The founders of online travel agency View Retreats have announced a pivot in their 11 year-old business, shifting from a luxury accommodation booking platform to focusing on properties and destinations that offer spa and wellness experiences.
Mat Lewis and Stowie van deb Bulk said the transformation of View Retreats will see the platform only offer direct bookings via its Personalised Spa & Wellness Holidays tab online, effective Monday 15 July 2024.
View Retreats has featured a curated collection of exclusive private villas, boutique hotels and luxury lodges across Australia and New Zealand. Last year the Melbourne-based agency introduced a range of Wellness Holidays in locations across Asia. It’s that element of their business that the owners, both accredited life coaches, will tap deeper into.
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“The last few years have been tough for everyone. COVID-19 made us think differently. Not just because it caused a serious blow to our business, but also because it made us realise more than ever the importance of looking after your health and wellbeing,” they said.
“We’re passionate about helping our customers to find experiences that will allow them to truly connect with nature, with each other, and with themselves.”
The change will see accommodation listings with real-time rates and availability removed. In their place will be a suite of curated and customisable wellness holidays that can be booked either directly with View Retreats, or redirected through “trusted bookings partners”.
Guests who have purchased prepaid gift cards with View Retreats will be able to use those on the range of wellness holidays, or other hotels, resorts and private villas that are not live on the website. Any current accommodation bookings will no longer be able to be accessed via the website from next week, however enquiries can be made via email to support@viewretreats.com.
“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience that might be caused by these changes,” Lewis and van den Bulk said. “But we know this is the right direction for View Retreats, and we remain 100% committed to connecting you with extraordinary experiences around the world.”
