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A luxury campground chain using Airstream trailers as hotel rooms is doubling its properties in 2023.
Autocamp will open four sites in North Carolina, Texas, California, and Utah to round out 2023 with nine open properties.
Autocamp's bookings boomed throughout 2022 as travelers have flocked to unique accommodations.
Out with the conventional hotel, in with the unique accommodations.
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Luxury campground chain Autocamp has boomed in popularity as travelers have continued flocking to the brand's unique Airstream trailer-based hotel rooms.
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And now, it's riding this wave of popularity with plans to open four additional locations in 2023, which will nearly double the number of its properties.
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Autocamp currently operates five locations in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Catskills, New York, and California's Joshua Tree, Russian River, and Yosemite.
But by the end of next year, this portfolio will grow to include four additional properties in Asheville, North Carolina; Hill Country, Texas …
Walter Bibikow/Getty Images
… Zion National Park in Utah; and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park in California.
Zion National Park has some incredible views.
Asif Islam/Shutterstock
Autocamp's decision to open a property near Utah and California's famous national parks should come as no surprise.
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Its two properties near Yosemite and Joshua Tree have seen plenty of booking success since their openings.
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The Yosemite location "exceeded expectations" in the summer of 2021 as the property found itself trying to keep up with demand, Jason Brannan, a general manager at AutoCamp, told Insider in 2021.
And Autocamp Joshua Tree — which opened this year — has already seen weekends with full occupancy and weekdays with "really great occupancy" despite being one of the brand's newest locations, Taylor Davis, Autocamp's vice president of brand marketing, told Insider in May.
Travelers will soon be able to book AutoCamp's resorts through Hilton's website.
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Doubling a real estate portfolio in one year may seem like a hefty feat, but travelers can't get enough of Autocamp.
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Conventional hotel accommodations are out of style now: Since the beginning of COVID-19, people have been flocking to untraditional accommodations for their vacations, whether it be tiny homes or "glamping" campgrounds like Autocamp.
A Moliving unit.
David Mitchell
As a result, this year, Autocamp has been experiencing a "huge influx" of bookings into the fall, Julie Saunders, Autocamp's CMO, told Insider in an email statement.
AutoCamp worked with Airstream, one of its investors, to manufacture a custom stationary trailer outfitted with heavy necessities like a large water heater and tiled shower. The trailers will soon be bookable on Hilton's website.
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Autocamp previously hinted at expansion plans following its strong performance. And now, it'll be venturing into new markets and states, including its first in the South.
Hill Country will be Autocamp's first venture into the South and its largest property, with 120 accommodations, almost twice as many as the upcoming location in Asheville.
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And it wouldn't be Autocamp without its most Instagrammable accommodations: Airstream trailers that have been converted into luxurious hotel rooms on wheels.
Unlike Airstream's typical products, these Autocamp trailers were designed to be stationary to accommodate heavier accessories like a large water heater.
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Like I said in my review of Autocamp Joshua Tree in May and Autocamp Yosemite in the summer of 2021, these Airstream trailers felt more luxurious than any hotel room I've been in.
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And it's much more fun opening the front door of my "hotel room" to views of nature instead of a dingy hotel hallway.
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Inside, there's a window-lined bedroom with a plush bed and TV …
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… a joint living room and kitchen with all the amenities needed to prepare dinner using the adjacent outdoor fire pit …
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… and a bathroom with tiled walls and showers …
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… creating a trailer that felt more like a plush extended-stay hotel than a conventional trailer.
These Airstreams are the cornerstone of Autocamp's branding and a big reason travelers have been flocking to the glamping sites.
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"Airstream is what the brand is about," Brannan previously said.
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But if large trailers aren't your thing, the four upcoming locations will also have accommodations like tiny homes, smaller Airstream trailers, and canvas tents.
Autocamp Yosemite's tents.
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Besides a place to sleep at night, the properties will also have plenty of on-site activities and community spaces.
And depending on the location, some of the upcoming properties will also have a bar, communal fire pit, event space, and direct access to nearby rivers.
Autocamp Yosemite's pool and clubhouse.
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These communal spaces, specifically the pool and Clubhouse, kept me at the Yosemite and Joshua Tree property longer than I would've lingered around a traditional hotel.
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Together, the Airstream nostalgia and the nooks of communal spaces make Autocamp feel more like a destination and a fun summer camp than a hotel property.
And this chance to experience a piece of childhood at a luxurious property has really resonated with people in search of unconventional accommodations, allowing Autocamp to nearly double its footprint across the US.
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“It’s clear travelers are eager to spend time outdoors and find a unique alternative to traditional camping now more than ever,” Saunders said.
