Travelling safely in Corona times

In times like these …

… we need to talk!

We have all been there. Your holiday is coming closer and you are getting excited. And then something happens – an accident, an illness or, worst case, quarantine or even a lockdown due to Corona virus.

What to do now? We will always find a solution. After all, planning certainty is of utmost importance – for you and for us as your host.

We already reduced our cancellation policy to a minimum. Nevertheless we recommend getting travel insurance.

Our long-standing partner Europäische Reiseversicherung, Austria's leading travel insurance company, classifies Corona as a normal disease and not a pandemic.

Insurance costs amount to approximately 10 Euros per person per day.

Frequently asked Questions

We put together some Q&A on Corona and cancellation:

• Do cancellation fees apply if Chalet Obergurgl or the ski resort in Gurgl are required to close due to authority regulations?
  No.
• Do cancellation fees apply if Chalet Obergurgl or Gurgl are in quarantine?
  No.
• When do cancellation fees apply?
  - If the hotel is open and accessible.
  - If a guest is allowed to travel but cancels anyway (e.g. because of a fear of potential infection).
• What happens if a travel warning is imposed? Can I cancel free of charge?
  No. For individual travel (direct bookings or via booking.com), a travel warning for the country of destination does not constitute a reason for free cancellation.
• What does the Europäische Reiseversicherung travel insurance cover in terms of COVID-19?
  The insurance covers cases in which an insured guest cannot travel or needs to cut the stay short 
  - because he/she has high body temperature even if a test taken after that is negative; or if he/she has been tested positive for COVID-19 without showing symptoms.
  - because he/she has COVID-19 symptoms.
  - because a close relative or a person sharing the same household has contracted COVID-19 and presence is urgently required. 
  - because a close relative sharing the same household has contracted COVID-19 and the guest needs to self-isolate.
• What is not covered by the travel cancellation insurance?
  - cases of cancellation as a precautionary measure because the guest is a high-risk patient
  - if the guest is worried about getting infected
  - reasons for cancellation that have a causal relation to the current pandemic, e.g. job loss
  - if you need to self-isolate because somebody in your private or professional environment has been tested positive (workmates, another child in kindergarten, etc.)
  - In case of a second wave (border closures or shutdown), there is no insurance cover; however, we are not allowed to charge cancellation fees in this case.
• What happens if I fall ill during my stay and the authorities require that I return home immediately and self-isolate?
  If you fall ill during your stay and need to travel home, travel interruption costs as high as the insured sum are covered.
• What happens if I fall ill during my stay and the authorities require that I self-isolate in the hotel and I cannot return home?
  If you fall ill during your stay and involuntarily need to stay longer at the hotel, the insurance covers a maximum of 2,000 Euros per insurance policy for overnight stay and food. For everything in excess, we will find a solution and we will do our very best to make your stay as convenient as possible.
• What costs are not covered during the stay?
  - quarantine outside of the hotel due to authority regulations
  - quarantine for the whole hotel due to authority regulations because a guest/member of staff has contracted or is suspected of having COVID-19
  - medical costs
• A family with ten people wanted to go on holiday together with four friends. Unfortunately, the grandfather has fallen ill. For whom does the insurance cover the cancellation fees?
  There is insurance cover for the whole family as well as three additional people who are not family members (e.g. friends), provided that all 14 people have equal insurance.
• We wanted to do a company outing, but one of our staff members has fallen ill. Can we cancel the whole trip free of charge?
  No. Only the ill person as well as three additional people can cancel free of charge.
• Ski lifts are closed in Gurgl due to an incident. Can I cancel or cut my stay short free of charge because I cannot go skiing anymore?
  No. A closure of ski lifts is in no connection with your booked hotel services. Therefore free cancellation is not possible.
• Travelling is limited in my home country AND the borders are closed. Therefore I cannot go on holiday as planned. What about cancellation costs?
  We are not allowed to charge cancellation fees in this case.
• I have a credit card that includes cancellation insurance, so I don't need to get extra travel insurance via the hotel. My costs are covered, right?
  Better safe than sorry – please check the cancellation coverage of your credit card. Insurance coverage varies from provider to provider. Please make sure to review the following:
  - what is the insured travel price
  - does the cover apply only to the credit card holder or also to the family who travels with him/her
  - does insurance coverage only apply if the holiday has also been paid with the same card
  - how many cancellations are covered by the credit card insurance per year
  - what is the excess amount
  - is COVID-19 still a reason for exclusion from the insurance cover
  - etc.
• If I don't have travel insurance or any other form of cancellation coverage, can the hotel charge the applicable cancellation fees if I show symptoms of COVID-19 or have been tested positive?
  Yes. This is the reason why we recommend travel cancellation insurance that covers all these scenarios. Please get travel insurance for your own, but also for our protection.