Six years after opening its debut campsite, alternative lodging company AutoCamp is eyeing nationwide expansion.
Launched in 2013 in Santa Barbara, Calif., AutoCamp customizes Airstream travel trailers into upscale accommodations with high-end finishes, memory-foam beds and spa-inspired bathrooms. The company, which also offers luxury tent accommodations, expanded the concept with a second location in California's Russian River Valley in 2016.
"We've really homed in on our mission in the last couple years, which is to connect people with the outdoors and each other," said Ryan Miller, AutoCamp's chief marketing officer. "In this day and age of tech addiction and an increasingly stressful urban lifestyle, we kind of created AutoCamp as a respite and a way for people to visit locations in a more authentic way."
The suites have dedicated fire pits.
In addition to a sleeping area and bathroom, the AutoCamp Airstream suites feature a sofa that converts into a second bed and a galley kitchen equipped with a microwave and fridge and stocked with coffee and tea. Outside, each Airstream has its own fire pit with a grilling attachment, an outdoor dining area and lounge chairs.
This spring, AutoCamp will officially open its third outpost, near Yosemite National Park, just outside the town of Mariposa, Calif.
The Yosemite site will offer 80 Airstream trailers and 15 luxury tents as well as a 4,000-square-foot clubhouse with a reception desk, retail shop, grab-and-go food and beverage options, lounge space and a shared bathroom for the location's tented accommodations.
Other amenities will include a heated pool, freshwater pond and barbecue meal kits available for preorder.
Pricing at the Yosemite site will range from $265 to $450 per night for an Airstream suite and around $240 to $325 per night for a luxury tent. The company offers travel agents a 10% commission.
According to Miller, AutoCamp plans to announce additional locations on the heels of the Yosemite opening, including plans for the brand's first East Coast site.
"We're partnered with Airstream Inc. for the continued development of our brand, and we're currently planning for a national expansion," Miller said, adding that AutoCamp has hundreds of custom Airstream trailers on order. "We are primarily focusing on iconic outdoor and vacation destinations, and that could certainly include additional expansion into areas like national parks."
Concurrent with its ambitious growth plans, AutoCamp recently received backing from several boldface names from the hospitality and outdoor apparel worlds. The company announced in mid-December that it had added four newcomers to its board of advisers, including Joie de Vivre founder and former Airbnb head of global hospitality and strategy Chip Conley; KHP Capital Partners managing partner and former Kimpton president and CEO Mike Depatie; former Deckers Outdoor Corp. CEO and board chairman Angel Martinez; and Karas Lifestyle Hotels co-founder and former Irvine Co. president of hospitality Eric Prevette.
Collective Retreats
Meanwhile, AutoCamp isn't the only player to be betting big on the luxury glamping space.
Colorado-based Collective Retreats has made notable inroads in the market in recent years, opening luxury tent camps in New York and Ghent, N.Y.; Wimberley, Texas; Wolcott, Colo.; and Big Sky, Mont., near Yellowstone National Park.
Like AutoCamp, the startup similarly seeks to combine an outdoor experience with the trappings of a high-end hotel, offering tented accommodations priced at roughly $200 to $700 per night.
AutoCamp's focus on custom Airstreams and its close affiliation with the storied travel trailer brand, however, could help give the company a solid competitive edge.
"Airstreams are an original Americana design icon, and they're also a symbol of adventure," Miller said. "We've taken that and combined it with everything else to create a truly unique, upscale lodging experience."