Faq

Apartmentdock Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question that is not covered here please contact our Membership team on who will be delighted to help.

Why Apartmentdock?

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All bookings are done directly through your travel agent, if you do not have a travel agent please refer to our travel agency finder which will assist you to find your closest registered agent. We do not take any bookings direct from the public.

For Agents – You are required to register with us, once your license number and agency has been provided and verified, you will receive your personal log in details, you can then make your bookings and access all agency net pricing.

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Times vary for different accommodation, generally between 14.00 and 22.00 for check in and 10.00 or 11.00 for check out , please refer to information for each apartment specified on its individual page, in the terms and conditions.

A supplier will do their best to facilitate an early check in if requested, however this is not always possible, especially if the apartment has been occupied the night before, and quite often they will not know until immediately prior to your guest's arrival.  We recommend that you consider booking the night before if your guest wants to guarantee access as soon as they arrive.

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For some apartments an extra fee may be requested for a late check-in if, after 8pm during the week, on Sunday or during public holidays and depending on the apartment. Some apartments do not allow to arrive between 22pm and 9am. Please check the terms and conditions for each individual apartment.

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Some apartments offer an earlier check in with a fee. Please check in the terms and conditions for individual apartments. If guests need certainty of an apartment being ready on arrival after a long flight we strongly recommend booking the apartment from the previous night to ensure an early entry.

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Likewise the supplier will try to accommodate the request for a late check-out if possible,  However, if guests have a late flight out, we suggest booking the apartment for an extra night which allows the guest to leave as late as required and in their own time.

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Some apartments have a key pick up on site, or they will arrange a greeter who will meet guests upon arrival, while others have a key pick up from a central office. Please check the terms and conditions for each individual apartment.

We will generally try to confirm the guests' arrival details approximately 4 weeks prior to arrival so we can ensure the supplier is prepared for their arrival. 

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Yes all apartments are fully furnished and have linen and towels supplied.

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Apartmentdock does not own, control or manage the properties and onc a booking is made or accepted the contractul agreement is between your client and the supplier.

From time to time problems will arise, and when they do, your client should liaise with the local representative to resolve any issues. 

Apartmentdock may try to facilitate the resolution of disputes, however the suppliers alone are responsible for their listings and service provision.  If the supplier fails to resolve the issue to your client's satisfaction, they can make a formal complaint to the local Tourism Office.

 

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There is a heightened risk of sustained community transmission of the coronavirus in some countries, and we appreciate that this is a worrying time for travellers. 

In most countries, the advice to Australians to ‘exercise normal safety precautions’. For the coronavirus, this means taking sensible measures to minimise your risk of exposure such as practising good hand hygiene, however the advice level has already been raised for six countries: China and Iran – to ‘do not travel’; South Korea - to 'Reconsider your need to travel';  Japan, Italy and Mongolia – to ‘exercise a high degree of caution’.

We're closely monitoring official guidance from local governmental and health authorities and the World Health Organization in order to support the health and well-being of travellers in severely impacted areas.

France has confirmed cases of COVID-19 in all regions of the country.  If you arrive in France after visiting or transiting through China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, South Korea, Iran or affected areas of Italy, you are advised to take precautionary measures.  France has enacted its public health response plan limiting travel to certain areas and cancelling events, however the travel advice from Smart Traveller for France hasn’t changed, with travellers being asked to “exercise a high degree of caution” and for the country and any countries travellers need to transit through to get there, and get home.  Follow the advice of local authorities and check with the nearest embassy or consulate of France to confirm entry requirements.  For more information go to: https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/france or https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coronavirus-advice-for-visitors-to-france/.

The French Experience/Apartmentdock is an online marketplace offering short term apartment rentals from a selection of third party accommodation providers.  The French Experience does not own, manage or control the terms and conditions applicable to the properties.  To secure and guarantee each booking, we are required to abide by the payment terms and are bound by the cancellation terms and conditions set by the accommodation providers.  This means that the deposit is passed on at the time the booking is confirmed, and the balance is payable 8 weeks prior to travel.

We are approaching accommodation providers in severely impacted areas asking them to adopt a ‘forced/extenuating circumstances’ approach, allowing travellers to cancel without penalty where they are required to change or cancel travel:

  • In order to comply with disease control restrictions implemented by relevant governmental or health authorities
  • In order to perform medical or disease control duties in connection with the COVID-19 outbreak;
  • As a result of flight or ground transportation cancellations initiated by an airline or ground transportation provider due to the COVID-19 outbreak;

Locations and reservation criteria where forced/extenuating circumstances are currently being applied include:

For travellers with reservations in mainland China

  • Travel to or within mainland China, with reservations booked on or before 28 January 2020, with check-in date of 1 April 2020 or earlier.
  • travellers to mainland China from anywhere outside of mainland China, for reservations booked on or before 1 February 2020, with check-in date of 1 April 2020 or earlier.

For reservations with guests travelling from mainland China to destinations outside of mainland China

  • any reservations booked on or before 1 February 2020, with check-in date of 1 April 2020 or earlier.
  • travellers from mainland China with reservations outside of mainland China, or properties outside of mainland China with travellers from mainland China.

For travellers with reservations in Italy

  • travel to or within Italy, with reservations booked on or before 29 February 2020, where check-in date of 3 April 2020 or earlier.

For reservations with travellers from Italy to destinations outside of Italy

  • any reservations booked on or before 29 February 2020, with check-in date of 3 April 2020 or earlier.
  • travellers from Italy with reservations outside of Italy, or properties outside of Italy with travellers from Italy.

South Korea

For travellers with reservations in South Korea

  • travel to or within South Korea, with reservations booked on or before 25 February 2020, with check-in date of 23 March 2020 or earlier.

For reservations with travellers from South Korea to destinations outside of South Korea

  • travellers from South Korea with reservations outside of South Korea booked on or before 25 February 2020, with check-in date of 23 March 2020 or earlier.

 

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New policies – probably not. Existing policies – it depends…

Most policy features, definitions, inclusions and exclusions pertinent to COVID-19 fall into the epidemic/pandemic category, so that’s where you generally need to look when trying to understand your policy coverage.

If you are trying to buy travel insurance now, it’s unlikely that you will be covered for coronavirus-related medical or cancellation expenses, apart from a few exceptions. However it may still be possible to achieve coverage via add-on Cancel for Any Reason cover (although Cover-More has temporarily suspended sales of this product).

Contact your insurance company to discuss your travel plans and whether you are covered if you cancel or postpone your booking.

 

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18 March 2020:

Regardless of the destination all Australians are now advised to do not travel overseas at this time. This is the highest advice level (level 4 of 4).

As more countries close their borders or introduce travel restrictions, overseas travel is becoming more complex and difficult.  You may not be able to return to Australia when you had planned to, and you should consider whether you have access to health care and support systems if you get sick while overseas.  The Government is also encouraging Australians who are currently overseas to consider returning home immediately.

On 16 March 2020, the President of the Republic decided on measures to reduce contact and travel to the minimum throughout the whole of France. From 12PM on Tuesday 17 March 2020, for at least two weeks, travel will be allowed, with proof, only to:

  • travel from home to work only if working at home is not possible;
  • shop for basic necessities in authorized local shops;
  • visit health professionals;
  • travel for childcare and to help vulnerable people - but only while strictly respecting advice on barrier measures;
  • take exercise, individually, close to home and with no gathering of people.

Please be assured that we are in constant contact with accommodation providers, referring cancellations through to them as soon as we receive them.  As you will appreciate, we are also experiencing a higher number of calls than usual, so we may not be able to answer when you call.  Please leave a message and we will be in touch as soon as we can.

First and foremost, our concern is for the health and safety of our partners and common customers.  We have suspended all business as usual activities as our focus centres around managing the issues related to this pandemic.  As you reconsider your travel plans, please let us know of any changes as soon as possible, and please disregard any automated reminders you may receive during this time.

This situation and the measures being put in place worldwide are unprecedented and coping with the ongoing uncertainty, growing restrictions and the potential longer term impacts will be challenging for us all.

We urge you all to take the necessary precautions to keep yourselves and your loved ones safe and healthy.  Thank you again for your patience and understanding while we work with providers to solve issues and deal with difficult circumstances as quickly as we can.

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28 March 2020:

How the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global travel is unprecedented.  It is difficult to know what restrictions will be in place tomorrow, let alone next week or next month and future travel plans may well be governed by the stance taken by airlines once things settle down and people start to travel again.

Governments around the world continue to implement stronger regulations restricting the movement of people and grapple with how to support their economies during this crisis.

The pace, scale and impact of this health crisis is having an unprecedented impact across the world, and a travel ban is now in place for all Australians.  You will not be able to depart Australia to travel overseas.

First and foremost, our concern is for the health and safety of our partners and common customers and our priority is to collate the details for people requesting to cancel and getting these through to suppliers.  We have suspended all business as usual activities as our focus centres around managing the issues related to this pandemic.

These are extra-ordinary circumstances and we know that everyone has been affected in some way.  We will continue to do our best to try and protect our customers and our business amidst the rapidly changing global uncertainty.

While the situation is beyond everybody’s control and a number of suppliers are willing to hold existing bookings as a credit for a future date, there are still some suppliers who are unfortunately still holding steadfastly to their cancellation policies, believing that travellers should be able to seek reimbursement of the difference from their travel insurer.

For those who are yet to reconsider your travel plans, we would encourage you to check the terms and conditions attached to your booking and travel insurance, and ask that you let us know of any changes as soon as possible.