Terms and Conditions
PROPERTY BOOKING
Terms and Conditions
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
If you make a booking at Heartbeat Retreat you acknowledge you have read and agreed to the following terms and conditions.
If you are booking a retreat, you also acknowledge and accept the “Retreat Terms and Conditions” in the section following.
DEPOSIT
A deposit of $1000 is required to secure a holiday booking at Heartbeat Retreat.
FINAL PAYMENT
Full and final payment for the booking is required at least 45 days prior to the commencement of the holiday.
If the outstanding balance has not been received by the due date, the owner and/or the booking agent reserve the right to cancel the booking without notice and the guest will forfeit the deposit. Bookings made within 45 days of the commencement of the holiday must pay the full amount at the time of booking.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
It is strongly suggested that guests take out travel insurance for their bookings to cover unforeseen circumstances.
COVID POLICY 2022:
Normal cancellation policy applies after March 2022. If you, or your guests are coming from interstate or overseas please understand that we cannot give you a full refund - even if the cancellation is due to COVID or official-related travel restrictions and normal cancellation and refund policy will apply.
Should a lockdown occur within 7 days of your arrival, your booking may be moved to another date within 3 months of your current booking. These dates must be supplied within 7 days and be of equal or lesser value than your current booking.
Our guests usually book 3 months or more in advance for family birthdays and holidays. We don’t get last-minute bookings and it is unlikely we will be able to resell any cancelled dates.
CANCELLATIONS AND AMENDMENTS
1. Cancellations made at 45 DAYS, OR GREATER THAN 45 DAYS PRIOR TO ARRIVING on the booked arrival date will result in a PARTIAL REFUND of 50% of the $1000 BOOKING DEPOSIT (ie. $500 will be refunded). These are our strict terms and by booking, you agree to these terms.
2. Cancellations made between 44 DAYS AND 8 DAYS of the booked arrival date will result in 50% of the BOOKING TOTAL paid being refundable.
3. Cancellations made within 7 days are NON-REFUNDABLE.
SIZE OF PARTY / MAXIMUM NUMBER OF GUESTS
Our licence only permits 14 people to be in the house at one time. No extra guests are allowed.
Children over 12 months of age are considered guests. A maximum of 2 baby/infants under 12 months old per booking.
Guest with a baby/infant should bring their own sleeping cot/bassinet. (One port-a-cot is provided).
BOOKING FEE
A booking fee of $650 applies for every booking. This includes hotel-quality crisp white linen hire for all 11-13 beds, bath towels, basic toiletries, some complimentary essentials and a standard clean on departure.
NO PARTIES
**WE DO NOT RENT HEARTBEAT RETREAT FOR PARTIES. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE PARTIES, FUNCTIONS OR SOCIAL GATHERINGS PERMITTED IN THE HOUSE**
In the event that this clause is breached, the owner reserves the right to evict all tenants immediately and payment will be forfeited. See below regarding noise level measurement.
We do not take Leavers' bookings under any circumstances. Minimum age for booking is 21 years of age.
NO SMOKING
Smoking is not permitted inside the house. Please dispose of cigarette ends safely and thoughtfully if you smoke outside.
NOISE
Please be aware that the home is in a "RURAL RESIDENTIAL ZONE" and our neighbours are close by. NOISE restrictions apply.
The property contains an internet-connected decibel meter and should guests exceed set thresholds for more than ten minutes the alarm will flash and a siren will beep. The thresholds are set at the level of a loud party. The decibel meter does not listen to conversations, it only measures the level of noise.
If you continue to trigger the alarm due to excessive, ongoing noise, the owner reserves the right to evict all tenants immediately and payment will be forfeited.
Noise complaints are a breach of terms and conditions and may result in forfeiture of your bond and/or termination of your booking.
SAFETY
There is an unfenced dam approximately 150 metres away to the rear of the property that is not visible from the house.
The property enjoys beautiful views over to a second large private dam situated on an adjoining neighbours property. Access is not permitted.
The property is situated on native bushland and as such it is the responsibility of guests to ensure young children and pets are safe from these potential hazards at all times.
The property is situated within a fire zone, being close to native bushland and there is an emergency fire plan posted on the wall that all guests should understand.
From 20th October through to 30th April, NO open fires are permitted (ie, pizza oven, wood-fire or fire pit) due to local Council & DFES Fire Regulations ($1,000 infringement fines apply)
PETS
We accept pets by arrangement. Please request a copy of our pet policy.
BOND/SECURITY AND THE GUEST RESPONSIBILITY
An $800 bond/security deposit will be held on the guests' credit card 1 day prior to their stay at Heartbeat Retreat and released 5 days after the departure date to act as a bond/security deposit for the booking.
Guests are expected to look after and take all reasonable care of the property and all the furnishings and equipment included in the property. It is the responsibility of the guests to ensure that all doors and windows are securely locked and that the property is left in a clean and tidy state at the end of the holiday. Any faults, damages or breakages must be reported to the owner, relevant booking agent or a representative of the booking agent as soon as possible.
GUESTS WILL BE LIABLE FOR ANY BREAKAGES OR DAMAGES or MISSING ITEMS CAUSED TO THE PROPERTY DURING THE GUEST’S HOLIDAY OCCUPATION AND ALL COSTS OF REPAIR AND/OR REPLACEMENT SHALL BE PAYABLE UPON DEMAND TO THE OWNER OR BOOKING AGENT. IN THE EVENT THAT THE PROPERTY IS NOT LEFT CLEAN AND TIDY THE GUEST WILL BE LIABLE FOR THE COST OF EXCESS CLEANING WHICH WILL BE CHARGED WITHOUT NOTICE TO THE SECURITY DEPOSIT PROVIDED AT A RATE OF $60 PER HOUR.
TERMINATION OF BOOKING
The owner and/or booking agent reserves the right to terminate the booking at any time. Due to all booking channels not being perfectly paired, there is a small chance that a double booking may occur. In the event that this is to occur it is at the owner's discretion which booking request will be approved.
Should you be evicted from the property for breaching the booking conditions or rowdy behaviour, you will forfeit full payment.
DECLARATION & AGREEMENT
In completing the booking application, either online or physically, I hereby acknowledge that I am the guest named in the booking application and that I am over the age of 21 years of age and that I have read and understand these booking conditions prior to making payment of the deposit and that all information provided herein is true and correct.
I FURTHER AGREE THAT THE STATED CONDITIONS WILL APPLY TO MY BOOKING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BOOKING CONDITIONS AND I AGREE TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY AND ALL CHARGES DUE AND PAYABLE ON THIS BOOKING AND ANY DAMAGES THAT MAY OCCUR OR EXCESS CLEANING AS REQUIRED WILL BE CHARGED TO ME. IF INSUFFICIENT FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE SECURITY DEPOSIT, I AGREE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUTSTANDING PAYMENTS.
In paying the deposit, either in cash or via the provision of my credit card details, I acknowledge I have read and accepted the above booking conditions.
RETREAT BOOKING
Additional terms and conditions
REFUND AND CANCELLATION POLICY
It is your responsibility to read and understand the cancellation policy before making a reservation. Naturally, no one registers with the intention of cancelling their retreat, but unexpected things do happen, so please purchase travel cancellation insurance once you have made your reservation. If you decide to book Heartbeat Retreat and sell tickets for an event you wish to host with guests, you are completely responsible for the payment of the booking. In the event that you do not sell sufficient tickets to make your event financially viable, you will be fully responsible for full payment of the booking, and subject to our standard cancellation policy.
GUEST CANCELLATION
We don’t give refunds for cancellations. All deposits and payments are non-refundable.
Exceptions to our policy cannot be made for any reason. We also do not offer credit for a participant arriving late or leaving early.
If a participant leaves the Retreat prior to its conclusion, refunds will not be made for the unused portion of the Retreat. No refunds will be made for any excursion, meal, yoga class or other activity that any participant misses or decides not to participate in for any reason.
GENERAL CANCELLATION
Heartbeat Retreat reserves the right to cancel the Retreat prior to departure and will not be held liable for flights and such costs. If such cancellation is NOT due to circumstances beyond the control of Heartbeat Retreat, you may transfer your full Retreat payment to another retreat, or you may request a refund of payment. However, no compensation or refund will be made if cancellation arises before or during the trip from circumstances beyond our and/or our suppliers’ control (force majeure) such as war, strife, civil disobedience, strikes, terrorist activity, adverse weather conditions, fire, natural disasters, etc., unless Heartbeat Retreat is able to recover any related sums. In the event of cancellation arising from circumstances beyond our control, trip-related sums recovered by Heartbeat Retreat will be distributed equitably to the participants after Heartbeat Retreat deducts all out-of- pocket costs and related expenses, constituting a settlement with you. Heartbeat Retreat is not responsible for expenses, including but not limited to lodging, meals and transportation, incurred for delays and/or detainments beyond the trip itinerary as a result of circumstances beyond our and/or our suppliers’ control as stated above. It is recommended that participants purchase their own trip/travel cancellation insurance.
MEDICAL INSURANCE
It is the full responsibility of the retreat organiser to ensure that every attendee has checked with their current health insurance provider and insuring that they have adequate medical coverage. Retreat organisers should ensure that all participants provide a medical history including any current injuries or pre-existing conditions, as well as an emergency contact name and telephone number.
SPECIAL REQUESTS AND SET UP SERVICES
We understand that some Retreat hosts may have special requests which require preparation prior to the arrival of both the host and guests such as furniture relocation, delivery of equipment or set up of equipment. Whilst we endeavour to be as accomodating as possible, some requests will take some time and as such Heartbeat Retreat reserve the right to charge a set up fee if required of $60 plus GST per hour for set up services.
RETREAT LIABILITY INSURANCE
Retreat hosts are responsible for their own retreat liability insurance. When booking hosts should provide a copy of their event liability insurance certificate.
RELEASE/ RESPONSIBILITY
I agree that the Heartbeat Retreat and its representatives, except for their gross negligence or wilful misconduct, shall not be held liable for any injury, damage, loss, delay or irregularity that may be occasioned for any reason to me, including, but not limited to any defect in a vehicle, the acts or default of any company or person engaged in conveying a participant, acts of God, terrorism, acts of war, or detention; delays or expenses arising from quarantine, strikes, thefts, pilferage, force majeure, civil disturbances, government restrictions or regulations, accidents by aircraft, boat, bicycle or motor vehicle, or in any restaurant or accommodation; failure of any means of transportation to arrive or depart as scheduled or changes in transit, or villa services; missed airline or other transportation connections; or for additional expenses resulting from changes in exchange rates, tariffs, or itinerary. The Retreat host agrees to assume any risks associated with the Retreat and agrees no liability will be attached to Heartbeat Retreat, its employees or agents. By paying the deposit, the participant releases Heartbeat Retreat and its representatives from any such responsibility or liability. It is therefore suggested participants purchase their own cancellation, property damage (including luggage), and accident insurance.
Acknowledgement & Acceptance
I have read the above Terms and Conditions and understand the information pertaining to the Retreat I am aware I must be covered by my own insurance appropriate to the activity in order to host this Retreat and will not hold Heartbeat Retreat responsible.
The following points are key factors, which you need to acknowledge when registering for Heartbeat Retreat Retreats.
I understand and agree:
That an AUS$1,000 deposit is due at the time of booking, with the balance payable 45 days before the retreat commences.
If I book within 45 days of the commencement date I understand that full payment is required at the time of booking and I am subject to the refund policy.
I have read and understand the cancellation policy.
I understand that as a Retreat host I am responsible for any participants to complete a Health and Emergency Contact Form.
I have in place a current retreat liability insurance policy which covers all guests for the duration of the booking.
That I am hosting an active Retreat and at times participants may find it mentally and physically challenging. The onus is on me, the host to ensure that participants are physically fit to undertake the retreat.
I will not hold Heartbeat Retreat or any of the contractors and staff responsible for injuries or other medical or emotional problems that might occur.
I understand that Heartbeat Retreat reserves the right to modify the itinerary, to accept or retain any person as a participant in the program at any time, or to withdraw the tour if they deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience or safety of the participants.
I understand if I wish to cancel my reservation, it must be done in writing or via email and the cancellation will be effective as of the date Heartbeat Retreat receives it. The deposit is non refundable and is subject to the refund policy.
I have read the Property Booking Terms and Conditions and understand and accept them, along with the Retreat Booking Terms and Conditions. (As above)
PRIVACY POLICY
Heartbeat Retreat recognises that privacy is important. In order to provide you with the services that we offer, we will collect some personal information from you which will only be used to facilitate your booking. We will always safeguard your personal information to the best of our ability. We will also need to collect payment information in order to process cheques and/or Credit Cards. This information will only be collected through secure means using proven third-party tools and will not be stored or retained by Heartbeat Retreat.