These terms apply when you use Gatherland to search for and book hourly venues in Hong Kong. By creating an account or making a booking, you agree to them. If you list a venue, the Host Terms also apply to you.
1. Who we are
1.1 The platform is operated under the Gatherland brand by Astera Technology Limited, a company incorporated in Hong Kong, company number 80623911, registered office Unit A2, 19/F, Max Share Centre, 367–373 King's Road, North Point, Hong Kong ("we", "us").
1.2 In these terms, "guest" means a person who books a venue, "host" means the person or business that lists and operates a venue, and "booking" means a reservation of a venue for a specific date, time and group size made through the platform.
2. Our role
2.1 We run an online marketplace. We are not the owner or operator of any venue. Each venue is listed and run by its host.
2.2 When you make a booking, the agreement to use the venue is between you and the host. We provide the platform, collect and hold payment, and handle cancellations, refunds and disputes as described in these terms and our policies.
2.3 Hosts are responsible for their listings, their venues and their own conduct. We check new hosts before their listings go live (see the Trust and Safety page), but we do not inspect every venue and cannot guarantee that a listing is complete or accurate in every detail.
3. Your account
3.1 There is no minimum age to create an account or make a booking. If you are under 18, please involve a parent or guardian before you book.
3.2 Give accurate details (name, email and phone number) and keep them up to date. Hosts and our team use them to contact you about your booking.
3.3 Keep your sign-in details secure. You are responsible for activity on your account. If you suspect someone else has used it, report this immediately through the contact form.
3.4 You can download your data or delete your account from Account settings. Some booking records are kept after deletion, as explained in our Privacy Policy.
4. Making a booking
4.1 You search by district, date, start time, duration and group size. The results show the total price for that slot and group, and whether the venue is free.
4.2 Each venue uses one of two booking modes:
- Instant book: the booking is confirmed as soon as your payment succeeds.
- Host confirms: the host has 24 hours to accept your request. The slot is held for you during that time. If the host declines, or does not answer within 24 hours, the request ends and you are not charged.
4.3 Notice periods vary. Self check-in venues can usually be booked up to 30 minutes before the start; staffed venues usually need about two hours' notice. Calendars are open up to 90 days ahead, in 30-minute steps.
4.4 A booking is for the date, time and group size you selected. You must not exceed the group size or stay past the end time without the host's agreement.
4.5 After a booking is confirmed, we show you the venue's exact floor and unit. Self check-in venues send entry instructions, such as a door code, by email and WhatsApp before the start time. Do not share entry instructions with anyone outside your group.
5. Prices and payment
5.1 Venues price either per person per hour or per room per hour. Friday to Sunday, public holidays and the day before a public holiday are charged at the weekend rate. A venue may set a minimum number of hours, a minimum headcount, a child rate, group discounts and optional add-ons. These are shown on the venue page and at checkout.
5.2 There is no booking fee for guests. The total shown at checkout is the amount you pay for the booking.
5.3 You pay the full amount online when you book. We hold the money and release it to the host 48 hours after the booking ends. Full details are in our Payment Terms.
5.4 All prices are in Hong Kong dollars (HKD).
6. Security deposits
6.1 Some venues take a refundable security deposit. If a venue does, the amount is shown before you pay.
6.2 The deposit is returned about 48 hours after the booking ends, unless the host reports damage, overtime or extra cleaning, with evidence, within 48 hours of the end. We then review the claim and decide how much, if any, of the deposit goes to the host.
6.3 If you cancel a booking, the deposit is always returned in full.
7. Cancellations and changes
7.1 If you cancel, your refund depends on the venue's cancellation policy (Flexible, Standard or Strict) and how long before the start time you cancel. The policy is shown on the venue page and at checkout. Full details are in our Cancellation Policy and Refund Policy.
7.2 If the host cancels a confirmed booking, you receive a full refund.
7.3 If Typhoon Signal No. 8 or above, or a Black Rainstorm Warning, is in force at any time from three hours before the start of your booking until its start, you may cancel for a full refund or move the booking to another free slot at the same venue within 30 days.
8. Your conduct at the venue
8.1 Follow the venue's house rules, which are shown on the venue page. By booking, you agree to them for your whole group.
8.2 You are responsible for your group. Treat the venue, its equipment and neighbours with care, keep noise to a reasonable level and leave the venue in the condition you found it.
8.3 Damage, overtime or extra cleaning caused by your group may be claimed by the host against the security deposit, as described in section 6.
9. Prohibited uses
You must not use the platform or any venue booked through it:
- for gambling of any kind, including playing mahjong or card games for money;
- for any activity that is illegal in Hong Kong, including the use or supply of illegal drugs;
- with more people than the group size booked or the venue's stated capacity;
- in breach of the venue's house rules;
- to resell or transfer a booking to someone else for profit;
- to harass, threaten or discriminate against a host, other guests or our staff;
- to make false bookings, use another person's payment method without permission, or otherwise act fraudulently;
- to interfere with the platform, for example by scraping it, attacking it or getting around its security.
We may cancel a booking or suspend an account that breaks this section.
10. Messages
10.1 You can message a host from the venue page or from your booking. Keep messages relevant to your booking and respectful.
10.2 Keep payment for bookings on the platform. If a host asks you to pay outside the platform, please tell us. Payment made outside the platform is not covered by our payment protection, refunds or dispute process.
11. Reviews
11.1 Only guests with a completed booking can review, once per booking. Reviews must be honest and based on your own visit.
11.2 Our Review Policy explains what is allowed, what we remove and how hosts can reply.
12. Credit, points and coupons
12.1 New accounts receive welcome credit. You can earn points on venue spend and for reviews, and convert points to credit. A referral gives credit to both people after the friend's first booking. Details are on the Rewards page.
12.2 Credit can cover part of a booking, not all of it. Credit and points have no cash value and cannot be transferred or exchanged for cash.
12.3 Coupons are subject to the conditions shown when they are issued.
12.4 We may cancel credit, points or coupons obtained by fraud, abuse or a breach of these terms.
13. Disputes
13.1 If a venue is seriously not as described, tell us within 24 hours of the booking's start time, with photos or other details where you can.
13.2 If a host claims against a deposit, they must report within 48 hours of the booking's end, with photos. We will tell you and give you a chance to respond.
13.3 We review the information from both sides and decide the outcome. We may refund in part or in full. Our decision does not affect any legal rights you have under Hong Kong law.
14. Limits on our liability
14.1 We are responsible for running the platform with reasonable care and skill. We are not responsible for the condition of a venue, the conduct of a host, or anything that happens at a venue, except where we caused it.
14.2 We are not liable for loss that was not reasonably foreseeable, or for indirect or consequential loss, such as lost profit or lost opportunity.
14.3 Our total liability to you for any booking is limited to the greater of the amount you paid for that booking and HK$500.
14.4 Nothing in these terms limits or excludes liability that cannot be limited or excluded under Hong Kong law, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence.
15. Suspension and closing accounts
15.1 We may suspend or close an account, or cancel bookings, if a user breaks these terms, acts fraudulently or puts others at risk. Where we cancel a booking for one of these reasons, any refund follows the venue's cancellation policy unless we decide otherwise.
15.2 You can close your account at any time from Account settings. Bookings already confirmed must be cancelled first, under the usual policy.
16. Changes to these terms
16.1 We may update these terms, for example when we change our services or when the law changes. The date at the top shows when they were last updated.
16.2 For material changes, we will give at least 14 days' notice by email or on the platform before the change takes effect. Bookings confirmed before the change follow the terms in force when they were made.
17. Governing law
17.1 These terms are governed by the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
17.2 The courts of Hong Kong have non-exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising from these terms.
17.3 These terms are available in Chinese and English. If the two versions differ, the English version prevails.
18. Contact
For questions about these terms, use the contact form.