Frequently Asked Questions

 

GENERAL FAQ

  • House of Notoire (H.O.N) is a hub that brings women worldwide closer together. Through the stories we share online and the meetups we host offline; H.O.N aims to build a worldwide community of adventurous, curious and bold women and provide them an online/ offline home that sparks creativity, conversation and inclusiveness.

  • We have been organizing events to connect people since 2010. We always aim to create unique experiences that leave our guests inspired and refueled with energy. Examples of events are:

    • Retreats

    • Getaways

    • HONey Brunches

    • Feel Good Fair

  • House of Notoire was founded in 2010 by Cynthia Ritsma

  • We pride ourselves on having an international team of female creatives. Whether you'd like to contribute through content creation, become one of our editors, or would like to intern, you can always get in touch by sending a short intro + your cv/ portfolio to careers@houseofnotoire.com

Retreat FAQ

  • The Honeys Retreats are designed for women that want to immerse themselves in an enriching, global experience.

    Our attendees come to feel inspired, indulge themselves in the culture, enhance their career-and-personal skills, create new friendships and go back home with new valuable connections, and knowledge.

    Whether you’re a creative, business owner, or simply curious - you’re welcome!

  • House of Notoire is a community created by women and for women. We truly believe in the magic that happens when our global community of HONeys comes together. We empower each other both professionally and personally.

  • Each of our retreats are 7 days, 6 nights.

  • This depends on the type of trip and destination, but we typically have anywhere from 5 to 15 women on each retreat, including 2 to 4 hosts.

  • We welcome women of all ages 18+ to join us on the retreats. We’ve welcomed women in their early twenties up to their late forties. Your age doesn’t define you and it doesn’t matter what stage in life you are at to join and get the most out of this trip.

  • All accommodations are double occupancy unless otherwise specified. Many accommodations are either a shared Queen or King size bed with your roomie or two single beds depending on the location. If you are joining our retreats with a friend, please let us know in advance so we can ensure to accommodate you according to your preference.

  • No day is the same, so you get the most out of your retreat experience. Our itinerary is broken into workshop days and explore days so that we can take advantage of both learning and exploring! We start each morning with a morning meditation and affirmations, followed by an intention-setting moment with the group.

    We then gather for a delicious group breakfast and jump right into workshops, exploration, or a combination of both.

    We make sure that you have free time as well to recenter, chill or have some quality time with your fellow retreat attendees.

    Every evening we have dinner together, that might be followed by a fun night out or games to get to know each other better.

  • The retreat itinerary is packed with fun activities, workshops, sightseeing, and more. But you will get some free time to spend to your liking; get some work done, explore, take a nap, whatever!

    • Accommodation: 6 nights 7 days in luxury or boutique accommodations depending on the destination.

    • Daily Meals within the retreat program

    • Airport transfers and shuttle during retreat program

    • Workshops and fun-packed activities within the retreat program

    • Daily meditation

    • Curated giftbag

    • Professional photographer to capture the memories

  • Roundtrip flights, visas, vaccinations, COVID-19 testing, (travel) insurance, any additionals (think laundry, extra activities, meals outside of the retreat program etc.), any add-ons (such as hair braiding, one-on-one consultancy sessions), and tips for staff.

  • Yes! We can accommodate most diets, allergies, and dietary restrictions, just make sure to let us know. Prior to the retreat, we will have you fill out a “Pre-Arrival Form” where you can indicate your specific needs.

  • A positive attitude and an open mind to learn and explore! What’s also helpful is a notebook and pen, comfortable clothes and shoes for days where we’ll be actively exploring, a power bank for long days out, sunscreen and bug spray, and cute outfits for photoshoots. If there’s anything specific we recommend you to bring to a certain destination, we will inform you prior to the retreat start date.

    If you’re joining a content creation-themed retreat, then bring your camera (or any other devices you use to create your content) and we recommend bringing an external hard drive, big enough to save photos and videos.

    Also make sure you have the proper plug adapters, depending on the destination you are joining.

  • Most of our destinations allow for a visa on arrival and are granted for free for EU passport holders. Please check whether you will need a visa. If so, you will be responsible for arranging your visa. Email us at hi@houseofnotoire.com if you need any assistance.

  • Yes, we require each participant to purchase travel insurance on their own. This is in order that you are insured should unforeseen complications occur like severe weather or medical emergencies. You may automatically receive travel insurance through your credit card. Please make sure to research travel insurance companies on your own to make sure that it suits your needs and coverage requirements

  • Yes, they are! Transfers from and to the airport are included. Upon arrival, our driver will be waiting for you with a "House of Notoire" sign at arrival. We will provide you with a form prior to your arrival, in which you can indicate your flight times.

  • Depending on the destination, we recommend afternoon arrivals and morning departures. However, airport transfers are included in the retreat and we will arrange for your transfer to and from the accommodation, so you have flexibility in choosing which flights work best for you.

  • We use a secure booking platform called WeTravel to process all of our bookings. Through this booking platform, you can use a credit card or a bank transfer to book your stay. We can also send an invoice for those who wish to declare the retreat as a business expense.

  • We require a €650 deposit upon submitting your application for a retreat. This deposit is refundable for up to 24hrs after receiving your booking confirmation. This way you can sleep on it to see if this is truly the experience for you. After these 24hrs the deposit is non-refundable.

  • Yes! We offer custom payment plans tailored to your specific financial needs. We can create a payment plan with monthly payment plans leading up to the retreat, every other week, or every other month depending on your needs. We can split up the remaining balance into up to 6 payments. You can choose a payment plan through our booking system or email us for a customized plan at hi@houseofnotoire. Please note that your balance must be paid off one month prior to the retreat start date.

  • We put a lot of care and months of preparation into organizing these retreats before your arrival and during your stay, so you get the best experience imaginable. Should you require to cancel your participation, our cancellation policy looks as follows:

    Within 24hrs: full refund, including deposit.

    After 24hrs of receiving your booking confirmation, the €650 deposit is non-refundable and you are entitled to the following (minus admin charges) depending on the date of cancellation prior to the retreat start date.

    Within 120 days: a full refund.

    Within 120 - 90 days: a 50% refund

    Within 60 - 90 days: a 25% refund

    Less than 60 days: no refund.

  • You can in most countries! The HONey retreats are costs that you invest in yourself and your (business and personal) development and are therefore business-related costs. We provide accommodation, a co-working space, workshops, free wifi, and other tools. You can declare it as a business cost, which is impossible to do when you are "just" on holiday -- a nice bonus for every entrepreneur!

  • You can read our T&Cs here.

  • You can view previous testimonials here.

  • You can view a recap video of one of our retreats to Bali here, Marrakech here, and more on our YouTube channel or on Instagram.

SHOP FAQ

  • We accept credit cards and PayPal. If you have a preferred method of payment that we don’t offer, please email so that we can look into it. For Dutch residents, we can send you a separate link to pay via iDeal. Unfortunately, we cannot integrate that yet on our website.

  • House of Notoire is a small business. We do our best to always post your order as soon as possible. If your product is in stock, your order will be posted within 3-5 working days. If you are in a hurry, send us an email and we will do our best for you.

  • Have you already placed an order, but would you like to add another item? Then send us an email. We can't promise it’s possible, but email us and if your order hasn't been shipped yet, we'll gladly change your order.

  • Please contact us here with your order number and we will get back to you ASAP.

  • You can in exchange for a gift card. You have the right to return your order up to 14 days after receipt. This is possible if there is something wrong with your order.

    Returning your items at your own cost unless it is something we should've done better. We can only refund your purchase if we receive it in perfect condition and unused.

    Articles bought in the sale have different rules.

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