AutoCamp
TypePrivate
IndustryHotel
Founded2012 (2012)
Founder
Number of locations
6 (3 upcoming) (2023)
Area served
Key people
  • Neil Dipaola (CEO)
  • Chris Haydon (President)
  • Jess Wilner (Executive VP)
  • Julie Saunders (CMO)
  • Katie Hara (Senior VP)
  • Chris Sewell (VP of Operations)[1]
OwnerNeil Dipaola
Websiteautocamp.com

AutoCamp is a hotel company that allows customers to rent Airstream trailers to glamp near popular recreational areas, such as national parks. Its has six locations in California, Massachusetts, New York, and Utah. AutoCamp Yosemite was listed by Time magazine as one of the "World's Greatest Places" in 2019.[3] AutoCamps are known for their luxury aspect, sometimes costing over $500 per night for a normal trailer.[1] It is in a partnership with the Airstream company itself.

History

AutoCamp was founded by Neil Dipaola to provide more accessibility between humans and nature.[1] The company's first location, in Santa Barbara, California, opened in 2013, with the initial purchase of an RV park happening in 2012. The now-closed area held six Airstreams with the idea of offering affordable housing. The ideology changed, however, and it became a hotel, as this was during the start of Airbnb and many tourists were recently discovering vacation rentals.[4] In December 2018, Dipaola was called by the CEO of Airstream, Bob Wheeler, who wanted to work with him due to the publicity the camp was getting. Airstream became an investor and partner of the company, being its exclusive lodging/hotel partner.[5]

The second location near Russian River in California was opened in 2016, inside of a redwood grove. The Yosemite National Park location opened in June 2019.[6]

The business boosted during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the interest in outdoor travel and wellness-focused vacations.[7]

AutoCamp's first East Coast location was established in April 2021 in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.[7][2] A Joshua Tree National Park camp also was created in December of that year.[5] The first New York location was established in June 2022.[8] Likewise, the first camp in Utah opened in May 2023, in Zion National Park.[9]

There are three upcoming locations, in or near Asheville, North Carolina, the Texas Hill Country, and Sequoia National Park.[1]

Features

An Airstream at the Yosemite location

The company's founder, Neil Dipaola, said in 2019 that AutoCamps cost 30 to 40% less to construct than conventional hotels.[6]

Most AutoCamps have a clubhouse with mid-century modern architecture, along with a shared fire pit.[6] The clubhouse is a communal center of sorts, being a combination of help desk, lobby, restaurant, and general store. In the Joshua Tree location, it is a twin Quonset hut, switching up the design.[7]

In addition to its signature Airstreams, the company also offers tents with furnishings. The camp also provides free WiFi in their lodging, a grill and fire pit, showers, and cookware. Bikes are a complementary rental, [1] and wagons are provided for hauling luggage. Dogs are permitted, at a $75 fee each, with a maximum of two.[10]

There are three types of Airstream suites: Classic, which are near the front and are closer together, Premium, which are in the back and spaced out, and Visa, which are located in the far back.[1]

Locations

Name Nearest settlement State # of spots Size Coordinates
AutoCamp Santa Barbara[lower-alpha 1] Santa Barbara California 26[11] 2.48 acres (1.00 ha)[11] 34°26′08″N 119°43′34″W / 34.4355°N 119.7261°W / 34.4355; -119.7261
AutoCamp Cape Cod Falmouth Massachusetts 108[12] 14 acres (5.7 ha)[13] 41°34′39″N 70°37′48″W / 41.5775°N 70.6299°W / 41.5775; -70.6299
AutoCamp Yosemite Midpines California 98[14] 35 acres (14 ha)[14] 37°32′37″N 119°55′15″W / 37.5437°N 119.9209°W / 37.5437; -119.9209
AutoCamp Russian River Guerneville California 34[15] 3 acres (1.2 ha)[16] 38°29′48″N 123°00′32″W / 38.4967°N 123.0090°W / 38.4967; -123.0090
AutoCamp Catskills Saugerties New York 85[17] 37 acres (15 ha)[17] 42°05′01″N 74°00′57″W / 42.0835°N 74.0159°W / 42.0835; -74.0159
AutoCamp Joshua Tree Joshua Tree California 47[10] 25 acres (10 ha)[10] 34°08′19″N 116°18′22″W / 34.1386°N 116.3061°W / 34.1386; -116.3061
AutoCamp Zion Virgin Utah 96[18] 16 acres (6.5 ha)[9] 37°11′46″N 113°09′52″W / 37.1962°N 113.1645°W / 37.1962; -113.1645

Notes

  1. ↑ This location has closed.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to AutoCamp.
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Official website". Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  2. 1 2 Laban, Linda (2021-07-28). "Would you rather sleep in an Airstream than a tent? Glamping sites are ramping up across the US". USA Today. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  3. ↑ Lang, Cady. "AutoCamp: The World's 100 Greatest Places of 2019". Time. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  4. ↑ "Autocamp Santa Barbara - Samarkand, Santa Barbara, California, United States - Venue Report". The Venue Report. 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  5. 1 2 Brooks, Shannon (2022-01-03). "AutoCamp Blazes New Trails". Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  6. 1 2 3 Farley, Amy (2019-05-22). "How the AutoCamp founder is building the world's first Airstream hotel chain". Fast Company. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  7. 1 2 3 Rauen, Stacy Shoemaker; Speros, Will (2021-05-21). "AutoCamp's Ryan Miller Redefines Luxury Outdoor Getaways". Hospitality Design. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  8. ↑ Matthews, Lyndsey (2022-01-13). "AutoCamp's Airstream Glamping Site in New York's Catskill Mountains Is Now Open". AFAR. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  9. 1 2 Kuta, Sarah (2023-05-04). "New Glamping Resort Opens Near Zion National Park". Smithsonian. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  10. 1 2 3 Reynolds, Chrisopher (2022-03-10). "You've camped in Joshua Tree, but never like this. Inside the desert's new Airstream oasis". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  11. 1 2 Spence, Evelyn (2021-03-31). "Joint council meeting sees concerns about "visual impact" of proposed luxury AutoCamp". Coastal View News. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  12. ↑ Gruber, Tamara (2021-05-20). "Airstream Glamping at Auto Camp Cape Cod is the Hot New Thing". Your Time to Fly. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  13. ↑ "AutoCamp Cape Cod". Hospitality Snapshots. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  14. 1 2 "AutoCamp Yosemite - Modern Yosemite Cabins - Yosemite Airstreams". Discover Yosemite National Park. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  15. ↑ "AutoCamp Russian River". Sonoma County. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  16. ↑ "AutoCamp Russian River Review - AutoCamp Reviews". AutoCamp Reviews. 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  17. 1 2 Price, Lydia (2022-10-23). "This New Glamping Resort in New York's Catskills Is the Perfect Fall Escape — With Airstreams, Fire Pits, and Foliage Galore". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  18. ↑ Berg, Bailey (2023-05-05). "AutoCamp's Newest Glamping Location Just Opened Near This Popular National Park". AFAR. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
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