A chain of luxury campgrounds that uses Airstream trailers as hotel rooms is nearly doubling its locations in 2023 — see what it's like to visit

Airstream trailers outside at Autocamp's Joshua Tree location at sunset. There's tables and chairs between each trailer.
  • A luxury campground chain using Airstream trailers as hotel rooms is doubling its properties in 2023.
  • Autocamp will open four sites in North Carolina, Texas, California, and Utah to round out 2023 with nine open properties.
  • Autocamp's bookings boomed throughout 2022 as travelers have flocked to unique accommodations.
Out with the conventional hotel, in with the unique accommodations.
A close up of the rear of an Airstream trailer.
Luxury campground chain Autocamp has boomed in popularity as travelers have continued flocking to the brand's unique Airstream trailer-based hotel rooms.
Airstream trailers outside at Autocamp's Joshua Tree location. There's tables and chairs between each trailer.
And now, it's riding this wave of popularity with plans to open four additional locations in 2023, which will nearly double the number of its properties.
Chairs in a row at an empty al fresco bar.
Autocamp currently operates five locations in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Catskills, New York, and California's Joshua Tree, Russian River, and Yosemite.
Autocamp Yosemite's Airstream suites under shade and trees
Autocamp Yosemite's Airstream suites.
But by the end of next year, this portfolio will grow to include four additional properties in Asheville, North Carolina; Hill Country, Texas …
Asheville, North Carolina at dawn.
… Zion National Park in Utah; and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park in California.
Zion National Park canyons and blue skies
Zion National Park has some incredible views.
Autocamp's decision to open a property near Utah and California's famous national parks should come as no surprise.
A car tunnel carved out into a large tree at Sequioa National Park
Its two properties near Yosemite and Joshua Tree have seen plenty of booking success since their openings.
The Clubhouse building.
The Yosemite location "exceeded expectations" in the summer of 2021 as the property found itself trying to keep up with demand, Jason Brannan, a general manager at AutoCamp, told Insider in 2021.
Autocamp Yosemite's general store with food, gear
Autocamp Yosemite's clubhouse.
And Autocamp Joshua Tree — which opened this year — has already seen weekends with full occupancy and weekdays with "really great occupancy" despite being one of the brand's newest locations, Taylor Davis, Autocamp's vice president of brand marketing, told Insider in May.
Airstream trailers outside at Autocamp's Joshua Tree location at sunset. There's tables and chairs between each trailer.

Source: Insider

Doubling a real estate portfolio in one year may seem like a hefty feat, but travelers can't get enough of Autocamp.
The sign denoting the entrance of Autocamp.
Conventional hotel accommodations are out of style now: Since the beginning of COVID-19, people have been flocking to untraditional accommodations for their vacations, whether it be tiny homes or "glamping" campgrounds like Autocamp.
A Moliving unit sits atop a hill.
A Moliving unit.
As a result, this year, Autocamp has been experiencing a "huge influx" of bookings into the fall, Julie Saunders, Autocamp's CMO, told Insider in an email statement.
A row of Airstream trailers at Autocamp's Joshua Tree location.
Autocamp previously hinted at expansion plans following its strong performance. And now, it'll be venturing into new markets and states, including its first in the South.
Autocamp Yosemite's Airstream suites by trees and walkways
Autocamp Yosemite's Airstream suites.

Source: Insider

Autocamp will stagger its upcoming openings throughout 2023.
A row of Airstream trailers at Autocamp's Joshua Tree location.
The first 16-acre Autocamp Zion property will begin welcoming guests in spring 2023.
A rendering of Autocamp Zion at sunset. People are hanging out at the field.
After, Autocamp Asheville — the smallest of the four upcoming locations — will launch midway through the year …
A row of Airstream trailers at Autocamp's Joshua Tree location.
… followed by AutoCamp Hill Country and Autocamp Sequoia.
Autocamp Yosemite's Airstream suites by a walkway.
Autocamp Yosemite's Airstream suites.
Hill Country will be Autocamp's first venture into the South and its largest property, with 120 accommodations, almost twice as many as the upcoming location in Asheville.
The sign denoting the entrance of Autocamp.
And it wouldn't be Autocamp without its most Instagrammable accommodations: Airstream trailers that have been converted into luxurious hotel rooms on wheels.
Autocamp Yosemite's Airstream suites by trees and walkways
Autocamp Yosemite's Airstream suites.

Source: Insider

These Airstreams are Autocamp's most popular "hotel rooms" and evoke a feeling of nostalgia for travelers who grew up going on Airstream road trips …
Airstream trailers outside at Autocamp's Joshua Tree location.
… although Autocamp's trailers probably look nothing like your grandparents' trailers.
Airstream trailers outside at Autocamp's Joshua Tree location. There's tables and chairs between each trailer.
Instead of refurbishing old models, Autocamp worked with its investor Airstream to create a custom "silver bullet" model for the glamping company.
An Airsteram trailer near the main building at Autocamp's Joshua Tree location.

Source: Insider

Unlike Airstream's typical products, these Autocamp trailers were designed to be stationary to accommodate heavier accessories like a large water heater.
Autocamp Joshua Tree's Airsteram trailer with a sink, paper towels by a window.
Like I said in my review of Autocamp Joshua Tree in May and Autocamp Yosemite in the summer of 2021, these Airstream trailers felt more luxurious than any hotel room I've been in.
Lounge chairs by a pool
And it's much more fun opening the front door of my "hotel room" to views of nature instead of a dingy hotel hallway.
An Airstream trailer in the desert.
Inside, there's a window-lined bedroom with a plush bed and TV …
A bedroom with large windows
… a joint living room and kitchen with all the amenities needed to prepare dinner using the adjacent outdoor fire pit …
Autocamp Joshua Tree's Airsteram trailer with a kitchen near the bedroom and windows.
… and a bathroom with tiled walls and showers …
Autocamp Joshua Tree's Airsteram trailer with a shower, shower products, window.
… creating a trailer that felt more like a plush extended-stay hotel than a conventional trailer.
a row of Autocamp Yosemite's Airstream suites
Autocamp Yosemite's Airstream suites.
These Airstreams are the cornerstone of Autocamp's branding and a big reason travelers have been flocking to the glamping sites.
A row of Airstream trailers at Autocamp's Joshua Tree location.
"Airstream is what the brand is about," Brannan previously said.
Airstream trailers with a fire pit, seating outside at Autocamp's Joshua Tree location.
But if large trailers aren't your thing, the four upcoming locations will also have accommodations like tiny homes, smaller Airstream trailers, and canvas tents.
a row of Autocamp Yosemite's tents
Autocamp Yosemite's tents.
Besides a place to sleep at night, the properties will also have plenty of on-site activities and community spaces.
Autocamp Yosemite's clubhouse with table decor
Autocamp Yosemite's clubhouse.
No Autocamp would be complete without a pool and "Clubhouse," which has the check-in counter, general store, and indoor lounge.
Autocamp Yosemite's clubhouse with an indoor firepit
Autocamp Yosemite's clubhouse.
And depending on the location, some of the upcoming properties will also have a bar, communal fire pit, event space, and direct access to nearby rivers.
an empty pool next to the clubhouse
Autocamp Yosemite's pool and clubhouse.
These communal spaces, specifically the pool and Clubhouse, kept me at the Yosemite and Joshua Tree property longer than I would've lingered around a traditional hotel.
The clubhouse with a fireplace, chairs, a small market.
Together, the Airstream nostalgia and the nooks of communal spaces make Autocamp feel more like a destination and a fun summer camp than a hotel property.
a large hammock between three trees under the shade
Autocamp Yosemite's hammock.
And this chance to experience a piece of childhood at a luxurious property has really resonated with people in search of unconventional accommodations, allowing Autocamp to nearly double its footprint across the US.
Firewood near a fire pit.
“It’s clear travelers are eager to spend time outdoors and find a unique alternative to traditional camping now more than ever,” Saunders said.
An Airstream trailer next to a shaded seating area.
Read the original article on Business Insider


from Business Insider https://ift.tt/y2gZV7q

No comments

Powered by Blogger.