Terms and conditions for a small hotel or guesthouse

An independent hotel takes bookings from individuals, families, wedding parties and companies, each with different expectations and, in law, different rights. The terms have to deal with cancellation and no-shows, group bookings that shrink, card authorisations, damage and guests who have to be asked to leave, in one document the front desk can rely on. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Independent hotels, inns and guesthouses in England and Wales taking direct bookings online, by phone and by email, group and corporate bookings, and platform bookings under the platform's terms. These are your direct booking terms and the conditions of stay for all guests.

What matters in hotel booking terms

Cancellation, no-shows and rate types

Accommodation for specific dates is excluded from the fourteen-day cancellation right by regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013, so the terms carry the cancellation policy for each rate type: flexible, advance purchase and non-refundable, with the notice period and the charge stated for each. No-shows are charged on the stated basis. Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 the headline price shown online must include all mandatory charges.

Group bookings and corporate accounts

Group bookings need their own section: a deposit, a rooming list by a stated date, a cut-off for reducing rooms without charge, the charge for rooms released after it, and one organiser responsible for the group. Corporate accounts should have invoicing terms, interest and compensation on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, and a statement that the company is liable for its employees' stays and extras.

Card authorisations, extras and payment

The terms should say that a card is pre-authorised at check-in for the stay and for extras, what the authorisation covers, when it is released, and that the guest is liable for all charges to the room including those incurred by others in the party. A guest who leaves without settling can be charged to the card on file if the terms say so and the guest agreed to it.

Conduct, removal and other guests

The terms should give you the right to refuse a booking, to refuse entry and to require a guest to leave where their behaviour is unacceptable, unlawful or disturbs other guests, with no refund for the remaining stay. They should cover visitors in rooms, noise, smoking, and the use of facilities such as pools or gyms, with the safety rules for those facilities forming part of the terms.

Damage, belongings and liability

The terms should make guests responsible for damage to rooms and property, charged at cost, and should say how lost property is handled and for how long it is kept. Guests' belongings and vehicles are left at their own risk except where loss is caused by your negligence, which cannot be excluded against a consumer under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. As a hotel within the Hotel Proprietors Act 1956 you are liable for guests' property under that Act, with the limits it allows where the statutory notice is displayed at reception, and with the innkeeper's lien over a guest's goods for an unpaid bill, which the Innkeepers Act 1878 turns into a right of sale by public auction after six weeks on a month's newspaper notice, so the terms on unpaid bills should follow that procedure, and the Immigration (Hotel Records) Order 1972 requires you to record every guest's name and nationality, with passport details for guests who are not British, Irish or Commonwealth citizens. Your safety and fire procedures under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 are described rather than disclaimed, and any bar operates under a premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the terms and conditions drafting page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

A wedding party booked twenty rooms and now wants ten. What can I charge?

If the group terms set a cut-off for releasing rooms without charge and a charge for rooms released after it, the released rooms are chargeable on that basis. The organiser who signed the group booking is the person liable.

Can I charge a guest's card after they have left?

If the terms say that the card pre-authorised at check-in may be charged for the stay, extras, damage and unpaid bills, and the guest agreed to that at check-in, you can, for amounts you can evidence.

Do I need the platform's guests to accept my terms?

Their booking is governed by the platform's terms, but the conditions of stay, such as conduct, damage and check-out, apply to everyone in the building. Present them as the house rules at check-in.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a bed and breakfast
• Terms and conditions for serviced apartments

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.