Spirit of Places: The Art of Experiencing Italy / Dream to travel

This web site is offered to you, the web user/client/participant, conditioned on your acceptance without modification of Terms & Conditions, Terms of Use, Disclaimers, Privacy and other legal notices contained herein. To continue with the use of this web site, you expressly agree that you have read, agreed and accepted Spirit of Places Ltd.’s policies listed on its web site and that its use is at your own sole risk.

The following Terms & Conditions, together but not limited to the other three policies here listed -Terms of Use, Privacy, Disclaimer-, form the General Policies “bundle” of Spirit of Places Ltd., a Colorado-USA Corporation. Due to the nature and diversity of our Travel Services, on a case-by-case basis, there will be the possibility that more Specific Terms & Conditions will be submitted to your attention at the time of your reservation and/or they will apply in conjunction with services/products supplied to you locally by other individual companies and travel suppliers. Please, read the following Terms & Conditions very carefully before using this web site and signing any registration/reservation form and/or sending any form of payment.

Identity: Spirit of Places Ltd. is a Colorado-USA Tour Operator Company located at 6502 Windhollow Ct., Parker, Colorado 80134 – USA. Email address: travel@spiritofplaces.com; Telephone number: +1-303-841-9002.
Description of Services: Spirit of Places Ltd. offers several travel services on behalf of the client/participant and not on behalf of property owners, transportation companies and other travel suppliers. Through its knowledge and expertise, Spirit of Places Ltd. is specialized in offering its assistance in custom designing quality special interest travel programs & tours, finding specially selected charming accommodations and/or referring the customers to unique people and companies, which dedicate their passion in creative works of art and design. Moreover, through its unique conceptually structured web site, it also offers the client a network of carefully selected but independent travel specialists, which can offer their specific assistance in special interests areas. In addition, as an alternative or as a compliment to the other services mentioned above, Spirit of Places Ltd. -through its web site- offers the independent traveler several convenient ways to autonomously and self-managing his/her own reservation/bookings through selected established affiliated companies, which are linked to provide their proven quality services at their best competitive prices.
Third Party Providers: Through Spirit of Places Ltd.’s web site, carefully selected third party providers have the opportunity to present themselves and to offer their own special interest services/products. These providers are outside independent companies and organizations such as Travel Specialists, specialized tour operators, hotels and other accommodations, reservation agencies, ticket offices, transportation companies, local assistances, and other travel suppliers which have their own specific Terms & Conditions and over which Spirit of Places Ltd. has no control whatsoever.
Travel Programs & Tours: The participants in Spirit of Places Ltd.’s exclusive Travel Programs & Tours, contract Spirit of Places Ltd. for its knowledge and expertise to participate in pre-arranged programs and/or custom-designed specific itineraries and to execute the land arrangements of several activities, with accompanying and interpreting services included. This will form an all-in-one exclusively designed travel package, which, if customized, will be personalized and private in nature. Spirit of Places Ltd. will contract for services from local suppliers (bus/car rental, tour operators, hotels and other accommodations, restaurants, etc.) on behalf of the participants and as necessary.
Specially Selected Accommodations: All accommodations offered by Spirit of Places Ltd. and listed in its exclusive Data Base under “Specially Selected Accommodations”, have been personally inspected and carefully selected for their charm, ambiance, quaintness and local, historical or architectural character and/or for their convenient/strategic location. All accommodations offered have private bathroom with bathtub and/or shower. These accommodations can encompass a wide variety of typologies, from Hotels to Bed and Breakfasts (B&B), from Castles to Villas, from Health Spas to Rental Apartments and Estates to Farm Houses (Agriturismo) and guest ranches. They are all different from each others, including rooms, apartments and amenities. A traveler should always be open-minded and flexible because bathroom and room sizes, equipments and plumbing, decoration and furnishing, services and amenities, size of beds, showers, bathtubs, staircases, elevators, linens, telephones, lights, appliances, electronics, heating and air-conditioning and other conveniences might all be different than what one is used to. Please note that many of these accommodations, especially the farm houses and guest ranches, are mostly in the country side and therefore one has to accept the possibility that they could be somewhat remote, rural and with maybe the presence of pets and/or farm animals, some occasional insects and wildlife and, especially for the active farm houses, also some noise associated with the farming activities. When visiting our data base of properties, we will describe as much as possible the characteristics and the context of these properties, but seasonal, restoration, maintenance, management, noise, exceptional reasons, clientele behavior and other factors could change the expectation and the reality without our knowledge. Spirit of Places Ltd. will try its best to keep updated information, if supplied by the owner/management of the properties, but it is not responsible for the condition and the enjoyment of the staying/vacationing at these properties by the customers. Spirit of Places Ltd. encourages and will try to the best of its knowledge to answer all questions about the properties before the customer departure, but once there, any question, demand, complaint and/or request should be addressed by the customer directly to the owner/management of the property itself. Spirit of Places Ltd. declines any responsibility because these properties are independent companies over which Spirit of Places Ltd. does not have any control whatsoever.
Our Signature Galleria: Spirit of Places Ltd., after years of exploring and researching places, services and people, has encountered several artists, personalities, companies and organizations which are not only very interesting, but unique and creative. Spirit of Places Ltd. is glad to present to its clients these contacts and their interesting services/products, through its exclusive and unique “Our Signature Galleria”. These are all independent people, companies or organizations over which Spirit of Places Ltd. does not have any control whatsoever. They are listed on Spirit of Places Ltd.’s web site only for the convenience and enjoyment of Spirit of Places Ltd’s clients. Spirit of Places Ltd. declines any responsibility associated with these independent parties.
Prices: All prices listed in Spirit of Places Ltd.’s web site are in Euros, unless otherwise specified and are subject to change due to adjustments by property managements and other suppliers. Correct prices are confirmed only at the time of reservation The client should always double check with Spirit of Places Ltd. via email to reconfirm any price and most convenient form of payment before proceeding with reservations, unless this is allowed and done directly online via the affiliated companies’ availability and payment systems. These are independent companies over which Spirit of Places Ltd. does not have any control whatsoever and they carry their own Terms & Conditions Therefore, Spirit of Places Ltd. disclaims any responsibility associated with these direct reservation/bookings and transactions even if they have been proven to be very secure and reliable.
Deposits: For customized Travel Programs & Tours, designed specifically for Spirit of Places Ltd.’s clients, because of its private and exclusive services involved, Spirit of Places Ltd.’s policy is to ask its clients for a non-refundable Euro 500.00 per person deposit to block spaces, dates and commitments, together with a letter of Request for Services, and which amount will be deducted from the final payment due. For requests and reservations of Specially Selected Accommodations and rental property, if not otherwise specified and agreed, the deposit will be 50% of the total amount due with the other 50% due locally to the property management at the time of arrival/departure based on individual property policies unless the reservation is made within 30 days before the client arrival date at the property, in which case 100% is due to Spirit of Places Ltd. to be forwarded to the property owner. Of course, you can always pay in full at the time of the reservation.
Payments & Exchange Rates: Depending on the requested service(s), Spirit of Places Ltd. accepts one or more forms of payments, by check, bank wire, Paypal and Moneybookers as explained on Spirit of Places Ltd’s web site and associated to each property/service listed. All reservations will be finalized only after payments will be received by Spirit of Places Ltd. Deposits have to be done at the time of bookings. Payments in currencies other than Euros are subject to exchange rates at the time payments are performed. Payments in full, adjusted to the current exchange rate at the time of full payment, will guarantee that no future price adjustments, due to exchange rate fluctuations, will be required. For all reservations made within 30 days prior to the commencement of any service, (unless online direct booking is provided by the suppliers itself), payment in full is required at the time of the reservation. Please, always respect deadlines because Spirit of Places Ltd. retains the right to cancel reservations if payments, Reservation/Registration forms, and all other data/documents requested do not reach Spirit of Places Ltd. by the due dates. If payments are not received within 1 (one) week past the due deadline, a penalty of 1% of the total amount due will be assessed for each late day. For your protection, all amounts paid to Spirit of Places Ltd. will be deposited in one of its bank accounts listed on the web site and they will be used only in conjunction with the securing and execution of your reservation and for paying the proper suppliers interested to your specific bookings.
Payments Deadlines: Each one of Spirit of Places Ltd. travel services, including independent outside providers, carry their own specific deadlines. Unless direct online availability/reservation forms provided directly by the suppliers are available on our web site, please always check via email with Spirit of Places Ltd. for availabilities, updated prices and other information before proceeding with the final Reservation/Registration.
Reservation/Registration: Spirit of Places Ltd. encourages you to always contact us via email for any question you may have. We will do our best to reply as soon as possible. To visit our Portfolio of Properties and Travel Services, we ask you to first sign in and become a member of Spirit of Places Ltd. 18 years old is the minimum legal age required to create binding obligations and to be financially responsible for all uses and acceptance to use of this web site. Spirit of Places Ltd. is available for your personal assistance, however you will always be free to accept to follow our recommendation/suggestions. On Spirit of Places Ltd.’s web site, you will find other independent companies, which will offer their own special interest travel services. The making of a reservation with these independent third party companies, will require your understanding and agreeing of their own Terms & Conditions. Services, provided by Spirit of Places Ltd., are subject to strong restrictions and deadlines dictated by local suppliers and other third party policies, which Spirit of Places Ltd. will have to comply with. Where a client/participant has made reservations/bookings on behalf of other persons than him/herself, he/she confirms that he/she is acting with the full knowledge and consent of such other person and to also to bind him/her to the within Terms & Conditions. Parents or legal guardians must sign for all persons under the age of 18 and must prepare and sign proper legal accompany documentation and permissions. Signed Reservation/Registration Forms, together with additional documents, data requested and proof of Deposits/Full Payments transaction, as explained on each individual service chosen, must be sent as signed attachments via email (and/or if requested also by mail) to the following address:
travel@spiritofplaces.com
or
Spirit of Places Ltd.
6502 Windhollow Ct.
Parker, CO 80134 – USA.
Cancellations & Revisions: All cancellations have to be in writing, via email with attached signed document and/or by mail sent to Spirit of Places Ltd. address. Cancellation penalties, if any, will be assessed on the date the cancellation note is received by Spirit of Places Ltd.
A. For Spirit of Places Ltd.’s Customized Travel Programs & Tours, the following cancellation penalties will apply:
- 120+ Days before commencement of services: Euro 500.00/PP (non-refund. deposit)
- 120-91 Days before commencement of services: 20% of total price due.
- 90-61 Days before commencement of services: 50% of total price due.
- 60-46 Days before commencement of services: 65% of total price due.
- 45-31 Days before commencement of services: 80% of total price due.
- 30-00 Days before commencement of services: 100% of total price due.
B. For Spirit of Places Ltd.’s Specially Selected Accommodations-Rental Properties, the following cancellation penalties will apply:
- 60+ Days before commencement of services: Euro 100.00.
- 60-31 Days before commencement of services: 50% of total price due.
- 30-16 Days before commencement of services: 70% of total price due.
- 15-01 Days before commencement of services: 80% of total price due.
- 00-00 On arrival day or later: 100% of total price due.
All other services by Spirit of Places Ltd., independent Travel Specialists and affiliated travel suppliers and agencies will carry other cancellation penalties accordingly to their programs and their own Terms & Conditions.
Italian environments, traditions, lifestyles & adaptation to: Traveling to Italy, a person will find a charming-contemporary Italian lifestyle. Facilities, infrastructures, towns, shops, streets and other environments can be very old or very modern, sometimes surprisingly small and sometimes very different. Places can be very crowded or very lonely, very noise or very quiet. Feelings, emotions and art surround the visitor almost everywhere but especially in the historical areas. As everywhere else, local customs and traditions should be respected. People are, generally speaking, very friendly and for thousands of years they have always welcomed “friendly” foreigners. There will be many places which are not designed for cars, especially in the old historical centers of towns and villages and which have retained their pedestrian-oriented environments. Therefore, the visitor will encounter steps, stairs, steep and narrow streets. Old buildings, most of the times, do not provide elevators. Air conditions and bathrooms, especially in public spaces, sometimes are not up to standards. Parking is very difficult and almost impossible to find. Traffic is intense and driving is sometimes chaotic and very difficult especially in larger cities.
Membership & Participation: Even foreigners, once in Italy, are subject to the Italian law. Spirit of Places Ltd., for its Travel Programs & Tours, reserves the right to accept or decline tour participants whose health, habits or general behavior might impede or spoil the operation of the program or its enjoyment by other members. If this happens, Spirit of Places Ltd. is not liable for extra expenses incurred by such participant, nor it will refund any money. Damages caused by the participants to furniture, vehicles, properties and other people belongings, are the responsibility of the party who caused them. During Spirit of Places Ltd. Travel Programs & Tours, members are free to participate in the planned daily activities/excursions or be on their own. This will be possible only if this involves no modification in the program for the majority of participants, accommodations and other activities planned. All expenses incurred outside the program will not be refunded or covered. Your cooperation, understanding, punctuality and open-mindedness are greatly appreciated. On the date of commencement of services, all younger than 18 years old participants must be accompanied by an adult and/or chaperon.
Social Media, Visual-Written Communications & Privacy Policy: The participant agrees that by enrolling in a Spirit of Places Ltd travel services, he/she will respect the privacy of other participants, private properties, sites, performances. Spirit of Places Ltd retains the intellectual rights of its Travel Planning, Design, Engagements, etc. Therefore, to protect the privacy of all people involved or encountered during the trip, the participant agrees to take videos, photos, names, etc. for his/her personal use ONLY and to NEVER distribute or publish these visual-written communications on social media (Facebook, Youtube, etc.). Spirit of Places Ltd. retains all rights for The whole "Travel Planning, Engagement & Production" of its projects.
Legal Documents: To be able to visit Italy, you need a valid passport, which should be valid for at least six months beyond the conclusion of your visit. For citizen of some countries, a Visa is required. Please check with the Italian Embassy or Consulate in your country for the proper documents needed to visit Italy. Remember that it is your sole responsibility to obtain all necessary legal documents needed. Always bring passport and other legal documents with you while traveling. Spirit of Places Ltd. strongly suggests you to make copies of all your important documents, prescription medicine, etc. and store them in separate places and leave additional copies with your family/friends.
Insurances: Spirit of Places Ltd. strongly recommends the purchase of a comprehensive travel insurance against unforeseen circumstances such as Trip Cancellation/Interruption; Emergencies; Injuries; Illness and other Health Problems; Death; Accidents; Loss; Damage or Theft of Luggage and/or Personal Belongings. Spirit of Places Ltd., including its officers and/or representatives, its tour leaders/directors and assistants, are not responsible or liable for the above stated unforeseen circumstances/events. Please ask Spirit of Places Ltd. how and where to purchase a comprehensive Travel Insurance. In case of not purchasing an appropriate comprehensive Travel Insurance as suggested above, the participant agrees to send to Spirit of Places Ltd. a signed Travel Protection Plan Waiver or personal Note explaining his/her decision.
Personal Attention & Safety: Spirit of Places Ltd. strongly suggest to leave copies of address and phone numbers with family and/or friends so they know how to stay in touch in case of emergencies. Also, always carry addresses of Hotels and other accommodations you are lodging and always pay attention to your personal belongings wherever you are.
Smoking Policies: On any means of transportation arranged by Spirit of Places Ltd., a no-smoking policy is enforced. Please also note that in Italy it is forbidden to smoke in public buildings, restaurants, bars and other public places and this is strictly enforced. In all other cases, you should contact directly all other service providers.
Travel Tips: Spirit of Places Ltd. suggests all travelers to carefully read and take note of the several additional travel tips explained on Spirit of Places Ltd. web site. For your convenience, the following is a summary:
- Weather: Italy, being a long country from North to South, with high mountains, islands, lakes, deep valleys and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, is a very lush country. This means also humidity and several rainy days, especially during some unpredictable times of the year. During the cold months, it can snow almost everywhere, from North to South. Summers are very hot.
- Clothing: Even if casual clothing is well accepted, especially for travelers, we always suggest you bring not too casual but comfortable clothing. Layering, color coordinated and dark conservative clothes are more in tune with the way Italian dress. For practical and safety reasons, good jewelries are not suggested. Sleeveless shirts and short-shorts are not recommended and even forbidden in most churches together with skirts over the knees. For men, a sport jacket is appropriate. Lightweight, but warm sweaters and raincoats, paints and comfortable walking shoes can do double duty.
- Packing: Traveling light is one of the secrets to enjoy your trip/vacation. Suitcases with wheels are a must. Among other things, remember to include facial tissues, shampoo, a foldable umbrella, medicines, contact lenses, glasses, etc. Luggage size varies by airlines, but most important of all are the sizes of car/vans trunks, which are very limited.
- Laundry & Dry Cleaners: If you stay at hotels and other accommodations, it is very expensive to for laundry service. Spirit of Places Ltd. strongly suggests you pack what is necessary for the length of the trip and avoid “bulky” items. If you decide to wash your own items, please keep in mind that dryers are rarely available and it takes longer for your cloth to dry due to the higher humidity.
- Electrical Power: The electrical current in Europe is AC 220V and the cycle is 50. For your electrical appliances and if you come from countries which have different plugs and systems than Italy, like countries outside the continental Europe, you should carry a transformer and an adapter plug. Curling irons and other high-energy electrical equipment, sometimes do not work, burn their fuses or even create blackouts. It is always better to buy such appliances locally if possible.
- Money Issues: Spirit of Places Ltd. strongly suggest to carry Credit/Debit Cards with international PIN numbers to use at ATM/Exchange machines which are widely available and most of them opened 24/7. Please check with your financial institution before leaving, just to be sure your credit/debit card will work in Italy.
Description/Text Accuracy: Spirit of Places Ltd.’s personnel check and re-check facts and information about itineraries, policies, accommodations, services and suppliers, to assure the best possible accuracy. Sometimes, however, some services described on our web site become unavailable or inaccurate due to changes that are beyond our control. When we are informed in advance of any significant change, we will try to correct and/or substitute services, accommodations and/or suppliers with compatible ones if available.
Responsibility: Spirit of Places Ltd., its directors, officers, employees, shareholders, subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, agents, temporary assistants and assigns (collectively Spirit of Places Ltd.) represents its clients on a private and exclusive basis only. Clients, participants and members contract for Spirit of Places Ltd.’s knowledge and expertise to suggest, research, design and network travel services providers on their behalf. Spirit of Places Ltd. acts only as an agent for the client, participant and member and not the suppliers, property owners and/or any other direct third party providers of products and/or services. Spirit of Places Ltd. represent the client and not other companies or third parties and it is responsible only to design, arrange, make all the necessary reservation agreed upon among the parties and to forward the necessary payments due to the suppliers of services on behalf of their customers. It is the sole responsibility of the client to accept or not recommendations/suggestions made by Spirit of Places Ltd. Spirit of Places Ltd., does not own or operate any entity, property, organization which provide goods or services for your trip or vacation including for example transportation means, bus companies, rental cars, lodging facilities, guides, local tour operators, food services and any other local providers of product of services. Therefore, it is understood that Spirit of Places Ltd. operates by contracting from services from outside suppliers on behalf of the client and such persons and entities are independent parties or contractors over whom Spirit of Places Ltd. has no direct control. As a result, Spirit of Places Ltd. is not liable for any negligence, willful act or failure to act of any such person, entity and/or any third party involved. Clients are also subject to Terms & Conditions set forth by the above third party contractors/providers of services and products. By making a reservation through Spirit of Places Ltd., the clients/participants give Spirit of Places Ltd. the authority to make the proper arrangements with property owners and third party travel suppliers and providers of product and services. Therefore, by acceptance of Reservation/Registration, enrollment and the sending any forms of payments, the client/participant agrees that Spirit of Places Ltd., its officers, family members, employees, shareholders, temporary assistants or engaged independent contractors, shall not be responsible or liable for actions, defaults or other conditions such as: any losses, expenses, injuries, damages, accidents, acts of God, delays or irregularities that maybe caused to person of properties during the duration of the whole travel program, tour or staying/vacationing on his/her own. Spirit of Places Ltd. strongly suggests the client/participants to purchase a comprehensive Travel Insurance against unforeseen circumstances as described above in this Terms & Conditions. Also, by entering into this agreement, the client/participant understands and agrees that if the program includes the exclusive accompaniment of a person(s) designated by Spirit of Places Ltd. such as an officer(s) or employee(s), this person(s) comes on a private basis only to supervise, assist and travel together like the rest of the group and he/she is not acting as chauffeur, guide or accompany person, but as a companion to the traveling party. Local environments, places, people and situations are sometimes different than what expected and because this is also a very subjective topic, Spirit of Places Ltd. does not guarantee and is not liable for the client enjoyment during his/her trip or vacation. Moreover, in case of booking lodging facilities and rental properties through Spirit of Places Ltd., all client’s questions and/or complains once arrived at the property, need to be addressed directly to the property owners/managers and not to Spirit of Places Ltd. because they are the direct providers of products and services and because Spirit of Places Ltd. does not have any control over them whatsoever. Any other complaints, suggestions and/or comments, negative or positive, concerning Spirit of Places Ltd.’s performance and services, included but not limited to travel providers/suppliers of services, have to be sent in writing to Spirit of Places Ltd. and not later than 15 days after the conclusion of the trip/tour and/or specific local services provided, and only after having carefully read all policies including these Terms & Conditions. Spirit of Places Ltd., especially for what concerns but not limited to its own Travel Programs & Tours, reserves the right to make changes in the program, itinerary, supplier, lodging facility, etc. and to substitute services if circumstances demand it, in which cases compatible alternatives will be arranged if available. Spirit of Places Ltd. -as determined and confirmed by the sole discretion of its key executive officers- retains the right to cancel or interrupt any program or tours at any time and for unforeseen emergency reasons and circumstances, such as danger, accidents, illness, etc., when it will make it physically impossible to carry out the travel program or tour by Spirit of Places Ltd.’s key designated party and/or –in case of a tour- also where the minimum number of participants required is not reached, unless, in this case, the remaining participants agree in a price adjustment. If this happens, the clients agrees that Spirit of Places Ltd.’s only responsibility and liability will be the refund of the full amount received, less non-refundable costs based on local suppliers policies for services booked, paid, delivered or provided. The client/participant agrees that the refund of money as stated above shall constitute full settlement of any and all claims, and the client/participant shall have no other rights or remedies to claim damages from Spirit of Places Ltd. or his officers, employees, engaged assistants/helpers, family members, agents, correspondents or independent contractors, whatsoever.

There are no exceptions of any kind to these policies. In addition to these general Terms & Conditions, please read also the Terms of Use, Disclaimer and Private policies listed on Spirit of Places Ltd.’s web site. The sign-in and the becoming a member Web User of Spirit of Places Ltd. and/or booking of our services by sending the proper Reservation/Registration forms and any form of Payments, is a confirmation that the Web-User, Client or Participant has read, understood, agreed and accepted the above comprehensive policies.