In the following booking conditions, "we" and/or "us" means Sierra Essence Ski & Mountain Center 2006 S.L.. "You" means all persons named on the booking form (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date). The "Owner(s)" means the owners and/or managers/agents/suppliers of the properties, establishments, activities and transportation we feature on our website. The "Arrangements" refer to anything that is not a property reservation that may include any or more of the following: activities, hikes, transfers, child care etc. as advertised on the Website or via any other communication offered by Sierra Essence.

1. Except where otherwise specified, we, Sierra Essence Ski & Mountain Center 2006 S.L. of C/Pico del Goteron, 18160 Güejar Sierra, Granada, Spain act purely as an intermediary agent in respect of all bookings we take and/or make on your behalf. We are not a travel agency and therefore are not bound by any legal travel bond obligation other than holding a comprehensive Public Liability Insurance.
   
   We accept no liability in relation to any contract you enter into or for any services or arrangements (including but not limited to property rental, car hire and activities) you purchase or for the acts or omissions of any supplier(s) or other person(s) or party(ies) connected with any arrangements. For all arrangements, your contract will be with the supplier of the arrangements.
2. The terms and conditions of the supplier(s) of your confirmed arrangements will also apply to your booking. These terms and conditions may limit and/or exclude the supplier's liability to you.
3. BOOKING: You should initially email us with full details of your chosen property and/or any other arrangements. You can do this by standard email or using our Booking Enquiry Form. We will then send you the relevant costs and ask if you would like us to check availability with the property Owner and/or other arrangements for the dates requested. If there is availability we will notify you, for which you must then complete the Booking Form, print it off, sign it and send it to us together with all appropriate payment information (see clause 4 below). On receipt of your booking form we will request confirmation and only charge you once we have the confirmation from the respective Owner.
4. TERMS OF PAYMENT: In order to confirm your accommodation booking a deposit of at least 50% of the total cost of the accommodation (or full payment if booking within two weeks of arrival) must be paid at the time of booking. For other arrangements (lift pass pre-bookings, transportation, crèche etc) full payment will be taken immediately.
   
   The balance of the cost of the property you have booked must be paid as directed by us no less than two weeks before the commencement date of your stay at the property or commencement of any other arrangement as shown on the confirmation letter, together with the full Security Deposit (where applicable).
   
   If we do not receive all payments due (including any surcharge where applicable) in full and on time, the Owner reserves the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you. In this case the cancellation charges set out in clause 6 below will be payable by you.
   
   If you make payments to us that result in a charge to us (for example an overseas bank to UK bank transfer), you will be responsible for payment of this charge.
   
   Credit card payments are accepted with a supplement charge added as indicated on your Booking Form.
   
   All payments made to Sierra Essence are done so by the client under the assumption that they have read through and are in agreement with all the points laid out in these terms & conditions.
5. PRICES: Any prices featured on our website are in Euros. We normally require payment in the currency that is relevant to the individual property and/or arrangement and shown on the property details page, but where exchange rates are required payment will normally be calculated on the mid-market exchange rate for the period of payment and the total value will be quoted directly from us to you. Prices may be increased by the Owner(s) and passed on to you by us on behalf of the Owner(s) concerned by way of a surcharge should costs increase due to adverse changes in the exchange rate used to calculate the cost of the properties featured. However, once the price of your chosen holiday and /or arrangement has been confirmed at the time of booking then (subject to the correction of errors) no additional payments will be requested following settlement of the balance.
   
   Please note, the information and prices shown on this website may have changed by the time you come to book your holiday. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the website and prices at the time of uploading such information, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen holiday (including the price) with us at the time of booking.
6. CANCELLATION BY THE CLIENT:  If you wish to cancel your booking the party leader must notify us by email. Cancellation of accommodation and/or arrangements will only be effective from the date we receive the emailed cancellation advice. We also ask that you call us after sending your email cancelation request to ensure that we have received it and avoid any further inconveniences that may occur to you or us. As an intermediary agent, Sierra Essence cannot govern individual cancelation policies stipulated by the various hotels and agencies. We will always honour the cancellation terms of the individual hotel or agency, eg if they permit a full refund if the booking is cancelled 48 hours or more before arrival, we will do the same. An administration fee of 40 euros will be charged if cancellation occurs within 14 days of arrival*
   
   *Bank transfer fees and other such costs are not refundable in the event of your cancellation.
7. CANCELLATION BY THE OWNER : In the very unlikely event that the property and/or arrangement(s) you have booked cease to be available as booked, and the Owner is unable to offer you acceptable alternative accommodation, the Owner will refund to you all the money you have paid (including the deposit).
   
   In this very unlikely situation we shall endeavour to re-schedule any holidays and/or arrangements that may have to be cancelled as a result with the Owner concerned to your satisfaction. If this is not possible it is your responsibility to negotiate a reasonable agreement directly with the Owner. We will be happy to pass on any correspondence from you to the Owner and vice versa. However, we shall have no further responsibility towards you and we will not be liable for any costs you may have incurred or pay you any compensation if we are unable to re-schedule your holiday as set out above or you are unable to negotiate a reasonable agreement with the Owner.
8. ALTERATIONS BY THE CLIENT: If you wish to increase or reduce the number of people in your party, or make a name change or any other amendment to your booking following the dispatch of the confirmation letter, a minimum fee of 40 (forty) euros per alteration will be charged to cover costs incurred by us together with any costs incurred or imposed by the Owner concerned.
9. INFORMATION: While we make reasonable efforts to ensure that descriptions supplied by Owners are accurately reproduced on our website, on our documentation and given by us verbally we do not accept responsibility for any descriptions which contain inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information or errors and which have been supplied by the Owner, nor can we accept any responsibility for any other inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information or errors appearing on our website except where this arises out of our negligence or that of any of our employees (providing they were at the time acting within the course of their employment.) Differences between photographs and text and actual property/arrangements may occur. If we have been informed of material changes after your booking has been confirmed we will advise you before departure.
   
   Where we carry out a personal inspection of a property, this is for the purpose of ensuring that the property meets the general overall standard we require of all the properties we advertise. We do not undertake inspections in order that we can advise you of their suitability for your particular needs and any statements we make to you concerning the property or its amenities should not be used by you as the basis for deciding whether to book that property.
10. SELF-CATERING APARTMENTS (SIERRA NEVADA): Unless otherwise confirmed in writing, self-catering accommodation is booked purely on the basis of the maximum sleeping capacity of the apartment as well as its approximate location (see point 11 for further details). For accommodation within the ski resort of Sierra Nevada, the location is split into three generic areas or "Zones": Top Zone, Mid Zone & Central Zone.
    
    Top Zone: Everything located upwards from the Monte Oiz / Sierra Alacant apartment blocks.
    
    Mid Zone: Everything above the Monte Gorbea apartment block leading up to the Monte Oiz / Sierra Alacant apartment blocks
    
    Central Zone: Everything located from the Monte Gorbea apartment block (also considered as central zone location) down to the central squares.
    
    Apartments in Sierra Nevada are generically categorised as follows among the various agencies operating in Sierra Nevada:
    
    A8 - Apartment or duplex with 2 or 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (or 1 bathroom plus wash-room with toilet), lounge, kitchen(ette) - Max. Sleeping Capacity 8 people.
    B8 - Apartment or duplex with 2 or 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, lounge, kitchen(ette) - Max. Sleeping Capacity 8 people.
    B6 - Apartment or duplex with 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, lounge, kitchen(ette) - Max. Sleeping Capacity 6 people.
    D6 - Apartment with 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, lounge, kitchen(ette) - Max. Sleeping Capacity 6 people.
    D5 - Apartment with 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, lounge, kitchen(ette) - Max. Sleeping Capacity 5 people.
    D4 - Apartment with 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, lounge, kitchen(ette) - Max. Sleeping Capacity 4 people.
    E5 - Bedsit with possible area division, 1 bathroom, lounge, kitchen(ette) - Max. Sleeping Capacity 5 people.
    E4 - Bedsit with possible area division, 1 bathroom, lounge, kitchen(ette) - Max. Sleeping Capacity 4 people.
    E3 - Bedsit with 1 bathroom, lounge, kicthen(ette) - Max. Sleeping Capacity 3 people.
    E2 - Bedsit with 1 bathroom, lounge, kicthen(ette) - Max. Sleeping Capacity 2 people.
    
    Due to the multitude of apartment designs and layouts, these categorisations are provided as a basic guideline in terms of what to expect. Through our years of experience in Sierra Nevada we urge you to read the followig carefully on points that may come as a surprise to visitors coming to the resort for the first time:
    
    Important: It is in our opinion that Sierra Nevada does not provide "luxury" self-catering accommodation and we will always recommend hotel accommodation to anyone who appears to be looking for something with a little more quality to their choice of accommodation. Having said that, we are very much in close contact with a number of agencies operating in resort which has allowed us to sift through and offer you the best options. If a proprietor makes any kind of refurbishment to their apartment, we are usually informed of this to then view it for ourselves before advertising it on our website.
    
    As standard, all apartments come equipped with the following: Full bath or shower room (a bath-tub is not guaranteed), kitchenette (often combined with the living area rather than separate), cuttlery & crockery suitable for basic catering to the maximum occupancy of the unit, microwave, twin electric hob, fridge-freezer, TV (generally local channels only). Kettles are unlikely to be provided.
    
    "Bedrooms": Please note that in several apartment blocks throughout the resort, there has been an increase in using areas that are separate from the lounge space in which a bunk bed has been placed and hence categorised as a "1 bedroom" apartment. This includes hallway's which could be upon entry to the accommodation or an area created originally for access to another bedroom and/or bathroom. These areas may or may not have a division from the main living area but are nevertheless categorised as a "bedroom".
    
    Beds: Sleeping arrangements vary greatly from one apartment to another and many consist of any combination of double beds, single beds, bunk beds, low-level beds, z-beds and sofa-beds. Requests may be made for specific sleeping requirements although we are given no guarantees by the owner/agent.
    Note Regarding Bunk Beds: Due to the large variety of furnishings used by individual proprietors in self-catering units, we are unable to guarantee safety rails on bunk beds.
    
    Space: Where apartments are rented out to their full capacity, storage space may be limited. Many of the newer buildings often have significantly smaller apartments than the older blocks. As such, we may recommend a lower maximum capacity to our clients for certain units that we know about in order to provide a more comfortable outcome for you. The older blocks are generally more spacious but occassionally more deteriorated in their decor and furnishings.
    
    Hot Water: Apartments are generally equipped with electric water heaters. Hot water may be limited in order to feed several consecutive showers for all occupants and it is quite normal to expect to have to wait after 2-3 showers for the water to heat up sufficiently. The hot water capacity does not cater for all occupants taking baths!
    
    Parking is often available for apartment rentals and may be subject to additional charges.
    
    Photographs of many properties shown on the website are provided purely as an idea of what may be expected and, unless otherwise specified, in no way reflect the exact apartment that you may finally be allocated. Differences occur with decoration, furnishings and general room distribution thereby making it impossible to show all options. No photos are available other than those shown on the website.
    
    During High Season periods it is not uncommon to experience disturbances from other apartment occupants within the accommodation building. If the apartment in question has been let by the same agency, the occupants may be advised to keep the noise down in the future. In all other cases neither the rental agency nor Sierra Essence accepts responsibility. Most accommodation blocks do not have a night guard service unless indicated on the website.
11. PROPRIETOR / AGENCY AGREEMENTS FOR THE RENTAL OF SELF-CATERING APARTMENTS (Sierra Nevada Only): In order for our clients to better understand Sierra Nevada reservation policy where it comes to self-catering apartments, the following standard agreements are made between the proprietor and the agency:
    
    Where a proprietor agrees to let their apartment out via an agency, their contract agreement typically allows them a period of between 10-20 days (particularly during high season periods and this may vary between agencies) to make any private reservations for their own unit. During other periods of the season and within reason they may even be within their right to reserve their apartment for private use right up to the last minute. For this reason, standard policy is made to reserve self-catering accommodation based solely on the zone location and sleeping capacity as indicated in point 10 above. By not allocating a particular accommodation unit, the agencies hope to avoid any Client disappointment which might have been caused if a unit had been allocated and then the proprietor withdrew it from the rental market for the dates booked by the client.
    
    *SPECIFIC ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS*: In several instances and with different agencies, Sierra Essence has negotiated the ability to request specific units as advertised on our website. In these cases, our confirmation of availability and final reservation is only provided on the Client's full understanding that amendments may be made by the responsible accommodation agent in the event of unforeseen circumstances, such as maintenance issues, acts of God, sale of the property, proprietor amendments, damage caused by previous tenants etc. which may result in last minute re-allocations having to be made.
    
    Where modifications are made, Sierra Essence will make all efforts to ensure you are informed as soon as we are made aware of the situation by the respective accommodation agency. Standard cancellation policy will apply. Neither the respective accommodation agency nor Sierra Essence will be held responsible for any such amendments that may be deemed necessary for reasons mentioned in the above paragraph.
12. APARTMENT KEY COLLECTION & DEPARTURE: By standard policy, key collection is made between 17.00 - 20.00hrs on the day of your arrival. Departures are requested to be made by 10am. Failure to vacate on time may result in a surcharge equivalent to the value of 1 night's rental according to current rates at the time of departure.
    
    On arrival, you may be required to sign a contract from the respective agency and pass on details of a credit card or cash payment as a deposit to be held and returned on your departure. You are requested to ensure that all furniture is left in a similar state and position as found on arrival; all crockery and cutlery is washed and stowed; rubbish is dropped into the containers found along the roadsides, all used linen and towels should be piled in a heap and left in the bathroom and the key is left with the relevant agency office or reception.
13. HOTEL RESERVATIONS: ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE - Standard policy issued by Hotels state that check-in will be made from 4pm and check-out by 12 noon. Failure to vacate on time may result in a surcharge equivalent to the value of 1 night's accommodation according to current rates at the time of departure.
    
    BEDS - "Double" rooms are generally furnished with two single beds set side by side. Double beds are rarely provided except in rooms allocated specifically as "single" where even here it may not be a full sized double bed. Where third and fourth beds are required, these may vary in forms from sofa-bed, bunk beds and pull-out beds etc. Hotels do vary in their choice of sleeping arrangements.
    
    FACILITIES - These vary greatly from one hotel to another and are in no way reflected in any prices provided unless clearly stated in the actual quotation sent to you.
    
    PARKING - Some hotels have private parking facilities which are generally required to be reserved on arrival due to limited availability. We do not make any reservation for parking at any of the hotels we use and in no way will this be included in to any quotes we provide you unless specifically stated on the email confirmation.
14. LATE ARRIVALS & SUPPLEMENTS (Sierra Nevada Apartments Only): You are requested to advise us at least 24 hours in advance on your estimated time of arrival. Failure to do so may result in losing the first night's accommodation if arriving after 20.00hrs. Arrivals (for Sierra Nevada only) after 20.00hrs are subject to the following supplements (Euros) to cover ad-hoc staffing expenses:
    
    20.00 - 21.00:           10.00€
    21.00 - 23.00            15.00€
    23.00 - 01.00:           20.00€
    01.00 - 03.00:           30.00€
    03.00 - 05.00:           40.00€
    05.00 - 08.00:           50.00€
    
    These payments will be made upon arrival in cash directly to the person who meets you and before entry to the accommodation.
15. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES: Unless otherwise stated, a security deposit is usually required for most self-catering accommodation to cover the cost of any damages and/or breakages and (where applicable) the cost of excess cleaning and other services incurred and which are payable by you during your stay. Your credit card details may be held by Sierra Essence for this purpose or a cash amount of up to 50€ per occupant will be payable on arrival to the owner/agent. In some instances and where advised by us, this deposit may be required at the time of confirming your booking.
    
    If no damage and/or costs as stated above has been caused and/or incurred by you or you have settled the cost of these direct with the Owner before your departure from the property any security deposit paid will be returned in full upon departure.
    
    Only those persons named on the booking form may use and stay at the property(s) booked. In the event that the maximum number allowed at the property is exceeded without the prior agreement of the Owner, the Owner reserves the right to terminate the booking of the party in question at their sole discretion.
    
    You must maintain the property in the same state of repair and condition as at the time of your arrival at the property and you must leave the property in the same state of cleanliness and general order and repair in which you found it. Should any of the equipment or furnishings in the property be lost or damaged or the property itself be damaged, you, if the Owner prefers, will be required to make immediate cash settlement with the Owner, rather than having the monies deducted from any security deposit you have paid (if applicable), or, if the security deposit is not sufficient to cover the cost of any damage caused and/or costs incurred and/or services payable by you in addition to forfeiting your damage deposit or, (if so requested by the Owner) with us on the Owner's behalf for any necessary replacements or repair either before or after your departure from the property. If you make immediate cash settlement with the Owner or us and the security deposit or any part of it is not required, such amount as is not required by the Owner will be refunded to you on your return.
16. LIFT PASSES (Sierra Nevada): Sierra Essence pre-books lift passes for 2* or more days only. 1 day lift passes should be purchased locally. All passes purchased require a refundable deposit to be paid of 3.00€ per pass upon collection. This amount is refunded to you at the end of your stay by posting the lift pass(es) into the designated (blue) machines located in various positions around the ski resort.
    
    In the event you are unable to ski on any of your days due to bad weather resulting in the closure of the lifts, or that you have an accident thereby impeding any further skiing, you will need to hand your lift passes back to us at the end of your stay in order to process any kind of rebate. For accidents, a copy of your medical report obtained in the resort's clinic will also be needed. Failure to do so means we shall be unable to provide any kind of refund to you. Please advise us in advance (+34 670 461330 / 646 178406) in the event you are unable to continue skiing so that we may make arrangements to meet you after your final ski run.
    
    Refunds for lift passes are not instantaneous can take up to a few weeks before being finalised. All requests are reviewed by the lift pass company, Cetursa S.A. who give the authorisation to refund you accordingly. We take no financial liability in the final amounts calculated for your refund as issued to us by the lift pass company and can only aid in the intermediary process of communication between you, our booking agent and the lift pass company, (Cetursa S.A.), for any doubts that may arise thereof. 
    
    In the event of losing ski days, as described above, whereby the number of days lost result in the overall total number of days skied being just 1 day, the appropriate refund authorised by the lift pass company will be subjected to an additional administration fee of 10€ per pass. In the event of losing ski days whereby the overall total number of days skied were 2 or more, no administration fee will be applied. Likewise, in the event all days of your booking were lost as described above, the full authorised amount will be refunded without any administration fee being applied.
    
    Should you be unsatisfied with the refunded amount given we will be happy to pass on any correspondence from you to the Lift Pass Company and vice versa. However, we shall have no further responsibility towards you and we will not be liable for any costs you may have incurred or pay you any compensation if you are unable to negotiate a reasonable agreement with the Lift Pass Company.
    
    *For 2 day bookings only that cover specific weekends (Saturday and/or Sunday) throughout the season, we are obliged to charge a higher rate than if you were to buy the passes yourselves directly. For 3 or more days, this is not the case!
17. ACTIVITIES & HIKES: All activities & hikes reserved are carried out strictly dependent on the weather conditions on the day of the activity or activities. Where conditions are deemed unstable from a safety perspective by the acting activity company, an alternative solution may be offered whether it is the same activity on a different day or at a different time or an alternative activity or hike that is not affected in the same adverse way as the original activity.
    
    All meeting points, times and relevant contact numbers are provided at the time of confirmation by payment. These are subject to last minute alterations for which you are required to contact the respective supplier at least 24 hours before the event takes place.
    
    If the client is insufficiently equipped to safely partake in the activity, the acting guide(s) reserves the right to cancel or postpone the activity according to their respective operating and safety policies. This may incur an amendment fee.
    
    The acting guide is entirely responsible for the on goings of the activity or hike and must at all times be adhered to when and if specific instructions are given.
    
    Levels of English speaking may be limited to basic vocabulary relating to the activity or hike and any equipment that may be used. Whilst no guarantees are made, Sierra Essence endeavour to ensure the acting activity company provides their most linguistically skilled guides for the activities or hikes required.
    
    In some instances, and by way of example (although in no way limiting to these examples), lack of client fitness, incoming adverse weather and other unforeseeable circumstances, the guide may decide to modify the itinerary of the activity or hike at hand in order to adhere to minimum safety requirements.
18. TRANSFERS: Sierra Essence uses registered transportation taxi & bus companies for transfers to/from the Client's accommodation. The vehicles used are hence insured, maintained and licensed by these independent companies over which Sierra Essence holds no influence.
    
    You will be met by the driver who will have a sign with the Booking Name written on it. Ensure you have your transfer confirmation document with you in the event it is requested by the driver.
    
    Sierra Essence holds no liability regarding any issues that may arise during the transfer but will assist in passing on any correspondence to the transportation company involved.
19. CRECHE / SNOW GARDEN (Sierra Nevada): We apply a minimum charge for the intermediating service of booking our client's children into the ski resort Crèche and/or Snow Garden. These companies are run entirely separately from Sierra Essence and your contract for either is strictly between you and them. All complaints should be addressed directly to the respective company. Please also see clause 1 above and our conditions of website use.
20. AIR TRANSPORT : Please note that we do not sell or make available for sale or process the sale of flights. Any contract you have in respect of flights will be with the flight provider concerned.
21. CAR HIRE : We may refer you to car hire companies from time to time. These companies are entirely separate companies from us and your contract for car hire is strictly between you and them. Any complaints should be addressed directly to the car hire company. Please also see clause 1 above and our conditions of website use.
22. PERSONAL TRAVEL INSURANCE: You are strongly recommended to take out personal travel insurance. We do not currently offer any form of travel insurance to you. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance you purchase is adequate and appropriate for your particular needs. Please read your policy details and take them on holiday with you. We cannot accept any responsibility in the event that you have failed to arrange travel insurance.
23. COMPLAINTS: As we act only as an intermediary agent in all bookings we take and/or make, we cannot accept responsibility for the properties and/or other arrangements we feature. Please see clause 1 above.
    
    If you have a complaint regarding a property and/or arrangements you have booked you must first inform the Owner or their local representative/receptionist/guide immediately. If you are unable to contact the Owner whilst at the property or during a particular arrangement with your complaint, please contact us immediately whereupon we will endeavour to assist you. If, after that, you feel that the problem has not been resolved, you should write to us telling us about your complaint within 7 days of returning from your holiday.
    
    We will forward your written complaint to the Owner and pass on any response from the Owner to you. It is your responsibility to take the complaint up with the Owner direct.
    
    If you have any complaints regarding any other services we provide (as opposed to any provided by the Owner), you must inform us straightaway in writing and in any event within 28 days of the end of any arrangements booked through us.
24. LIABILITY: As we act only as an intermediary agent for the Owners we cannot accept any liability for any act(s) or omission(s) of the Owner or anyone representing, or employed by, the Owner. Furthermore, we cannot accept any liability for any shortcomings or defects with or in any property as all properties are within the sole control of their respective Owners.
    
    We regret we cannot accept any liability if we are not so notified. Our maximum liability to you if we are found to be at fault in relation to any service we provide (as opposed to any service provided by any third party such as an Owner for whom we are not responsible) is limited to the commission we have earned or are due to earn in relation to the booking in question. We do not exclude or limit any liability for death or personal injury which arises as a result of our negligence or that of our employees whilst acting in the course of their employment.