These general terms and conditions apply to the provision of accommodation services and to the hire of conference and event rooms, as well as to all further related services and supplies.

The contracting parties are the person making the booking and the ECOINN Hotel, SHT GmbH, or the ECONVENT events venue respectively. The reservation of rooms and spaces and the agreement of other supplies and services become binding on all parties upon confirmation by the hotel or the ECONVENT, as do these terms and conditions. Subletting or re-letting rooms, and using hotel rooms for purposes other than accommodation, requires the hotel’s prior written consent. The hotel or the ECONVENT reserves the right to change rooms, provided this is reasonable for the person making the booking, taking into account the interests of the hotel or the ECONVENT.

The person making the booking is liable for the entire booking and its payment, as well as for all charges incurred, such as cleaning fees for smoking in the room or call-outs of our security service at guests’ request, even if a self-payment agreement was made for the persons booked but they have not settled their invoices on time. In this case, the customer as contracting party becomes liable for the costs immediately.

Reserved hotel rooms are available to the person making the booking or the guest from 3:00 pm on the day of arrival. An “early check-in” can be booked for a fee, subject to availability. Unless a later arrival time has been expressly agreed, the hotel has the right to let booked rooms to others after 6:00 pm without the guest being able to claim compensation. In the event of overbooking, the hotel reserves the right to accommodate guests in a partner hotel of comparable quality. This will not result in any additional costs for the guest.

Unless otherwise agreed, hotel rooms must be vacated by 11:00 am on the day of departure. If this is not done and the room is not vacated, the hotel is entitled to charge the customer/person making the booking a flat fee equal to the room rate for one night. A “late check-out” can be booked for a fee.

Hotel room rates are inclusive and therefore include breakfast and statutory VAT. Any increase in VAT after conclusion of the contract shall be borne by the person making the booking. Invoices are payable without deduction within 8 days of the invoice date. In the event of late payment, the hotel is entitled to charge interest at 6 % above the applicable base rate under § 1 of the German Discount Rate Transition Act (Diskontsatz-Überleitungs-Gesetz) or the corresponding successor rate of the European Central Bank. The customer remains entitled to prove lower damage, and the hotel higher damage. Invoice amounts are payable on arrival unless a cost absorption declaration has been provided. In such cases, invoice amounts are due at check-out.

The hotel is entitled to request an advance payment of the contractually agreed price from the guest. Unless a separate contractual agreement has been made, the guest must pay this deposit no later than 30 days before arrival or the start of the event. If payment is not made on time, the hotel is entitled to withdraw from the contract. Cheques are only deemed payment once they have been finally cleared.

The hotel is entitled at any time, but no later than 6 days before arrival, to debit the expected invoice amount from the credit card of the person making the booking or of the person named as authorised to pay, and to offset it against the final invoice.

Unless otherwise agreed, the following cancellation conditions, by written notice, apply to persons booking hotel rooms for a fixed date or period:

Bookings of 1-3 rooms	free of charge up to 1 day before arrival
Bookings of 4-9 rooms	free of charge up to 7 days before arrival
Bookings of 10-14 rooms	free of charge up to 3 weeks before arrival
Bookings of 15 rooms or more	free of charge up to 12 weeks before arrival

These cancellation periods apply to hotel rooms; packages can be cancelled free of charge up to 1 calendar month before arrival. The hotel may also extend these periods during peak seasons and for reservations of more than 3 days.

On the following dates, this cancellation period applies to bookings of 1-3 rooms: bookings of 1-3 rooms free of charge up to 8 days before arrival during the annual trade fair and Wasen festival periods and during the annual Esslingen Christmas Market.

From the start of the chargeable cancellation period, the person making the booking pays an advance payment equal to the total price. The hotel is entitled to debit this amount from the credit card provided.

Thereafter, cancellations are charged at 100 % of the total price, and cancellations of individual rooms/packages from the overall booking likewise at 100 %. In the event of a no-show without cancellation, 100 % of the total price is also payable, as the breakfast ingredients have been ordered and prepared and staff have been scheduled accordingly.

In the event area of the ECOINN and at the ECONVENT, the prices and times contractually agreed between the hotel or the ECONVENT and the customer apply and must be observed. Overruns are only possible with prior consent and are then charged at €100 per hour or part thereof.

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, the cancellation periods for conferences and events at the ECOINN and the ECONVENT, Ritterstraße 16, 73728 Esslingen, are as follows:

Special conditions (coronavirus regulations): the current regulations of the federal government and the state of Baden-Württemberg apply here.
Should we be unable to hold the event due to current coronavirus regulations, you will incur no costs. Should you cancel the event yourself, no cancellation fees will be charged if an equivalent alternative date is agreed; in the event of cancellation without an alternative date, cancellation fees of 80% will be charged.

Cancellation fees:
Cancellation is free of charge up to 3 weeks before the event.
From 3 weeks to 1 week before the event, we charge 50 % of the agreed package price or the agreed room hire and provision costs.
From 7 days to 1 day before the event, we charge 80 % of the agreed package price or the agreed room hire and provision costs.
Cancellation is not possible on the day of the event itself; the full contractually agreed costs are payable.
Where a package price has been agreed, the following formula generally applies: number of people (including approximate numbers) x package price

Cancellations of any kind (hotel rooms, event rooms such as conferences, events, etc.) must be made in writing.

The hotel and the ECONVENT expressly reserve the right to change the cancellation periods, in particular for bookings during peak season and trade fair periods.

Wi-Fi codes: the customer is fully liable for the Wi-Fi codes issued to them, to guests accommodated by them or to conference participants, and for any misuse of these codes.

The ECOINN and the ECONVENT are non-smoking buildings, and all rooms are fitted with smoke detectors. Smoking inside the buildings is only permitted in the designated smoking lounge at the ECOINN. For smoking or naked flames (including candles) in rooms or any other premises, the hotel is entitled to charge a cleaning fee of €150 per room / €250 per event room and to terminate the contract without notice. In this case, the person making the booking must pay the full amount arising from their reservation, even if they or the guests accommodated by them have to leave the hotel or the event building early through their own fault as a result of this termination without notice. The person making the booking is fully liable for all damage and costs caused by smoking or fire in non-permitted areas of the hotel or the event building, as well as for damage and costs caused by tampering or attempted tampering with the smoke detectors. Where other persons accommodated in the hotel by them are responsible, the person making the booking is free to recover the costs from them.

If, through their own fault, a guest calls on the security company of the hotel or the ECONVENT outside reception hours (e.g. forgotten room key card), the hotel or the ECONVENT will charge the person making the booking the full costs of this call-out, including handling costs.

For conferences and events: for all catering or food deliveries by a caterer, the caterer is fully liable to the person making the booking for its services, goods and products. This expressly also applies to lunches at conferences. The customer must negotiate any resulting claims directly with the caterer. The hotel and the ECONVENT are only liable for their own services, such as running conferences or hiring out the premises.

Every caterer is liable to the ECOINN or the ECONVENT for any damage it causes to the landlord’s building during the hire period. The caterer must ensure that its staff and the guests treat the furnishings and premises with care. During the hire period, it also exercises the right to enforce the house rules on the landlord’s behalf and may therefore issue warnings or bans from the premises. During the hire period, the caterer must ensure that the house rules and the laws and regulations of the municipality are observed and enforced. This applies in particular to night-time noise, damage and soiling in and around the building caused by guests. The caterer is obliged to inform the landlord of and account for these measures. For its activities, the caterer may use the preparation room on the ground floor and provide its catering in the hired premises. The caterer shall ensure that rooms not hired are not entered by it, its staff or guests.

If the person making the booking is a merchant, a legal entity under public law or a special fund under public law, withholding payments on account of any counterclaims of the person making the booking not recognised by us is not permitted, nor is offsetting against such claims.

The person booking rooms or premises is fully liable for costs arising from disregard of or breaches of the house rules or of public order by themselves, persons acting on their behalf and their guests. If they, persons acting on their behalf or their guests remain on the premises longer than booked and agreed, a full day’s hire or rate becomes payable, which the person making the booking must also bear. The ECOINN Hotel and the ECONVENT are entitled to charge a deposit for the hire of their rooms, which may be retained in the event of damage.

The person making the booking is liable for damage or losses caused by their employees, their assistants and persons accommodated or booked by them, just as for losses or damage they have caused themselves. All of this also applies to hired premises (e.g. for meetings or celebrations, whether at the ECONVENT or the ECOINN). The person making the booking must ensure that packaging, cardboard and other bulky waste are taken away or disposed of after the hire period. The premises must be left broom-clean. If this is not the case, the hotel or the ECONVENT may charge the person making the booking a cleaning/disposal fee of €200. To prevent damage to the walls, the attachment of decorations or other items must have been expressly approved by the hotel. The hotel is not liable for damage to or loss of items brought onto the premises. The hotel provides no insurance cover for such items. Appropriate insurance, e.g. of exhibits, is solely the responsibility of the person making the booking. Where the hotel/the ECONVENT procures technical or other equipment from third parties for the person making the booking, it acts in the name of the person making the booking. The person making the booking is liable for the careful handling and proper return of this equipment and indemnifies the hotel or the ECONVENT against third-party claims. Claims for damages in tort against the hotel are excluded unless the damage was caused intentionally or through gross negligence. This also applies to acts of our vicarious agents. Exhibits and other items brought in must be removed after the end of the event. If the person making the booking fails to comply with this rule, the hotel and the ECONVENT have the right to remove and store them at the booking party’s expense. The person making the booking may not, as a rule, bring food and drink to events. In special cases, a written agreement may be made; in such cases a general cost fee will be charged, less the proportionate cost of goods. Newspaper advertisements and public invitations to job interviews or sales events require the hotel’s prior consent.

If publication takes place without consent, the ECOINN Hotel and the ECONVENT have the right to cancel the event. If the hotel or the ECONVENT has reasonable grounds to believe that the event threatens to jeopardise the smooth running of the business, or the safety or reputation of the hotel or the ECONVENT, or in the event of force majeure, it may cancel the event.

The place of performance and jurisdiction is Esslingen.

For all disputes arising from the contractual relationship, if the customer is a registered merchant, a legal entity under public law or a special fund under public law, proceedings must be brought before the court responsible for our registered office (Stuttgart).

We are also entitled to bring proceedings at the customer’s registered office. German law applies exclusively, even if the organiser’s registered office is abroad.

Should any provision of these terms and conditions be or become invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions shall remain unaffected.