Hotels are turning millennials on to the outdoors by installing halfpipes, providing fire pits and, in many cases, offering equipment rentals and bike storage.
Mountaineering, skiing and outdoor cycling enthusiasts, who once slept on the ground, have discovered their new havens in hotels that combine outdoor adventures with indoor comfort.
A 34-year-old climber named David Russo, who lived in tents on barren campsites in his twenties, is constantly looking for new accommodations for his climbing trips.
Russo said the Wall Street Journal: ‘At a certain point you think: “I want my own bathroom… I don’t want to sleep in the mud for a week.”‘
Hotels are getting millennials into the outdoors by installing halfpipes, offering fire pits and, in many cases, equipment rentals and bike storage
Mountaineering, skiing and outdoor cycling enthusiasts, who once slept on the ground, have discovered their new havens in hotels that combine outdoor adventures with indoor comfort
LOGE Wolf Creek adds sparkle to the common area, with a 50-inch flat-screen TV, fully stocked fire pits, two outdoor hot tubs and a sauna room.
He finally found the answer during a business trip in October 2022: the Evo Hotel Salt Lake City – a hotel with an indoor skate park, climbing areas and a well-equipped fitness center.
“There are a lot of people who hang out in the morning or at the climbing gym,” Russo said.
He visited the hotel for the fourth time and still enjoyed the atmosphere of the cozy rooms decorated with work by local artists.
The Evo Hotel is one of the properties aimed at adventurous millennials like Russo, who want to treat themselves to craft beer or a cup of coffee after mountain climbing and skiing.
“There is an ongoing change in the way outdoor recreation can be monetized,” says architectural historian Margaret Supplee Smith, adding that the trend is an update rather than an innovation.
She said ski areas in Sun Valley, Idaho, were among the pioneers in integrating these amenities for travelers.
LOGE Wolf Creek offers renovated, stylish motel rooms in South Fork, Colorado, a hotspot for outdoor adventures including backcountry skiing, mountain biking, rafting and kayaking
34-year-old climber David Russo visited the hotel for the fourth time and still enjoyed the atmosphere of the cozy rooms decorated with work by local artists
Evo Hotel Salt Lake City features an indoor skate park, climbing areas and a well-equipped fitness center
LOGE Wolf Creek offers renovated, stylish motel rooms in South Fork, Colorado, a hot spot for outdoor adventures including skiing, mountain biking, rafting and kayaking.
The hotel adds luster to the common area, with a 50-inch flat-screen TV, fully stocked fire pits, two outdoor hot tubs and a sauna room.
After an exhausting day of skiing, guests can relax at the bar or join an outdoor s’mores evening while enjoying the cozy atmosphere.
Slate Olson, the company’s chief marketing officer, says the goal is to create an environment where guests can hang out together.
“It’s amazing how a fire and a good beer draw people out of their rooms,” Olson said.
These amenities come at a price, as rooms at the Evo and LOGE cost about $150 per night, which far exceeds the cost of a campground or a crummy motel.
These amenities come at a price, as rooms at the Evo and LOGE cost about $150 per night, which far exceeds the cost of a campground or a crummy motel.
Rooms at Field Station Moab can go as high as $500 per night during Memorial Day Weekend.
Located just outside Utah’s Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, the hotel offers canyon tours, climbing tours and bicycle rentals.
To ensure their outdoor guests don’t go hungry during their excursions, the hotel prepares convenient grab-and-go meals and trail snacks.
Travelers said these hotels are “not just a place to lay your head,” and many wrote excellent reviews after their stay.
One guest wrote: ‘Having the climbing gym and fully equipped gym and yoga studio was a huge bonus.
‘The staff was super helpful, good coffee in the coffee bar downstairs and plenty of space to work, read, etc.’
Another person wrote: ‘The walk to the room was fun, there was a corn hole in the hallway and fun things to look at. And each room down the hall has its own little staircase, which was super cute.”