently. If you are unsure about the suitability of a destination etc, we ask that you seek supplementary information which can be obtained from libraries, tourist offices, the internet etc.
Important Note about Beds in Hotels
Some hotels have TWO DOUBLE BEDS and can therefore sleep 4. Ideal for a family
with 2 children but not so ideal for four adults who don't know eachother THAT
well! Rooms can also come with ONE large or extra large DOUBLE BED. Perfect
for a couple. Rollaway beds can usually be supplied by the hotel to a maximum
of TWO but this rather depends on the room size. Some hotels charge locally
for these. Most hotel descriptions detail the bedding arrangements.
Safety
We take the safety and security of our clients extremely seriously. Sadly,
crimes against both people and their property are a fact of life all over the world. When in a foreign country it is very important to be extra vigilant and
avoid drawing attention to yourself. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice Unit may have issued information about your holiday destination(s). We recommend that you seek advice from the Foreign Office regarding your holiday destination(s) prior to making your reservation - this is easily available and can be checked on BBC2 Ceefax page 470 onwards or on the Internet under the address: www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo or by telephone on 0845 850 2829.
Alternatively, you can contact the ABTA Information Department on 0901 201 5050 (calls charged at 50p/minute). Your Travel Agent can also assist or you can contact us direct for advice.
Travellers have the same responsibility for their own safety and that of their possessions as they do at home. Virgin Holidays operates to many parts of the world, some of which do not conform to British health and safety standards. We request that all hotels/operators comply with the local regulations, but we cannot guarantee that these meet British standards and therefore urge you to undertake reasonable precaution whilst on holiday.
Power Cuts
Hotels in certain destinations are sometimes subject to power or water cuts,
although they do endeavour to keep inconvenience to a minimum. Hotels may, from
time to time, charge a nominal daily fee to your room bill to cover their additional
costs for power. Such charges incurred are non-refundable and payable locally.
See the Booking
Conditions for more details. Wherever we have stated that swimming pools
are heated kindly note that pool heating is as required by weather conditions
– we don’t want you to over heat!
Holiday Beaches
Please note that at certain times of the year, due to local sea currents and
changing environmental factors, some of our beautiful featured beaches may suffer
from erosion and a reduction in size.
Building Work
Sometimes redecoration work or building work can commence at or near a hotel. These circumstances are beyond our control and we do not always receive advance notification. We will notify you as soon as possible, if we consider that building work will have a significant effect on the enjoyment of your holiday.
Excursions
Please note that height, weight and health restrictions may apply for some
excursions.
Swimming Pools
Wherever we have stated that swimming pools are heated, kindly note that pool heating is as required by weather conditions - we don't want you to overheat!
Taste of Adventure Accommodation
Whilst on your adventure, accommodation may be simple with only basic washing
and toilet facilities, as you could be staying in a local guesthouse. Whilst
you may not have all the creature comforts that you are used to, it is all part
of the experience. In exceptional circumstances where accommodation is limited,
guests may have to share.
Meals on your Adventure
The standard of food will vary depending on your adventure and meals may be
simple or limited in choice. For each adventure the meals included are specified
in the adventure description, eg B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner. The adventure
operator may not be able to accommodate all dietary requests, including vegetarian.
Safety on your Adventure
Your safety is of paramount importance, so it is essential that you listen
carefully to any safety briefing by the adventure operator and follow their
advice. For some of the activities, the local operator may request that you
sign a disclaimer before taking part. This is to confirm that you have been
made aware of Health and Safety requirements and understand any risks involved
in taking part in the activity.
Important note about travel dates - Ramadam
In Muslim countries you may find that there are restrictions on alcohol consumption,
restaurant facilities and entertainment during the month of Ramadan, which commences
in 2007 on 12th September and in 2008 on the 02nd September.