Terms and conditions | Bala Activity Hotel

Terms and Conditions - Bala Lake Activity Hotel & Spa

Cancellations & Rescheduling

On-site activities and spa treatments can be cancelled or changed without charge 24 hours before the activity is scheduled to start. If you decide to cancel your session within 24 hours, a 50% cancellation charge will apply; however, you may still change your activity without charge (subject to availability). Any rescheduled activities will be subject to the original charge if cancelled at any time.

If you’re a Partner in the John Lewis Partnership all you need is a valid Partner Discount Card to qualify for our discounted prices and offers. Failure to provide a valid discount card upon arrival may result in full prices being charged.

Activity Guidelines

You should arrive on-site at least 15 minutes before your booked Activity session. Lateness will result in your booking or pool slot being cancelled, and any pre-payment will not be refunded. All activities are subject to availability and weather conditions. Activities will continue in conditions such as rain and snow.

If the Bala Lake Activity team cancel the sessions due to bad weather, you will receive a full refund of pre-paid monies for the cancelled session.

You may be asked to complete an activity agreement before your session can start. Suitable clothing must be worn in accordance with the weather. Wear appropriate footwear (boots/stiff-soled trainers, wellingtons).

No flip-flops, sandals, open-toed footwear or bare feet.

You may not participate in any activity if under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Paddleboarding

Waterways can be dangerous. You must check whether you require a licence to Paddle on the waterways you use. Please visit www.gopaddling.info for more information. A suitable degree of competency is necessary to paddle safely. Please ensure someone in your party can take control of the group with you.

You must always wear the buoyancy aid provided while using the paddleboard. It is a compulsory condition of hire that safety helmets are worn and correctly fastened for all young persons (under 18yrs) using a paddle board. Only Bala lake hotel equipment can be used under the conditions of the hire agreement (example: you cannot provide your buoyancy aid). Only participants who are named on the hire agreement below are permitted to use the issued equipment.

The ratio for supervision of children (under 18 years of age) is 1 Adult per child either on the same board (combined maximum weight of 130kg) or on a separate board. Supervising Adults must always remain within a 20m proximity and line of sight to participating young persons.

You must take a working mobile phone with sufficient battery. If you have difficulty, please contact Emergency Services and Bala Lake Hotel.

I/we:

Understand the ratio of Adults:Child supervision.

Have received a suitably sized SUP in good working order for our party.

Have been issued with a working Air Pump, Paddle, Leash, and Fin

Have received general instruction on how to use the SUP and accessories

Have been issued suitably sized Helmets and Buoyancy aids to wear, and have been shown how to fit them correctly

Agree to ensure that any young persons (under 18yrs) wear their helmet at all times.

Agree that all users must wear their buoyancy aid at all times whilst on the water.

Agree that I/ we will check that the inflation of the SUP is correct before entering the water

Agree to secure the leash to my ankle when entering the water

Accept the responsibility to cover the fees of any extra costs (i.e Car parking)

Agree to return all equipment by the time stated. Late return will incur a fee.

Agree to report and pay for any loss, damage, defects or problems encountered with any of the equip

Zip Wire

Whilst every effort is made by our staff to secure your safety during the Zipwire session, by agreeing to our terms and conditions you are acknowledging that neither they, the hotel nor the John Lewis Partnership shall be liable for:

Any inconvenience, injury, accident, delay, irregularity, liability or expense suffered by you, save where such is caused as a direct result of our proven negligence.

Furthermore, you acknowledge that the Zipwire Instructor or hotel staff have the right to cancel, change or substitute any service and to decline to accept or continue to accommodate any participant at any time for any reason including, without limitation, insufficient number of participants, inappropriate behaviour by yourself when riding the Zipwire or failure to meet the safety requirements outlined to you below:

Anyone with problems relating to their back, neck, ankles, wrists or knees, epilepsy, vertigo, visual/ hearing impairment or pregnancy should not ride the Zip wire.
Riders must weigh no more than 16 stone (101Kg)
Riders must weigh no less than 5.5 stone (35Kg)
Riders must be able to reach 165cm to ride the Zipwire
Riders must be 8 years of age or over, riders aged 9-15 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Child riders aged 8-11 must be accompanied by a parent at a ratio of 1 child to 1 adult
Child riders aged 12-15 must be accompanied by a parent at a ratio of 2 children to 1 adult
Riders must wear the safety helmet and harness provided at all times during the session.
Riders are advised to wear long sleeves, full length trousers and sturdy footwear such as trainers or walking boots and to remove all personal items such as jewellery to prevent loss or damage.
Riders must follow the instruction of the Zipwire Instructor at all times and the Instructor’s word is final.
Riders must not be under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.

Additionally, by agreeing to our terms and conditions, you hereby acknowledge and agree to the above requirements.

Should you have any concerns or questions regarding the terms and agreement, the proper use of Zipwire, or any other related issues, please do not hesitate to let us know and we will ensure that a member of the team is available to address it with you.

Segway

Whilst every effort is made by our staff to secure your safety during the Segway session, by agreeing to our terms and conditions you are acknowledging that neither they, the hotel nor the John Lewis Partnership shall be liable for:

Any inconvenience, injury, accident, delay, irregularity, liability, or expense suffered by you, save where such is caused as a direct result of our proven negligence.

Furthermore, you acknowledge that the Segway Instructor or hotel staff have the right to cancel, change or substitute any service and to decline to accept or continue to accommodate any participant at any time for any reason including, without limitation, insufficient number of participants, inappropriate behaviour by yourself when in control of the Segway or failure to meet the safety requirements outlined to you below:

Anyone with problems relating to their back, neck, ankles, wrists or knees, epilepsy, vertigo or any visual/ hearing impairment should not ride.
Riders must weigh no less than 7 stone and no more than 17 stone
Riders must be 12 years of age or over, riders under 12 years old who are within the weight limit may ride the segway but must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Child riders under 12 must be accompanied by a parent at a ratio of 1 child to 1 adult.
Riders must wear the safety helmet, knee & elbow pads provided at all times during the session.
Riders are advised to wear long sleeves, full length trousers and sturdy footwear such as trainers or walking boots.
Riders must follow the instruction of the Segway Instructor at all times and the Instructor’s word is final.
Riders must not be under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.
We do not advise that you ride a Segway whilst pregnant, should you choose to do the activity whilst pregnant please speak with the Instructors beforehand.

Additionally, by agreeing to our terms and conditions you hereby acknowledge and agree to the above requirements for myself and anyone participating in the activity under the booking.

Please be aware that whilst riding a Segway there is a possibility you may fall off and the potential for injury is real.

Should you have any concerns or questions regarding this agreement, the proper uses of Segways, or any other related issues, please do not hesitate to let us know and we will ensure that a member of the team is available to address it with you.

Swimming Pool

All children must be accompanied by a fee paying adult. Children must be supervised at all times and should not be unaccompanied at any point at the pool. Failure to comply with our terms and conditions could result in cancellation of your session. No refunds will be offered.

Spa Treatments

Please arrive for your treatment 10 minutes prior to complete a consultation form. If you decide to cancel your session within 24 hours, a 100% cancellation charge will apply. For our 'Winter Break' spa treatments, if you decide to cancel your session within 24 hours, a 100% cancellation charge will apply - £30 for 25 minute treatment and £60 for a 50 minute treatment.

Health and Wellbeing information - Taking treatments at Serenity Therapy Suite
For information about allergens please contact a member of staff. We work in an environment where allergens are handled and while we try to keep things separate, we cannot guarantee that any item is allergen-free.

To help us deal with your booking and treatment more efficiently, please inform us of any previous history when booking or replying to us. Some treatments may have contraindications (please see below), if you are undergoing any medical therapy, taking any prescribed medicines or are pregnant, please speak to your therapist before your treatment, or contact us for further advice and information.

If you are booking any tinting service you will require a patch test 24 hours before. Whilst we try our best to validate all eligibility, we trust in our Partners and guests to use our facilities honestly and in line with our T&Cs, so that we can continue to offer our subsidised services to all.

Contraindications For Treatments

A contraindication is a pre-existing medical condition that could make it inadvisable for a massage treatment to be carried out. This could either be due to conditions that could put you at risk as well as illnesses that could be contagious and potentially affect you and other clients and those in their place of work.

Contraindications that prevent or restrict massage therapy
Three kinds of common contraindications would prevent or restrict someone from receiving treatment: total, local or medical. Each case is individual and as such, needs to be identified and addressed by the contraindications and their severity. Any total contraindications mean that massage therapy is totally inadvisable.

Total contraindications refer to conditions that prevent you from receiving massage therapy due to your illness posing too much of a risk to either yourself or the client.

Local or medical contraindications restrict massage treatments by avoiding the area affected by a medical condition or require a doctor’s confirmation that the treatment can indeed be carried out.

The most common contraindications for massage:

Virus / Bacterial / Fungal Infections

Massages are very hands-on, meaning our therapists will come into very close contact with any person that steps through the door of your treatment room. Any kind of infection you may carry poses a risk to both you, the massage therapy provider and future clients because of the nature of the treatment.

High Fever

If you have a significant fever (38 degrees Celsius or above) you should be refused treatment, as this could be an indication that you are fighting off an infection. Performing a massage on you with a high temperature could result in your natural defences being disrupted, which could lead to the illness sticking around for longer and requiring more aggressive treatment. It is better to wait for whatever might be causing the fever to clear before offering massage therapy to the customer. This will also protect you from potentially catching an infection that you might then spread to others.

Stroke / Heart Attack

If you have just had a stroke or a heart attack, you should not have any massage treatment until it is known that you are past the acute phase of the condition. This should be confirmed by your practitioner on a signed note and, just to be safe, we would need a disclaimer signed by you to declare that you're aware of any risks. These precautions must be taken due to the high risk of a second episode occurring within the first months of a stroke or a heart attack.

Skin Conditions

Some skin conditions such as severe acne, eczema, psoriasis, cold sores and open sores should prevent or restrict massage treatment to minimise the risk of more severe conditions developing. Avoiding massage treatment in or around affected areas will also minimise the risk of transmission, as some conditions could be infections due to being caused by bacteria, fungus and viruses. If you suffer from any you to provide a medical note confirming that it is safe for them to receive massage therapy.

Pregnancy

There are several massage contraindications relating to pregnancy, which could prevent or restrict treatment. It is important to identify during your pregnancy (pre and postnatal too) if you suffer from any of the following :

Eclampsia
Pre-eclampsia
Varicosities due to organs pressing on the veins and arteries
Hyperkyphosis or hyperlordosis due to poor posture
Compression Syndromes
Oedema
Gestational Diabetes

Cancer

When undergoing treatment such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, it can have a severe impact on a person's body, including their immune system. Patients could be at risk of contracting an infection that they might not have the strength to fight off. It is important for them to avoid public spaces such as massage parlours and spas and to ensure that their body is not put under unnecessary stress that a massage would create.

Recent scarring

Fresh scarring, (less than 6 months old) should not be put under any undue stress that could result from a massage. It needs to be given enough time to heal, as disturbing the affected area could worsen the condition or reignite the root cause of the scarring. Old scars would need to be checked to ensure they will not cause any issues during or after the massage. If the scarring affects large areas of the body, we would advise you to wait until the wounds are completely healed.

Recently consumed drugs/alcohol - including some prescription drugs

Anyone who is intoxicated with drugs and alcohol will be refused treatment until the substances wear off. Drugs and alcohol impact blood pressure and heart rate significantly, increasing the risk of complications from a massage, especially deep tissue massage as this stimulates the blood flow and could potentially raise a person’s blood pressure even further.

A person under the influence of any substances might also not be behaving like their usual self, potentially posing danger to themselves and those around them.

Our commitment
We believe in being as transparent as possible so that you can make an informed decision as to the type of treatment you would like to have when visiting our suite. The information above has been worded and adapted from the guidance provided by www.professionalbeautydirect.co.uk / 3rd March 2020/ © Professional Beauty Direct is a trading name of InEvexco 2021

We also know that not everyone is comfortable in sharing their medical history and therefore might not disclose relevant information to us.

There may be an occasion during an appointment where we assess that you have a total contraindicator and regrettably, we aren't able to carry out your chosen treatment. We will always, where possible, seek an alternative treatment, however, it's not always possible.

If you would prefer to speak to one of our therapists over the phone or would like to arrange a face-to-face consultation please email bala.lake@johnlewis.co.uk and a member of the team will be in touch to help.