Booking Terms

The following terms and conditions apply to all tours and events operated by Akeman Tours Ltd. (a company registered in England and Wales, reg. no. 11796983), trading as ‘Savouring Bath’. This document sets out the terms by which Akeman Tours Ltd. (‘Us’, ‘We’, or ‘Our’) provides a tour or event for the person or parties (‘you’, ‘your’, or ‘the group’) booking the tour.

You acknowledge and agree that by accessing our website, and/or ticking the ‘I accept all terms and conditions’ box, you will be bound by these terms and conditions as written.

General Booking and Cancellation/Exchange Information:

1. The payment, cancellation, and exchange terms in this document apply to all bookings made via our website (savouringbath.com). If you have made a booking through one of our distribution partners or any third party, you may be subject to different terms, and you should refer to them for details.
2. For all bookings, we require the email address of one of the tour participants.
3. Payment terms vary according to the type of tour or event you are booking. Please see information regarding payment terms, eligibility for exchanges, and cancellations, listed by tour category below.
4. All payments are processed by our payment processor, which is Stripe Inc. Your statement will show that you have been charged by Akeman Tours Ltd.
5. We are not liable for any exchange rate fees or bank charges you incur as a result of making any payment to us.
6. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have correctly selected your required tour/event before making a payment. Refunds and exchanges will only be provided subject to the conditions below.
7. All cancellation or exchange requests must be submitted in writing to hello@savouringbath.com.
8. To avoid fraud, approved refunds will only be issued to the payment card used to pay for your booking and not by BACS, or to an alternative card. We are not able to issue refunds in cash or by cheque.
9. All refunds will be issued in GBP unless valid gift vouchers were used to pay for your tour, in which case you will be refunded with new vouchers.

Tours cancelled by us:

1. In the unlikely event that we need to cancel a tour due to unforeseen circumstances, we will contact you at the earliest opportunity to advise.
2. Your event/tour will be refunded to you in full or you can opt to reschedule your event/tour at no additional charge.

Travel Trade and third-party bookings:

1. Bookings made by third parties must include an email address for one of the tour participants, without exception.
2. If you are booking on behalf of a third party, we can provide a copy of the booking confirmation to you separately (please contact us to request this), but the initial booking must be made using the participant’s email address.
3. Bookings made without an end-client email address may be cancelled without notice. Any refund in these situations will be subject to an admin fee covering payment processing plus £2.50 per ticket.
4. All third-party bookings are subject to our standard terms and conditions contained in this document.

Scheduled Tours:

1. ‘Scheduled tours’ are tours or events which are scheduled on a regular basis.
2. Each ticket purchased permits the bearer 1 place on the tour described in the booking confirmation, at the time shown.
3. Each participant on any scheduled tour must have a valid ticket, which must have been purchased in advance via our website or an approved 3^rd party.
4. All tours operate only with a minimum of 2 participants. If booking via savouringbath.com, all time slots are restricted to 2 tickets for the first sale (subsequent sales on that time slot can be made for 1 or more up to the capacity of the tour).
5. If you are booking via a 3^rd-party, you may find that you can complete a booking for 1 person even though no other tickets have yet been sold on that tour. If no further tickets are purchased for that tour by 2 days prior to the tour, we will contact you to offer a free exchange to another date, or a full refund.

Cancellation, Refund and Exchange Requests

1. Cancellation or exchange requests made more than 1 week prior to the tour or event date are subject to an administration fee of up to £2.50 per ticket.
2. Cancellation or exchange requests made with less than 1 week before the confirmed tour or event date are subject to a fee of 100% of the total cost of the booking.

Private Tours and Events (Including online/virtual tours/events, and Gin Tasting Masterclasses)

Private tours and events are provided exclusively for a group of participants, at the request of a ‘Group Co-Ordinator’. Gin Tasting Masterclasses are produced in partnership with Bath Botanical Gin Distillery & Herbal Apothecary and are only available to book privately.

“Off-site” Gin Tasting Masterclasses & other tasting events

An “off-site event” occurs when you provide the event venue. It is your responsibility to ensure the following when this has been agreed:

1. You must provide the full address and postcode of the venue when requesting your event with us.
2. A parking space must be available for us to use from 1 hour prior to the event start time, until 1 hour after the event has ended.
3. The event space at the venue must be available to us privately for set up for at least 1 hour prior to the event start time.

Payments

1. Any quote for a private tour/event is valid for a maximum term (‘the holding period’).
2. If the date for your private tour or event is more than 6 weeks away, we require payment within the holding period of a non-refundable 10% deposit, to secure the date of your tour/event. The remaining 90% can be paid at your leisure up to 1 month prior to the tour (‘the payment deadline’).
3. If the date for your tour is less than 6 weeks away, we require full payment within the holding period, to confirm the tour.
4. If any remaining balance for your tour is not made in full by the booking deadline, your tour will be cancelled without notice and any deposit will be forfeit.
5. If payment of the deposit or full balance (as specified in your quote) is not made by the end of the holding period, your quote will expire, and our availability will be released. If you subsequently request a new quote for the same or similar product, we will charge a £10 admin fee to process any subsequent booking – this will be added to your outstanding balance.
6. Your booking is not confirmed until full payment, or payment of your deposit is received by us.
7. We reserve the right to change the format and/or nature of your tour/event if the total number of participants changes from that agreed in your original request. In this instance, a refund will not be issued, and if you choose to cancel the below cancellation terms apply.

Cancellations, Refund and Exchange Requests

1. For cancellation requests received by us more than 1 month prior to the tour/event we will provide a refund of the amount you have paid, less any costs we have incurred (which we will specify to you) to produce your tour up to that time. This would normally be no more than £30 per ticket.
2. Requests to change the date/time of your tour, received by us more than 1 month prior to the tour/event, are subject to an administrative fee of up to £50.
3. Cancellation or exchange requests received by us at less than 1 month prior to the tour/event date are subject to a fee of 100% of the total cost of the booking.

Gift Vouchers

1. Our gift voucher scheme was discontinued in December 2022 and is currently under review. Sales of new vouchers are now suspended indefinitely.
2. Previously purchased gift vouchers are still valid for redemption but only within the validity period shown. This validity period cannot be extended, and any vouchers not redeemed within their validity period are forfeit.
3. If you wish to redeem vouchers against private tours, please complete the enquiry the form on the private tours page of our website.
4. Vouchers cannot be exchanged in person and can only be redeemed against an advance booking, using the redemption facility on our website, or by contacting us with details of your voucher.
5. If you lose your vouchers, please contact us immediately from the email address originally used to book the vouchers so that we can verify your identity, cancel the vouchers, and issue a replacement.
6. Vouchers are non-refundable and are not exchangeable for cash.
7. Vouchers purchased via any source other than savouringbath.com are not valid for redemption against tickets for our tours or events.

The following terms apply to all tour participants regardless of where you purchased your tickets.

Code of Conduct and Liability:

1. We are not responsible for the loss or damage of any personal items, or personal injury incurred while participating in a tour.
2. All persons attending our tours/events are required to behave in a respectful manner towards each other, and towards our staff and suppliers.
3. The lead customer named on any booking, is responsible for the behaviour of all participants for whom they have booked, during their time with us.
4. If anyone joining the tour/event appears to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or if your behavior is deemed inappropriate at any point by our staff or suppliers, we reserve the right to terminate or refuse your participation in the tour or event, without refund.
5. We are not responsible for any damage done to our suppliers, their property, or any injury incurred as a result of your behavior. Should you be responsible for loss, damage or injury while attending one of our tours, you are liable for any charges due to the supplier directly.

Health & Safety, and Special Dietary Requirements:

• By agreeing to these terms & conditions you also agree to comply with the guidance and terms included in the following documents:
  • Special Dietary Requirements Policy (https://savouringbath.com/special-diets/)
  • Health & Safety Guide (https://savouringbath.com/health-and-safety/)

Weather Conditions:

• Our tours take place regardless of weather conditions and if you choose to cancel due to inclement weather, your booking is subject to the relevant cancellation terms detailed in this document or on our website.
• On the very rare occasions we cancel a tour due to severe weather conditions, we will contact you as soon as a decision regarding cancellation is made, to offer a refund equivalent to the remaining portion of your tour.

Age Restrictions:

• Babies, toddlers and children under 8 years old are not permitted on our scheduled tours or events under any circumstances but may be permitted on privately booked tours or events, though only by prior arrangement.
• Participants on any tour aged between 8 and 18, must be accompanied by a responsible adult at a minimum ratio of 1 adult to 2 children, and must hold a valid ticket purchased at the standard price for the tour.
• Participants under 18 years of age are not permitted to join Gin Tasting Masterclasses

Children aged under 8 years on privately booked tours:

• We are happy to accommodate children under the age of 8, free of charge, on private tours only.
• Samples will not be included for children aged under 8 though they will be included in the total head count in respect of the capacity for your tour.
• In these circumstances, we will only include samples for your child if you purchase a standard priced ticket for them.
• If you are bringing a child under the age of 8 on a private tour you must inform us, regardless of whether you purchase a ticket for them.
• Strollers/pushchairs and/or prams are not permitted on our tours without prior arrangement, due to space limitations at many of our suppliers.

Online Events & Virtual Tours & Events:

• We will provide the details on how to access the relevant meeting platform in advance by email, either in your booking confirmation or no less than 48 hours prior to the advertised start time of your tour/event.
• It is your responsibility to check your system & hardware requirements and that all are functioning appropriately and capable of accessing the online meeting platform, so that you can join the tour at the time it is delivered.
• We will not accept responsibility for any losses or provide any refund if you are not able to attend or miss the event/tour, due to you not having checked that your system and hardware are suitable to access our meeting platform in advance of the event, or due to any other technical fault not of our making.
• Bookings for all events & tours delivered online are subject to the same booking terms described above, and all other terms described in this document.

Special Events

• All special events are subject to the same booking terms described in this document, unless otherwise specified during the booking process and/or your confirmation email.

Alcohol included in your tour/event:

• Alcoholic beverages included in any tour or event will only be offered by our suppliers if you are of legal drinking age (i.e., 18+ years old);
• Proof of your age may be required if you look under the age of 25.
• If alcohol is included or likely to be included in your tour, this will be detailed in the tour description on our website, or we will otherwise advise you by email.
• If you are not able to consume alcohol, we offer no alternative, compensation, or refund, in cases where this has been included in the tour.

Pets and Assistance Animals:

• We are not able to accommodate pets on our scheduled tours.
• With prior arrangement we may be able to accommodate pets on private tours.  If you wish to bring your pet on a private tour, please contact us before completing your booking so we can advise.
• Assistance animals are welcome on all our tours, with advance notice.

Tours provided in a language other than English:

• All our scheduled tours are delivered in English and all participants must have a reasonable understanding of English to participate.
• Interpreters/translators are not permitted to provide any form of interpretation service on scheduled tours (this does not apply to sign language interpretation).
• Any participant arriving on a tour who does not have a reasonable command of the English language, may participate only at the guide’s discretion and is solely responsible for any risks resulting from not being able to understand instructions provided by our guide or suppliers.
• If you require a tour to be delivered in a language other than English, we may be able to accommodate this on a private tour. Please specify this in your booking request so that we can include details in our quote to you.
• Private tours delivered in foreign languages incur a supplementary fee (details on request) when:
  • our guide delivers a private tour in a foreign language.
  • our guide delivers a private tour in English but works with an interpreter/translator provided by you (this does not apply to sign language interpretation).

Latecomers Policy:

• Arriving late for your tour/event reduces the value of your experience with us and can negatively impact the experience of other guests.
• Please aim to arrive at the advertised meeting point for your tour/event 5-10 minutes in advance of the start time shown on your booking confirmation and event reminder.
• If you arrive later than the advertised start time of your tour/event, you may miss supplier visits and/or samples for which we offer no alternative or refund.
• Please email/call us if you know you are going to be late. We do not have a full-time staff so our office and email account are not monitored constantly, and you may not receive a reply to your message. We will endeavor to monitor communications more closely if you do not show up at the advertised start time of the tour, but we do not guarantee to respond.
• Our guide will try to contact you if you are not present at the advised meeting location/start time.
• For scheduled tours:
  • Our guide will only wait up to 30 mins after the advertised start time if there are no other guests participating in the tour before assuming you will not be joining the tour.
  • If there are other participants present at the advertised time & location, the tour will start on time. Latecomers will then only be permitted to join the tour at the guide’s discretion, provided late joining does not negatively impact the enjoyment of the tour by those clients who arrived on time.
• For private tours:
  • If all participants are not present at the advised time and location, our guide will try to contact you. If they are not able to reach you, they will wait a maximum of 30 mins before assuming you will not be joining your tour.
  • If there is 1 or more people present at the meeting time & location, but others are not, our guide will discuss with the Group Coordinator and/or the person/people present as to how they would like to proceed. They will however not commence the tour any later than 30 mins after the agreed start time, and any supplier visits which were due during this time will be forfeit with no refund.
• For Gin Tasting Masterclasses:
  • Please call the distillery on 01225 635782 to advise us if you expect to be late.
  • If no booked participants are present at the advertised start time, we will try to contact you. If we are not able to reach you, we will wait a maximum of 30 mins before assuming you will not be joining your event. The venue will then be closed, and you will not be entitled to any refund.
  • If there is 1 or more people present at the advertised start time, but others are not, we will discuss with the Group Coordinator and/or the person/people present as to how they would like to proceed. We will however not commence the event any later than 30 mins after the agreed start time. We offer no refund for any missed content or samples in these circumstances.
• We take no responsibility for any adverse effects resulting from you or members of your group missing any visit(s) and/or any information provided at the start of the tour including health & safety information, due to lateness.
• Our tour guide may not arrive at the meeting point until the start time shown on your booking confirmation and event reminder.

Data Protection & Photography:

• All personal data shall be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
• Photographs and video footage may be taken during our tours for promotional or editorial purposes.  These images may be used in online or printed matter.
• We will always ask your permission before we take any photos or video, in which your image may be included.
• If you do not want images of you, and/or your clients or group to be used by us, we respect this and will not do so if you tell us when we ask you.
• If we have used your image in marketing material and you subsequently decide that you no longer wish us to use your image in this or any other way, please let us know immediately by emailing hello@savouringbath.com. We will then remove your image as soon as is reasonably possible.  However, as the image(s) will have been in the public domain, we take no responsibility for copies used elsewhere or distributed by third parties without our permission.

Complaints:

• Should you have a complaint about any aspect of the service provided by us or by our suppliers, please speak to the guide on your tour who will do their best to rectify the problem.
• If we are not able to resolve your complaint at the time, or if you prefer not to discuss the issue with your guide, please email us at hello@savouringbath.com or call the phone number shown on your booking confirmation, as soon as possible. We will always respond to you within 48 hours.

These terms were last updated on 20^th January 2023. Your booking is subject to the terms which appear on this page on the date you made/make your booking. All previous versions of these terms are archived to show the dates between which they are valid. If you would like to see previous versions of these terms, please contact us with the relevant date, and we will reply to you within 14 days maximum.