Booking Terms and Conditions

    Summer Season 2025-2026

1. Definitions

• “Arrival Date” means the date scheduled as the first day of the guest’s stay at The Brownston (as specified in the booking or under the Group Booking).
• “CARL” or “we” or “our” refers to Cardrona Alpine Resort Ltd, the company that manages The Brownston. We are the other party to these terms and conditions.
• “Expected Revenue” means the total value of the Group Booking as estimated at the time of Confirmation.
• “Group” means the people who are to stay at The Brownston as part of a Group Booking.
• “Group Booking” means a booking at The Brownston for five (5) or more rooms, 10 or more people, or multiple bookings across more than two (2) dates.
• “Group Leader(s)” means the individual(s) that is the primary contact for the Group Booking at the applicable time (including during the booking process, the period prior to arrival, and throughout the stay at The Brownston).
• “Group Member” means each individual person in the Group.
• “The Brownston” refers to the property named The Brownston Hostel located at 73 Brownston Street, Wanaka, Otago 9305, New Zealand.

2. Booking Availability, Confirmation

• Bookings are subject to availability as shown on our website.
• For Group Bookings, these are subject to availability and written confirmation by us (“Confirmation”). A Group Booking is only fully confirmed upon receipt of the initial deposit.
• If you have booked through a third party, please deal with your travel agent/ booking site for their individual cancellation policy and any amendments.
• Bookings for over 14 nights should be booked directly either via The Brownston website or by emailing thebrownston@realnz.com . Extensions are subject to availability on a week-to-week basis at the Brownston Hostels discretion. All extensions must be paid for in advance. Long-term guests are asked to maintain a clean dorm and store any belongings which do not fit within their bed drawer in our storage room.

3. Check-in/out and Guest Property

• Check-in opens at 2pm. We require identification on check-in and evidence of booking references for bookings made via travel agents or online agent websites. We accept all forms of ID.
• Guests may arrive any time after 9am, can store luggage in reception and make use of the facilities until rooms are available.
• Upon check-in guests will receive a room card and an access code to our back door. Neither the card nor the access code should be provided to any other person other than staying guests. Guests who are determined to have given a room card or access codes to non-staying persons will be asked to check-out immediately without refund. $10 will be charged for any lost room card.
• Requests for late arrivals (arrival after 8pm) must be made at the latest by 6pm on the date of arrival. Where requested in advance, guests will be provided with instructions on how to enter the hostel and find their room key. Guests who specify they will arrive after reception closes (8pm) will be charged in advance via the debit or credit card supplied at the time of booking.
• Check-out is at 10am. At check-out guests must return their key to reception. Guests can store their luggage in reception and use the facilities up until 4pm.
• Check-out time is 10 am. Late check-outs can be requested for an additional $10.00 per person in dorms and $20.00 per private room, providing a checkout time of 13:00pm. Late check-outs requests are subject to availability and must be arranged by 7pm on the evening before check-out, or prior to arrival for Groups.
• Guests can store their luggage at The Brownston Hostel both before check-in and after check-out for the day free of charge in reception. The Brownston accepts no liability for the loss, theft or damage to property however sustained or caused.
• Guests checking out but returning to The Brownston for a repeat booking within one week can store luggage free of charge in the hostel storage room. Any additional nights after this or where a guest wishes to store luggage at The Brownston but who does not have a repeat booking will be charged $4 per day up to a maximum of 30 calendar days. All luggage in the storeroom must be labelled with the guest’s full name, return date and contact details.
• Lost property left at The Brownston Hostel will be logged and securely stored for four weeks. After this time items will be donated to our favoured local charity. The Brownston is not liable for lost property and storage.Where guests are unable to collect lost property in person, they are liable for any postage charges for returning property.

4. Rates and Payment Terms

• Rates quoted are in NZ dollars, inclusive of taxes, and based on the number of occupants and length of stay and any alterations to these details may affect the nightly rate charged. We use dynamic pricing and the price of our rooms fluctuate based on demand and other factors.
• Payments may be made by credit or debit card. Online bookings require a valid credit card number to guarantee your reservation. Advance purchase or prepaid rates will be charged at the time of booking, as marked on the rate description. All outstanding payments are due on arrival at the hostel, on the date at which bookings begin, or on the commencement of any extension of stay.
• A valid credit card will be requested from the occupant of the room when checking in and be saved on file to cover any incidental charges. For travellers without a credit card, photo ID will be requested and full payment of accommodation plus a bond for incidental charges will be required at check-in. Bonds vary by room and length of stay. Please note that we do not accept cash or American Express.

For Groups:

• A non-refundable deposit of 20% of the Expected Revenue is due within 14 calendar days of booking Confirmation.
• The remaining 80% must be paid no later than 30 calendar days prior to the Arrival Date.
• Failure to meet payment deadlines may result in cancellation and forfeiture of all paid amounts.

5. Booking Cancellation and Refund Policy

Cancellations must be confirmed in writing to us at our email address: thebrownston@realnz.com .

Refunds are only permitted, and cancellation fees are payable as follows:

• Except for Groups (see below) free cancellation and amendments up to 48 hours prior to check in time (2pm) on the date of arrival. After 2pm two days prior to the day of arrival, a cancellation fee equal to the total price of the reservation will be charged. In case of a no show the total price of the reservation will be charged to your credit card, the beds/rooms released, and the rest of the booking will be cancelled.
• We will provide free cancellation if the NZ Government closes international borders preventing travel.  We are unable to provide refunds owing to sickness, weather events, travel delays, or road closures. We recommend that you take out travel insurance.

For Groups:

• Cancellation notified 91+ calendar days before Arrival Date: 20% deposit retained.
• Cancellation notified 30–90 calendar days before Arrival Date: 50% of Expected Revenue may be retained by us (if already paid) or must be paid.
• Cancellation notified less than 30 calendar days before Arrival Date: 100% of Expected Revenue retained by us (if already paid) or must be paid.
• Reductions in Group size must be notified in writing. No refunds will be issued for reductions in Group size notified within 30 calendar days of the Arrival Date.

6. Guest Numbers and Age Restrictions

• Rooms and Group numbers are based on the permitted number of occupants per room as stated on our website at https://www.thebrownston.com/ or the Confirmation, and occupants shall not exceed the maximum number stated.
• The final number of Group Members for the Group Booking and room types must be confirmed at least 30 calendar days prior to the Arrival Date.
• We cannot guarantee any particular rooms or beds, or that Group rooms will be nearby each other or on the same floor. Please note that when reserving multiple individual dormitory beds The Brownston will try but cannot guarantee all the guests on that booking will be allocated to the same room, even if booking the same room type.
• Groups need to request to book dormitory’s out in full if they wish to have no other guests outside the Group staying in the room. We will try to allocate multiple rooms in a Group Booking in the same wings of The Brownston together, although this is not always possible due to availability and the configuration of the building.
• Increases in numbers of Group Members are subject to availability and possibly to different rates (at our discretion).
• Reductions in the number of nights of the Group Booking may be made at least 30 calendar days prior to the Arrival Date. No refunds apply for reductions made after that 30-day date.
• Failure to book appropriate rooms or bed numbers for your Group may result in members of your party being turned away.
• Every attempt will be made to accommodate the Group together, however this is subject to availability and seasonal fluctuations and cannot be guaranteed.
• The Brownston reserves the right to upgrade guests’ reservations where necessary.
• The Brownston operates a child-friendly policy of 10 plus, and is accordingly unable to accommodate any child under the age of 10.  Guests aged 10-18 must be accompanied and supervised by, their legal guardian at all times.  Guests aged between 10-18 cannot reside in a shared dormitory unless wholly reserved for their booking party; therefore, guests aged under 18 must reserve either whole dorm or private rooms and reside in that room with accompanying adult.
• We are unable to accommodate any guests under the age of 20 between December 30^th and January 2^nd. We have a very strict no additional guests policy during this period. Anyone found breaching this rule will be asked to leave immediately without any refund.

7. Group Leader Responsibilities

The Group Leader(s) agrees to be responsible for the Group and each Group Member, including:

• Ensuring all Group Members comply with hostel rules and staff instructions.
• Being accountable for and returning all access cards for all rooms in the Group Booking to The Brownston reception at check-out time.
• Accepting liability for any damage or loss caused by the Group Members.
• Supervising minors (under the age of 18) at all times.
• Having measures in place to prevent underage drinking and smoking on the premises.
• Ensuring no interference with fire safety equipment or emergency exits.
• Complying with parking and property access rules.

8. Liability and Indemnity

We are not liable for personal injury, loss or theft of property, or any other loss or damage (whether direct, indirect, special, consequential or otherwise) except to the extent that any liability we may have for such loss or damage is not permitted to be excluded by law.
Each guest, and Group Leader(s), indemnifies CARL for any liability, damage, loss, or disruption caused by the guest, a Group or any Group Member.

9. Guest Behaviour

• We pride ourselves on creating friendly, welcoming, and, above all, safe places for people to enjoy. Any breaches of our admission, behaviour or safety policies will be treated seriously and regarded as a breach of these terms and conditions and can incur a fee. We reserve the right to evict any guest, Group or Group Member for misconduct or breach of hostel rules, instructions or policy without refund. Should this situation arise, our responsibility for your booking will cease and we will not be obliged to cover any expense which may be incurred by the party concerned, neither will we consider any claim for compensation.
• The Brownston operates quiet hours between 10pm and 9am. We rely on the empathy, consideration and cooperation of your guests to act respectfully whilst on site. Hostels however are inherently social spaces, and some level of noise is to be expected.  No refunds will be offered to guests reporting noise issues involving other guests.
• Persons who are not guests of The Brownston are not allowed on the property. Any extra people will be charged and asked to leave immediately.
• The Brownston fire alarms are automatically connected to the fire service. If there is evidence to suggest that a heat or smoke sensor has been set off purposefully or through a guest’s active negligence, such as heavy use of aerosol products or smoking/vaping in the building the guest will be liable to pay the fire service call out charge. Any guest suspected or caught altering with smoke detectors or sprinklers will be asked to leave the property immediately without refund.
• The Brownston maintains an out-of-hours emergency phone number staffed by on-call worker in order to response to genuine emergencies. Where Brownston Staff are required to respond to guests out of hours when there is not a genuine emergency, guests will be charged a fee.
• Smoking and vaping are strictly prohibited anywhere on The Brownston premises, inclusive of the patio and kitchen alleyway.
• Responsible alcohol consumption is welcome at The Brownston in communal areas and within private rooms. Drinking is not permitted in dormitory rooms unless exclusively occupied by a single party or Group. The Brownston reserves the right to implement alcohol bans for specific periods. No alcohol can be consumed on the premises (and may be confiscated) between December 30^th and January 2^nd.
• Guests found or believed to be using drugs within the hostel will be evicted immediately without refund.
• Guest sleeping bags and external blankets are not permitted to be used for hygiene reasons.  These must be stored in the hostel storage room.
• The Brownston reserves the right to require guests to store any belongings, clothing or footwear emitting a strong odor within the hostel storage room. Footwear is not to be left in corridors outside of rooms.
• Any guests with obvious symptoms of flu, gastroenteritis, measles or other viruses will be asked to wear a mask. Self-isolation is not permitted within The Brownston due to the nature of our premises. The Brownston reserves the right to evict guests without a refund where we believe they may present a health and safety risk.
• Assistance dogs, such as guide dogs, hearing dogs, and dogs for those who are disabled, are permitted. Otherwise The Brownston uphold a strict no pets policy.

10. Additional Charges and Peak Periods

We may charge your credit card (and for Groups, the Group Leader will be liable for) additional charges or claim reimbursement for damages, incidentals, or any of the following:

• Property damage, including room closure or other related costs.
• Missing items belonging to The Brownston, excessive cleaning, rubbish removal, and additional staff hours incurred as a result of your stay.
• Lost bookings owing to guest behaviour and for the cost of closing a room whilst repair works or cleaning take place. A cleaning fee of $150 where smoking has taken place inside the building.
• NZ Fire Service call out.
• Lost access cards for rooms ($10.00 per card). Administration fees may apply for:
• Late payments.
• Excessive booking changes.

Additional or alternative terms or charges may apply at Peak periods including:

• Minimum night stays.
• Non-refundable rates.
• Event-specific pricing.
• Different cancellation policies.

11. Cancellation by The Brownston

We may ask a guest or a Group Member to leave the premises or we may cancel a booking at any time without liability if:

• Payment is not made when due or these Terms are breached in any other way.
• The Group misrepresents the nature of its stay or occupancy.
• The guest’s, Group’s or a Group Member’s conduct is or is considered likely to cause danger, damage or offense, or deemed incompatible with hostel operations (at our discretion).
• The guest, Group or any Group Member carry out abusive behaviour in relation to other guests or our staff.
• We reserve the right to terminate a reservation either made through a single transaction or multiple transactions, which we determine was made through in such a manner to avoid Group booking requirements.

12. Force Majeure

• We are not liable for any failure or delay in performance due to events beyond our reasonable control or not reasonably foreseeable by us, including but not limited to natural disasters, pandemics, government restrictions, or other force majeure events.

13. Privacy and Data Protection

• We will collect and manage personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the Privacy Act 2020. Personal data will be used for the purposes of managing the booking and as stated in our Privacy Policy.

14. Governing Law, Complaints and Dispute Resolution

• These Terms and the booking are governed by the laws of New Zealand.
• Where a guest feels that we have not responded adequately to an enquiry or otherwise wishes to make a complaint, guests can contact the Hostel Manager at thebrownston@realnz.com. We will endeavor to resolve the matter as promptly as possible.
• Parties agree to attempt resolution through mediation before pursuing legal action, except in the case of an emergency or injunctive relief.