In the light of global developments, Group Evolution Retreats will cancel all their retreats and training camps taking place on or before June 1, 2020.
Barry and Becky Williams, co-founders, said in a statement: “At this time of profound uncertainty, we have all been affected in some way by Coronavirus. We appreciate that our Chateau will be far from your thoughts, but be assured that we are thinking of you, your health and wellness and trying our best to plan for the better times ahead.”
A full refund will be offered on these retreats and camps. Additionally, they will reimburse travel expenses that are uninsured or irrecoverable for their guests, if they book on another retreat in 2020 or 2021.
Bookings made for activities after June 1, 2020, will have a 100 per cent refund guarantee, if either the World Health Organisation (WHO) advises against travel to their region of France or the means of travel are substantially disrupted at the time of the retreat.
Barry and Becky Williams added: “We will be putting in place a series of additional measures – at our Chateau and with our travel partners – to reduce the risk of the ongoing transmission of COVID-19 after June 2020. Naturally, we have been closely following recent developments, both in the UK and France. We have tried to develop a clearer understanding of the situation and its likely progression, constantly monitoring communications from the relevant French and UK authorities and the WHO. This has led to the creation of our Coronavirus Action Plan.”
Group Evolution Coronavirus Action Plan
The WHO recommends that communities take a number of steps that aim to reduce both the risk and rate of COVID-19 infection. Travel, whether national or international; staying away from home and exploring local sites, whether inside or outside, all carry a certain amount of risk. However, we believe that Group Evolution is extremely well positioned to manage and mitigate such risks:
There are multiple modes of travel to the Chateau, meaning that we can help you proactively manage and mitigate travel-related risks; If you are on our travel inclusive packages we will choose a mode of travel that maintains social distancing (greater than 1m away from others) and optimises your environment (e.g. air conditioning that uses fresh air). For example, we will book cabins on ferry journeys at no extra cost to you.
We own our venue, the gorgeous Chateau de la Motte Henry, and guests have exclusive use of the Chateau during retreats, so we are able to manage your environment more effectively than, for example, a hotel; Guests are not asked to share rooms on our retreats and we are limiting numbers of guests to a maximum of 15 (normally 20). We have increased the availability of washing facilities and hand sanitisers throughout the Estate and each retreat is preceded by a professional deep clean. We will change used towels in room daily and provide single use towels in communal facilities. Our food hygiene is something we always pride ourselves on.
We manage your program, ensuring off-site activities are as controlled as possible. The majority of our activities take place on-site, exclusively enjoyed by our guests, whether the pool, gym, yoga or massage and treatments. Our off-site activities are outdoors, in picturesque, sparsely populated locations. We may replace certain café and creperie stops and we will vet any excursion sites to ensure that their response is appropriate and facilities adequate, making any necessary adjustments.
Finally, it is important to stress that personal hygiene and responsibility in communicating signs of illness early remain critical to the success of our retreats and the overall reduction in COVID-19. Our policy of 100 per cent retreat refunds and 100 per cent travel refunds (if you re-book) will continue in 2020. This ensures that any financial pressure to attend, if showing some signs of illness, is removed.
