Terms and Conditions
##Terms and Conditions##
Introduction
7 Star Lodges (“we” or “7 Star Lodges”) is operated by Oase Lodge (Pty) Ltd.
The services, reservations and use of the website and property are provided to you subject to the Terms and Conditions set out below (“Terms and Conditions” or “Agreement”), our Privacy Policy, the terms applicable to your selected rate plan or package, and any other rules and policies communicated to you in connection with your reservation or stay.
Your confirmed reservation, including the rate plan, inclusions, payment terms and cancellation and refund conditions applicable to that reservation, forms part of this Agreement.
Where booking-specific terms differ from these general Terms and Conditions, the terms attached to the confirmed reservation will apply to that reservation.
Acknowledgment and Acceptance
Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully. By making a reservation, paying any amount towards a reservation, accessing or using the website, or staying at Oase by 7 Star Lodges, you accept and agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
The person making a reservation confirms that they are authorised to accept these Terms and Conditions on behalf of all guests included in the reservation.
Guest Responsibilities
As a guest, you are responsible for your own conduct and the conduct of accompanying guests during your stay at Oase by 7 Star Lodges.
Guests must behave respectfully towards other guests, staff, wildlife, property and neighbouring communities and must comply with reasonable instructions from lodge management, guides and staff, particularly instructions relating to wildlife and personal safety.
Threatening, abusive, discriminatory, violent, unlawful or seriously disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated.
We reserve the right, subject to applicable law, to refuse admission or require a guest to leave the property where their conduct creates a safety risk, materially disrupts other guests or staff, damages property or constitutes serious misconduct.
Modification to Services Provided; Terms and Conditions
You acknowledge that safari and lodge operations may be affected by wildlife movements, weather, road conditions, safety considerations, maintenance, operational requirements and other circumstances outside our reasonable control.
We may therefore modify venues, dining locations, activities, schedules or other services where reasonably necessary.
Where a material component of a confirmed reservation becomes unavailable, we will make reasonable efforts to provide an appropriate alternative.
Payment Terms; Refunds; Cancellation
Payment requirements, deposit amounts, payment schedules, cancellation conditions, amendment conditions and refund eligibility are dynamically determined according to the rate plan, package, booking dates, stay dates, promotional conditions and other conditions applicable to the reservation.
The payment, cancellation and refund conditions displayed with the selected rate during the booking process form part of the reservation and apply to that booking.
Guests should carefully review these conditions before confirming a reservation.
The current rates and the conditions applicable to each available rate can be viewed through the official 7 Star Lodges booking website:
book.7starlodges.com
Once a reservation has been made, the conditions applicable to that reservation are also shown in the booking confirmation and associated reservation information.
Different rates may have different deposit requirements, payment deadlines, cancellation periods, amendment rights and refund conditions. A lower or promotional rate may, for example, carry more restrictive cancellation or refund conditions than another rate available for the same stay.
The cancellation or refund conditions applicable to one rate plan, package or reservation should not be assumed to apply to another.
Where a reservation is made through a travel agent, online travel agency or other third party, additional or different payment, amendment, cancellation and refund conditions may apply. Guests should refer to the terms provided by the party through which the reservation was made.
We reserve the right to cancel or modify reservations where it appears that a customer has engaged in fraudulent or inappropriate activity or where a reservation has resulted from an obvious pricing, availability, system or administrative error.
Rates quoted are based on the confirmed arrival date, departure date, occupancy, accommodation, rate plan and other booking conditions. Changes to any of these may result in the reservation being repriced.
Early departure does not automatically entitle a guest to a refund or reduction in the confirmed reservation value.
Rate Inclusions, Terms and Conditions
Inclusions are dynamically allocated according to the rate plan, package, booking channel, promotional conditions, stay dates and other conditions applicable to each reservation.
Guests should not assume that an inclusion available under one rate plan is included under another rate plan.
The inclusions and exclusions displayed with the selected rate during the booking process are the inclusions and exclusions applicable to that reservation.
Current rates and their applicable inclusions can be viewed on the official 7 Star Lodges booking website:
book.7starlodges.com
Once a reservation has been confirmed, guests should refer to their booking confirmation and reservation information for the inclusions applicable specifically to their stay.
Where there is any difference between general information on the 7 Star Lodges website and the inclusions attached to a specific rate or confirmed reservation, the confirmed reservation and its rate-specific inclusions take precedence.
Activities, Tours and Excursions
For clarity, 7 Star Lodges distinguishes between activities and tours or excursions.
Activities generally refer to experiences conducted on the Oase private reserve or forming part of Oase's own lodge and safari programme.
Tours and excursions generally refer to experiences away from Oase or experiences operated by third-party providers.
Whether a particular activity, tour, excursion or safari is included depends upon the rate plan or package booked.
Guests should therefore refer to the inclusions displayed for their selected rate at book.7starlodges.com or to their confirmed reservation rather than assuming that an experience is included.
Off-property tours and excursions are not included unless they are specifically identified as an inclusion in the applicable rate plan, package or confirmed reservation.
The Treetop Sleepout is not included unless specifically identified as an inclusion in the applicable rate plan, package or confirmed reservation.
Safari and Activity Scheduling
Before arrival, our Guest Experience Team may work with guests to develop a suggested itinerary based on their interests and preferences.
Suggested itineraries are not fixed or guaranteed schedules.
Safari activities are affected by wildlife movements, weather, road conditions, park regulations, safety considerations, guest preferences and other circumstances that may change during a stay.
Activities may therefore be moved, substituted, shortened, extended or cancelled where reasonably necessary.
One of the principles of the Oase experience is flexibility. Where possible, our team will work with guests to adapt plans according to their interests and prevailing conditions.
Specific wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed.
Third-Party Experiences
Certain tours, transfers, excursions and experiences may be provided by independent third-party operators.
Although 7 Star Lodges may arrange or facilitate these services, third-party operators may impose their own terms, cancellation conditions, safety requirements and indemnities.
7 Star Lodges is not responsible for the acts or omissions of independent third-party providers except to the extent that liability cannot lawfully be excluded.
Travel Insurance
Guests are strongly encouraged to obtain comprehensive travel insurance appropriate to their circumstances.
Travel insurance should, where available, cover cancellation, medical emergencies, evacuation, travel interruption, flight disruption, weather events, natural disasters, road closures, lost baggage and other circumstances that could prevent or interrupt travel.
Guests remain responsible for their own travel arrangements to and from Oase.
Force Majeure
Neither party shall be liable for any failure or delay in performing its obligations under this Agreement where the failure or delay is caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, natural disasters such as floods, storms or fires, epidemics, pandemics, government restrictions, civil unrest, strikes, terrorism, road closures, or disruptions to utilities, transportation or infrastructure (“Force Majeure Event”).
Where a Force Majeure Event materially affects our ability to provide a confirmed stay, service or included experience, 7 Star Lodges may, subject to applicable law, modify or suspend affected services, offer alternative dates, provide a credit for future use, substitute an affected experience with a reasonable alternative, or cancel an affected service or reservation.
Any refund, credit, amendment or rescheduling entitlement will be determined by the conditions applicable to the guest's reservation and applicable law.
Nothing in these Terms and Conditions limits any rights a guest may have under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 or other applicable South African law.
Access to the Lodge
Weather and natural events may occasionally affect roads in the Greater Kruger and Lowveld region.
7 Star Lodges will provide reasonable information regarding known access issues where possible.
The lodge will be regarded as accessible where at least one reasonable public-road route to the property remains available, even where a guest's preferred or usual route is closed or delayed.
Guests are responsible for allowing sufficient travel time and arranging appropriate transportation.
Check-In and Check-Out
Unless otherwise stated in the confirmed reservation:
Check-in time is from 12:00.
Check-out time is by 10:00.
Early check-in and late check-out are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed.
Guests may be required to complete registration and indemnity documentation on arrival.
Wildlife and Safety
Oase is located on a private wildlife reserve. Wild animals move freely within the environment and their behaviour cannot be predicted.
Guests must follow all safety instructions given by lodge staff and guides.
Walking, tracking, game drives, cycling, fishing, swimming, sleepouts and other outdoor experiences carry inherent risks associated with participating in activities in a natural environment.
Guests may be required to sign an appropriate activity or property indemnity before participating.
Children
Children are welcome at Oase.
Participation in particular activities may depend on age, physical ability, weather, wildlife conditions and the guide's safety assessment.
Parents and guardians remain responsible for the supervision and conduct of children in their care.
Personal Property
Guests remain responsible for their personal possessions.
7 Star Lodges is not responsible for loss, theft or damage to personal property except where liability arises under applicable law.
Guests are encouraged to use secure storage facilities provided and to take appropriate precautions with valuable items.
Alcohol, Smoking and Prohibited Substances
Guests may not bring their own alcohol onto the property without prior approval from lodge management.
Illegal substances are prohibited.
Smoking and vaping are permitted only in designated areas and are prohibited where they create a fire or safety risk.
Pets
Pets are not permitted without prior written approval from Oase management.
Damage to Property
Guests are responsible for damage to lodge property caused deliberately or negligently by themselves, members of their party or persons for whom they are responsible.
Reasonable repair, replacement or specialist cleaning costs may be charged to the responsible guest, subject to applicable law.
Photography, Filming and Drones
Personal photography is welcome provided it does not interfere with the privacy, safety or enjoyment of other guests.
Commercial photography, filming, professional productions and the use of drones require prior written approval from 7 Star Lodges.
Drone operation is subject to applicable aviation, wildlife, privacy and property restrictions.
Privacy
7 Star Lodges is committed to protecting the privacy and confidential information of guests.
Personal information is processed in accordance with applicable South African law, including the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA).
Please refer to our Privacy Policy for information about how and why we collect, use, store and disclose personal information.
Proprietary Rights
Unless otherwise stated, website content including graphics, names, text, photography, software, page layouts, designs and other material is owned by or licensed to 7 Star Lodges or its related entities.
No person may reproduce, distribute, commercially exploit or materially modify this content without permission from the relevant rights holder except where permitted by law.
No Misappropriation or Misuse of Names, Marks or Other Proprietary Material
You agree not to misuse or misappropriate any brand name, trademark, service mark, image, text or other proprietary material belonging to 7 Star Lodges or another party.
Third-party trademarks and intellectual property remain the property of their respective owners.
Links and Third-Party Websites
The website may contain links to third-party websites or service providers.
These links are provided for convenience and do not mean that 7 Star Lodges controls or accepts responsibility for the content, availability, security or practices of those websites.
Guests access third-party websites and services at their own risk and subject to the applicable third party's terms.
Content Disclaimer
7 Star Lodges takes reasonable care to ensure that information published on its website is accurate.
Safari conditions, wildlife, activities, menus, facilities, schedules, photographs, seasonal experiences, rates and other information may change over time.
Website content should therefore be regarded as general information and does not guarantee that every described experience, species, menu item, facility or activity will be available during every stay.
Rate-specific information displayed during booking and the guest's confirmed reservation take precedence over general website content in relation to price, payment terms, cancellation and refund conditions, inclusions and exclusions.
Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, 7 Star Lodges and its related entities, employees, contractors and agents will not be liable for indirect or consequential loss arising from circumstances outside their reasonable control.
Nothing in these Terms and Conditions excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under South African law.
Indemnity
To the extent permitted by law, guests are responsible for loss, damage, costs or claims arising from their own unlawful conduct, deliberate acts, negligence, breach of these Terms and Conditions or failure to comply with reasonable safety instructions.
Nothing in this provision limits rights or protections available under the Consumer Protection Act or other applicable legislation.
Nature of Agreement
These Terms and Conditions, our Privacy Policy, the guest's confirmed reservation and any rate-specific, package-specific or promotional conditions applicable to that reservation form the agreement governing the booking.
Where there is a conflict between these general Terms and Conditions and a specific written condition attached to the confirmed reservation, the reservation-specific condition will apply to that booking.
Changes to These Terms and Conditions
7 Star Lodges may update these Terms and Conditions from time to time.
Changes will not retrospectively remove contractual rights applicable to an existing confirmed reservation except where required by law or agreed with the guest.
The conditions applicable to an individual reservation will generally be those accepted when the reservation was confirmed together with any subsequent written amendments agreed between the parties.
General Provisions
The failure by 7 Star Lodges to enforce any right or provision under these Terms and Conditions does not constitute a waiver of that provision or any other provision.
If any provision is determined to be invalid or unenforceable by a court or other competent authority, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
Applicable Law
These Terms and Conditions and reservations with Oase by 7 Star Lodges are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
Nothing in these Terms and Conditions restricts mandatory consumer rights available under South African law.
Dispute Resolution
Any dispute arising from this Agreement should first be addressed through good-faith discussions between the parties.
Where a dispute cannot be resolved directly, the parties may attempt mediation or another appropriate dispute-resolution process before commencing legal proceedings.
Nothing in this provision prevents a consumer from exercising rights or remedies available under the Consumer Protection Act or other applicable law.
