Deposit or pre-authorization?
Renting a room or an apartment involves paying an additional amount for future, unforeseen expenses. Our staff will ask you to pay a fee in the form of a security deposit, which is returned upon departure. The deposit must be paid to our account and will be returned to you in the same way. Only in the case of booking via e.g. booking.com there is no such need, because we will pre-authorise, i.e. block a certain amount on your payment card for the duration of your stay. The lock will be removed after departure.
Why do we charge a deposit or pre-authorise?
This amount is primarily a security for facility owners and a guarantee that the client will be able to pay for additional services available at the facility. If there are no additional costs during your stay, we will refund the full amount. The deposit also allows you to minimize losses related to possible damage or improper behavior, which expose the owner to additional costs. Therefore, it is a kind of guarantee that the client intends to use the accommodation service in a manner consistent with the regulations and not to inconvenience other guests.
Advantages and disadvantages of both solutions
Pre-authorization is considered a more advantageous option for the customer, as it involves him to a lesser extent in the payment processing process. However, it requires a payment card (debit or credit card). Despite this, many guests prefer to pay the requested deposit amount in cash or by bank transfer. In this case, you have to take into account the need to wait for the refund to be credited to your account. Detailed conditions of return are specified in the regulations, but the most important information is to remember to provide your account number for the return of this amount after leaving. In the case of apartments and aparthotels, the deposit is PLN 300, and in the case of hostel and aparthotel rooms, the deposit is PLN 150.