Booking Terms

1. Who you are booking with

Holders Retreat is operated by Jason O'Bryan & Tira Baillie, referred to in these terms as “we”, “us” or “our”.

Our business correspondence address is 3 John’s Plain, Holders, St. James, Barbados. For booking enquiries, changes or cancellations, email bookings@holdersretreatbarbados.com.

These terms apply to direct apartment bookings. If you book through Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com or another agent, the terms supplied and accepted through that service also apply. We will not impose additional or conflicting terms after you have booked. Changes and cancellations for those reservations should be handled through the original booking channel.

2. Enquiries and confirmation

Submitting an enquiry or selecting dates on our website does not reserve an apartment or confirm a booking.

We will send a written quotation setting out the apartment, dates, number of guests, price, payment requirements, cancellation policy and any agreed extras. Please check these details before accepting.

Your booking becomes confirmed when you have accepted the quotation and these terms, any payment required to confirm the booking has been received, and we have issued written confirmation by email. We will tell you how long any provisional hold lasts. If we cannot confirm a booking after receiving payment, we will return that payment promptly.

The lead guest must have authority to book for the group and must provide accurate guest details. The apartment’s agreed maximum occupancy must not be exceeded without our prior written agreement.

3. Prices and payment

Your quotation will state the payment currency and the total price, including applicable taxes and compulsory charges. Optional services and their prices will be agreed separately before they are charged.

A booking deposit of 25% of the total accommodation price is required to confirm your booking. The remaining 75% is due 60 days before arrival. For bookings made 60 days or less before arrival, the full accommodation price is payable when booking. Your quotation will show the amounts and payment dates. The booking deposit forms part of your accommodation payment; any cancellation charge or refund is calculated under section 4, rather than the deposit being automatically non-refundable.

Payment is by bank transfer only, using the instructions we provide. We do not currently accept card payments. Please pay by the agreed dates.

A separate refundable damage deposit of US$300 per apartment is payable with the final accommodation balance, or when booking if the full balance is already due. Your quotation will show this separately from the accommodation price and confirm the collection method.

We will refund the damage deposit within 7 days of departure, less any reasonable, documented charges for damage caused by you or your party, excluding normal wear and tear. We will explain any proposed deduction, provide an itemised account and supporting evidence, and give you an opportunity to respond. Any undisputed balance will be returned within the same 7-day period. The damage deposit is not part of the accommodation price or the basis for cancellation charges; if your stay is cancelled before arrival, it will be refunded in full.

We will not change your agreed accommodation price after confirmation without your agreement, except where a change is required by law and lawfully chargeable. Any such change and your options will be explained.

If a payment is overdue, we will contact you and give a reasonable written deadline to pay before considering cancellation. Any cancellation charge must follow the policy agreed when you booked and applicable law.

4. Changes or cancellation by you

Please email any request to change or cancel your booking to bookings@holdersretreatbarbados.com. Cancellation takes effect when we receive your notice, rather than when we acknowledge it. Keep a copy of your message; if you do not receive an acknowledgement, please follow up.

Date changes and extensions depend on availability. We will explain any difference in price before you agree to a change. A booking cannot be transferred to another person without our written agreement.

The following cancellation schedule applies to direct bookings. The percentages are maximum charges against the agreed accommodation price for the cancelled stay, subject to the adjustments explained below. Charges for optional services that are not supplied will be refunded except for any reasonable, irrecoverable cost disclosed and agreed before booking. Any tax that is no longer payable will also be refunded.

Notice periods are measured back from 12 noon on your scheduled arrival date, using Barbados local time. A calendar-month cutoff is the same date in the relevant earlier month, or that month's last day if there is no corresponding date. Each boundary belongs to the lower-charge band; for example, notice received exactly 7 days before arrival falls in the 85% band.

Cancellation after 12 noon on the arrival day, or failure to arrive without an agreed change, falls within the 100% band. Please contact us if you are delayed; a late arrival does not automatically cancel the booking. If you choose to leave early, unused nights will be treated as cancelled when we receive your notice, using their scheduled dates to calculate the relevant notice periods. This does not apply where you are entitled to cancel or receive a refund because of our failure to provide the agreed accommodation or services.

The percentages do not create an automatic entitlement to retain those amounts. Any cancellation charge must be lawful and proportionate. We will take account of costs saved and income received from re-letting the cancelled accommodation, so that we do not recover the same loss twice. We will explain the calculation on request. Payments already made will be credited against any lawful charge; any excess payment will be refunded promptly. If re-letting later reduces the charge, the further refund will also be paid promptly.

5. Arrival and departure

Check-in is from 4:00 p.m. on your arrival day and check-out is by 1:00 p.m. on your departure day, Barbados local time.

Guests arriving early who wish to ensure their apartment is available on arrival are advised to book it for the night before their intended arrival. Please arrange this when making your booking and tell us your expected arrival time. The additional night is subject to availability and the applicable apartment rate.

Early check-in without booking the previous night, or late check-out, must be agreed in advance and is subject to availability. Any additional charge will be disclosed before you agree.

Please tell us your expected arrival time and let us know if your plans change. Access instructions will be supplied before arrival.

6. Looking after the apartment and neighbours

Smoking and vaping are not permitted inside any apartment. Both are permitted only in the designated outdoor smoking areas. For the purposes of these house rules, vaping is treated in the same way as smoking.

Smoking and vaping charge: If smoke odour attributable to smoking inside your apartment is detected during your stay, or there is other evidence of smoking or vaping inside the apartment by you or your party, a charge equivalent to two (2) nights at the accommodation rate agreed for your booking will be added to your bill, to the extent permitted by applicable law. The calculation uses your agreed accommodation price after any discounts, excluding separately itemised taxes, extras and the refundable damage deposit. If nightly rates vary during your stay, we will use the average nightly accommodation rate: the agreed accommodation price on that basis divided by the number of booked nights. The applicable nightly rate and resulting two-night charge will be disclosed in your written quotation before booking. We will provide the evidence and an explanation of the charge and give you an opportunity to respond. The same cleaning or loss will not also be charged separately under the general damage provisions.

Pets may be accommodated by prior agreement. Please email bookings@holdersretreatbarbados.com before booking with details of your pet. Pets are permitted only once we have confirmed our agreement by email. Any conditions or additional charges will be explained and agreed before your booking is confirmed.

Please treat the apartment, its contents and shared areas with care, keep noise at a considerate level and follow reasonable safety instructions. Do not tamper with safety equipment or bring dangerous or unlawful items onto the property.

Tell us promptly about accidental damage or maintenance problems so that we can deal with them. Please leave the apartment in a reasonably clean and tidy condition, allowing for normal use.

You are responsible for reasonable, evidenced losses caused by damage or a breach of these terms by you or members of your group, excluding normal wear and tear. Any claim will be explained and supported by an itemised account, with an opportunity for you to respond. The smoking/vaping charge above must not result in double recovery for the same cleaning or loss.

Visitors, parties, events and use of the property for purposes other than the agreed holiday stay require our prior written agreement. Only registered guests may stay overnight unless we have agreed otherwise. Please respect the privacy and peace of neighbouring guests and residents, particularly in the evening and overnight, and comply with reasonable requests to reduce noise.

7. Facilities, services and renovation work

The apartment, amenities and included services available for your stay will be described in your quotation and confirmation. Please tell us before booking if a particular facility or accessibility requirement is essential to your visit.

Facilities shown as “planned” or “coming soon” are not included in your booking unless we expressly confirm that they will be available for your dates. This includes the planned shared pool, treetop canopy deck, fitness centre and recording studio.

We will disclose known renovation work that may materially affect your stay before you book. If a significant change arises after confirmation, we will contact you promptly to explain it and discuss an appropriate solution, which may include an agreed alternative, a price adjustment or cancellation and a refund, as appropriate and subject to your legal rights.

Temporary maintenance or an unexpected interruption will be addressed as promptly as reasonably possible. This clause does not remove your rights where the accommodation or services fail to meet the agreed standard.

8. Changes or cancellation by Holders Retreat

If we cannot provide your booked accommodation, we will inform you promptly. We may offer an alternative, but you do not have to accept it. If we cancel before arrival and no alternative is accepted, we will refund payments for the cancelled accommodation and unprovided extras promptly. If a stay is interrupted, we will address the unused accommodation and affected services fairly, subject to your legal rights.

For a serious breach of these terms, such as dangerous behaviour or a substantial disturbance, we may require the behaviour to stop and, where appropriate and lawful, end the stay. We will normally give an opportunity to resolve the problem unless immediate action is needed for safety. Any charges or refunds will be assessed fairly, rather than automatically forfeiting all payments.

Neither changes beyond our control nor this clause exclude any liability or remedy that the law requires.

9. Safety, responsibility and travel insurance

Guests should use the property and any available facilities responsibly, follow safety guidance and supervise children appropriately.

Please take reasonable care of your belongings and secure the apartment when leaving. We remain responsible for loss, injury or damage for which we are legally liable. Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, or restricts your statutory consumer rights.

We recommend suitable travel insurance covering cancellation, travel disruption, medical expenses and personal belongings. Insurance does not replace our responsibilities to you.

10. Problems during your stay

Please let us know promptly if something is wrong so that we have a reasonable opportunity to put it right. You can contact us at bookings@holdersretreatbarbados.com or through the on-site contact details supplied with your arrival instructions.

If an issue remains unresolved, send us the details in writing. We will investigate and respond as promptly as reasonably possible. Reporting a problem does not limit your legal rights.

11. Personal information

We use booking information to respond to enquiries, arrange and manage stays, and meet applicable legal obligations. Our Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, the reasons for using it, who receives it, how long it is retained and your rights.

12. Applicable law and the agreed terms

These terms are governed by the laws of Barbados, subject to any mandatory protections that apply to you and any rights you have to bring proceedings in a court with jurisdiction.

Any agreed changes to your booking will be recorded in writing. Later changes to the website terms will not retrospectively alter your confirmed booking without your agreement or a lawful basis.