Dive Brief:
- Hilton has entered an exclusive partnership with outdoor hospitality company AutoCamp to offer hotel guests boutique “glamping” accommodations near national parks, the company announced Tuesday.
- AutoCamp stays, including in Airstream travel trailers, cabins and luxury tents, in top U.S. leisure destinations will be bookable on Hilton’s direct channels in the coming months. Hilton Honors members will be able to earn and redeem points to enjoy exclusive benefits at the properties as well, Hilton detailed in a release.
- The partnership comes as travelers increasingly seek experience-based trips, particularly in destinations where they can connect with the outdoors.
Dive Insight:
Starting later this year, Hilton guests will be able to book one of AutoCamp’s boutique accommodations in Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Sequoia and Russian River in California; Zion, Utah; Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Asheville, North Carolina; and Catskills, New York. The partnership plans to add more destinations in 2025, including in the Hill Country of Texas.
Each AutoCamp location features a clubhouse serving food and beverage options and offering grab-and-go merchandise and retail items from a boutique market. The properties also have “sprawling grounds” with common areas like fire pits, trails, swimming pools, group meeting spaces and other outdoor amenities.
The partnership enables a “new hospitality experience rooted in nature” that will bring Hilton guests “closer to the country's most iconic national parks and explorable outdoor destinations without sacrificing the highest caliber of hospitality and comfort they expect,” AutoCamp founder and CEO Neil Dipaola said.
The partnership comes as “today’s travelers are craving adventures when planning their next trip,” Chris Silcock, president of global brands and commercial services at Hilton, said in a statement.
According to Hilton’s 2024 Trends Report, nearly half of travelers will prioritize exploration and adventure this year, with 52% of both Gen Z and millennial travelers increasing their budgets for these types of experiences, surpassing older generations.
Hospitality industry experts previously told Hotel Dive that experience-based trips will lead travel trends in 2024.
Brands similarly looking to capitalize on this changing travel demand include Gravity Haus, bringing an “experiential and adventure-centric” boutique hotel to Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Waterton, which recently launched outdoor-centric brand Outbound Hotels; and Margaritaville, opening its first ski-destination resort in Lake Tahoe.
