Dive Brief:
- Collective Retreats debuted The Conservatory, a network of design-forward hotels for nature enthusiasts, the company announced Wednesday.
- The eight hotels in the collection include a landscape hotel and spa in New York’s Catskill Mountains, a renovated textile mill along the Silvermine River in Connecticut and a boutique inn focused on agritourism in Vermont’s Equinox Mountain Valley.
- Nature hotels cater to guests’ growing desire for trips that center on experiences, and sustainable hotel brands are increasingly in demand as travelers prioritize more environmentally friendly travel options.
Dive Insight:
The Conservatory’s U.S.-based properties include boutique hotels the Piaule in Catskill, New York; GrayBarns in Norwalk, Connecticut; Hill Farm by Sagra in Sunderland, Vermont. Non-U.S. hotels are in Mexico, Canada and South Africa.
The Malin, a coworking space and members’ club with multiple locations in New York City and Nashville, will also be part of the collection, intended to be a “compliment” to The Conservatory’s hotels.
"As passionate leaders in the outdoor hospitality industry, we celebrate like-minded visionaries who deliver memorable experiences in extraordinary settings,” said Peter Mack, founder and CEO of Collective Retreats, in a statement. "The Conservatory is a collective where design-driven hotels connect people to nature and to each other."
In April, parent company Collective Retreats achieved B Corp status. The certification required the company to undergo a review of its impact on workers, customers, communities and the environment. Collective Retreats calls itself an “ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) focused experiential travel company.”
Nature travel is on the rise — particularly since the pandemic. American Express Travel’s 2023 Global Travel Trends Report found that a majority of surveyed respondents (74%) hoped to decrease screen time while traveling to better their mental health, and more than two-thirds hoped to surround themselves with nature “to focus on mental clarity.”
In addition to demanding more experience-based travel options, consumers are also increasingly seeking sustainable hotel stays. In Booking.com’s Sustainable Travel Report 2023, a majority of respondents said they want travel companies to offer more sustainable choices.
Choice Hotels’ vice president of ESG Megan Brumagim previously told Hotel Dive that hotel companies are increasingly prioritizing ESG measures because they “are hearing from more and more stakeholders that this is something they care about.”
