From RV hookups to luxury tents with indoor plumbing, the “outdoor hospitality” category of lodging brands is diverse and growing, according to CoStar.
Often corralled as part of the alternative accommodations segment, brands such as Under Canvas, Autocamp, Loge, Collective Retreats and Kampgrounds of America share a common appeal to travelers looking for outdoor experiences. But as the segment matures, it is diversifying both in products and in the investors backing the brands, said speakers on a panel at the recent International Society of Hospitality Consultants Annual Conference.
“It’s a quiet revolution,” said Todd Wynne-Parry, a managing director at advisory firm Horwath HTL, who focuses on the outdoor hospitality sector.
He underscored that while the idea of sleeping in the great outdoors is nothing new, outdoor hospitality as a segment is booming now as travelers seek more authentic stay experiences post-pandemic, and a little fresh air doesn’t hurt either.
A Stay For Every Price Point
The major shift in the outdoor hospitality segment in recent years has been its diversification on price points.
Take KOA, which has traditionally been a lower-cost camping brand in the U.S. and Canada, offering RV hookups, tent sites, cabins and more. Now KOA offers a high-end glamping brand, Terramor, with one site open so far in Bar Harbor, Maine.
The company is growing its accommodations products by adding Terramor locations, “because of the average daily rate you can get on the accommodations side and the continued interest in glamping,” said KOA SVP of Strategy Whitney Scott.
That interest is definitely growing on the luxury side, said Collective Retreats founder and CEO Peter Mack. The “luxury outdoor hospitality” accommodations — “we shy away from the word ‘glamping,’” Mack said — fetch ADRs between $500 to $600 per night in a combination of tents, tented structures and cabin-style tiny houses. The brand has been around since 2015.
