Dive Brief:

• Outdoors-focused hospitality brand AutoCamp has opened a property in Asheville, North Carolina, near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a Hilton representative shared with Hotel Dive. Hilton entered into an exclusive partnership with “glamping” brand AutoCamp in 2024. 
• AutoCamp Asheville offers 67 accommodations, including 55 custom-designed Airstreams, two cabins, four BaseCamp Suites and six Bambi Suites, designed specifically for solo travelers or couples, according to a fact sheet obtained by Hotel Dive. The property will also feature amenities that “invite guests to unplug, connect and fully embrace the spirit of the outdoors,” per the documentation. 
• Through the partnership, the AutoCamp accommodations are bookable on Hilton.com or the Hilton Honors app. The location expands Hilton’s boutique lodging offerings as competition heats up in the outdoor hospitality space. 

Dive Insight:

AutoCamp Asheville’s centerpiece is a 5,000-square-foot Clubhouse, featuring dining concept The Kitchen and a general store offering the brand’s signature grill kits, s’mores kits, trail-ready snacks and local beer and wine. Guests also have access to an all-season plunge pool as well as curated experiences including sunrise yoga, immersive culinary and outdoors skills workshops and guided mountain excursions. 

Hilton Honors members can earn and redeem points for stays at the property. Loyalty members can also redeem exclusive on-property benefits such as complimentary firewood and s’mores kits, per the company representative. 

The Asheville property joins other AutoCamps under Hilton’s reservation system, including AutoCamp Sequoia in California, which opened last year. Other properties are located in Yosemite and Joshua Tree, California; Zion, Utah; Cape Cod, Massachusetts; and Catskills, New York. 

Hilton is among hotel competitors expanding in the outdoor accommodations space as consumers increasingly seek experiential and nature-oriented travel. In October, Marriott launched an outdoors-focused collection brand anchored by the Trailborn Hotels & Resorts and Postcard Cabins brands. Meanwhile, Hyatt entered into an exclusive partnership with upscale outdoor hospitality provider Under Canvas in 2024. 

Earlier this year, Bobby Molinary, Marriott’s chief development officer for select brands, told Hotel Dive that the outdoor hospitality space is a “really popular and growing space” with “a lot of interest.” In Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report, surveyed travelers said spending time in nature would be a top motivator for taking leisure trips this year.