Inside Hilton and Huttopia’s different roles in the growing US camping travel sector

No two camping adventures are alike, especially in the booming business of U.S. outdoor travel.

Camping has come a long way from pitching a tent in one’s backyard. Hilton partnered with AutoCamp earlier this year to provide Hilton Honors members with a way to earn and redeem points at the outdoor lodging company’s various properties. But there are other providers in this space, like Huttopia, a French family-owned independent outdoor hospitality brand that has added five U.S. locations since 2017. The company also has locations in Canada, France, Spain and the Netherlands.

Travel interest in the great outdoors boomed during the coronavirus pandemic, and operators in this field say the trend isn’t dissipating.

“Globally, what people realized is that nature is a treasure and that it’s something we really need in our lives,” Céline Bossanne, co-founder of Huttopia, said in an interview with TPG.

While Hilton’s partnership with AutoCamp teeters more into the luxury camping sector, Huttopia offers a variety of accommodation styles to better cater to travelers at all price points. Most sites start between $85 and $120 per night, per accommodation. Each U.S. Huttopia location is within 1.5 to 2.5 hours from major cities like Boston, New York City and Los Angeles.

Rates at Huttopia White Mountains in New Hampshire start at $85 per night, and accommodations range from tents to tiny houses and wooden “chalets.” It’s a similar accommodation mix at Huttopia Southern Maine and Huttopia Adirondack, both of which have starting rates at $120 per night. Out west, you’ll find a comparable price point for Huttopia Wine Country in California, while Huttopia Paradise Springs in the San Gabrial Mountains has a higher starting rate of $210 per night, but the accommodation mix includes more spacious cabins and tents.

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Amenities at each location include linens, private fire pits, private grills and shower amenities.

“If you’re coming to Huttopia, you don’t want it to be too expensive because we really want people to spend their vacation here not just one night or two nights,” Bossanne said. “We think that nature is our luxury.”

Summer rates at AutoCamp Cape Cod, the first AutoCamp location to enter the Hilton Honors orbit, range from $293 per night for a “luxury tent” with a shared bathroom to $480 per night for an Airstream trailer suite with an en-suite bathroom, a kitchen and a separate bedroom.

So, what is driving all the growth in outdoor travel offerings?

Adventure travel — which includes outdoor activities like camping, hiking and whitewater rafting — is a booming business. From 2021 to 2022, the outdoor industry grew at a faster pace than the U.S. economy, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. More than 41 million North American households camped for the first time in the last decade, according to campground company Kampgrounds of America.

“We know today’s travelers are craving adventures when planning their next trip, and that’s why we look for innovative and like-minded partners like AutoCamp,” Chris Silcock, president of global brands and commercial services at Hilton, said in a statement timed with the partnership launch earlier this year. “This is the first time a major hospitality brand and outdoor lodging company have come together in this way to create even more choices for travelers while redefining the outdoor hospitality experience.”

Hilton might be the first major hotel group to partner with an outdoor lodging company, but based on the adventure travel growth numbers, it’s hard to imagine it will be the last.

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