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THIS SHIFT REFLECTS A GROWING DESIRE FOR MEANINGFUL , IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES THAT ALLOW TRAVELERS TO CONNECT WITH NATURE AND ESCAPE THE CONFINES OF EVERYDAY LIFE
– ORAL MUIR ,
VP OF PARTNERSHIPS ,
EXPERIENCES AND
DISTRIBUTION , HILTON
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Joshua Tree , Russian River and Yosemite , all in California ; Zion , Utah ; two set to open later this year in Asheville , N . C ., and Sequoia , Calif .; and a Hill Country , Texas , property slated for 2025 . ( The Asheville project did sustain damage from Hurricane Helene that will delay the official opening date .) “ We are always looking for future AutoCamp locations , particularly places with access to stunning outdoor recreation ,” said Terzi .
Delivering access to extraordinary sites within offthe-beaten-path locations also
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resonated with Hyatt , according to Laurie Blair , VP , head of global marketing . “ Travelers are looking for new and unique experiences to reconnect with nature ,” she said . “ By adding these luxury outdoor camps to World of Hyatt , we are bringing more memorable travel experiences for our guests and members to some of the most sought-after and spectacular destinations in the United States .
Under Canvas , originally founded by Sarah and Jacob Dusek in 2009 , opened its first location in 2012 in West Yellowstone , six miles outside Yellowstone National Park . Locations , which occupy anywhere from 40 to 750 acres , operate , expectedly , in outdoorsy destinations : Maine , Utah , Arizona , Tennessee , South Dakota , Montana , California , and with a recent and new luxury destination , ULUM Moab . Under Canvas Yosemite in Groveland , Calif ., is slated to open in May 2025 .
“ Coming into this relationship with Hyatt , our revenue was already growing , both overall and in samestore locations ,” said Under Canvas CEO Matt Gaghen , who was previously a principal at KSL Capital Partners . “ Our relationship with Hyatt will help us boost revenue even more and ramp up new locations faster .”
Routing the Under Canvas offerings through the Mr & Mrs Smith luxury travel platform that Hyatt acquired last year also is expected to draw fresh attention . Hyatt has integrated
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A Stargazer Tent at Under Canvas Grand Canyon includes a private bathroom and wood-burning stove .
A birds-eye view of Under Canvas Moab in Utah .
more than 700 of the platform ’ s hotels globally , with a goal of 1,000 by year ’ s end . “ While we ’ ve seen significant growth in the awareness of Under Canvas and ULUM , Hyatt has considerably more global reach and engagement with customers who are representative of our target customers ,” said Gaghen .
Blair said the strategic alliance already has generated “ tremendous interest ” from World of Hyatt members , with Under Canvas destinations receiving “ multiple bookings .”
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OUTDOOR INFRASTRUCTURE Outdoor lodging experiences are a hot trend , residue , perhaps , from the pandemic that made people either retreat inside , alone , or escape to the vast outdoors , in open air , free from confined spaces and others .
Companies like Autocamp and Under Canvas also made “ the woods ” palatable for people who wouldn ’ t dream of spending a night in a pup tent . Branded lodging companies
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Oct / Nov 2024 hotelsmag . com 27 |