2.1 An Óige maintains standard public liability insurance cover. If you require details of the cover in advance, this can be obtained from the Reservations Department on request.

2.2 Guests are not covered by our insurance for personal injury, damage or theft of property whilst in a Youth Hostel, or public transport delays/cancellations. You are advised to ensure that you are covered independently for such events. An Óige recommend personal travel insurance, including cancellation insurance.

3.1 Groups which include guests under 18 years old are not to be left unsupervised at any time on hostel premises. There is a requirement at Youth Hostels for a minimum 1:10 ratio of adults to children.

3.2 Our hostels are all child and family friendly but if you are a family with children 16 years and under, and you book dorm accommodation please be aware that these children can stay in dorms with others who are not part of your group. This is only in single sex dorms, where the child and guardian are the same sex. Children 0-3 years old – cannot be accommodated in dorms, but must use private accommodation and must be accompanied by an adult.

3.3 All bookings must be made by a person over 16 years of age. A person who is 16-17 years old – are treated as 4-15 year olds, except that, if two or more of them are travelling together, they may share a private room without an adult being responsible for them being accommodated in the hostel.  However, in these circumstances, they will be asked to produce a letter from parent/guardian authorising each of them to do so.

3.4 Children 4–15 years old can be accommodated in dorms if accompanied by an adult of the same sex but can be accommodated in private rooms if accompanied by an adult of either sex. This age range cannot be accommodated in mixed dorms.

3.5 Groups with young people

For groups of 10 or more there must be at least one supervising adult in a 1:10 ratio to young persons.

1. The Lead Person is responsible for the behaviour of children in their care at all times. An Óige do not accept responsibility for the care and supervision of children in our Youth Hostels.
2. Ensure that all young people under 18 have received written parental consent for participation in this trip.
3. Ensure you are familiar with the hostel and its surroundings. In particular, ensure you are familiar with the hostel’s Safety Statement and the location of fire exits and emergency equipment. The Hostel staff will help you with this.
4. Groups of 4-15-year-old children of the same sex may share a dormitory provided the adult responsible for them is also accommodated in the hostel. In this case, no other adult can be accommodated in the same dorm as the group of children.
5. All group leaders and drivers will be accommodated in separate accommodation from their group members where possible. For separate accommodation, there may be a supplementary charge.
6. An Óige requires the Lead Person to hold in their possession medical details and emergency contact details for each young person in their care and make this available to An Óige staff/Activity partner in emergency situations.
7. Mixed gender groups should ensure they have adequate leaders of both genders.
8. Please ensure that you are familiar with your own organisation’s Child Protection Policy as well as An Óige’s Child Protection Policy.

4.1 Irish Youth Hostels are open to all. No guest will be discriminated against on the basis of race, nationality, gender, age, status, occupation, sexuality, religion etc. Where an individual’s circumstances may lead to special accommodation or catering requirements, An Óige advise the guest to notify us at the time of booking, and a minimum of 72 hours prior to arrival so that, subject to availability, appropriate measures can be taken to meet the individual’s needs.

5.1 Please note that every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of all information on the website. However, An Óige does not accept responsibility for any errors or omissions.

5.2 Any omission or error in any sales literature, web page or site, order form, quotation, price list, order acknowledgement, despatch note, invoice or other document issued by us may be corrected by us without liability. We will advise you of any changes at the time of making a booking or purchasing a product or as soon as is reasonably possible thereafter.

An Óige respects the personal privacy of our customers and we take the responsibility of ensuring the security of your personal information very seriously.

6.1 If we ask you to provide us with any personal information, we will tell you the purposes for which we intend to use that information. We will not collect, use or disclose your personal information without your consent. We will never sell any information obtained from you to a third party.

6.2 By becoming a member of An Óige, you must provide certain personal information which is added to our internal membership database. The information contained in the database will only be used for An Óige membership purposes.

6.3 We may also use the information collected to send you member magazines, newsletters, email notices, research and surveys and other correspondence. We will only send this type of information to you with your consent.

6.4 An Óige will use the appropriate security safeguards to protect your personal information against loss, theft and unauthorized access. Any personal information you provide to An Óige is encrypted and delivered over a secure server. Access to personal information is restricted to authorized An Óige personnel only.

6.5 An Óige makes limited use of cookies on our website so that we can provide you with faster service, consistent and updated information and an overall better web experience. We do not use cookies to track personally-identifiable information or your movements after leaving our website.

7.1 Payment of accounts may be processed in the following ways:

Bank Transfer to AIB (Allied Irish Bank), 40/41 Westmoreland Street, Business Centre, Dublin 2, Ireland. Please note if paying by bank transfer you MUST state the booking reference number in the Details of Payment section

IBAN: IE 71 AIBK 933384 00047181, SWIFT Code: AIBKIE2D

Visa, Mastercard or American Express

Other methods may be available by arrangement, please check when booking.

7.2 If your booking is for more than one night, the hostel reserves the right to cancel the remainder of your booking and resell the bed/room if you don’t check in on your arrival date.

7.3 If you booked a special deal, package or booked a stay during a peak period or with a minimum night’s stay, please check the specific terms and conditions of the individual product. Some of these may be non-refundable or have other individual conditions.

7.4 Please allow at least seven days for processing a refund.

While An Óige will make every effort to honour your booking, you need to be aware that any booking is subject to ongoing restrictions due to Covid-19. At the moment we have no visibility of how this will affect the operation of our hostels. In addition to being allowed to open, we are conscious that either Government restrictions or best practice may impact on our operations, including the capacity of our hostels. In certain circumstances, this may mean we are unable to accommodate your booking.

8.1 You may cancel your booking, or any part of it, once it has been confirmed, but these instructions must be in writing/email.  You can send this to either your travel agent or to An Óige directly.  The cancellation policy is as follows:

Time of booking to 48 hours* – 15% deposit lost.

After 48 Hours*– 15% deposit and first night stay.

*48 hours before check in time.

9.1 Please advise in advance your intended time of arrival. If you are delayed and are not likely due to arrive at the hostel before 17:30, you are required to call the hostel in advance. The telephone numbers of the hostels are on the An Oige hostel website and brochure. If individual do not make prior contact and arrives after designated check-in times, the hostel guest will be considered a no-show which may result in being charged and bed been resold.

9.2 On departure, guests are expected to leave the Youth Hostel by the required departure time, notified at each Youth Hostel reception, normally 10:00 hours.

9.3 A non-refundable deposit of 15% must be paid when booking in order to secure your reservation. If deposit is not received within 7 days of your booking, your reservation will be cancelled. The remainder balance is due 3-4 weeks prior to arrival.  If the balance is not received 3 weeks in advance, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled.

9.4 Changes to a booking are permitted but once deposit has been received are subject to an amendment fee.

10.1 Standard group bookings are defined as an organised group of 10 people or more and booking An Óige services only.

10.2 Group bookings may include additional elements provided by third party suppliers, such as activities, venue entry tickets, and travel arrangements. Each booking varies. Please check the details of your chosen booking carefully.

10.3 For group bookings, the accommodation element of the itinerary will be held for an agreed period from the date of issue of the Itinerary. No other elements of the itinerary, including any arrangements with third party activity providers or venues, will be booked until a 25% non-refundable deposit is received by An Óige. If the deposit is not paid by the agreed date, the accommodation will be released and no further action will be taken to progress the Itinerary. If the costs of third party suppliers or venue exceed the deposit paid, additional payment may be requested.

10.4 All deposits/payments made by credit or debit card will be transacted at the time of booking confirmation, not on arrival at the Youth Hostel.

10.5 Every group is required to have a leader, regarded as the Lead Person, who is responsible for making and paying for the booking and is the main point of contact before, during and after the stay.

10.6 There is a requirement at Youth Hostels for a minimum 1:10 ratio of adults to children.

10.7 The Lead Person is required to be resident within the Youth Hostel throughout the duration of their booking.

10.8 The Lead Person must be aged 18 years or over.

10.9 For all group bookings, An Óige must have a direct mobile telephone contact with the Lead Person whilst travelling, and a contact email address.

10.10 On arrival at the Youth Hostel the Lead Person is required to sign all relevant registration documentation. The Lead Person is required to present a full list of participants for fire regulation purposes to Youth Hostel staff.

10.11 The normal arrival time at a Youth Hostel is no earlier than 17:00 hours. Some Youth Hostels may be able to accept earlier arrivals but this should be confirmed with the individual Youth Hostel in advance. Luggage storage for early arrivals may be available at the Youth Hostel, but this should be checked with the Youth Hostel in advance.

10.12 Groups wishing to arrive later than 17:30 hours on their arrival day should notify the hostel prior to arrival to retain the accommodation booked.

10.13 It is the responsibility of the Lead Person to ensure that all members of the group are fully aware of the terms and conditions.

10.14 The Lead Person may be liable for damage caused by the action of their party members and/or be asked to remove their group from the Youth Hostel if behaviour is unacceptable. Any damage to the Youth Hostel or its contents will be charged to the group and must be reported to staff immediately.

10.15 The Lead Person is responsible for ensuring that their group maintain the programme schedule, as early or late departure may result in the activity/venue not being available outside the agreed time.

10.16 Guests are expected to leave the Youth Hostel by the required departure time, notified at each Youth Hostel reception, this is normally 10:00 hours. If groups has not vacated rooms by checkout, an extra night’s stay may be charged.  Adequate time between room checkout and departure should be allowed to facilitate room inspection.

10.17 An Oige Head Office of the Youth Hostel must be advised of any changes or cancellations to bookings immediately. Cancellation fees are levied at the following scale:

Period before cancellation	Amount charged
More than 30 days	Deposit
15 – 29 days	30% of total price
7 – 14 days	50% of total price
4 – 7 days	75% of total price
72 hours or anything afterwards	100% of total price

All changes and cancellations must be confirmed by An Oige Head Office or the Youth Hostel before regarded as true and correct.

10.18 While these cancellation charges do apply, we can offer the customer the option to re-book with us within 6 months with none of the above penalties applying. The money paid will be kept on file as credit towards the new booking and a re-activation fee will be charged once the new booking has been confirmed. The credit will only be kept on file for 6 months and failure to re-book with us within this time frame will result in losing the credit for any future use. This does not apply for our affiliate hostels.

11.1 The Lead Person accompanying a group must agree to be responsible and accountable for the behaviour and actions of their party. Hostel policy states that any member of a party found misbehaving or contravening hostel rules jeopardises the stay of the whole group. The Lead Person is liable for all damages caused by the actions of their party. To this end a security deposit of €500.00 – €1500.00+ will be held on arrival (amount dependable on group size) as follows:

0 – 50 pax        €500.00

50 – 100           €1000.00

100+                 €1500.00+

11.2 This deposit will be refunded in full if no damages are caused by the group while staying at the Youth Hostel. Damages and expenses incurred by the hostel due to the actions of the group will be deducted from the security deposit. Any expenses incurred beyond the limits of the deposit will be sought from the Lead Person It is a condition at booking that the Lead Person accept this liability.

11.3 A €25 per person security deposit is required for all groups of 10 or more for Sleepzone Galway, Burren and Connemara hostels. This must be paid directly to the hostel upon check in.

12.1 An Óige Rent a Hostel for private hire enables you, as a guest, to hire a whole Youth Hostel for exclusive use. No other guests can use the Youth Hostel at the same time, and the Rent a Hostel guests have full use of all Youth Hostel facilities except catering kitchens. Self-catering kitchens are available in all properties.

12.2 In the event that you instruct third party contractors to operate within our premises i.e. caterers, disco firms, bar services or other, you must ensure that they possess all relevant insurances, qualifications and licences as required. Copies of these should be provided to An Óige for reference prior to the start of your rental period. An Óige will charge a commission on services provided by approved third party suppliers.

12.3 You can bring any number in your group, up to the maximum number of beds available for your chosen Youth Hostel (full details are in the relevant Youth Hostel profile). Regulations require that An Óige know the actual number of people in your group, which should be confirmed to Reservations or hostel two weeks prior to your arrival date.

12.4 Any changes should not exceed the Youth Hostel capacity and should be notified to Reservations or hostel up to the arrival date.

12.5 Each group staying in a Rent a Hostel for private hire must have at least one designated Lead Person. This is usually the person who makes the booking and the signatory on the booking form. An Óige will deem this to be the case unless a written and signed agreement is received from another designated person(s).

1. The Lead Person must be 18 years old or over and must be staying with the group for the whole rental period. Hostel Managers or staff are not responsible for the group or members of the group.
2. The Lead Person is responsible for the payment of the booking, the safety of the group and the general housekeeping of the Youth Hostel during the stay. The designated Lead Person will be liable for any damage to the property.
3. Groups with large numbers of children (under 18 years), there is a requirement at Youth Hostels for a minimum 1:10 ratio of adults to children.
4. It is the responsibility of the Lead Person to ensure that all members of the group are fully aware of the terms and conditions.
5. You are asked to take due care of the Youth Hostel and its equipment during your stay and during the check in process will be given tour of the hostel and equipment list. You should check on arrival and report any shortcomings, damage or missing items immediately to the Youth Hostel Manager or staff member. Your group should keep the kitchen, lounge and bedrooms clean and tidy throughout your stay.
6. The Lead Person is expected to report any damage caused by any member of your group immediately to the Youth Hostel Manager or staff member. Failure to do so may compromise the safety of your group during your stay for which An Óige will take no responsibility.
7. Any damage to the Youth Hostel or its contents will be charged to the group.

***These general rules are a guide only and do not exempt the group from the specific rules of the hostel or any norms and practices subscribed to by the managers, i.e. noise levels, nominal charges for additional heating/fuel costs etc. The group is advised to check such rules and practices upon arrival. ***

12.6 The completed Rooming List should be presented to the Manager or staff member on arrival. This list should also be used to register that all guests have arrived for fire safety regulations.

12.7 Managers or staff will be contactable whilst the group is present, and will not intervene with the activities of the group except: where safety statement rules are being compromised, damage is caused to the hostel or the hostel’s standing in the community, disturbances beyond a reasonable expectation are made to the managers themselves, i.e. noise, or for purposes of the final inspection.

12.8 An Óige reserves the right to require the Lead Person to organise, at his/her own cost, stewards from a reputable stewarding company, if appropriate to the event being held in the Youth Hostel.

12.9 Youth Hostels can be hired as a Rent a Hostel for commercial use at the discretion of An Óige.

12.10 An Óige will not permit conduct or activities which could cause an offence on racial, political, sectarian or religious grounds, or which could constitute a threat to public order.

12.11 An Óige cannot accept bookings for events which may bring An Óige into disrepute.

12.12 The maximum capacity of the event, conference and function facilities at Youth Hostels is equal to the residential capacity of the hostel at any time. Please note that the maximum capacity for these Youth Hostels as specified in the current and relevant Youth Hostel profile. The Group List must include numbers of all guests including non-residential guests.

12.12 Lead Person of the Rent a Hostel must agree to be responsible and accountable for the behaviour and actions of their party. Hostel policy states that any member of a party found misbehaving or contravening hostel rules jeopardises the stay of the whole group. The Lead Person is liable for all damages caused by the actions of their party. To this end a security deposit of €500.00 – €1500.00+ must be paid on arrival (amount dependable on group size) as follows:

0 – 50 pax	€500.00
50 – 100 pax	€1000.00
100+ pax	€1500.00+

 

12.13 An Oige Head Office of the Youth Hostel must be advised of any changes or cancellations to bookings immediately. Cancellation fees are levied at the following scale:

Period before cancellation	Amount charged
More than 30 days	Deposit
15 – 29 days	30% of total price
7 – 14 days	50% of total price
4 – 7 days	75% of total price
72 hours or anything afterwards	100% of total price

All changes and cancellations must be confirmed by An Oige Head Office or the Youth Hostel before regarded as true and correct.

13.1 Standard group bookings are defined as an organised group of 10 people or more and booking An Óige services only.

13.2 Group bookings may include additional elements provided by third party suppliers, such as activities, venue entry tickets, and travel arrangements. Each booking varies. Please check the details of your chosen booking carefully.

13.3 For group bookings, the accommodation element of the itinerary will be held for a 10-day period from the date of issue of the Itinerary. In exceptional circumstances this holding period can be extended up to 15 days with the agreement of An Óige’s Programme Co-ordinator. No other elements of the itinerary, including any arrangements with third party activity providers or venues, will be booked until a 25% non-refundable deposit is received by An Óige. If the deposit is not paid by the agreed date, the accommodation will be released and no further action will be taken to progress the Itinerary. If the costs of third party suppliers or venue exceed the deposit paid, additional payment may be requested.

13.4 All deposits/payments made by credit or debit card will be transacted at the time of booking confirmation, not on arrival at the Youth Hostel.

13.5 An Óige will do everything in its power to allocate rooms to your group in a fair, affordable way and with regard to our child protection policies. We do understand that given the gender breakdown of Gaisce Groups, there may be unused beds in a room. Normally we would require that a group would pay for these unused beds. Provided however, that no more than two beds are unused in a dormitory room, the group will not be changed for these beds.

13.6 Every group is required to have a leader, regarded as the Lead Person, who is responsible for making and paying for the booking and is the main point of contact before, during and after the stay.

13.7 The Lead Person is required to be resident within the Youth Hostel throughout the duration of their booking.

13.8 The Lead Person must be aged 18 years or over.

13.9 For all group bookings, An Óige must have a direct mobile telephone contact with the Lead Person whilst travelling, and a contact email address.

13.10 On arrival at the Youth Hostel the Lead Person is required to sign all relevant registration documentation. The Lead Person is required to present a full list of participants for fire regulation purposes to Youth Hostel staff.

13.11 The normal arrival time at a Youth Hostel is no earlier than 17:00 hours. Some Youth Hostels may be able to accept earlier arrivals but this should be confirmed with the individual Youth Hostel in advance. Luggage storage for early arrivals may be available at the Youth Hostel, but this should be checked with the Youth Hostel in advance.

13.12 Groups wishing to arrive later than 17:30 hours on their arrival day should notify the hostel prior to arrival to retain the accommodation booked.

13.13 It is the responsibility of the Lead Person to ensure that all members of the group are fully aware of the terms and conditions.

13.14 The Lead Person may be liable for damage caused by the action of their party members and/or be asked to remove their group from the Youth Hostel if behaviour is unacceptable. Any damage to the Youth Hostel or its contents will be charged to the group and must be reported to staff immediately.

13.15 The Lead Person is responsible for ensuring that their group maintain the programme schedule, as early or late departure may result in the activity/venue not being available outside the agreed time.

13.16 Guests are expected to leave the Youth Hostel by the required departure time, notified at each Youth Hostel reception, this is normally 10:00 hours. If groups has not vacated rooms by checkout, an extra night’s stay may be charged. Adequate time between room checkout and departure should be allowed to facilitate room inspection.

13.17 An Oige Head Office of the Youth Hostel must be advised of any changes or cancellations to bookings immediately. Cancellation fees are levied at the following scale:

Period before cancellation                           Amount charged

More than 30 days                                          Deposit

15 – 29 days                                                        30% of total price

7 – 14 days                                                         50% of total price

4 – 7 days                                                            75% of total price

72 hours or anything afterwards                               100% of total price

All changes and cancellations must be confirmed by An Oige Head Office or the Youth Hostel before regarded as true and correct.

13.18 While these cancellation charges do apply, we can offer the customer the option to re-book with us within 6 months with none of the above penalties applying. The money paid will be kept on file as credit towards the new booking and a re-activation fee will be charged once the new booking has been confirmed. The credit will only be kept on file for 6 months and failure to re-book with us within this time frame will result in losing the credit for any future use. This does not apply for our affiliate hostels.

13.19 Group security deposit

The Lead Person accompanying a group must agree to be responsible and accountable for the behaviour and actions of their party. Hostel policy states that any member of a party found misbehaving or contravening hostel rules jeopardises the stay of the whole group. The Lead Person is liable for all damages caused by the actions of their party. To this end a security deposit of €500.00 – €1500.00+ will be held on arrival (amount dependable on group size) as follows:

0 – 50 pax €500.00

50 – 100 €1000.00

100+ €1500.00+

13.20  This deposit will be refunded in full if no damages are caused by the group while staying at the Youth Hostel. Damages and expenses incurred by the hostel due to the actions of the group will be deducted from the security deposit. Any expenses incurred beyond the limits of the deposit will be sought from the Lead Person It is a condition at booking that the Lead Person accept this liability.

13.21 By taking part in An Óige Gasice programme booking the group undertakes to conform to the Booking Terms and Conditions of An Óige and the directions and order of the organisers and instructors. The authority of the leader/instructor is final and his/her decision is to be accepted at all times.

13.22 Mountaineering and its associated activities require appropriate fitness levels. The Lead contact must notify An Óige of any illness or impairment when booking.

To ensure that everyone has a comfortable, safe and enjoyable stay at a Youth Hostel, we reserve the right to refuse any guest (or group) entry or accommodation at the Hostel or management may require a guest (or group) to leave the Hostel at any stage.

14.1 An Óige shall always act reasonably and instances when our staff may refuse to allow you to stay or ask you to leave include if a guest or (a group):

• has been refused entry or has been asked to leave another Hostel in the past;
• on arrival or at any point during the stay, the management reasonably considers that you are under the influence of drink or drugs;
• is causing a disturbance and/or annoying other guests or Hostel staff;
• is behaving in a threatening, abusive or otherwise unacceptable manner including in such way which is affecting the smooth operation of the Hostel; or
• is in breach of the Hostel’s Booking Terms and Conditions or the Safety Statement (copies of which are available at reception).

14.2 In booking to stay at the Hostel (whether online, by phone, through an agent or otherwise) you are agreeing to comply with all rules and procedures at the Hostel, including but not limited to all health, safety and security procedures, statutory requirements and the Hostel’s Booking Terms and Conditions.

The provision of packages, tours and activity holidays (afterwards referred to as holidays) is subject to the Package Holiday and Travel Trade Act. An Óige complies with the requirements of the Regulations in respect of Activity Holidays. An Óige facilitates a range of activity holidays, run by experienced/qualified leaders and/or professionals, based in An Óige Youth Hostels.

15.1 An Óige arranges access to a range of activity holidays run by activity providers. These activity holidays may include:

• Loan of technical equipment (if required) from the activity provider
• Instruction/guiding
• Catering
• Youth Hostel accommodation in bunk-bedded rooms and self-catering facilities (see specific holiday itinerary for full details) provided by An Óige.

15.2 Personal clothing (e.g. waterproofs, fleeces, rucksacks and boots) is not included.

15.3 Personal insurance is not included. An Óige advise guests to take out their own insurance to cover cancellation and/or curtailment of the holiday, injury, death, loss of baggage and money. This insurance should recognise the activity being undertaken.

15.4 By taking part in an An Óige Holiday the guest undertakes to conform to the Booking Terms and Conditions of An Óige and the directions and order of the organisers and instructors. The authority of the leader/instructor is final and his/her decision is to be accepted at all times.

15.5 Some courses require minimum numbers in order for them to run. Where this is the case it will be notified on the booking confirmation. If minimum numbers are not reached, the holiday will be cancelled, guests notified and all monies paid will be refunded.

15.6. An Óige will endeavour to ensure that the advertised holiday actually runs. However, An Óige reserve the right to cancel or modify the content of a holiday due to prevailing weather or other conditions. In the event of a cancellation by An Óige a full refund or alternative holiday dates or an alternative holiday will be offered. Our liability does not extend beyond this.

15.7 Mountaineering and its associated activities require appropriate fitness levels. The guest must notify An Óige of any illness or impairment when booking, and An Óige reserve the right to ask a guest to leave the holiday if their continued participation jeopardises the safety or enjoyment of the other guests or in our opinion jeopardises their own safety or well-being.

15.8 Outdoor activities are potentially hazardous by their nature and individual guests must accept that participation is at their own risk.

15.9 An Óige check with all third party activity providers that their instructors and leaders are carefully vetted and qualified for the activities that they control. Participants must agree to abide by the decisions and directions of the leader/instructor.

15.10 Subject to not infringing the participant’s legal rights, neither An Óige nor its partners or agents is liable for loss, injury, accident or damage which may arise during the holiday, or as a result of it, and every guest taking part shall be in every respect at his or her own risk.

Special events are categorised as any period that a Youth Hostel has special rates. These include but are not limited to St. Patrick’s Festival, New Year’s celebrations, sport events, festivals and concerts.

16.1 A Non Refundable Deposit of 25% must be paid within 7 days of the booking in order to secure your reservation. If deposit is not received within 7 days your reservation will be cancelled. The remaining balance is due 8 weeks prior to arrival.  If the balance is not received, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled.

16.2 Changes to a booking are permitted but, once deposit has been received, are subject to an amendment fee. Any changes will be subject to the new rate.

16.3 The travel agent/tour operator may cancel the booking, or any part of it, once it has been confirmed, but these instructions must be in writing and sent to An Óige directly. Once a booking is made through a travel agent/tour operator all correspondence will only be dealt with through that booking agent and not any party of the group directly. To compensate us for the expense of processing your booking and for the risk that we may not be able to resell the beds/holiday, we charge a cancellation fee on the scale shown below.  The amount payable depends on when we receive your written instructions – the more notice advised the less charged.

Period before cancellation                                           Amount charged

30 – 59 days                                                                        50% of total price

14 – 29 days                                                                       80% of total price

13 days – departure date, or after                             100%

16. 4 Leaders accompanying a party must agree to be responsible and accountable for the behaviour and actions of their party. Hostel policy states that any member of a party found misbehaving or contravening hostel rules jeopardises the stay of the whole group. To this end a security deposit of €500.00 – €1000.00+ must be paid on arrival for any groups of 10 pax or more (amount dependable on group size) as follows:

0 – 99:           €500.00

100+              €1000.00+

This deposit will be refunded in full if no damages are caused by the group while staying at the Youth Hostel. Damages and expenses incurred by the hostel due to the actions of the group will be deducted from the security deposit. The leader(s) are liable for all damages caused by the actions of their party.

Management of the hostel have the right to ask a group to leave if they do not obey hostel rules without refund. The travel agent/tour operator will be advised accordingly.

An Óige runs competitions on social media and with our membership on a regular basis where we award prizes of accommodation or third party products.  These may be facilitated by an outside promotor.

17.1 Employees of An Óige, their family members, or anyone else connected in any way with the competition or helping to set up the competition including the promotor or their family members, shall not be permitted to enter competitions. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter competitions.

17.2 Closing date for entry will be advertised during the competition. After this date no further entries to the competition will be permitted. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.

17.3 The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and the competition rules may change these terms and conditions without notice. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.

17.4 The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition. No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.  Prizes must be redeemed within one year or becomes inviolid (ie if they win a stay – you probably want a limit)

17.5 The winner will be notified by email and/or letter within 28 days of the closing date.

17.6 If the winner cannot be contacted or does not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.

17.7 The promoter will notify the winner when and where the prize can be collected.

17.8 The promoter’s decision, in respect of all matters to do with the competition, will be final and cannot be contested. By entering any competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these above terms and conditions.

17.9 The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by Irish law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Ireland.

17.10 The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material

17.11 Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current Irish data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.

18.1 All member discounts must be applied at time of booking. No member discounts will be applied after payment has been received.

18.2 An Óige membership entitles you to, but is not limited to;

• 10% off all An Óige hostels and affliate hostels
• Discount or benefits in all Hostelling International hostels worldwide
• Discounts or benefits with named partners in Ireland
• Access to member events of An Óige
• Access to membership newsletter and offers

18.3 Membership must be processed online at www.anoige.ie. A card with your membership number will be mailed and must be presented in person to obtain discounts. Membership is valid for one year and must be renewed annually.

18.4 Payment must be made in full at the time of signing up for membership.

18.5 Refunds will not be given for membership

18.6 An Óige membership can only be used booking directly with An Óige, by our website, or by emailing and phoning directly.

19.1 All prices quoted are in euros (EUR) and are based on event packages.

19.2 An Óige will aim to confirm or otherwise respond to your booking request within three working days by e-mail or by phone. However, in some instances (for example during long weekends or public holidays) the response time may be longer. The booking will only be confirmed by payment of deposit or full amount.

19.3 Supplements may apply in respect of special conditions (ie event weekends, weekend bookings, en-suite rooms etc.)

19.4 All information and prices stated are subject to change. Please note that every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of all information on the An Óige website, however, An Óige does not accept responsibility for any errors or omissions.  An Óige will be under no obligation to any person as a result of any inaccuracy or incorrect description to provide any services set out herein.

19.5 Some events, for various reasons may be cancelled or postponed. In the event of this happening, monies paid will be returned.

19.6 If you need to cancel your booking please notify Head Office immediately by e-mail or phone. The amount of the cancellation fee is related to how much notice you have given prior to start of the event.

19.7 The cancellation fees are as follows:

Period before cancellation	Amount charged
14 day or more days	25% of total price
13 days – 72 hours	50% of total price
less than 72 hours	100% of the total price

 

19.8 Our policy also offers the option to use the payment for your cancelled booking towards another event of your choosing, within a year of the original event.

19.9 We strongly advise that you purchase adequate travel insurance to safeguard against any losses.

19.10 It is up to the organiser if children can participate in An Óige run event. This is due to Child Protection Regulations and laws and not all those who volunteer to help run the event may be Garda vetted and attended An Óige’s child protection course.

20.1 A number of independent hostels are promoted by An Óige – Irish Youth Hostel Association as affiliate hostels.  These hostels are not owned or managed by An Óige and they are not governed by these Booking Terms and Conditions. Separate terms and conditions will apply and should be asked for at the specific hostel. An Óige have carefully chosen the hostels to be promoted but we are not responsible for the quality of the guest’s experiences in these hostels. Any complaint or comment regarding a stay in these hostels should, be directed to the manager/owner and copied to info@anoige.ie.

21.1 Self-catering facilities are available at all Youth Hostels. In some Youth Hostels, because of the limited size of the self-catering kitchen or dining room, larger groups will be asked to take catered meals provided by the Youth Hostel at an additional cost.

21.2 All meals for groups are served at a mutually agreed time. If the group is late and have not given reasonable notice (72 hours’ notice or more) to the Youth Hostel, the meal may be cancelled at the Youth Hostel Manager’s discretion and all costs charged to the group.

21.3 Special dietary requirements should be notified at time of booking or at the earliest opportunity thereafter. We will not be able to cater for special dietary requirements if adequate notice has not been given (72 hours’ notice or more).

21.4 Some Youth Hostels cannot cater for nut allergies, please check when you are booking your meals if your chosen Youth Hostel can cater for this allergy.

22.1 An Óige advise you to notify us at the time of booking, and a minimum of 72 hours in advance, if you or any of your party has any disability, medical condition or special needs, which may require specific facilities. An Óige will endeavour to meet your requirements where possible but special needs facilities vary by Youth Hostel – please check details before booking. It is the responsibility of the guest or group’s Lead Person to ensure that all special needs requirements are identified and communicated to An Óige staff.

**An Óige cannot provide assistance with walking, eating or other personal needs.  If a guest requires assistance, it is their responsibility to have someone accompany them who can attend to their needs.

22.2 Only some Youth Hostels are suitable for wheelchair access. Please check the Youth Hostels information or contact the individual hostel directly before making an online booking.

22.3 As stated in the law of the land, service animals are welcome.

23.1 All An Óige Youth Hostels are non-smoking buildings and, under Irish law, it is an offence to smoke anywhere within any of the Youth Hostels and any guest doing so will be subject to a fine. Smoking is permitted only in designated areas outside the Youth Hostels.

23.2 The use of illegal drugs is strictly prohibited in and around any An Óige Youth Hostel at any time. If the Youth Hostel Manager/staff member suspects that a person is in possession of illegal drugs, he or she will contact the local Garda Síochána.

Guests found to be contravening the above policies will be asked to leave the Youth Hostel without refund.

24.1 Whilst every effort is made to ensure excellent security at our premises, An Óige is not responsible for visitor’s property, which includes, but is not confined to, luggage or bicycles stored.  Some Youth Hostels have lockers available for guest use with padlocks available for rent at the Youth Hostel reception.

25.1 Parking facilities vary at each Youth Hostel. An Óige does not accept responsibility for loss or damage to vehicles parked within Youth Hostel grounds. All vehicles are parked and left at the owner’s risk.