Frequently Asked Questions

Deposits, Deadlines, and Cancellation Policies

I want to book a retreat, what do I do now?

• Please contact our reservations office at 828-684-2361. Our knowledgeable staff will be happy to check open dates and to discuss what housing will best suit your group.

Once I decide on a date and housing for my retreat or conference, what should I expect?

• Our office will put together a reservation agreement to send out to the contact person of the group. The contact person is the person that will be responsible for turning in a signed agreement and all information by the given deadlines.

I am the contact person. What does that mean?

• As the contact person, you are the person we will talk to with regards to deadlines, billing, and final numbers and set up needs. Chances are, you are the person that first contacted our office about booking the space for a retreat so you originally received the paperwork. You are the person we are expecting to have the final number of participants for the group, all set up needs for the group, and the housing assignments (who is in what cabin/room). If you have questions or unsure of what you need to do, our Hospitality Coordinator is happy to work with you about what information we will need and when it is due.

Do I need to pay a deposit to reserve the space?

• Yes, we ask for a deposit of 25% of the estimated total. This protects not only LLMI, but also your group. Once we have the signed agreement and deposit, the reservation is considered secure. To create the estimated total, we take the estimated group size, number of meals, housing, and length of stay to calculate the estimated total. We then take 25% of this total and request it as the deposit. The deposit is due three to four weeks after the agreement has been sent out. If the deposit is not received by the deadline, the space is released for other groups.

Why do I need to provide you with an estimated number of people?

• This helps us determine what space will work best for the group. A youth group will use different housing than an adult group. And a group of twenty will not use as much as a group of forty. By giving us an estimated number of people, it helps us to be the best stewards of our facilities, both housing and meeting.

When do I have to turn in my final numbers?

• This information is usually due two weeks prior to your arrival. The reservation agreement will list the date. This is something that the Hospitality Coordinator will discuss with you as well.

What happens if my group size changes? Shrinks or grows?

• It is wonderful news if the group grows! We always love having large groups experience Lutheridge and Lutherock. And while it might be discouraging that the group is not as large as you would like, sometimes the best experiences are those with the small, intimate groups. Either way, no problem. Groups are giving a guarantee date. This date is 12 weeks prior to your arrival. If the group size is not as large as you were expecting, you have until this date to make changes to your reservation (drop housing, reduce numbers) at no financial penalty.
• If your group grows, you are more than welcome to contact our offices to see if we have additional housing available to accommodate the growing number. We then send an addendum to your agreement that you will need to sign and send back in for the file.
• Any changes to the agreement must be submitted to our offices in writing.

That's great, but I am past the Guarantee Date and some participants have cancelled. What do I do?

• We understand that this can certainly happen. After the guarantee date, the number of rooms reserved and the group size may not drop more than 15%. If the number does drop more than 15%, the difference will be reflected on the bill at the double occupancy or adult rate (whichever is applicable). Cancellation less than five business days are still responsible for the full cost of the retreat.

This retreat just did not work out. What is the cancellation policy?

• Complete cancellation of a retreat is different from the guarantee date or last minute cancellations. Any cancellation to the agreement must be submitted to our office in writing. The cancellation of a retreat follows the following schedule:
  1. More than six months prior to the event - 50% of the deposit may be requested (in writing) or the entire deposit can be applied to rescheduled event within the next 12 months (deposits may only be moved once).
  2. Six months prior to the event - no refund of the deposit; it can be applied to a rescheduled event.
  3. Three months prior to the event - no refund of the deposit and no rescheduling credit
  4. Less than two months prior to the event - no refund of the deposit; half of the estimated total is due to LLMI as cancellation fee (basically another deposit payment).