Terms of the Rica Business Agreement

Background to the agreement
The customer requires hotel services for his business and with this agreement wishes to bind himself to Rica Hotels as his main provider at least to the extent estimated in the agreement, to cover his requirements for hotel services by Rica Hotels as far as possible. The intention of this agreement is that the customer will actively seek out Rica Hotels when he needs hotel services.

Duration of the agreement
The agreement applies from the date of registration until one of the parties terminates the agreement, with a mutual three-month term of notice.

Customer prices
Rica Business Card price for a room and breakfast are included as an attachment to the agreement. New price lists will be sent out in December each year.

Prices for day meetings, courses and conferences are included as an attachment to the agreement. The prices apply to groups of a minimum of 10 people and contain the following:

Full board conference package
- Overnight stay with breakfast
- Two-course lunch or lunch buffet
- Two coffee breaks, one of which has cake or fruit
- Three-course dinner
- Meeting room hire with standard technical equipment

Day meetings:
- Two coffee breaks, one of which has cake
- Two-course lunch or lunch buffet
- Meeting room hire with standard technical equipment

Standard equipment: Projector, internet, flipover, overhead, screen, whiteboard, pen and paper for all participants

"Block-out" periods
It may not be possible to get a room at the Rica Business Card price at certain times at some destinations during special events. If you cannot get a room at the Rica Business Card price you can still get rooms in other price categories. Such periods can include for example The Oil and Gas Trade Show in Stavanger, NorShipping Trade Fair in Oslo, large congresses, or similar.
>> Block-out dates

Room category prices
The Rica Business Card price applies to the room categories that appear in the customer prices of the attached price list. When one particular room category is fully booked the customer can book a room in the next room category at the agreed price for the room category. If all the room categories in the customer's price list are fully booked, other rooms can still be had in other room categories. These are available to the customer at the current rack rates.

Standard purchase terms

1. Changes in tax and duty terms
The customer price is given based on today's tax and duty terms. If changes in the tax and duty terms for Rica Hotels were decided, for example rate changes, increased duty or tax obligations or reduced possibility of tax relief, Rica Hotels has the right to change the customer prices corresponding to the tax and duty change from the date in which the change comes into force.

2. Changes in salary terms and the consumer price index in Norway
The customer price is given based on today's level of costs. Rica Hotels has the right to change the customer prices within the incremental costs that apply if:
a) The pay settlement is more than 3% annually (a new rate applies from 1 May the same year).
b) The consumer price index goes up by more than 2 % annually (in accordance with the consumer price index from 1 December of the previous year to 1 December of the current year. Effective from 1 January next year).

3. Terms of payment - charges
The customer will pay cash, with a travel agency voucher or with a credit card, at the latest at check-out.
In connection with the invoicing of courses and conferences the terms of payment are agreed directly with the hotel. There is no invoicing fee.
Any credit will be agreed in advance directly with the hotel or conference centre. In that case there is a 14-day credit period.
If the customer pays after the due date, interest on overdue payments will be calculated in accordance with the Act relating to interest on overdue payments of 17 December 1976 no. 100.

4. Cancellation
The customer can cancel the entire course or groups of 10-50 people free of charge up to six weeks before the date of arrival. For groups of more than 50 people separate cancellation terms are agreed directly with the hotel. The customer can reduce the number of participants by up to 20 % up to seven days before the date of arrival without having to pay compensation to the hotel. Where the above time periods are exceeded or reduced the customer is obliged to pay 55 % of the agreed prices for the number of days booked for the rooms that are not used.

Cancellation of single or double rooms must be made by 1600 hrs on the date of arrival in Norway and by 1800 hrs on the day before arrival in Sweden. Cancellation that occurs later than this time or "no-show's" are invoiced at 100 % of the price for the first day.

Rica Hotels only has a right to compensation for cancellation if the hotel does not manage to rent out the rooms that were booked to others.

5. Information
The customer is obliged to make his employees familiar with the contents of the agreement. The customer is further obliged to see to it that his employees make use of the offer in the agreement to the greatest possible extent.
The customer will send Rica Hotels an outline of the branch offices, subsidiaries or other companies that are included in the agreement, as well as keeping Rica Hotels continually informed about changes.
The customer is responsible for informing his travel agency about this agreement.

6. Confidentiality
The parties agree that the current agreement and the carrying out of this will be dealt with confidentially. The confidentiality obligation does not apply however if the parties are obliged to give information in accordance with the law or in accordance with instructions from public authorities. The confidentiality obligation should not act as an obstruction to the customer divulging such information and information about the agreement within the organisation, see point 9 above.

7. Solving Disputes
If one of the parties substantially breaches its obligations in accordance with the agreement, the other party has the right to revoke the contract with immediate effect.

Any dispute about the understanding of or carrying out of this agreement in Norway will be ultimately decided by arbitration in accordance with the arbitration law of 14 May 2004 no. 25. The parties appoint their own arbitrators within two weeks of the arbitration negotiations being applied for. The appointed arbitrators jointly choose a third arbitrator who will be the presiding judge. The arbitration will take place in Oslo and the language of the arbitration will be Norwegian. The arbitration trial and the decision of the court of arbitration will be confidential and the parties involved on both sides will be subject to professional secrecy.
Any dispute about the understanding of or carrying out of this agreement in Sweden will be resolved by the ordinary Swedish courts of law.

8. Limitations of the agreement
Rica Hotels is not responsible for damages resulting from breaches of the law, changes in the law, wars, strikes, blockades, boycotts, lock-outs or other similar circumstances. Rica Hotels will not be held be liable for strikes, blockades, boycotts and lock-outs even if Rica Hotels is the target of or is itself involved in such conflicts. Furthermore Rica Hotels is not responsible for damages that occur if Rica Hotels has acted normally and followed the norms that apply to the hotel and restaurant industry.