Booking Terms & Privacy

A1.Who we are

Curated Vacations is a luxury travel advisory based in Sydney, New South Wales. Curated Vacations is a business name registered with ASIC, held by Jitendra Singh Bisht, who operates it as a sole trader (ABN 15 491 661 820). In these terms, "we", "us" and "our" mean Curated Vacations, and "you" means the person making the booking and each traveller named on it.

We're an independent affiliate of Fora Travel, Inc. ("Fora"), a Virtuoso member. Fora provides the booking platform, supplier relationships and payment systems we use. Curated Vacations is our own business, and we're your point of contact for every booking.

These terms apply to every arrangement we make for you, whether we book it on your behalf or you book it yourself through our Self-Book portal. By asking us to confirm a booking, or by completing a booking through the portal, you agree to these terms.

A2.Our role as your agent

We act as your agent. We research, recommend, request and book travel on your behalf, but we don't own or operate the hotels, resorts, cruise lines or other services we arrange. Those businesses ("suppliers") provide the travel itself, and your contract for each service is with that supplier, on the supplier's own terms.

We don't combine services into a package that we sell as our own. Each element of your trip remains a separate arrangement with its supplier, even where we present them together in one proposal or itinerary.

A3.How we're paid

We don't charge you planning, booking, change or cancellation fees. We're paid by commission from suppliers on completed travel. Commission is paid to Fora and shared with us. It's already built into the supplier's rate, so it doesn't add to what you pay.

Commission levels differ between suppliers, but they don't decide what we recommend. We suggest what suits your trip, and in a proposal we explain why each hotel was chosen. If you'd like to know how we're paid on a particular booking, just ask.

If we ever introduce a fee for a particular service, we'll tell you the amount in writing before you commit to anything.

A4.Rates, quotes and currency

• Rates in a proposal are a guide, based on what the supplier showed us at that time. They aren't held for you, and they can change or sell out until the booking is confirmed.
• Rates are usually set in the supplier's currency. Any Australian dollar figures we give are estimates. Your bank or card provider may apply its own exchange rate and international transaction fees.
• Unless a rate says otherwise, it may not include local taxes, city or tourism levies, resort or service fees, gratuities, transfers, or anything you charge to your room.
• Each rate has its own rules for deposits, prepayment, changes and cancellation. We'll point these out, and they're shown on your confirmation. A lower non-refundable rate can cost you the full amount if your plans change.

A5.Preferred partner benefits

Many hotels and cruise lines we work with offer extra benefits when you book through a preferred partner program such as Virtuoso, Accor HERA, Four Seasons Preferred Partner, Hyatt Privé, Marriott STARS & Luminous, IHG Destined, Hilton for Luxury, Rosewood Elite, Belmond Bellini Club, Mandarin Oriental Fan Club or Preferred Hotels & Resorts.

• Benefits are set by each supplier and program, and they vary by property, rate and dates. We'll tell you what applies before you book.
• Fixed benefits, such as daily breakfast or a property credit, are provided as the program describes. Credits usually have conditions - for example, one per room per stay, used during the stay, with no cash value.
• Room upgrades, early check-in and late check-out are subject to availability, usually confirmed only on arrival, and aren't guaranteed.
• Benefits generally apply to eligible rates booked through us. They can't be added to a booking made elsewhere, transferred, or exchanged for cash.

We contact the property before you arrive to request your benefits and preferences. The final decision on what is provided rests with the supplier.

A6.Payments and card details

We don't take or hold client money. You pay the hotel, cruise line or other supplier directly - for example at the hotel on departure, or when the supplier charges your card at the time set by its rate rules.

Many suppliers need card details to guarantee a reservation, even when you pay later. We collect these through Fora's secure, PCI-compliant system. They're passed only to the supplier for that booking, and we don't keep card numbers in our own records. Please don't send card numbers by email or WhatsApp - we'll always send you a secure link instead.

Cruises and some hotel rates require a deposit, with the balance due on a set date before travel. If a payment is missed, the supplier may cancel the booking and apply its cancellation charges. We'll remind you of upcoming payment dates, but meeting them is your responsibility.

A7.Confirming your booking

• A booking is confirmed only when we send you a written confirmation from the supplier, or a confirmation issued through the Self-Book portal.
• Please check every confirmation as soon as you receive it - names, dates, room or cabin type, rate rules and benefits - and tell us straight away if anything is wrong. Some errors can't be corrected without cost once the supplier's deadlines pass.
• Traveller names must match passports exactly. Name changes after booking may not be possible, or may incur supplier charges.

A8.Self-Book portal bookings

When you book through our Self-Book portal, you choose the property, room and rate yourself, and you accept the rate conditions shown at the time of booking. These terms still apply, and we still support the booking: once it's made, we contact you to confirm the details and then liaise with the hotel about your benefits and preferences.

The portal is for new reservations. To change or cancel an existing booking, contact us and we'll handle it with the supplier.

A9.Booking for other travellers

If you book for other people, you confirm that you're authorised to do so, that you have their consent to share their details with us and the suppliers, and that you'll pass these terms and the supplier conditions on to them. You're responsible for payments due on the booking.

Bookings for travellers under 18 must be made by a parent, guardian or other responsible adult. Suppliers may have their own rules on ages, occupancy and children travelling without both parents.

A10.Changes you ask for

We're happy to help you change a booking, and we don't charge for our time in doing so. Whether a change is possible, and what it costs, depends on the supplier and the rate. A change of dates or property may be treated as a cancellation and a new booking, which can mean a different rate, new conditions or a cancellation charge. We'll tell you the outcome before we act.

A11.Cancellations and refunds

• If you cancel, the supplier's cancellation rules decide what you get back. Please tell us in writing (email or WhatsApp) so there's a clear record of the date and time.
• Refunds are made by the supplier, usually to the card used for the booking. Timing depends on the supplier and your bank. We'll follow up on your behalf until it's resolved.
• Where a supplier offers a choice between a refund and a credit, the choice is yours. A credit isn't a refund, and you don't have to accept one where you're entitled to your money back.
• Commission we may have earned doesn't reduce any refund owed to you.

A12.Changes by a supplier

Suppliers sometimes change or cancel arrangements - for example, a renovation, an overbooking, or a change to a cruise itinerary. If this happens, we'll tell you as soon as we know, set out your options, help you find a suitable alternative, and pursue any refund, credit or compensation the supplier's terms or the law allow.

A13.Events outside anyone's control

Severe weather, natural disasters, pandemics, conflict, strikes, airspace or border closures and similar events can disrupt travel. Neither we nor the supplier are in breach of these terms where performance is prevented by such an event. What you can recover depends on the supplier's terms, your travel insurance and the law. We'll help you work through the options, and nothing in this section affects your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.

A14.Flights and points travel

We don't currently book flights. You arrange flights yourself, directly with the airline, a frequent flyer program or another provider of your choice.

If we help you look for reward seats or share tips on using points, that help is general guidance only. Award availability and pricing change constantly, and we aren't responsible for any flight booking, airline schedule change or airline terms. Please send us your flight details once booked so we can align hotel dates, transfers and check-in times.

A15.Travel insurance

We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance from the moment you book, covering cancellation, medical care and evacuation, and the activities you plan. We don't sell or advise on insurance. Please choose a policy that suits you and read its Product Disclosure Statement, including any exclusions for pre-existing conditions or travel against government advice.

A16.Passports, visas, health and safety

• You're responsible for holding a valid passport (many countries require at least six months' validity), and any visas, transit permits or electronic travel authorities your trip needs. Requirements depend on your nationality, so please check them with official government sources.
• For Australian travellers, our itineraries include the Smartraveller page for each destination. Please check the advice before booking and again before departure, and consider subscribing to updates. A change in advice doesn't automatically entitle you to a refund from a supplier.
• Please speak with your doctor or a travel clinic about vaccinations, medication and fitness for your trip. We don't give medical advice.
• Tell us about any accessibility, medical or dietary needs that affect your trip. With your consent, we'll pass them on to the relevant suppliers, who are responsible for meeting them where they can.

A17.Your responsibilities

To help your trip run smoothly, we ask you to:

• give us accurate, complete information and let us know promptly if anything changes
• read your confirmations and the supplier conditions we send you
• make payments by the dates the supplier requires
• arrange your own flights, travel documents and insurance
• follow the reasonable rules of each supplier and the laws of the places you visit
• tell the supplier, and us, about any problem as it happens, so it can be fixed on the spot

A18.Your rights under Australian Consumer Law

Our services come with guarantees that can't be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law, including that they'll be provided with due care and skill, be reasonably fit for any purpose you make known to us, and be supplied within a reasonable time. If we fail to meet a guarantee, you may be entitled to a remedy, which can include having the service supplied again, a refund, or compensation for reasonably foreseeable loss.

Nothing in these terms limits any right or remedy you have under the Australian Consumer Law or any other law that can't be excluded.

A19.Our responsibility and its limits

We arrange your travel with due care and skill. We don't provide the travel services themselves, so to the maximum extent permitted by law, Curated Vacations isn't liable for any loss, damage, injury, illness, delay, inconvenience or expense arising from:

• the acts, omissions, default, failure or insolvency of any supplier, or the condition of its facilities
• events outside our control, as described in section A13
• flights, travel documents, insurance or other arrangements you make yourself
• incomplete or inaccurate information you give us

To the same extent, we aren't liable for any indirect or consequential loss, such as lost enjoyment, lost earnings or the cost of other arrangements.

Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts or modifies any consumer guarantee, right or remedy you have under the Australian Consumer Law, or any liability for fraud or for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, where the law doesn't allow it to be excluded.

A20.Fora and its terms

Fora's website, booking portal and secure forms have their own terms of use and privacy policy, written mainly for a United States audience. These Booking Terms govern your relationship with Curated Vacations. Where Fora's terms would reduce rights you have under Australian law, we won't rely on them in our dealings with you.

If you're unhappy with a charge, please talk to us before raising a dispute with your bank. We can usually resolve it with the supplier faster, and a chargeback can complicate an existing booking. This doesn't affect your right to dispute a charge with your bank.

A21.If something goes wrong

During your trip, raise any problem with the supplier straight away and let us know at the same time, so we can step in while it can still be put right. For anything urgent and life-threatening, contact local emergency services first. Australians overseas can reach the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305.

If you'd like to make a complaint about our service, email [email protected] with the details. We'll acknowledge it within 3 business days and aim to give you a full response within 30 days.

If you aren't satisfied with our response, you can contact NSW Fair Trading, the consumer protection agency in your own state or territory, or the ACCC. You may also take the matter to a tribunal or court. We don't require arbitration.

A22.Privacy

We handle your personal information as set out in our Privacy Policy (Part B below), including how we share it with suppliers and with Fora, some of whom are overseas.

A23.Updates to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time and will publish the new version on this page with its effective date. The version in force when your booking is confirmed applies to that booking.

A24.Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia, and the courts of New South Wales have non-exclusive jurisdiction. If you live elsewhere, you keep any consumer protections that the law where you live doesn't allow to be excluded. If any part of these terms is found to be unenforceable, the rest continues to apply.

A25.Contact

Curated Vacations
Registered business name held by Jitendra Singh Bisht, sole trader - ABN 15 491 661 820
PO Box 5023, Kingsdene NSW 2118, Australia
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: message us

B1.About this policy

Curated Vacations is a Sydney-based luxury travel advisory and an independent affiliate of Fora Travel, Inc. Curated Vacations is a registered business name held by Jitendra Singh Bisht, a sole trader (ABN 15 491 661 820). This policy covers personal information we handle through this website, by email and messaging, and while planning and booking travel for you.

As a small business, Curated Vacations may not currently be required to comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). We choose to be guided by the Australian Privacy Principles anyway, because it's the right standard for the information you trust us with. The Australian Consumer Law also applies to how we deal with you.

B2.What we collect

Depending on what you ask us to do, we may collect:

• Contact details - name, email address, phone or WhatsApp number, and city or country of residence.
• Traveller details - names as they appear on passports, dates of birth, and for some destinations or cruises, passport number, nationality and expiry date.
• Trip details - destinations, dates, budget, flight times you share with us, and who you're travelling with.
• Preferences - room and bed preferences, interests, celebrations, and hotel loyalty program numbers so points and status are recognised.
• Health, dietary and accessibility needs - only when you tell us and they matter for the trip (see section B5).
• Correspondence - the emails and messages we exchange, and notes of our conversations.
• Website information - limited technical information when you visit this site (see section B11).

We don't need, and don't ask for, your tax file number, bank account details or government ID beyond what a supplier requires for your booking. You can deal with us under a first name only while you're just exploring ideas, but we'll need full details to make a booking.

B3.How we collect it

• Directly from you - by email to [email protected], on WhatsApp, or in a call or meeting.
• Through Fora's secure forms that we link to from this site, such as our trip enquiry form and client sign-up form. What you enter there goes straight to Fora's platform, not to a database we run ourselves.
• Through the Self-Book portal, when you make a booking yourself.
• From the person who books for a group or family, who provides details for the other travellers. If you give us information about someone else, please make sure they're happy for you to do so and know about this policy.
• From suppliers, when they send confirmations or updates about your booking.

B4.How we use it

We use your information to:

• respond to your enquiry and prepare proposals and itineraries
• make, manage, change and cancel bookings with suppliers
• request preferred partner benefits and pass your preferences to hotels and cruise lines
• keep in touch before and during your trip, and help if plans change
• remember your preferences so future trips are easier to plan
• keep business and tax records, and meet our legal obligations

We don't make automated decisions about you that have legal or similarly significant effects.

B5.Health, dietary and accessibility details

Some information, such as medical conditions, allergies, mobility needs, or dietary requirements linked to health or religion, is sensitive. We collect it only when you choose to share it and it's needed for your trip, and only with your consent to pass it to the suppliers who need it. We use it only to arrange your trip, and we don't ask for medical records.

B6.Payment card details

Hotels and cruise lines often need a card to guarantee a booking, even when you pay later. When they do, we send you a secure link to Fora's PCI-compliant card vault. Your card details are passed only to the supplier for that booking and aren't stored in our email, files or devices. Please don't send card numbers by email or WhatsApp. If you do by mistake, we'll delete the message and ask you to use the secure link.

B7.Who we share it with

We share only what each party needs:

• Travel suppliers - hotels, resorts, cruise lines, transfer companies, guides and restaurants, so they can deliver your booking.
• Preferred partner programs - such as those listed in section A5, so your benefits can be applied.
• Fora Travel, Inc. - our host agency (see section B9).
• Service providers who help us run the business (see section B10).
• Our accountant or other professional advisers, where needed.
• Government authorities, where the law requires it.

We never sell, rent or trade your personal information.

B8.Information sent overseas

Travel is international, so your information will usually leave Australia. It's likely to be sent to the United States (where Fora and several of our service providers are based or store data), and to the countries you're visiting or sailing through, where your hotels and other suppliers are located.

Overseas recipients may not be bound by laws that protect your information in the same way as Australian law, and you may not be able to seek a remedy in Australia if they mishandle it. In some countries, hotels must register guests' passport details with local authorities. By asking us to book travel abroad, you consent to these disclosures. We share only what each booking needs.

B9.Fora's role

Fora Travel, Inc. provides the booking platform, supplier connections, client forms and payment systems we use. Booking and traveller details we enter, and anything you submit through Fora's forms or the Self-Book portal, are held on Fora's systems in the United States and are also covered by Fora's privacy policy. Information held in the United States is subject to its laws, including lawful access by authorities there.

B10.Tools we use to run the business

We use a small number of reputable providers, each of which may process some of your information on our behalf:

• Fora's booking platform - bookings, client forms, the Self-Book portal and the secure card vault (see section B9).
• Google Workspace - email, client files and documents.
• WhatsApp (Meta) - messaging, if you choose to contact us that way.
• Cloudflare - hosting, security and anonymous visitor statistics for this website.
• AI assistants - to help draft and proofread messages, research destinations and manage reminders.

B11.This website, cookies and analytics

This site doesn't use advertising cookies, tracking pixels or Google Analytics, and it has no forms of its own that store your details. We use Cloudflare Web Analytics to see anonymous visitor numbers and which pages are viewed. It doesn't use cookies or track you across other websites. Cloudflare may set strictly necessary security cookies and process your IP address to protect the site. Our fonts are hosted on this website itself, so loading a page doesn't send your details to a font provider.

Links to Fora, suppliers or other websites take you to services with their own privacy policies.

B12.How we protect it

We take security seriously and apply practical protections, including:

• multi-factor authentication on every account that holds client information
• a password manager, with unique passwords for each service
• encrypted, up-to-date devices with screen locks
• access limited to the advisor who handles your booking
• card details kept out of our own systems entirely (see section B6)
• client documents shared privately with you, never as a public link

No system is completely secure. If we become aware of a data breach that's likely to cause you serious harm, we'll tell you promptly, explain what happened and what you can do, and take steps to contain it.

B13.Access, correction and deletion

You can ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it. Email [email protected]. We'll confirm your identity, respond within 30 days, and there's no charge. We may need to keep some records where the law requires it or a booking is still in progress, and we'll explain if so.

B14.Questions and complaints

If you have a concern about how we have handled your information, please contact us first. We'll acknowledge your complaint within 3 business days and aim to resolve it within 30 days.

If you aren't satisfied, you can contact:

• the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) - note that while we may be exempt from the Privacy Act, the OAIC may not be able to investigate, but it can provide guidance
• NSW Fair Trading or the ACCC

You may also have rights under the statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy.

B15.Changes to this policy

We'll update this policy when our practices or the law change, and publish the new version here with its effective date. If a change materially affects how we use information we already hold, we'll let current clients know by email.

B16.Contact

Curated Vacations
Registered business name held by Jitendra Singh Bisht, sole trader - ABN 15 491 661 820
PO Box 5023, Kingsdene NSW 2118, Australia
Email: [email protected]