We’ve put together a list of some of the most common questions that we’re asked by travellers. Skip to the section you’d like to read more on.
Planning
Health Travel launched in early 2021 and is backed by our parent company, Bluebird Travel, which has been operating since 1970. The team has a wealth of experience and knowledge of both ultra-luxe travel and wellness holidays, and together, we excel in fully tailormade wellness breaks and can guide you effectively on the best option for you.
Aside from knowledge of wellness and transformative travel, we have developed many industry-leading partnerships with iconic hotel brands and globally-renowned travel networks, including Virtuoso. Through this, we receive the best rates, exclusive benefits and VIP service for your trip.
After booking, the team is here for you in the run-up to your getaway, throughout your stay, and long after you return home. There will always be someone available for you to call, email, or even Whatsapp, should you need urgent support, and our dedicated Wellness Concierge is our complimentary service to make sure every detail is planned for.
Flight-inclusive trips departing from the UK are ATOL protected unless stated otherwise and we accept all major credit and debit cards, so your payments and bookings are secured. All data is encrypted and never shared for marketing purposes, so we maintain the utmost standards in data protection.
Health Travel has handpicked a unique collection of the world’s leading wellness hotels and experiences and we tailor each experience and trip to you. Our website acts as an inspirational tool to give you a taste of some of the many hotels, retreats and private tours that we offer, but it does not showcase every option.
Fill in the enquiry form, email or call our team, providing basic information on the goals and requirements for your trip. From here, our Wellness Specialists will soon be in touch to begin offering advice and guidance to start planning your tailor-made getaway.
We do not take direct bookings and payment through the website due to the tailored setup of the trips. Your enquiry is the foundation for the team to begin planning that is entirely personalised to you, so by removing the direct booking functionality, we can ensure that there is no cookie-cutter approach to your experience.
The team will always aim to respond within 24 hours of any enquiry between Monday to Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm, however over the weekends we operate a service only for our clients currently travelling with us. Enquiries during this time are responded to on Monday, so you may need to wait a couple of days for your bespoke trip proposal. Don’t worry – it will be worth the wait!
The planning of our trips varies based on complexity. For structured wellness programmes at medical spas and health resorts, the team can often plan this within one to two working days. For multi-stop private tours, expeditions and experiences built from scratch, it’s important for us to spend longer ensuring our ground handlers and transfers fit perfectly into your schedule. Our Wellness Specialists will revise the proposal until you are 100% satisfied that we have your dream trip prepared.
Absolutely. The website serves as an inspirational tool to get an idea of some of the experiences and programmes available, but it is not the full list. If you see a hotel that doesn’t showcase the type of wellness experience you are looking for, then speak to the team and they will guide you on the hotel’s specialisms as well as alternative options that will meet your requirements and goals.
Most of our partner hotels and medical spas have various lengths of retreats and programmes, with full flexibility in the length of stay. We would recommend that detox and weight loss programmes meet a minimum number of nights to maximise the impact, however other holistic programmes can vary from one-day introductory retreats to three weeks of a total mind, body and soul reset.
The majority of the retreats we work with are on an individual basis, allowing you to benefit from full personalisation, private consultations and an in-depth focus on achieving your health and wellness goals. We do also work with some incredible group-based retreats that promote motivation through community, fitness in the wide outdoors and the opportunity to meet like-minded travellers. We can accommodate a transformative private or group-based retreat based on your preferences.
We can support you with flight bookings for both short-haul and long-haul destinations. Let the team know if you would like us to arrange your flights, along with which cabin class you would prefer, then we can factor this into your bespoke quote. If you are hoping to earn Avios points, then we can add your membership number to any qualifying booking that we make on your behalf.
We understand that you may be looking for an extended weekend away or a deeply immersive multi-week trip, therefore the team remains fully flexible on your length of stay. We have even had clients extending their trip for a couple of months as a working-wellness sabbatical.
Please bear in mind that some of our partner hotels and medical spas, depending on the programme, require a minimum length of stay, but our Wellness Specialists can guide you on this during the initial planning stage.
Yes you can. From additional treatments and in-room services to restaurant reservations and activities and excursions pre or post-retreat, our team is here to support you. After booking a trip with Health Travel, our dedicated Wellness Concierge will be in touch to ensure that you have everything you need for a seamless getaway. We can provide guidance on tourist visa applications, pre-arrival medical questionnaires and suggest little moments of magic to make your experience truly unforgettable.
You may be surprised to learn that booking with a good travel agent is often no more expensive than going direct. Health Travel’s strong industry affiliations and partnerships allow us to obtain the best rates with exclusive benefits, such as room upgrades, restaurant and spa credit, welcome surprises and more. Our helpful advisors are on hand to assist so you can enjoy a stress-free experience of planning your wellness escape.
Pre-departure wellness screenings are a truly insightful way to understand your current state of health and to help set suitable goals to shape your programme or retreat. Health Travel works in close partnership with PAAR London, with testing kits shipped both in the UK and worldwide, arriving straight to your home. The samples are couriered directly to the most reliable laboratories for testing and results are delivered within seven days to three weeks, depending upon what package you choose. Pre and post-testing consultations with a panel of experts provide lifestyle and health guidance based on your individual lifestyle, so you can make smart decisions to improve your health and wellbeing.
Health Travel offers a 10% discount on all testing packages when booking in conjunction with a retreat. You can either note this in the enquiry form or mention it to one of our Wellness Specialists and we can factor this into your booking.
If you would like more advice on the right tests for you, we can arrange a free telephone consultation with a doctor to guide you on the best option.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to this question, but based on your interests and goals, our Wellness Specialists can guide you on which type of programme and venue would be appropriate.
Medical spas benefit from onsite doctors, medical and health specialists, often with state-of-the-art technology and diagnostics, for a more targeted approach to health and wellbeing.
Holistic retreats focus on the whole person, factoring in mental, social and emotional factors as well as physical. This route often incorporates practitioners in movement, nutrition as well as mindful activities. These experiences are often suggested for those looking to rebalance the mind, body and soul, or for those looking to learn more about themselves and the world around them.
Payments & Protection
Health Travel never charges a fee for its services. Through our affiliations and partnerships with hotels and experience providers, you pay the best rate available, without any hidden costs.
We accept all major credit and debit cards, in most major currencies via a secure payment link. Bank transfers are also accepted, and in some cases, we can arrange payment directly to the hotel/resort.
We are compliant with the PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) standard so you can be assured all payment information is handled in the most secure way. Our systems regularly go through penetration testing, and we undergo annual Cyber Essentials certification by the National Cyber Security Centre.
Our payment schedules are made in line with the suppliers for each trip. Due to the bespoke nature of our wellness trips, each one can have varying policies. Short two-night stays can be payable on arrival at the hotel, whereas more complicated itineraries can have a small deposit due on booking with the remainder due 30 days before the trip. Our wellness advisors will clearly state the payment schedule during the proposal stage.
We understand that travel can be uncertain, and we do everything in our path to ensure that in the event that you cannot travel. We do not charge any cancellation fees ourselves, so nothing is added to the cancellation conditions of the supplier.
Our wellness advisors will clearly state the cancellation policy during the proposal stage and will give their best efforts to ensure you are able to recover cancellation fees in case there is an issue with your trip.
All trips booked with a flight departing from the UK are covered by the ATOL scheme (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) unless otherwise stated. The Civil Aviation Authority administers the scheme to ensure that all members meet their strict financial criteria. ATOL is in place to protect you from losing money or being stranded abroad due to the failure of one of our suppliers, or our parent company Bluebird Travel. Our ATOL number is 73624.
