Terms and Conditions
By booking an art retreat or workshop with Heidi Laughton , you agree to be bound by these Booking Conditions. All retreat and workshop bookings are subject to the Booking Conditions in effect on the date of booking. Please be sure to carefully read these terms and make sure you understand ours and your rights and obligations prior to booking.
Heidi Laughton: Booking Conditions
These Booking Conditions, together with our Privacy Policy and where your single service booking is booked via our website our Website Terms of Use, together with any other written information we brought to your attention before we confirmed your booking, form the basis of your contract with Heidi Laughton, Bath, UK. Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. In these Booking Conditions references to "you" and "your" include the first named person on the booking and all persons on whose behalf a booking is made or any other person to whom a booking is added or transferred.
PLEASE NOTE: We act as a Principal for a ‘single service’ booking (i.e. excursions only or Art Retreat only). Where we make recommendations for third party accommodation providers, your contract for the additional service will be with the company providing the accommodation and not with us.
By making a booking, the first named person on the booking agrees on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking that:
he/she has read these Booking Conditions and has the authority to and does agree to be bound by them;
he/she consents to our use of personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and is authorised on behalf of all persons named on the booking to disclose their personal details to us, including where applicable special categories of data (such as information on health conditions or disabilities and dietary requirements);
he/she is over 18 years of age and where placing an order for services with age restrictions declares that he/she and all members of the party are of the appropriate age to purchase those services; and
he/she accepts financial responsibility for payment of the booking on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking.
1 Booking & Paying For Your Arrangements
“Your Arrangements” means any excursion or Art Retreat that we arrange in the capacity of a Principal only.
A booking is made with us when you pay us a deposit (or full payment if you are booking within 60 days from the start date of your arrangements) and we issue you with a booking confirmation. We reserve the right to return your deposit and decline to issue a booking confirmation at our absolute discretion. A binding contract will come into existence between you and us as soon as we have issued you with a booking confirmation that will confirm the details of your booking and will be sent to you.
Upon receipt, if you believe that any details on the booking confirmation or any other document are wrong you must advise us immediately as changes cannot be made later and it may harm your rights if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in any document within ten days of our sending it out (five days for tickets).
The balance of the cost of your arrangements (including any applicable surcharge) is due not less than 60 days prior to scheduled departure. If we do not receive this balance in full and on time, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you in which case the cancellation charges will become payable.
2 Accuracy and Prices
We endeavour to ensure that all the information and prices both on our website and in any advertising material that we publish are accurate, however, occasionally changes and errors occur and we reserve the right to correct prices and other details in such circumstances. You must check the current price and all other details relating to the excursion or the Art Retreat that you wish to book before you make your booking. We reserve the right to amend advertised prices at any time, in particular those listed on our website. We also reserve the right to correct errors in both advertised and confirmed prices. You must check the price of your chosen travel arrangements at the time of booking.
3 Insurance
Adequate travel insurance is a condition of your contract with us. You must be satisfied that your insurance fully covers all your personal requirements including pre-existing medical conditions, any costs incurred due to cancellation by us or by you, medical expenses and repatriation in the event of accident or illness. If you choose to travel without adequate insurance cover, we will not be liable for any losses howsoever arising, in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.
4 Events Beyond Our Control
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these Booking Conditions we will not be liable or pay you compensation if our contractual obligations to you are affected by Events Beyond Our Control. For the purpose of these Booking Conditions, this means any event beyond our or our supplier’s control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Examples include warfare and acts of terrorism (and threat thereof), civil strife, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination, global epidemics or pandemics (including, but not limited to the ongoing effects of Covid-19 or any new strain of the coronavirus), or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely to the travel destination or remain at the travel destination, the act of any government or other national or local authority including any port or river authorities, industrial dispute, labour strikes, lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster, unavoidable technical problems with transport, traffic congestion/restrictions and all similar events out of our or the supplier(s) concerned’s control.
5 Your Behaviour
All participants are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly and acceptable manner not to disrupt the enjoyment of the excursion or Retreat for others. If in our opinion or in the opinion of any other person in authority (such as, a local guide, museum staff, gallery staff or any staff member at any other property) your behaviour or that of any member of your party is causing or is likely to cause distress, danger or annoyance to any other participant or any third party, or damage to property, or to cause a delay or diversion to transportation, we reserve the right to terminate your booking with us immediately. In the event of such termination our liability to you and/or your party will cease and you and/or your party will be required to leave your excursion or Art Retreat immediately. We will have no further obligations to you and/or your party. No refunds for lost time on your excursion or Art Retreat or any other arrangements will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of termination. You and/or your party may also be required to pay for loss and/or damage caused to the host property by your actions and we will hold you and each member of your party jointly and individually liable for any damage or losses caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or losses must be paid directly to the host property or it’s representative or any other supplier prior to departure. If you fail to make payment, you will be responsible for meeting any claims (including legal costs) subsequently made against us as a result of your actions together with all costs we incur in pursuing any claim against you.
We cannot be held responsible for the actions or behaviour of other guests or individuals who have no connection with your booking arrangements or with us.
6 Conditions of Suppliers
Some of the arrangements which make up your excursion or Art Retreat are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions which will form part of your contract with us. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier's liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable International Conventions. Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from us or the supplier concerned.
7 Booking Additional Services Locally
During the course of your excursion or Art Retreat, local representatives or guides may recommend local organisers that can book additional travel arrangements upon your request. In which case, we have no liability for these travel arrangements, as your contract for the additional service will be with a local company providing the travel arrangements and not with us.
8 Cutting Your Arrangements Short
If you are forced to return home early, we cannot refund the cost of any arrangements you have not used. If you cut short your excursion or Art Retreat and return home early in circumstances where you have no reasonable cause for complaint about the standard of the services provided, we will not offer you any refund for that part of your holiday not completed, or be liable for any associated costs you may incur. Depending on the circumstances, your travel insurance may offer cover for curtailment and we suggest that any claim is made directly with them.
9 Special Requests
Any special requests must be advised to us at the time of booking. You should then confirm your requests in writing. Whilst every effort will be made by us to try and arrange your reasonable special requests, we cannot guarantee that they will be fulfilled. The fact that a special request has been noted on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation or that it has been passed to any external suppliers is not confirmation that the request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part unless the request has been specifically confirmed by us. We do not accept bookings that are conditional upon any special request being met.
10 Minimum Fitness Levels, Disabilities and Medical Issues
Whilst the majority of our excursions and Art Retreats are not physically demanding, some of our activities may require you to participate in more activities such as walking in towns or countryside and walking up stairs in old properties. We will aim to notify you before you confirm your booking with us if your chosen activity requires your participation in a strenuous activity. We strongly recommend that you discuss the suitability of your chosen arrangements with your GP before you make a booking with us.
During the course of the activity, you must also follow all instructions and advice provided, behave cautiously and form your own judgment as to the safety of, and risks involved in, the activity. If you or your guide feels that your participation could compromise your safety or the safety of the group or that you could not complete the activity within the time allotted as per your itinerary, we reserve the right to prohibit your involvement. Any additional requirements due to any inability to complete the activity safely within the allowed time would be at your expense. We are unable to authorise any refunds due to your inability to complete the activity.
We are not a specialist disabled travel company, but we will do our utmost to cater for any special requirements you may have. If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability which may affect your booking, please provide us with full details before you make your booking so that we can try to advise you as to the suitability of your chosen arrangements. We may require you to produce a doctor’s certificate certifying that you are fit to participate. Acting reasonably, if we are unable to properly accommodate the needs of the person(s) concerned, we will not confirm your booking or if you did not give us full details at the time of booking, we will cancel it and impose applicable cancellation charges when we become aware of these details.
11 If You Change or Cancel Your Single Service Booking
Changes:
If, after confirmation, you wish to change your booking in any way, we will endeavour to make these changes if they are possible. Where we can meet a request, all changes will be subject to payment of an amendment fee of £30 per person per change, as well as any costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers in making this change.
Note: Certain arrangements may not be changeable after confirmation and any alteration may result in a cancellation charge of 100%.
Cancellations:
If you, or any member of your party, decides to cancel your booking once you must notify us by email. Your notice of cancellation will only take effect when it is received by us and will be effective from the date on which we receive it. The person to notify us of any cancellation must be the same person that originally signed the booking form.
Should one or more member of a party cancel, it may increase the per person holiday price of those still travelling and you will be liable to pay this increase.
Since we incur costs in cancelling your arrangements, you will have to pay the cancellation charges as follows:
Period before departure date within which written notification is received
Cancellation Charge
90 days or more: Loss of deposit
61 days or more: Loss of 50% of the retreat cost
60 days or less: Full charges will apply
Important Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended after they have been confirmed and any alteration or cancellation could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% for that part of the arrangements in addition to the charges above.
Where possible, we will deduct the cancellation charge(s) from any monies you have already paid to us.
This clause outlines the rights you have if you wish to cancel your single service booking. Please note that there is no automatic statutory right of cancellation under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.
12 If We Change or Cancel Your Single Service Booking
We may in exceptional circumstances be required to cancel your booking in which case a full refund of all monies paid will be made to you. We regret we cannot meet any expenses or losses that you may incur as a result of change or cancellation. This includes the cost of any pre-booked onward travel arrangements. Therefore, in accordance with Clause 4, we recommend that you purchase adequate travel insurance to cover against cancellation by us.
Very rarely, we may be forced due to Events Beyond Our Control (please see clause 5) to change or terminate all or some of your arrangements after departure. If this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds, pay you compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.
Our Responsibilities for your Single Service Booking:
Subject to the remainder of this clause, we have a duty to select the suppliers of the services making up your booking with us with reasonable skill and care. We have no liability to you for the actual provision of the services, except in cases where it is proved that we have breached that duty and damage to you has been caused. Therefore, providing we have selected the suppliers/subcontractors with reasonable skill and care, we will have no liability to you for anything that happens during the service in question or any acts or omissions of the supplier, its employees or agents.
We will not be responsible or pay you compensation for any injury, illness, death, loss, damage, expense, cost or other claim of any description if it results from:
a) the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected; or
b) the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party unconnected with the provision of the services contracted for and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable; or
c) unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond ours or our supplier(s) control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised; or
d) an event which either ourselves or suppliers could not, even with all due care, have foreseen or forestalled.
We limit the amount of compensation we may have to pay you if we are found liable under this clause:
a) loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions and money,
The maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is an amount equivalent to the excess on your insurance policy which applies to this type of loss per person in total because you are required to have adequate insurance in place to cover any losses of this kind.
b) Claims not falling under (a) above and which don’t involve injury, illness or death
The maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is twice the price paid by you in total. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your booking.
4. It is a condition of our acceptance of liability under this clause that you notify any claim to ourselves and our supplier(s) strictly in accordance with the complaints procedure set out in these conditions.
5. Where any payment is made, the person(s) receiving it (and their parent or guardian if under 18 years) must also assign to ourselves or our insurers any rights they may have to pursue any third party and must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require.
6. Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss or expense or other sum(s) of any description: (a) which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you; or (b) relate to any business.
7. We will not accept responsibility for services or facilities which do not form part of our agreement or where they are not advertised on our website. For example any excursion you book whilst away, or any service or facility which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you.
13 Complaints
We make every effort to ensure that your arrangements run smoothly but if you do have a problem locally, please inform your local tutor immediately who will endeavour to put things right.
If your complaint is not resolved locally, please contact us. If the problem cannot be resolved and you wish to complain further, you must send formal written notice of your complaint to us at our head office within 28 days of the end of your stay, giving your booking reference and all other relevant information. Please keep your letter concise and to the point. This will assist us to quickly identify your concerns and speed up our response to you. Failure to follow the procedure set out in this clause may affect our and the applicable supplier’s ability to investigate your complaint, and will affect your rights under this contract.
14 Entry Passport, Visa and Immigration Requirements & Health Formalities
It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the entry, passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. You must check requirements for your own specific circumstances with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates. Requirements do change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure.
Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. If your passport is in its final year, you should check with the Embassy of the country you are visiting. For further information contact the Passport Office on 0870 5210410 or visit https://www.gov.uk/browse/citizenship/passports.
For European travel you should obtain a UK Global Health Insurance Card (UK GHIC) prior to departure unless you are able to rely upon an existing European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
For travel to Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, UK GHIC and EHIC cannot be used for medical treatment. Passengers to these destinations should obtain comprehensive medical insurance prior to departure, including cover for emergency medical treatment and associated costs.
Up to date travel advice can be obtained from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, visit https://www.gov.uk/travelaware.
Non British passport holders, including other EU nationals, should obtain up to date advice on entry, passport, visa, health and immigration requirements from the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of your destination or country(ies) through which you are travelling,
We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any entry, passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any entry passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.
Please note: The impacts of Brexit may change your visa, ticket and health requirements. Third country nationals may require an airport transit visa when passing through EU Member States. There is the potential for disruption at borders when travelling between the UK and EU Member States and you should allow sufficient time for this when planning any onward travel. You should check any impacts of Brexit on your travel, in advance of your departure, to ensure that you fulfil the requirements post-Brexit, including any passport validly requirements.
15 Law and Jurisdiction
These Booking Conditions are governed by English law and we both agree that the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute, claim or other matter which may arise between us (unless you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, in which case you can bring proceedings in your local court under Scottish or Northern Irish law, as applicable).
16 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Advice
You are responsible for making yourself aware of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advice in regard to the safety of the countries and areas in which you will be travelling and to make your decisions accordingly. Advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute Events Beyond Our Control (see clause 5).
17 Photographs and Video for Promotional Materials:
HL reserves the right to take photographs or make video records of any of its retreats and to use any such photographs or videos for promotional and/or commercial purposes, without financial remuneration to participants. Participants assign all right, title, and interest they may have in any and all media in which their name or likeness might be used to HL
Thank you for your booking. Please email with any questions:
hello@heidilaughtonart.com