Terms & Conditions

• “Organizer”: the person who places the Reservation, pays for it, and accepts these Terms.
• “Group”: the Organizer and every person the Organizer permits onto the property during the stay, overnight or daytime.
• “Villa”: the villa or villas identified in the Reservation confirmation.
• “Reservation”: the booking described in your confirmation email: dates, Villa(s), headcount, rates, fees, taxes, and the payment schedule shown at checkout.
• “Total Stay Cost”: all amounts payable to CastleDay for the Reservation, including nightly rates, cleaning fee, occupancy taxes, and approved add-ons and event fees.
• “House Rules”: the rules in §14, plus any rules posted at the Villa or communicated to you in writing before or during the stay.

One Organizer books for the whole Group. The Organizer must (a) be at least 21 years old, (b) be the person whose payment method is used for the Reservation, (c) accept these Terms, and (d) stay at the Villa for the duration of the Reservation. By booking, the Organizer accepts these Terms on behalf of every member of the Group and is responsible for the Group’s conduct and for all amounts owed under these Terms. We do not split payments among group members; how the krewe settles up afterward is your business.

If you booked through Airbnb or another channel, your booking runs on that channel’s terms, but the House Rules and Sections 11 to 19 of these Terms still apply to everyone on the property.

The Villas operate under a City of New Orleans hotel license (Permit No. 24-XSTR-24029) with reception staffed around the clock, not under a short-term-rental permit. Your Reservation is a license to occupy the Villa as hotel guests for the reserved dates. It is not a lease; it creates no tenancy and no property rights of any kind; and it may be revoked as described in §19. The Villa may not be used as a residence or domicile, and no Group member may receive mail there or claim it as an address.

You are renting a full private villa: twelve bedrooms, seventeen beds, eight bathrooms, a private gated entrance, heated pool, hot tub, courtyard, and turf lawn. Site descriptions and photographs are provided in good faith and kept current; minor variations in furnishings and décor between visits are not a breach of these Terms.

Fifty percent (50%) of the Total Stay Cost is charged when you book. The remaining balance is charged automatically to the same payment method on the schedule shown at checkout and repeated in your confirmation email. Pricing is nightly rate plus a cleaning fee and occupancy taxes: no per-guest fees and no resort fees. Add-ons and services booked before or during your stay are billed to the same Reservation and payment method.

If a scheduled payment fails, we will notify you promptly and you will have seven (7) days to provide a working payment method. A balance still unpaid after seven days is treated as a cancellation by the Organizer effective that day, handled under §7.

The Organizer authorizes CastleDay to charge the payment method on file for: (a) the scheduled payments in §5; (b) add-ons, event fees, and pet deposits the Organizer approves; (c) amounts owed under §11 (late departure), §12 (unauthorized occupancy), §14 (rule violations), and §18 (damage and extra cleaning), in each case supported by the documentation those sections require. Every charge comes with an itemized receipt.

If your plans shift rather than collapse, talk to us early; moving dates is often possible when the calendar allows (§8).

• More than 60 days before check-in: cancel for any reason and receive a full refund of every dollar paid.
• 60 days or fewer before check-in: all payments are non-refundable. This includes no-shows and early departures.
• Cancellation by CastleDay: if we cancel your Reservation, or the Villa becomes unavailable or unfit for your stay for any reason not caused by the Group, we will refund every dollar paid (or, mid-stay, every dollar for the unused nights) promptly and in full. We may offer a comparable CastleDay villa as an alternative, which you are free to accept or decline. This refund is the full extent of our liability for a cancellation, as described in §23.

Date changes are subject to availability and to any difference in rates and are handled without penalty when requested more than 60 days before check-in. Inside 60 days, we will try to accommodate changes case by case, but are not obligated to.

New Orleans has a hurricane season (June 1 to November 30), and weather in that window is a foreseeable travel risk. Refunds are not provided for weather, storm activity, flight delays or cancellations, illness, event cancellation, or any other circumstance that prevents the Group from traveling. Those risks are what travel insurance is for (§22).

One exception: if a government-issued mandatory evacuation order covering the Villa’s location is in effect during your reserved dates, we will refund the nights the order makes unusable, in full.

Neither party is liable for delay or failure to perform caused by events beyond its reasonable control, except that this section never excuses payment for a stay the Group actually received.

After booking, the Organizer must provide a government-issued photo ID matching the name on the Reservation and the payment method. We may use a secure third-party verification service. Check-in instructions are released once verification is complete; a Reservation that cannot be verified is cancelled under §7. It’s a hotel; this is the same check you’d get anywhere with a front desk.

Check-in is 4:00 PM at the gate; check-out is 11:00 AM. Early check-in and late check-out are subject to availability and may carry a fee; ask ahead, don’t assume.

Staying past check-out without an arrangement delays the next group’s turnover. An unapproved late departure incurs a late-departure fee of up to one additional night’s rate; each additional 24-hour period is billed at twice the nightly rate plus any costs of relocating an incoming group. After check-out time we may re-enter the Villa and remove and store belongings as Louisiana law allows.

Up to 30 overnight guests per Villa: seventeen real beds, with air mattresses supplied when you need extra sleeping spots. The headcount you give at booking is the Group these Terms cover; update it with us before arrival if it changes. Exceeding the overnight cap without written approval is a material breach: each unauthorized overnight guest is billed at $250 per person per night, and the stay may be ended under §19.

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. Day-only events on non-stay dates can be booked separately at a day rate.

An unapproved event is a material breach and the one thing that reliably gets a stay ended early under §19, without refund and with the Group responsible for resulting costs and fines.

1. Quiet hours outdoors are 10:00 PM to 8:00 AM. The pool and courtyard stay yours around the clock; quiet hours lower the volume, they don’t send anyone indoors. New Orleans has a noise ordinance and the Group is expected to comply with it.
2. Smoking is outdoors only. Smoking or vaping indoors incurs a remediation charge of up to $1,000 plus actual costs if higher.
3. No glass anywhere in the pool area. Broken glass in the pool means draining it, billed at actual cost.
4. No firearms or other weapons on the property.
5. Nothing unlawful on the property. Illegal activity ends a stay immediately without refund.
6. Children are very welcome and swim and use the grounds under adult supervision at all times.
7. Do not tamper with or disable smoke alarms or other safety equipment.
8. Rules posted at the Villa or provided in writing are part of these Terms.

Pets are generally not accepted. We occasionally approve one in advance, case by case; ask before you book, not at the gate. If a pet is approved, the written approval will state any pet fee or deposit that applies, and that approval becomes part of these Terms. An unapproved pet on the property is treated as extra cleaning and remediation under §18. Service animals are not pets: they are welcome as the law provides and are never subject to fees or deposits.

The pool, hot tub, and cold plunge are private and unguarded. THERE IS NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY. EACH MEMBER OF THE GROUP USES THE POOL, HOT TUB, COLD PLUNGE, COURTYARD, TURF LAWN, SPORTS EQUIPMENT, AND ALL OTHER AMENITIES AND GROUNDS AT THEIR OWN RISK. No diving. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times in the pool area. The Organizer is responsible for communicating this section to every member of the Group.

Walk the Villa on arrival and report anything not right the same day; 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 will be fixed promptly but is not grounds for a refund where the failure arises from causes outside our reasonable control (utility outages, internet service interruptions, weather-driven equipment limits, and the like).

On-site monitoring. For the safety of guests and staff, security cameras monitor exterior areas of the property. There are no cameras inside the villas, ever. Noise-monitoring devices operate indoors and outdoors; they measure sound levels only and do not record conversations, audio, or video. By booking, the Organizer consents to this monitoring on behalf of the Group and agrees to make the Group aware of it. Tampering with or disabling a camera, noise monitor, or safety device is a material breach under §19.

The Organizer is responsible for the Villa and for the Group. Damage beyond normal wear and tear, missing items, cleaning beyond a normal turnover, and fines or penalties levied on CastleDay because of the Group’s conduct are charged to the payment method on file. Every such charge is documented with photographs and an itemized statement, delivered to the Organizer within seven (7) days of discovery; the Organizer has 48 hours to respond before the charge is processed. If something breaks, tell reception the same day; it goes easier for everyone.

A material breach of these Terms (the occupancy cap, an unapproved event, illegal activity, conduct endangering staff or neighbors, a chargeback described in §21, or nonpayment) permits CastleDay to revoke the license granted in §3, end the stay, and require the Group to leave, with no refund for the remaining nights and with the assistance of law enforcement if necessary. We have never had to. Be the group we expect you to be.

The Reservation belongs to the Organizer. It may not be assigned, transferred, resold, or sublet. If the Organizer can no longer attend, contact us; a replacement Organizer requires our written approval and must meet §2 and accept these Terms.

If you believe a charge is wrong, contact us first; we will send the itemized documentation behind any charge within five (5) business days and correct genuine errors promptly. Initiating a card dispute against amounts validly charged under these Terms, while keeping the benefit of the stay, is a material breach; we may submit these Terms, your acceptance record, and stay documentation to the card network, and recover our reasonable costs where the dispute is resolved in our favor. Nothing in this section limits your statutory billing rights.

Travel insurance is strongly recommended for any large-group booking, and for June-through-November stays in particular. CastleDay does not sell insurance. Note that policies covering hurricane disruption generally must be purchased before a storm is named; by the time the cone is on the news, it’s too late to buy coverage for that storm.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT LOUISIANA LAW ALLOWS: (A) CASTLEDAY’S TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO A RESERVATION IS LIMITED TO THE TOTAL STAY COST ACTUALLY PAID; AND (B) CASTLEDAY IS NOT LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING COSTS OF SUBSTITUTE ACCOMMODATIONS BEYOND THE REFUND IN §7. Nothing in these Terms limits liability for gross negligence or willful misconduct, or any liability that cannot lawfully be limited.

The Organizer will defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Japonica Hart LLC, its owners, managers, employees, and agents from third-party claims, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from the Group’s use of the property or breach of these Terms, except to the extent caused by CastleDay’s own negligence or willful misconduct.

Booking constitutes consent to receive transactional communications about your Reservation and stay by email, phone, and SMS. Marketing communications are sent only with consent and can be opted out of at any time.

The Site is provided for browsing, planning, and booking CastleDay stays. Search-engine and AI-assistant indexing of our public pages is welcome. Automated bulk copying of Site content for a competing commercial service is not permitted.

The Site’s text, photographs, design, and branding belong to Japonica Hart LLC or its licensors. Don’t reuse them without written permission; press and planning inquiries are welcome and answered quickly.

Availability, quotes, and payments are processed by our hospitality platform and PCI-compliant payment processors. CastleDay never stores your full card number. Links to third-party sites and services are provided for convenience; we are not responsible for their content or practices. Our Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect and how we handle it.

We work to keep the Site accurate, but it is provided “as is.” If an obvious error appears (a $0 nightly rate, a quote missing its taxes), the erroneous price is not binding: we will offer you the correct price or a full refund of anything paid, your choice.

These Terms are governed by Louisiana law, except that the Federal Arbitration Act governs §31. Any court proceeding permitted under §31 must be brought in the state or federal courts sitting in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, and both parties consent to that venue.

Please read this section carefully. It affects your legal rights.

1. Talk first. Any dispute starts with a conversation: contact us and we’ll work in good faith for 30 days to resolve it before either party files anything.
2. Then binding arbitration. Any dispute not resolved informally will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by JAMS under its Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures and, where applicable, its Consumer Arbitration Minimum Standards, before a single arbitrator, in New Orleans, Louisiana or by videoconference. Arbitration fees are allocated as JAMS’s rules and Consumer Arbitration Minimum Standards provide. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.
3. Exceptions. Either party may bring a qualifying claim in small-claims court in Orleans Parish instead of arbitrating, and either party may seek injunctive relief in court to protect its intellectual property or property rights.
4. CLASS-ACTION WAIVER. ALL CLAIMS MUST BE BROUGHT IN THE PARTIES’ INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. THE ARBITRATOR MAY NOT CONSOLIDATE CLAIMS OR PRESIDE OVER ANY FORM OF REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING. EACH PARTY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL.
5. Opt-out. You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by written notice to the contact in §34 within 30 days of accepting these Terms; opting out does not affect any other section.
6. Severability. If the class-action waiver is held unenforceable as to a particular claim, that claim (and only that claim) proceeds in court under §30, and the remainder of this section stands.

In any arbitration or court action to enforce these Terms, the prevailing party may recover its reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs.

We may update these Terms from time to time. The version in effect on the date you book governs your Reservation; later changes apply only to later bookings. Site-use terms (Part Two) take effect when posted.

If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, the rest stands, and the provision is enforced to the maximum extent permitted. No failure to enforce a provision waives it. These Terms, your booking confirmation, the payment schedule shown at checkout, any signed copy of this agreement, and any written event or pet approval are the entire agreement, and supersede prior discussions. Sections 16, 18, 21, 23, 24, 30, and 31 survive the end of the stay.

Japonica Hart LLC d/b/a CastleDay Retreats
1319 Japonica Street, New Orleans, Louisiana
hello@castledayretreats.com

Legal notices, billing questions, and arbitration opt-outs under §31 go to this address.