Appetite for adventure

The allure of the great outdoors and the traveller appetite for adventure has sparked a wave of investment into experiential accommodation types. Across BHN and our sister site ShortTermRentalz, we’ve covered numerous stories ranging from multi-million funding rounds across camping, camper van and cabin rental platforms, to hotel brands launching acquisition funds targeting “adventure destinations”.

This week, Starwood Capital Group – parent company of Treehouse Hotels – has partnered with AJ Capital Partners – parent company of Graduate Hotels – to launch a new operating platform aimed at the outdoor recreation industry. Field & Stream Lodge Co. will initially target 20-25 US-based hotels located in areas such as national parks, beaches, mountain and ski towns.

Both Starwood and AJ have created and launched successful hotel brands with clear identities – one would hope that hotels under Field & Stream would be consistent with this approach, despite plans to rapidly scale the platform. Some may argue the marketplace is too crowded but the issue lies with differentiation (or lack of it), rather than volume. There could be real opportunity for Field & Stream provided the roll out isn’t rushed.