Terms and Conditions

Booking and Agreement

By paying a deposit or making any payment towards a retreat, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms & Conditions. This constitutes a binding agreement between you and Novel Retreats and Gifts.

Deposits

A non-refundable deposit is required to secure your place on a Reading or Wellness Retreat. The dposit amount is retreat-specific and will be clearly stated at the time of booking.

Deposits contribute towards accommodation commitments, supplier contracts, planning, and administrative costs, and are therefore non-refundable under any circumstances.

Payments

The remaining balance must be paid in full no later than 60 days before the retreat start date, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Failure to complete payment by the specified deadline may result in cancellation of your booking, with no refund of any monies paid.

All payments are processed via Stripe and are charged in US Dollars. Payments made in other currencies may be subject to currency conversion fees.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Cancellations made more than 60 days before the retreat start date:

A refund will be issued for any amounts paid above the non-refundable deposit, less any applicable transaction fees. The deposit remains non-refundable in cases of voluntary cancellation, including where the full retreat cost pas been paid upfront.

Cancellations made 60 days or fewer before the retreat start date:

No refund will be issued, and the full retreat cost will be forfeited.

No refunds are available once a guest has attended, stayed at, or taken part in any portion of the retreat, including accommodations, activites, or meals.

Refunds (where applicable) will be processed within 10 working days of written cancellation.

Deposit Non-Transferability

Deposits are non-transferable and cannot be moved to another retreat, date, or guest. If you wish to attend a different retreat, a new booking and deposit will be required.

Non-Payment & Non-Responsive Bookings

If a participant fails to respond to communications or make payments by the sepcified deadlines, Novel Retreats and Gifts reserves the right to cancel the booking and retain all payments made. The space may then be offered to another guest.

Shared Room Booking Policy

When booking a shared room, both guests are joint responsible for the total cost. If one guest is unable to atttned:

  • The remaining guest may find a suitable replacement, subject to organizer approval, or

  • Upgrade to solo occupancy by paying the applicable rate difference.

Failure to do either may result in forfeiture of the booking in line with standard cancellation policy.

Minimum Numbers and Cancellation by Novel Retreats and Gifts

All retreats are subject to minimum participation numbers.

Novel Retreats and Gifts reserves the right to cancel a retreat due to:

  • Insufficient participant numbers

  • Force majeure events (as stated below)

  • Supplier or venue issues

  • Staff illness or unforeseen circumstances.

If we cancel a retreat:

  • You will receive a full refund of all payments made, or

  • You may transfer your payment to a future retreat, subject to availability.

We cannot be held liable for additional expenses such as flights, accommodations outside the retreat, or loss of income. Flexible travel arrangements and insurance are strongly recommended.

Force Majeure (Including War and Hostilities)

Neither party shall be liable for failure or delay in performing their obligations under this agreement where such failure or delay is caused by events beyond their reasonable control (“Force Majeure Events”).

Force Majeure Events include, but are not limited to: war (declared or undeclared), armed conflict, hostilities, invasion, acts of foreign enemies, terrorism, civil unrest, rebellion, riots, or military action as well as the direct consequences of such events, including but not limited to government restriction, sanctions, border closures, travel bans, supply chain disruption, or venue or supplier unavailability.

To rely on a Force Majeure Event, the affected party must demonstrate that:

  • Causation: The Force Majeure Event directly prevented performance of contractual obligations, not merely made performance more difficult or costly.

  • Unforeseeability & Impossibility: The event was not reasonably foreseeable at the time of booking, and performance became impossible or commercially impracticable.

  • Mitigation: Reasonable steps were taken to mitigate or overcome the effects of the event where possible.

Participate Responsibilities and Liability

Participants are responsible for:

  • Booking and funding their own travel

  • Holding valid travel insurance

  • Informing organizers of medical conditions or dietary requirements

  • Respecting property, staff, and fellow guests

Any damage caused by a participant is their responsibility.

Participation is at your own risk. Novel Retreats and Gifts is not liable for injury, illness, loss, or damage.

Health & Safety

Participants must comply with all health and safety guidance provided by the organizers. Failure to do so may result in removal from the retreat without refund.

Changes to Itinerary

Novel Retreats and Gifts reserves the right to make reasonable changes to the itinerary, activities, or accommodation due to circumstances beyond our control. Guests will be informed of any significant changes as soon as possible.

Photography & Media

By attending a retreat, participants consent to the use of photographs or video footage taken during the retreat for promotional purposes, unless they notify us otherwise in writing prior to the retreat.

Privacy Policy

  • Participant information collected during the registration process will be used solely for the purpose of organizing and administering the retreat.

  • We are committed to protecting the privacy of our participants and will not disclose personal information to third parties without consent, except as required by law.

Dispute Resolution

We are committed to providing a positive and supportive experience for all participants. In the unlikely event that a dispute arises between you and Novel Retreats and Gifts in connection with the retreat, we ask that you contact us directly at corinne@novelretreatsandgifts.com so we can work together to resolve the matter informally.

By registering for a retreat, you waive any right to participate in a class action or jury trial. Each party shall bear its own legal costs unless otherwise determined by the arbitrator.

We reserve the right to amend these Terms and Conditions from time to time. Any changes will be posted on our website.

By registering for the retreat, participants acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agreed to abide by these terms and conditions.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding these terms and conditions, please contact us at corinne@novelretreatsandgifts.com.