clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Collective Retreats brings luxury tents to U.S.'s prettiest places

The outdoors never looked so good

By Megan Barber
A large white tent on a raised wooden platform. The front of the tent is open revealing a large bed inside of the tent. There is a person sitting on the bed. There are two chairs on the wooden platform outside of the tent.
One of the temporary “hotel rooms” created by Collective Retreats.
Courtesy of Collective Retreats

Luxury camping may sound like an oxymoron, but a new experiential travel company called Collective Retreats is betting big on bringing five-star accommodations to some of the United State’s prettiest places.

Collective Retreats sets up multiple tents in locations where traditional hotels simply can’t exist—like a picturesque field in Yellowstone, Montana or unspoiled countryside in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Instead of owning pricey real estate and building a Four Seasons or a St. Regis, the company partners with landowners to set up minimal, less intrusive accommodations. Once the tents are up—around 15 or so in each location—they offer lodging, meals, and activities to the outdoor-inclined who still want the amenities of traditional hotels.

It still has the feeling of camping—fresh air, proximity to trails, and the chance to see wildlife—without all the hassle. Indeed, the canvas tents used by Collective Retreats house locally-sourced furniture and high-end decor usually reserved for $600-per-night urban hotels.

Courtesy of Collective Retreats

The tents boast wood floors, electricity, antler chandeliers, 1,500-thread-count Egyptian cotton linens, Turkish hotel spas, ensuite private bathrooms with L’Occitane bath products, and even gourmet French press coffee bars.

The semi-remote location of each Collective Retreats home base means that you won’t be jetting off to the city for dinner. Instead, each retreat features an on-site restaurant with ingredients sourced daily and locally.

The concept—founded by CEO Peter Mack and COO Christina DeVito—has been in test-mode for the past two years in Vail, Colorado and Yellowstone, Montana. After $2.5 million in seed funding from venture capitalists like One Fine Stay and Slow Ventures, Collective Retreats just officially launched this week.

Three new retreats will be available this summer in Sonoma, California; Hudson Valley, New York; and the Texas Hill Country outside Austin. Head over here for more info or to make a reservation.

The high-end accommodations inside the tents.
Courtesy of Collective Retreats
The dining and cooking tents at a Collective Retreats destination.
Courtesy of Collective Retreats

Next Up In Outdoors