Terms and Conditions
I. Scope
1. These Terms and Conditions apply to contracts between the Hotel Der Blaue Reiter in Karlsruhe and the customer regarding the rental of conference, banquet, and event rooms for the purpose of holding events such as banquets, seminars, conferences, and similar gatherings, as well as the provision of catering services and all other related services and supplies provided by the hotel (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Hotel Services”).
2. Subletting or subleasing the rooms or spaces provided requires the hotel’s prior written consent.
3. The contract is governed exclusively by the hotel's terms and conditions; the customer's terms and conditions shall not form part of the contract, even if they are not expressly rejected.
II. Conclusion of the Contract
1. The contract is formed when the hotel accepts the customer's request; these parties are the contracting parties.
2. If the customer/purchaser is not the event organizer itself, or if the event organizer engages a commercial agent or organizer, the event organizer shall be jointly and severally liable with the customer for all obligations arising from the contract, provided that the hotel has received a corresponding statement from the event organizer.
3. If a third party makes the reservation on behalf of the guest, that third party shall be jointly and severally liable with the guest to the hotel for all obligations arising from the contract, provided the hotel has received a corresponding statement to that effect.
4. The hotel shall be liable for its obligations under the contract with the diligence of a prudent businessman. Claims by the guest for damages are excluded. Exceptions to this are damages resulting from injury to life, limb, or health; other damages arising from an intentional or grossly negligent breach of duty by the hotel; and damages arising from an intentional or negligent breach of the hotel’s obligations typical to the contract. A breach of duty by the hotel is deemed equivalent to a breach by a legal representative or vicarious agent. Should disruptions or defects in the hotel’s services occur, the hotel will endeavor to remedy the situation upon becoming aware of them or upon receiving an immediate complaint from the customer. The customer is obligated to make a reasonable effort to help resolve the disruption and minimize any potential damage. Furthermore, the customer is obligated to notify the hotel in a timely manner of the possibility of exceptionally high damages occurring.
III. Terms of Payment
1. The agreed-upon prices include the applicable statutory value-added tax. If, after the contract is concluded, a city tax or other additional levies are introduced or modified in certain destinations, or if existing taxes are increased, we are entitled to adjust the price by the amount of such increase. The resulting new final price shall be deemed agreed upon and is due and payable.
2. If the period between the conclusion of the contract and the event exceeds 4 months and the price generally charged by the hotel for such services increases, the contractually agreed price may be increased appropriately, but by no more than 10%. The hotel is obligated to notify the customer of any price increase in a timely manner prior to the event. In this case, the customer is entitled to withdraw from the contract within 10 business days.
3. Subject to the provision in paragraph 4 below, the hotel’s services will be invoiced after the event has taken place. Hotel invoices without a due date are payable without deduction within 10 days of receipt of the invoice. If the customer is in full default on a payment obligation, all outstanding payments shall become due immediately. In the event of late payment, the hotel is entitled to charge late payment interest at a rate of 5 percentage points above the base interest rate. For legal transactions in which a consumer is not involved, the interest rate is 8 percentage points above the base interest rate. The hotel reserves the right to prove that it has incurred greater damages. An additional reminder fee applies starting with the second reminder.
4. The hotel pays a commercial agent or organizer a commission of up to 10% of the net prices for the contractually agreed-upon services. Excluded from this are the breakfast portion of the room rate, external services, additional fees, cancellations, and no-shows.
5. The hotel reserves the right to require a prepayment of 50% of the cost of the booked services. The remaining balance is due after the event concludes, upon receipt of the event invoice.
6. The customer may not withhold payments or set them off against counterclaims, unless the claim on which the customer bases its right of retention or against which it sets off the payment is undisputed, has been legally established, or is ready for a decision. The foregoing restrictions do not apply if the customer is a consumer.
7. The customer must verify that the billing address is complete and, if necessary, provide any special instructions (e.g., invoice text, order or supplier number, cost center, etc.) that will ensure a smooth payment process between us. A fee may be charged for any subsequent changes to the invoice.
8. For events held in the restaurant area, we charge a service fee of €65.00 per hour per employee starting at 10:00 p.m. If your guests choose to spend the rest of the evening at our hotel bar, “The Curtain,” starting at 10:00 p.m., we do not charge a service fee.
9. Invoices are sent by email by default. Any subsequent change to the billing address will incur a fee.
10. For events booked one year or more in advance, minor price increases or inflation-related price increases may apply.
IV. Cancellation by the Hotel
1. If the customer fails to make the advance payment specified in Section 4 of the “Terms of Payment” even after the expiration of a reasonable grace period set by the hotel, the hotel is entitled to rescind the contract. The hotel expressly reserves the right to claim damages.
2. If the customer fails to make payments to the hotel for services already rendered, even after the expiration of a reasonable grace period set by the hotel, the hotel is entitled to cancel all future reservations and withdraw from the contract. The hotel expressly reserves the right to claim damages.
3. Furthermore, the hotel is entitled to withdraw from the contract for objectively justified reasons if force majeure or other circumstances beyond the hotel’s control render fulfillment of the contract impossible; in this case, the hotel is obligated to inform the guest immediately of the unavailability of the service and to promptly refund any payments made by the guest. If hotel services are booked based on misleading or false statements regarding material facts—such as the customer’s identity or the purpose of the stay— and the customer fails to correct the misleading or false information within a reasonable period of time, the hotel has reasonable grounds to believe that the use of the hotel’s services may jeopardize the smooth operation of the business, the safety, or the hotel’s public reputation, without this being attributable to the hotel’s sphere of control or organizational responsibility; the customer has violated Section 2 of the “Scope of Application” section and continues the violation despite a warning.
4. The right of withdrawal must be exercised in writing and is not subject to any time limits.
5. In the event of a justified cancellation by the hotel, the customer shall have no right to claim damages.
V. Cancellation by the Customer
1. In the event of an unjustified withdrawal from the contract by the customer (cancellation), the hotel is entitled to demand the percentages of the total contract amount listed below, after offsetting any expenses saved. The customer bears the burden of proving that no damages were incurred at all or that the damages were significantly lower; the hotel reserves the right to prove that the damages were higher. The cancellation is deemed unjustified if the customer does not have a statutory or contractual right to cancel.
The following cancellation policies apply to booked hotel rooms:
1–4-room apartments
Free cancellation up to one day before arrival*
5–9 rooms
Up to 7 days before arrival: 100% of the booked room allocation at no charge, or
6–2 days before arrival: 50% of the booked room allocation at no charge, or
Up to one day before arrival: 1 room at no charge*
10–19 rooms
Up to 28 days before arrival: 100% of the booked room allocation at no charge or
27–14 days prior to arrival: 50% of the booked room allocation, no charge, or
13–7 days prior to arrival: 25% of the booked room allocation, no charge, or
6–1 days prior to arrival: 1 room, no charge*
20 rooms or more
Up to 56 days before arrival: 100% of the booked room allocation, no charge, or
55–42 days before arrival: 75% of the booked room allocation, no charge, or
41–28 days before arrival: 50% of the booked room allocation, no charge, or
27–14 days before arrival: 25% of the booked room allocation, no charge, or
13–7 days before arrival: 10% of the booked room allocation, no charge, or
6–1 day before arrival: 1 room, no charge*
50 rooms or more
Up to 84 days before arrival: 100% of the booked room allocation, no charge, or
83–56 days before arrival: 75% of the booked room allocation, no charge, or
55–28 days before arrival: 50% of the booked room allocation, no charge, or
27–14 days before arrival: 25% of the booked room allocation, no charge, or
13–7 days before arrival: 10% of the booked room allocation, no charge, or
6–1 day before arrival: 1 room, no charge*
Cancellations must be made in writing by 6:00 p.m. on the relevant day at the latest!
(*During trade shows or for block rates, the policy allows for free cancellation of a single room up to 7 days before arrival. Trade show and block rate periods are indicated separately in the hotel’s confirmations).
VI. Changes to the Number of Participants, Seating Arrangements, and Event Time
1. Any change to the number of participants requires the hotel’s approval. In the event of a reduction, please note the following:
Reduction in the number of participants by up to 10%—14 business days before the start of the event—at no charge
For any deviation beyond this, the contractually agreed-upon number of participants will be used as the basis. In the event of an increase in the number of participants, the actual number of people will be billed.
In the event of a reduction in the number of participants, the hotel reserves the right to adjust the size of the room provided accordingly.
Any change in the number of participants must be communicated to the hotel in writing and requires the hotel’s approval.
2. If the agreed start or end times of the event are rescheduled without the hotel’s prior written consent, the hotel may charge the customer additional costs for maintaining service readiness on a pro rata basis, calculated as the ratio of the duration of the rescheduling to the total contract amount, provided that the rescheduling is attributable to the customer’s fault.
3. Changes to the planned seating arrangement may be made up to four days (up to 10 days at the EventFabrik) before the event. If a rearrangement is requested after the aforementioned deadline, we reserve the right to charge €150.00 for the resulting work.
4. A reserved conference room will be available to you for the agreed-upon time. Please note that the meeting room will also be made available to you starting at
no earlier than one hour before the event begins and until one hour after the event ends. Any additional setup or takedown time requires prior written agreement with the hotel. For any use beyond these times, we must charge €65.00 per employee per hour in accordance with the Working Hours Act.
5. Please let us know if and to what extent materials for your event will be delivered in advance. We will be happy to
set them up in your conference room on the day of the event.
6. If a political event is held without written consent, or if there is reasonable cause to believe that the event threatens to disrupt the smooth operation of the business, compromise the safety, or damage the reputation of our hotel or our guests, as well as in cases of force majeure, the hotel may terminate the contract.
VII. Bringing Your Own Food and Beverages
You are not permitted to bring your own food or beverages. We reserve the right to charge a corresponding fee to cover lost revenue
in such cases.
VIII. Technical Equipment and Connections
1. To the extent that the hotel procures technical and other equipment from third parties for the guest at the guest’s request, it acts in the guest’s name, under the guest’s authority, and for the guest’s account. The guest is liable for the careful handling and proper return of such equipment. The guest shall indemnify the hotel against all third-party claims arising in connection with the provision of this equipment that are attributable to the guest’s fault.
2. The use of the guest’s own electrical equipment while connected to the hotel’s electrical system requires the hotel’s prior written consent. Any malfunctions or damage to the hotel’s technical equipment resulting from the use of such devices shall be the responsibility of the guest, unless the guest is not at fault.
3. The guest is entitled to use his or her own telephone, fax, and data transmission equipment, subject to the hotel’s prior approval.
4. Any malfunctions in technical or other equipment provided by the hotel will be repaired immediately, if possible.
IX. Loss or Damage to Personal Belongings
1. Any exhibition items or other objects brought onto the premises are kept at the customer’s own risk. The hotel’s liability for loss, destruction, or damage is governed by the provisions of the “Liability” section.
2. Any decorative materials brought by the guest must comply with fire safety regulations. Upon the hotel’s request, the guest must provide official documentation to this effect. Due to the risk of damage and to ensure compliance with fire safety regulations, the placement and installation of such items must be coordinated with the hotel in advance.
3. The customer must remove all items brought to the premises immediately after the event ends. If the customer fails to comply with this obligation, the hotel is entitled to remove and/or store the items at the customer’s expense.
X. Liability
1. The customer is liable for any damage to the building or furnishings caused by the customer, their employees, agents, or event participants and visitors. Please note that we will charge a special cleaning fee of €100.00 for smoking in the room or out
of the window.
2. The hotel may require the customer to provide appropriate security (e.g., insurance, security deposits, sureties).
3. The hotel shall be liable for damages, whether contractual or extracontractual, only if the damage is attributable to gross negligence or willful misconduct. The hotel shall also be liable for culpable injury to the life, body, or health of a natural person even in cases of simple negligence. Furthermore, the hotel is also liable for the breach of a material contractual obligation due to simple negligence, though the amount of liability is limited to the financial losses that the hotel should have foreseen as a possible consequence of the breach at the time the contract was concluded. The hotel bears unlimited liability for the culpable injury to the body, life, or health of a natural person. The same applies to any claims under the Product Liability Act. The limitations on liability also apply to any personal liability of the hotel’s officers, employees, or agents. The customer is obligated to take all reasonable measures to minimize any potential damage. Furthermore, the customer is obligated to notify the hotel in a timely manner of the possibility of exceptionally high damages occurring.
XI. Statute of Limitations
Claims against the hotel, with the exception of claims for damages, are subject to a one-year statute of limitations beginning on the date the regular limitation period—which is contingent on the hotel’s knowledge of the claim—commences. Claims for damages against the hotel are subject to a five-year statute of limitations, regardless of whether the hotel has knowledge of the claim. The above shortened limitation periods do not apply to claims arising from injury to life, limb, health, or freedom, or to other claims based on an intentional or grossly negligent breach of duty by the hotel or on an intentional or grossly negligent breach of duty by its legal representatives or agents.
XII. Final Provisions
1. Any amendments or additions to the contract or these Terms and Conditions must be made in writing.
2. Unless the customer is a consumer, the place of performance and payment is the hotel’s registered office.
3. The exclusive venue for legal proceedings shall be the hotel’s place of business, provided that the customer is a merchant; or, at the time the contract is concluded, does not have a domicile or habitual residence in Germany; or has transferred his domicile or habitual residence abroad after the contract was concluded; or his domicile or habitual residence is unknown at the time the action is filed. The hotel reserves the right to sue the customer at his general venue as well.
4. German law applies, excluding the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and conflict-of-laws provisions.
5. Pets are not allowed.
