With The Jenesis House, Arizona’s first female Black-owned adult wellness resort and spa, Creative Director Jenesis Laforcarde is working to bring a one-of-a-kind experience to Prescott, Arizona.

Laforcarde’s wellness journey began during her time as a buyer for a local shop called The Henna Shoppe, where she was introduced to crystals and their healing energies, holistic healing, sound healing and tarot cards. She also experienced different retreats she described as “life-changing.” But the creative director and branding guru also noticed the lack of representation in the wellness space in Arizona. 

(Courtesy of The Jenesis House)

With The Jenesis House, she hopes to create an affordable wellness experience for all and shed light on the Black people and people of color that are in these spaces.

“I just think there is nothing like this where you can be in this type of environment that’s created by a Black woman,” Laforcarde told theGrio. “I looked into the hospitality world and less than one percent of Black women own hotels, and so that was really like the light bulb.”

The 13-room destination retreat is heavily inspired by Laforcarde’s Afro-Asian background and upbringing: Her grandmother is Chinese and immigrated to Jamaica. Her grandfather is Trinidadian and also has a French background. Growing up in a military family, Laforcarde traveled to Europe and Asia.

“I feel like a lot of resorts just take from different cultures, not really fully representing it,” she said. “I wanted to influence a lot of my background. I was born in England, I was raised in Okinawa [Japan]. I got to be a part of a lot of different cultures. And so I’m excited to infuse that because I feel like especially African cultures [are] never represented anywhere.”

She continued, “And there’s so many healing therapies and different types of tea bags and ingredients that originated from Africa that I want to deliver to our guest. You’re not going to ever be able to experience so many cultures in one house.”

(Courtesy of Jenesis Laforcarde)

Visitors’ experience will include deep soaking baths in the rooms, healing instructors, 24/7 access to yoga and pilates; meditation in the comfort of your room, gardens on the property for farm-to-table philosophy, Nordic Spa, and an all-inclusive private culinary program.

It was important for Laforcarde to make sure this is an experience that everyone can enjoy because wellness looks different for everyone.

“Wellness is anything. It could just be you being in a different environment by being in nature. Like, if you don’t do crystals, that’s totally fine,” she expresses. “But it’s so much more than just like, ‘Oh, you have to do yoga.’ Maybe yoga is not for you. Sometimes yoga is not for everybody. People don’t find peace in that. Maybe people just find peace and being alone and being in the room by yourself and just doing a solo travel retreat.”

Laforcarde said she hopes visitors experience the importance of nature, calmness, and silence.

“I know there’s a lot that we can’t control, especially today, but you can control your environment and your settings and the things that you have with you…what you’re putting into your body,” she said.

“Are you drinking coffee or are you drinking actual herbal tea that is feeding your body, feeding your mind?  And so I hope to just give that aspect of taking care of yourself, put yourself first as soon as you wake up, and then handle everything else. Each guest will have their own optional itinerary, but it will give them a chance to try something they haven’t tried before.”

The Jenesis House is set to open in late 2022 or early 2023. To stay updated on the opening and to shop The Jenesis House candles, click here.

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