PERSONALITIES
SOCIAL MEDIA
PETER MACK ' S COLLECTIVE RETREATS FILLS SWEET SPOT BETWEEN SHARED ECONOMY AND TRADITIONAL HOTEL SPACES .
By JEFF WEINSTEIN , EDITOR IN CHIEF
In the wide open space between traditional hotels and shared economy players like Airbnb sits experiential travel companies such as Collective Retreats , which brings luxury accommodations to remote destinations and offers land owners the opportunity to further monetize their underdeveloped spaces . It is the disruptor that caught the eye of former Starwood president of global development , Simon Turner , who recently became a lead advisor and investor to the company founded by former hotelier Peter Mack .
In December , Mack , who spent 10 years with Starwood Hotels , closed a US $ 10 million funding round to ramp up expansion in the asset-light outdoor travel space , and he is preparing to launch his fourth and fifth destinations – outside Austin , Texas , and in Sonoma
County , California . Collective Hill Country , a Retreat at Montesino Ranch , is opening this month with luxury tents on 225 acres of ranch and organic farm in Wimberley , Texas , marking Collective Retreats ’ first year-round retreat .
In January , the group announced a venture that will bring the first seasonal overnight accommodations experience to New York City ’ s Governors Island , with its open park space , historic buildings and a calendar of free art and cultural programming just minutes from Lower Manhattan . Opening in May , Collective Governors Island , a New York City Retreat , will accommodate approximately 100 overnight guests and offer hotel-style service and experiential dining , as well as premium select-service accommodations . The retreat will be able to host weddings and events , as well as dining options and public open space for entertainment for visitors who aren ’ t staying overnight .
Retreats are open in Vail , Colorado ; Big Sky , Montana ; and Hudson , New York ; they are garnering an average rate in the mid-US $ 500s . Each retreat embraces the local landscape and indigenous culture of a destination , allowing guests to connect with the land , community and with themselves through activities , dining and personal hospitality .
The existing retreats feature 10 to 15 units , which are plug-and-play and therefore can increase in number . Most will double in size this year up to 30 units . Plans also call for potentially adding fully contained units with walls , tiny homes , containers , geodesic domes and tree houses .
Mack says the group has global
18 hotelsmag . com March 2018