Luxury Hybrid Accommodations That'll Get You Closer To Nature

Some of the most memorable trips I've taken have been to National Parks, state and regional parks, and other places that provide opportunities to be in nature. One thing I've learned about myself is - I'm not a camper. At the same time, I'm not a big Airbnb-type person either. I enjoy packing light and knowing there will be some infrastructure and hospitality to return to at the end of the day. As a result, I've long been intrigued by some of the newer hybrid accommodation offerings that have come along in the last decade or so - options where you can enjoy the outdoors while also enjoying some of the comforts of the hotel experience. 'Hybrid' is a catchall here - it covers everything from 'glamping' outlets to professionally managed outdoorsy house rentals to managed upscale campsite trailers. Recently, Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, and Best Western?!? have made strategic inroads into this space to diversify its portfolio with unique accommodations closer to nature. This piece will focus on some hybrid accommodation options you may come across in the US (and at least one in Europe). Glamping and luxury camps are rather common in areas like MENA, Oceania, and safari destinations in Africa and Asia so I won't delve into those options for now.

Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott & BWH Hotels Make Strategic Moves into the 'Outdoorsy' Space

Under Canvas, founded in 2012, is a pioneer in the upscale camping or 'glamping' experience. If you're unfamiliar with glamping, think safari tents with hip butterfly chairs, open-concept toilets and showers, pre-chopped firewood, and a central 'lobby' tent with oodles of hot chocolate, 90s movies on VHS, and ping pong. There are now twelve Under Canvas locations - Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Columbia River Gorge, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Lake Powell – Grand Staircase, Moab, Mount Rushmore, North Yellowstone – Paradise Valley, West Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion. A few years back, I spent one night at the Under Canvas Moab and found it an 'OK' experience, though not personally my style.

The Under Canvas portfolio of properties have a little bit of interesting story, follow with me here on this one. In Late 2023, Under Canvas launched a partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) making the glamping hotels bookable through the SLH marketing channel. In May of 2024, Hyatt and SLH ended their own strategic relationship. Mere months later, in July of 2024, Hilton and SLH announced their own new strategic partnership, effectively moving SLH properties from the Hyatt platform to Hilton's. However, in July 2024, Hyatt launched an exclusive alliance with Under Canvas, allowing Hyatt members to earn and redeem points at Under Canvas properties. Additionally, for what it's worth, Hyatt through its Mr. & Mrs. Smith acquisition, already had access to the Under Canvas portfolio.

In theory, given that Under Canvas properties are part of SLH, one might wonder whether they would eventually be bookable on points through both Hilton and Hyatt. However, the fact that Hyatt and Under Canvas struck an exclusive deal would seemingly mean that Under Canvas can only - at one given point in time - be accessible with one major chain hotel, in this case Hyatt. As of January 2025, Hyatt remains the exclusive chain hotel with access to Under Canvas properties (for earning and redeeming opportunities). Time will tell if that changes as more SLH properties onboard to Hilton.

ULUM is a spinoff brand from Under Canvas that claims to offer a heightened level of luxury. One ULUM exists - Moab - and it is also a part of SLH and bookable through Hyatt.

Hilton also made a splash by inking a deal with Autocamp. In February, Autocamp—a company that delivers elevated camping experiences to its guests through Airstream trailers—teamed up with Hilton to allow Hilton Honors members to earn and redeem points on stays at Autocamp sites.  

In late 2024, Marriott announced the acquisition of Postcard Cabins. Postcard Cabins (formerly known as Getaway) was founded in 2020 with a focus on offering simple retreats in nature within a short drive from a major city. As of 2024, Postcard Cabins has just under 30 locations and has recently rebranded - I looked back at the email I sent to my friend early this year, and they were known as Getaway then.

Separately, Marriott inked a deal with Trailborn, an upstart chain of boutique hotels "in iconic outdoor destinations." Trailborn currently operates four locations near Rocky Mountain National Park, the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and Wrightsville Beach, NC. An fifth location is planed for Mendocino, CA, a wine town that could benefit from some points-ready sleeping options.

For anyone who's slept on BWH Hotels (got em!) it may be time to take another look at this hotel group. BWH Hotels (the parent to Best Western, among other brands) recently announced plans to enter the glamping space. Starting with the Zion Wildflower resort (located just 25 minutes from the entrance to Zion National Park), BWH has ambitious plans to expand this luxury outdoor concept to as many as 200 locations in the coming years. Those are some lofty aspirations. Zion Wildflower Resort will enter the BWH portfolio in March of 2025, and presumably will be bookable via Best Western Rewards. The property has some really interesting, if not quirky, takes on the glamping experience including the option to stay in a covered wagon.

It remains to be seen how fast and well BWH can market and distribute this concept but I love me a diamond in the rough points opportunity so this is definitely one to keep your eyes on.

Other Outdoorsy Hybrid Accommodations to Check Out

In addition to travel, food, and wine, one other sector I follow rather closely is tech. Accordingly, a few of the options below came on my radar as they are venture-backed startups in the travel space. 

A newer-ish competitor to Under Canvas, Wander Camp, has a similar vibe, though it flies more under the radar - which at crowded National Parks is probably a good thing. Wander Camp has a decent (emerging) footprint with locations near the following National Parks: Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, Olympic, Yellowstone, Glacier, Acadia, and the Smoky Mountains.

Similarly, Tammah operates in the glamping space but, as of now, has only one location (albeit one in a much-needed area) near Yellowstone/Grand Teton.

Keeping with the National Parks and Sites theme, a whole host of independent hotels exists in and around the most popular destinations, such as Open Sky and White Bison Resort near Zion, and Dreamcatcher Tipis near Yellowstone. If you're planning a trip to any popular national parks (or park sites) searching your nearby accommodations on Google Maps should pull up some independently operated options.

Huttopia boasts a 'ready to camp' experience, offering fully furnished tents and cabins that perfectly blend nature and comfort. A few things stand out off the bat: 1) Huttopia has locations in Europe (France, Spain, Netherlands, Portugal, and Belgium) and at least one in Canada, and 2) it is going after different markets—still nature-forward destinations, just not ones situated near already tourist heavy national parks. 

Wander (not to be confused with Wander Camp above) is the most 'vacation-rental-like' entry on this list. When I first discovered Wander a few years ago, it was clear that its wedge into the space was we-offer-‘bigger-upscale-group-or-family-friendly-accomodations-in-hard-to-find-nature-settings.' When I look at Wander's landing page now, while there are still elements of the 'nature' part, the vibe I get is more traditional Airbnb or VRBO. One thing distinguishing Wander from a traditional vacation rental is that every Wander comes with 'hotel-grade amenities, dreamy beds, top-tier cleaning and 24/7 concierge service'. I don't do group travel, but perhaps I'd try out Wander if there was compelling enough a destination.

Finally, there's Hipcamp, which has been around since 2013. I hesitated to put them on this list as Hipcamp is a marketplace/platform for outdoor accommodations—think: a campsite owner lists their bungalows on Hipcamp for anyone to rent (as opposed to a provider that provides or manages properties themselves). Nonetheless, it's another tool to keep in your pocket when searching for your ideal next outdoor stay.

In summary, several modern hybrid accommodations are available for folks looking to get closer to nature without the full-on camping experience. Hopefully, some of you will be able to try one (or more) of these options and report back!