Cancellation Policy
Because our properties are unique and in limited quantity, we have a strict cancellation policy. For all bookings, any change or cancellation after booking results in a $250 fee, or one night’s rent if less. Cancellations or changes may be made for a refund of rent paid, less the fee, up to 61 days prior to arrival. At 60 days prior to arrival the stay is non-refundable/non-changeable. The cancellation policy as exactly worded in our contracts is as follows, “$250 fee for cancellation or date change (or full value of one night rent, if less). Full payment is required 60 days prior to arrival. We will make refunds, less the fee, for cancellations made more than 60 days before arrival date. No refunds due to late cancellation, shortened stay, or ruined expectations including bad weather, limited views, smoke from wildfires, work or family emergencies. If you wish to cancel/change only “part” of your reservation, we may only offer cancellation in full at our option.”
Weather & Closures (Related to Potential Refunds)
As long as our home is accessible and open for business, we do not offer refunds for weather or closures, including road closures. Smoke/air quality is treated as weather. While snow may occur at our elevation and/or the route to the home, and chains or traction devices may be required, our home is generally accessible every day of the year. Snow in our area is not uncommon. Read more about winter traveling at our Blog post here . Occasionally a detour may be required to access the home, which would not be basis for a refund. In addition, our home is generally open and accessible during Yosemite National Park closures, as the home sits on private land, so access is ensured. If the home is closed for reasons outside our control, such as a closure mandated by a government order (example: evacuation closure due to wildfire) we will refund visits based on a review of the circumstances, but only if travel insurance has been purchased to protect the trip, and only if the travel insurance denies coverage. For example, if we are offering guests refunds because the home is closed for COVID 19, which is no longer covered by insurance, only guests who purchased insurance to protect their trip in general will be eligible for refunds. Travel insurance is not mandatory, but if you forgo travel insurance, it limits the refund we are willing to offer. Travel insurance would cover wildfire in certain situations, including if you have doctor’s note indicating any person in your party is unable to travel, or if access to the home was closed, making the home inaccessible.
Travel Insurance
For the unexpected situations where cancellations would result in the loss of your rent fees paid to us, Travel Insurance is your friend! We care about you, your trip, and any unanticipated concerns, including your health concerns. No one wants to cancel their vacation, but sometimes health or family circumstances change our plans. Because we have a strict cancellation policy, we strongly urge you to purchase travel insurance. This affordable option protects you in specific circumstances, as outlined in the policy. You can purchase a policy to cover just your lodging at Yosemite Stay, or all the components of your trip including airfare, rental car, and similar. Commonly covered situations include illness or injury of someone planning to travel in your group or a family member, funeral (death) of a family member, natural disaster or other severe events in the area of your destination, or other various changes in your job or life circumstances. This includes travel insurance covers the trip if the utilities or other facilities at our location are unexpectedly out of service during your trip dates. Travel insurance even at the basic level often includes additional benefits such as baggage delay, missed connections, emergency transportation and valuable assistance services.
Policy Options
Each travel insurance company offers policies with unique terms and pricing. We recommend that you review the sample policy in detail as well as obtain quotes before selecting a policy that best meets your needs and budget. Many different companies offer policies, and we are unable to review them all. Prices also vary widely. Rather than a long list of options, we list the two options most commonly selected by our guests and the guests of other rental properties in our area.
Generali Global Assistance (formerly known as CSA Travel Protection) has reliably paid out claims in our experience and has affordable policies. This company underwrites policies for other well known major online travel agencies. To purchase one of their policies, visit the provided link. The vacation rental policies offered by Generali often return the lowest quote among all carriers we have tested, including for trips $2200 and under, they have a $39 policy.
We offer an option within our check-out process from Rental Guardian. This policy runs 7% for the standard policy, To see all the details easily for this policy, start an online quote on our website, for any dates, and you will be provided links to review the policy details. This policy can only be purchased during our check-out process, and certain coverages may only be available on the day you book, or a certain number of days prior to arrival. Other policies generally offer coverage anytime before the trip starts. If coverage is not available for your trip through your checkout process, you can still obtain coverage before your trip dates, by visiting Generali or another vendor.