Hoda Kotb quietly hosted an in-person wellness retreat with her lifestyle brand Joy 101 over the weekend, approximately 100 miles away from where Nancy Guthrie – the mother of her longtime friend and Today show colleague Savannah Guthrie – was last seen.
Set at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, ticketholders got to hang out with the 61-year-old television personality and take part in ‘life-changing’ holistic practices.
Despite the ongoing search for Guthrie’s missing mom, 84, Kotb put on a brave face and connected with the guests who had shelled out thousands of dollars to attend the weekend.
According to ticket-holders, she walked around without security and made sure to make every single guest ‘feel special’ if they pulled her aside for a photo or a quick chat.
Guest says Kotb had no security
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, event-goer Lisa Black Litton, who attended the retreat with her two close friends Leslie Cayce and Melissa Powers, said that Kotb delighted in meeting with her fans and roamed without being flanked by guards.
‘She had no security at all,’ Litton said. ‘She was totally by herself the entire weekend. Everybody just walked up to Hoda the whole time and took selfies.’
‘We were at the pool, and she came and took selfies with everybody there.’
Kotb also joined her guests and immersed herself in the scheduled activities, which ranged from guided breathwork to journaling.
‘When I was in my sound bath, Hoda was with us,’ Litton said, adding that Kotb’s sister, niece and even neighbor were also in attendance. ‘She did the classes with us and so did her family.’
$2,600 tickets sold out quickly
Kotb’s Spring Retreat was first marketed at the end of December and passes, which started at $2,600, quickly sold out.
Despite the location of the retreat being an hour away from Guthrie’s hometown, there was no official mention of the continued search for Nancy Guthrie.
Ticket-holders reasoned that this was a deliberate move so that Kotb, like her attendees, could ‘disconnect.’
‘It showed me that even though they’re all going through a really hard time, they’re still there for others,’ Litton reflected.
‘I realized that Hoda and Savannah, they’re real people. Everybody’s going through something.’
Six weeks ago, Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, Nancy, was abducted from her $1 million home in Tucson, just under a two-hour drive from the retreat’s location in Scottsdale.
Nancy Guthrie missing since February as investigation remains active
Nancy was last seen alive on the night of January 31, and it is believed she was taken against her will in the early morning hours of February 1. The investigation remains active.
Kotb is a longtime friend of Guthrie and has been vocal in her messages of hope amid Nancy’s mysterious disappearance.
She also returned to the Today show on February 6 to help the NBC anchors as they continue to navigate uncharted territory.
‘First of all, I just want to say this whole thing’s breaking my heart and I’m happy to be sitting here with you,’ Kotb said at the top of the episode.
‘I think there’s this helpless feeling,’ she noted. ‘I mean, we’re all so close to her and we all want to help her.’
Since her return on February 6, Kotb has made regular appearances to co-host.
Expert warned of backlash and suggested content blackout
Earlier this month, a reputation expert warned that Kotb could be faced with a publicity dilemma if she pushed forward with the retreat amid Nancy’s disappearance.
Eric Schiffer, chairman of the Los Angeles-based firm Reputation Management Consultants, told the Daily Mail that the Joy 101 CEO would run the risk of igniting a backlash if she handled publicity of the event insensitively.
He argued that Kotb’s worst move from a PR strategy would be to pretend that the Joy 101 Spring Retreat isn’t happening at all, or to post ‘giddy reels’ and ‘performative content.’
Schiffer suggested: ‘Build in a moment of reflection, a donation component, and a hard rule for attendees. No joking about the situation and keep the cameras out.’
He also suggested that Kotb needs a content blackout – and that is exactly what Kotb has done.
At the time of writing, the mom of two, who shares adopted children with her ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman, has not shared content from the weekend-long event on the Joy 101 Instagram page or her own personal account.
Retreat draws 250 guests
Despite what could have been a publicity dilemma, Kotb’s retreat appeared to go off without a hitch.
‘There were 250 of us and we all became family,’ Litton said. ‘It’s just amazing to see how it changed people’s lives. There were lots of tears and lots of laughter.’
She and her two friends all vowed that they would gladly book tickets to attend another one of Kotb’s retreats, should more pop up later down the line.
‘I feel like I have tools that I can take back with me in my everyday life and use them forever,’ she added.
Kotb previously hosted 150 guests for a sold-out weekend retreat in Miraval, Austin, last October.
She launched her wellness app Joy 101 in May 2025, five months after she departed the Today show.
The platform is designed to help people live more joyful, grounded, purposeful lives.
