The Rental Agreement

This agreement is between the organizer and Japonica Hart LLC, doing business as CastleDay Retreats, the licensed operator of the villas at 1319 Japonica St, New Orleans. One organizer books for the whole group: the organizer must be at least 21, is the person who pays, is the person who agrees, and stays at the villa for the reservation. We don’t split payments; how the krewe settles up afterward is your business.

By accepting, the organizer accepts for everyone in the group and is responsible for their conduct. Booked through Airbnb or another channel instead? Your booking runs on that channel’s terms — the house rules here still apply to everyone on the property.

You are renting a full private villa — twelve rooms, seventeen beds, eight baths, with its own gated entrance, heated pool, hot tub, courtyard, and turf lawn. The villas operate under a hotel license (Permit No. 24-XSTR-24029), not a short-term-rental permit, and reception is staffed around the clock.

Check-in is 4 PM at the gate; checkout is 11 AM. Early arrival for the advance team is often possible — ask ahead, don’t assume. Staying past checkout without an arrangement delays the next group’s clean and is billed accordingly.

Half of the reservation total is charged when you book. The remaining balance is charged automatically to the same card on the schedule shown at checkout and in your confirmation email. Prices are nightly rate plus a cleaning fee and occupancy taxes — no per-guest fees, no resort fees.

Add-ons booked before or during your stay (brass band, pool floats, and friends) are billed to the same reservation and card. If a scheduled payment fails, we’ll tell you right away; a balance still unpaid 7 days later is a cancellation under the terms below.

Fully refundable until 60 days before check-in — every dollar back, no questions. Within 60 days of check-in, payments are non-refundable. If your plans shift rather than collapse, talk to us early; moving dates is often possible when the calendar allows.

If we ever have to cancel on you — it has not happened, and we intend to keep it that way — you get every dollar back immediately.

Up to 30 overnight guests per villa — seventeen real beds, with air mattresses supplied if you need extra sleeping spots. No name list required; the headcount you give at booking is the group the agreement covers, and the organizer answers for all of them. Exceeding the overnight cap without approval is a breach of this agreement.

Daytime gatherings beyond your overnight count — the welcome party, the day-after swim — are welcome with advance written approval. Event fees or permits may apply depending on headcount and vendors; tell us early and we’ll tell you exactly what applies. Unapproved events are the one thing that gets a stay ended early.

Outdoor quiet hours are 10 PM to 8 AM — the pool and courtyard stay yours around the clock, the volume comes down when the neighborhood sleeps. New Orleans has a noise ordinance and we expect groups to stay inside it.

Smoking is outside only. Pets are confirmed case by case before arrival, not at the gate. Kids are very welcome and swim supervised. Nothing unlawful on the property — that one ends a stay without a refund.

The pool and hot tub are private and unguarded. Everyone in the group uses them — and the rest of the grounds — at their own risk: no lifeguard, no diving, children supervised by an adult at all times.

No glass anywhere in the pool area. Broken glass in the pool means draining it, and the cost of that is on the group.

The organizer is responsible for the group and for the villa. Damage beyond normal wear, missing items, and cleaning beyond a normal turnover are charged to the card on file, documented with photos and an itemized receipt. If something breaks, tell reception the same day — it goes easier for everyone.

Breaking this agreement — the occupancy cap, an unapproved event, illegal activity — lets us end the stay early with no refund for the nights remaining. We have never had to. Be the group we expect you to be.

If something stops working, reception is staffed around the clock and repairs move fast. We may enter the villa to make repairs or in a genuine emergency; outside an emergency, we knock first and agree on a time. A failed appliance or amenity gets fixed promptly but is not grounds for a refund when the failure is outside our control.

The reservation belongs to the organizer. It can’t be transferred, resold, or sublet — if the organizer can’t come, talk to us instead of handing the keys to a stranger.

To the extent Louisiana law allows, the group uses the property and its amenities at its own risk, and the organizer agrees to hold Japonica Hart LLC harmless from claims arising from the group’s use of the property — except where the harm is caused by our own negligence. Travel insurance is smart for any large-group trip; several carriers cover group stays well.

After booking, the organizer provides a government photo ID matching the name and card on the reservation. It’s a hotel — the same check anywhere with a front desk.

This agreement is governed by Louisiana law, and any dispute starts with a conversation — contact us first and we’ll work it out like adults. If any single term turns out to be unenforceable, the rest stands. This page, your booking confirmation, and the payment schedule shown at checkout are the entire agreement.