EKPIZO: Rights and Obligations of Travelers and Hotels

Amid the tourism summer season, Greek consumer rights organization EKPIZO has issued a report to inform travelers, hotels and rented rooms on their rights and obligations.

According to the organization hotels and rented rooms are obliged to:

• Provide the customer with all the services promoted and previously agreed.
• Inform the traveler in writing and within three days on whether his/her reservation is verified or not.
• Have the hotel’s price list available in every room.
• In case the agreed terms are not met, the hotelier/owner of the facility must ensure the guest stays in another hotel of equal or superior category, cover the expenses of his/her transportation and the price difference – if any.
• When making a reservation the accommodation facility is entitled to a deposit of up to 25 percent of the total cost of the accommodation. This amount must not be less than the cost of a day’s stay.When canceling a reservation:

• The traveler may get a full refund as long as the cancelation takes place 21 days prior to the start of his/her stay.
• In case the reservation is not canceled 21 days  prior to the starting date of the stay, the traveler is obliged to pay up to 50 percent of the total cost of the reservation, according to the accommodation facility’s policy.
• In case a traveler wishes to stay on fewer days than initially agreed, he/she must inform the hotel at least 21 days prior to the start of his/her stay in order to avoid extra charge. In a different case the hotelier is entitled to a compensation of up to 50 percent of the amount agreed.

For more information or to file a complaint EKPIZO is advising travelers to contact the Tourism Police, the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) and the General Secretariat of Commerce and Consumer Protection.