A Sweet Life Getaway

Sugar, Not Guilt
March 25 - 28, 2027

Join us in New Orleans for a four-day, three-night Sweet Life retreat designed for the woman ready to return to herself gently, joyfully, and without apology.

A space where Black women are invited to soften, savor, and remember who they are beneath the responsibilities, the expectations, and the constant doing.

Held in the heart of one of the most culturally rich Black cities in the world, this retreat is an immersive Sweet Life experience rooted in pleasure, presence, and choice.

The Experience

For four days and three nights, we'll gather inside The Blackbird Hotel, an intimate boutique retreat space created with Black women in mind modern, serene, and intentionally designed for rest, creativity, and connection.

New Orleans is a city where soul lives out loud. Where food is ritual. Where music carries memory. Where joy is communal, ancestral, and alive.

Here, sweetness isn't something you earn. It's something you take.

Everything is curated so you can arrive, exhale, and be held.

Your Experience Includes

Everything you need. Nothing you don't.

  • 4 days / 3 nights at The Blackbird Hotel, New Orleans

  • Welcome Dinner

  • Pool Party

  • Airport Transportation

  • History and Food Tour

Meals outside of our group gatherings are intentionally left open, so you can savor New Orleans food culture at your own pace.

Reserve Your Spot
Six diverse women standing side by side outdoors on a bridge surrounded by green trees, dressed in colorful casual summer clothing, looking towards the camera.

WHO THIS IS FORFor the woman whose spirit has been asking for softness.

  • You are craving spaciousness not another packed itinerary

  • You desire joy that feels grounded, not performative

  • You want luxury without excess and depth without heaviness

  • You are ready to experience rest, culture, and sisterhood as medicine

  • You know you deserve sweetness not because you earned it, but because it's yours

  • You've been saying "I need this" and you're finally ready to say yes

"If your body has been asking for softness… if your spirit has been longing for joy without explanation… this space was curated for you."

Your Investment

Sugar, Not Guilt is intentionally limited to 6-8 women to preserve intimacy, care, and high-touch facilitation.

Solo Room - $2,895
Your own private space for rest and restoration.

Interested in sharing? The Blackbird's shared rooms feature a shared bed - best suited for friends, sisters, or partners joining together. Email us directly at retreats@holistree.com to inquire about booking shared.

Payment Options

  • Deposit: $500 (non-refundable) secures your spot and begins your journey. Payment plans available to make your investment feel spacious.

  • Book Before December 1st: Your deposit drops to $387 and you'll automatically receive a full year of Sweet Life Society membership.

Starting January 1, 2027, Sweet Life Society membership will be the only way to access and register for Holistree experiences. Booking early means your membership and your seat at the table is already secured.

Cancellation Policy

Because of the intimate nature of this retreat and the planning involved, payments are non-refundable after January 30th. Your deposit whether $500 or $387 - is non-refundable. However, your registration is transferable if you find someone to take your place.

A bedroom with green walls, black shutters on windows, a white bed with multiple pillows, a bedside table with a lamp, a black desk with a green chair, and a modern light fixture on the ceiling.
Black two-story house with ornate balconies, front porch, lush green plants, and brick stairs, surrounded by a black metal fence.
Reserve Your Spot

"The sisterhood and experience super exceeded anything I could have imagined. I left feeling full, invigorated, and empowered. Both my appetite and spirit were richly fed. I am already looking forward to our next adventure."

- KEESA L., SWEET LIFE NEW ORLEANS RETREAT

Luxury backyard swimming pool area with lounge chairs, umbrellas, tropical plants, and modern seating arrangements.
A street performer playing saxophone seated on a ledge beside a small fountain, with a bronze reclining woman sculpture in the foreground. Behind him, a mural depicts a bustling street scene with musicians, people shopping, and a horse-drawn carriage.
A group of people gathered outdoors by a waterfront, with some dancing and enjoying the sunny weather. Two women are prominent in the foreground, one with arms raised and smiling, the other wearing sunglasses and smiling. Several others are seen in the background, along with streetlights, water, ships, and cranes.

ITINERARY

Day 1 · Thursday, March 25‍ ‍Arrival + Soft Landing
Airport transportation to The Blackbird Hotel · Sweet Life Welcome Ritual + check-in · Welcome Dinner · Opening Circle · Evening wind-down + porch conversations

Day 2 · Friday, March 26 - Soul of the City
Slow morning · History and Food Tour · Afternoon rest block · Free evening to explore New Orleans on your own terms

Day 3 · Saturday, March 27 - Sugar, Not Guilt
Late morning start · Pool Party · Afternoon free time · Evening left open to gather, wander, or simply be

Day 4 · Sunday, March 28 - Return Renewed
Closing circle + blessings · Farewell brunch · Departures

Itinerary subject to minor changes to preserve flow and spontaneity.

Bronze statue of a musician playing a trumpet, outdoors in a park with trees and a fence in the background.
Reserve your spot

SWEET LIFE SOCIETY MEMBERS

You have first access and locked pricing always.

Book before December 1st and receive a full year of Sweet Life Society membership, automatically. Sweet Life Society members receive priority access and their locked member rate on all retreats.

Starting January 1, 2027, Holistree experiences become members-only, so booking now means your seat at the table is already secured.

If you're not yet a member, joining the Society is your gateway to the full Sweet Life ecosystem year-round community, monthly rituals, and retreat priority that ensures you never miss a seat at the table.

Learn about the society
Hand holding a cookie in front of a house with a white fence, green plants, and a porch
A diverse group of people is gathered outside on a city sidewalk. Some are standing, and two women are sitting in folding chairs. One woman has a yellow flower in her hair, and another is looking at her phone. There are shops behind them, including one with a sign that reads "RIP the Raven" and displays sports memorabilia. A red stop sign and street signs are visible, with a few cars parked along the street. It appears to be a sunny day.

A Message from the Curator

The first time I went to New Orleans, the energy was so high I felt high the whole time. I didn't have language for it then, I just knew the city had a pulse I'd never felt anywhere else.

I'm wiser now. More equipped to understand energy, and more attuned to what I actually need.

When I went back this past May, that same intoxicating energy was there but I saw it differently. (Through my luxury Sweet Life shaded glasses, if you will.) Good food, good energy, indulgence, and everything in between. And somewhere between a beignet and a second line, I just knew: we had to bring Black women back here.

Sugar, Not Guilt is that invitation. Choose yourself without apology. Let the city hold you the way it held me.

I'm so excited for this one. And yes - Ms. Loretta's, here we come.

Rakita, your Sweet Life Maven

Woman with curly hair leaning on a black railing holding a bouquet of baby's breath flowers on a city sidewalk with brownstone houses in the background.
A young woman with curly hair standing in the middle of a street with parked cars on either side, holding a purple handbag and smiling at the camera, with trees and houses in the background.

QUESTIONS

Everything you need to know.

  • 4 days / 3 nights at The Blackbird Hotel, Welcome Dinner, Pool Party, airport transportation, and our History and Food Tour.

    Travel to and from New Orleans is not included.

    Is Airport Transportation Really Included?
    Yes airport transportation is included as part of your investment. Details on pickup coordination will be shared in your welcome message after registration.

  • Meals outside of our group gatherings are intentionally left open, so you can savor New Orleans food culture at your own pace.

  • Yes! Payment plans are available on the registration page payments are automatically charged monthly to make the experience more accessible.

    Pay in full and receive a $400 Sweet Life Credit Card to use as you see fit.

  • The Blackbird's shared rooms feature a shared bed - this option is designed for friends, sisters, or partners who are joining the retreat together. We do not pair strangers in shared rooms.

    Solo rooms are the primary booking option for this retreat. If you'd like to explore booking shared, The Blackbird's shared rooms feature a shared bed. Email retreats@holistree.com to inquire.

  • Payments are non-refundable after January 30th. Your deposit is non-refundable regardless of amount. Your registration is transferable if you find someone to take your place. Your spot may be transferable to another participant with prior approval. We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance to protect your investment.

  • Upon registration, you'll receive a welcome message with general trip information within 48 hours. If you opted for an installment plan, you'll also receive a reminder prior to your payment date. As the retreat date approaches, you'll receive emails with specifics relevant to your trip, along with a final itinerary 30 days before the retreat.

  • Email us directly at retreats@holistree.com and we'll respond within 72 hours.

NEW ORLEANS IS WAITING

Joy is not something
you postpone.
It is something you claim.

6-8 women. Four days. One city that knows how to hold you.

Reserve your spot

Past Retreat Reviews

Dionna M.

“What I love most about these retreats is the intentionality. I always feel like they’ve created the moment exactly for me!”

Chanika M.

“The thing that has touched my heart so deeply was the love, enthusiasm and celebratory manner in which I was received by my fellow retreaters! I felt heard. I felt valued.”