Plans Change. We Understand.
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We understand that travel plans sometimes change. Whether you need to adjust your dates or cancel a reservation, we want our policies to be clear and easy to understand so you can make informed decisions about your stay.
This page explains The Heart of Julian’s cancellation and refund policy, reservation date changes, applicable fees, payment arrangements, and what to expect when changes are made to your booking.
Please review the information below when making or modifying your reservation. For added peace of mind, we also encourage guests to consider optional travel protection for unexpected circumstances that may affect their plans.
CANCELLATION & REFUND POLICY
Unless otherwise provided in a separate written agreement, package, addendum, proposal, invoice, booking confirmation, or other reservation-specific terms, the following Cancellation & Refund Policy applies to standard lodging reservations at The Heart of Julian.
a. California 24-Hour Cancellation Right:
For reservations qualifying for a penalty-free cancellation period under applicable California law, the Guest may cancel the reservation within the applicable statutory period and receive the refund required by law. During a qualifying penalty-free cancellation period, The Heart of Julian's $75 cancellation fee will be waived and no payment-processing fee will be deducted from the Guest's required refund.
This penalty-free cancellation right is subject to the eligibility requirements, timing requirements, and exceptions established by applicable California law, including exceptions that may apply to reservations made close to the scheduled check-in date.
b. Standard Cancellation Policy:
After expiration of any applicable statutory penalty-free cancellation period, a Guest may cancel a reservation 15 or more days prior to the scheduled check-in date and receive a refund of amounts paid toward the reservation, less a $75 cancellation fee and any non-refundable payment-processing fees.
Cancellations made fewer than 15 days prior to the scheduled check-in date are non-refundable.
The cancellation deadline is determined by the scheduled check-in date reflected in the Guest's confirmed reservation. The cancellation policy reflects the difficulty of rebooking the Property on short notice and the potential resulting loss of rental income.
c. How a Cancellation Must Be Submitted:
Cancellation requests must be submitted through the messaging or cancellation system associated with the Guest's reservation.
For reservations made directly with The Heart of Julian, cancellation requests must be submitted through The Heart of Julian's designated booking platform, Hostaway.
For reservations originating through an Online Travel Agency ("OTA"), including Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, or another third-party booking platform, cancellation requests must be submitted through the applicable OTA's designated cancellation or reservation-messaging system.
Communications made through the applicable booking platform's messaging system constitute written communication for purposes of this Agreement and provide a documented record of the cancellation request.
d. Vrbo Reservations and Payment Processing:
Vrbo reservations may be processed differently from reservations for which an OTA collects and controls the Guest's lodging payment. When a Vrbo reservation is processed directly by The Heart of Julian through its designated payment processor, rather than Vrbo collecting the lodging payment, The Heart of Julian is responsible for processing any applicable lodging refund through that payment processor.
During a qualifying California statutory penalty-free cancellation period, the Guest will receive the refund required by applicable law, without deduction of The Heart of Julian's $75 cancellation fee or payment-processing fees.
After expiration of any applicable statutory penalty-free cancellation period, refunds of lodging payments collected directly by The Heart of Julian for a Vrbo reservation will be subject to the cancellation terms accepted in connection with the reservation, including the $75 cancellation fee and any applicable non-refundable payment-processing fees, except where otherwise required by applicable law or controlling mandatory platform terms.
Any Vrbo traveler service fee or other amount collected directly by Vrbo is administered by Vrbo and is not a payment collected or refunded by The Heart of Julian.
e. Airbnb, Booking.com and Other OTA-Collected Payments:
When Airbnb, Booking.com, or another OTA collects and controls the Guest's lodging payment, cancellation requests and refunds will be administered through that platform in accordance with the cancellation and refund terms applicable to the reservation.
The Heart of Julian does not control the timing or processing of funds held by an OTA. Any service fee or other amount collected directly by the OTA is subject to that platform's applicable terms and refund procedures.
f. Payment-Processing Fees:
Except during a statutory penalty-free cancellation period requiring a full refund, payment-processing fees incurred in connection with a reservation are non-refundable to the extent permitted by applicable law and the terms governing the payment transaction.
Where The Heart of Julian processes a Guest's payment directly through its designated payment processor and the processor does not return the original processing fee following a refund, that processing fee may be deducted from an otherwise refundable amount after expiration of any applicable statutory penalty-free cancellation period.
g. Refund Processing:
Approved refunds will generally be returned to the original method of payment. The Heart of Julian may initiate the refund promptly, but the time required for the refunded amount to appear in the Guest's account may depend upon the payment processor, OTA, card issuer, financial institution, or other third party involved in the transaction.
h. No-Shows, Late Arrivals and Early Departures:
A Guest who fails to arrive for a reservation, arrives after the scheduled check-in date or time, or voluntarily departs before the scheduled check-out date is not entitled to a refund or credit for unused nights or portions of the reservation, except where otherwise required by applicable law or expressly approved through the applicable reservation messaging system by the Property Manager.
i. Special Packages, Events and Supplemental Agreements:
Reservations involving a wedding, retreat, event, bundled lodging package, promotional package, concierge arrangement, custom proposal, or other special accommodation may be subject to separate payment, cancellation, rescheduling, and refund terms contained in an applicable agreement, addendum, proposal, invoice, or booking confirmation.
Where separately accepted reservation-specific terms expressly establish different financial or cancellation terms, those terms will govern that reservation to the extent of the stated difference, subject to applicable law.
j. Travel Protection:
Guests are encouraged to consider optional travel insurance or travel protection appropriate to their individual circumstances, particularly for reservations made well in advance or where weather, illness, transportation disruptions, or other unforeseen circumstances could affect travel plans.
Travel protection is provided by a third party and is separate from The Heart of Julian's Cancellation & Refund Policy. Coverage, eligibility, exclusions, claims, and reimbursement decisions are determined by the applicable insurance or travel-protection provider and do not alter the terms of this Agreement.
k. No Additional Refund or Credit:
Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, required by applicable law, required by controlling mandatory terms of the applicable booking platform, or approved in writing through the reservation's designated messaging system by the Property Manager, cancellation of a reservation does not entitle the Guest to any additional refund, credit, waiver, or future-stay accommodation.
RESERVATION DATE CHANGES & RESCHEDULING
a. Requesting a Date Change.
Guests may request a change to their reservation dates, subject to Property availability and the terms applicable to the reservation. For reservations made directly with The Heart of Julian, date-change requests must be submitted through Hostaway, The Heart of Julian’s designated booking platform. For reservations made through an Online Travel Agency (“OTA”), including Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, or another third-party booking platform, the Guest must request the change through the applicable OTA’s reservation-management or messaging system.
A requested date change is not effective until the revised reservation has been confirmed through the applicable booking platform. Until confirmation is issued, the original reservation dates and terms remain in effect
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b. Availability.
All reservation date changes are subject to the availability of the Property for the requested new dates. The Heart of Julian does not guarantee that alternate dates will be available and is not required to hold alternate dates while a change request is pending.
c. Dynamic Pricing & Recalculation of Reservation Rate.
The Heart of Julian utilizes dynamic pricing, and lodging rates may vary based upon factors including, but not limited to, season, day of the week, weekday or weekend stays, holidays, special periods, local demand, length of stay, and the dates selected.
When reservation dates are changed, the lodging rate will be recalculated based upon the rates applicable to the newly selected dates at the time the change is processed. The nightly rate, discount, or total lodging amount associated with the original reservation is not guaranteed to transfer to the new dates.
d. Higher Rate for New Dates.
If the newly selected dates result in a higher reservation total, the Guest is responsible for the difference in rate, together with any corresponding taxes, fees, or other applicable charges. Any additional amount due must be paid in accordance with the revised reservation terms and, in all cases, before check-in unless otherwise approved by the Property Manager through the applicable reservation messaging system.
e. Lower Rate for New Dates.
If the newly selected dates result in a lower reservation total, the Guest will receive the applicable adjustment or refund for the difference, less any non-refundable payment-processing fees that may apply, subject to the payment and refund procedures of the platform through which the reservation was made.
Any refund due will generally be returned to the original method of payment. Processing time may vary depending upon the booking platform, payment processor, card issuer, or financial institution.
f. Effect of Rescheduling on Cancellation Terms.
An approved change of reservation dates constitutes a rescheduling of the existing reservation and not a cancellation of the reservation. Accordingly, The Heart of Julian’s $75 cancellation fee will not be charged solely because an approved reservation is moved to different dates.
However, rescheduling does not waive, restart, extend, or otherwise modify the Cancellation & Refund Policy applicable to the reservation. A reservation may not be rescheduled for the purpose of avoiding or resetting a cancellation deadline, converting a non-refundable reservation into a refundable reservation, or otherwise circumventing the cancellation terms originally applicable to the booking.
If a Guest subsequently cancels a rescheduled reservation, cancellation eligibility will be determined in accordance with the Cancellation & Refund Policy and the circumstances and timing of the original reservation and approved date change, rather than treating the rescheduled reservation as a newly created booking for purposes of establishing a new cancellation period.
g. Statutory Cancellation Rights.
A reservation date change does not create a new statutory penalty-free cancellation period unless such a right is independently required by applicable law. Nothing in this section limits any cancellation or refund right that cannot lawfully be waived.
h. OTA Reservation Changes.
For reservations made through an OTA, the ability to modify dates, recalculate rates, collect an additional balance, or issue an adjustment may depend upon the functionality and procedures of the applicable platform. Guests must complete any steps required by that OTA for the reservation modification to become effective.
Where the OTA collects and controls the Guest’s lodging payment, any additional payment or refund resulting from a date change will generally be administered through that platform. Where The Heart of Julian processes the lodging payment directly, including applicable Vrbo reservations, any additional payment or refund will be processed through The Heart of Julian’s designated payment processor, subject to the terms of this Agreement.
i. Special Packages, Events & Supplemental Agreements.
Reservations involving weddings, retreats, events, bundled lodging packages, promotional packages, custom proposals, or other special arrangements may have separate rescheduling provisions. Where a separately accepted agreement, addendum, proposal, invoice, or booking confirmation establishes different date-change or rescheduling terms, those reservation-specific terms will govern to the extent of the stated difference, subject to applicable law.