Dive Brief:
- WorldHotels, BWH Hotels’ brand of independent luxury and lifestyle hotels, launched a new collection of upscale outdoors-inspired accommodations located in scenic global destinations such as mountains, coastlines and national parks, the company announced Tuesday.
- Called WorldHotels Backdrop, the collection of glamping retreats and outdoor escapes includes accommodations such as canvas-tented rooms and riverside cabins. The brand’s first locations are Zion Wildflower Resort in Virgin, Utah, and Asheville River Cabins in Arden, North Carolina, with The Lodge at Pico Bonito in La Ceiba, Honduras, to soon join the collection.
- The WorldHotels Backdrop launch comes amid a rapidly expanding global glamping market, which was valued at $3.79 billion in 2025 and is projected to more than double by 2033 to $7.87 billion, per Grand View Research. With the brand, BWH Hotels joins other hospitality players, including Marriott International, expanding in the outdoors-focused accommodation space as travelers increasingly seek “intentional ways to reconnect with nature,” per the release.
Dive Insight:
The new collection also responds to growing demand for “luxury outdoor experiences that pair the beauty of the natural world with modern comforts,” per the release.
The upscale glamping experience at Zion Wildflower Resort, located minutes from Zion National Park, offers “safari-style” accommodations as well as access to hiking, stargazing and guided desert adventures.
Meanwhile, Asheville River Cabins features newly renovated cabins with access to tubing, hiking and mountain biking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The upcoming Honduras resort is a rainforest lodge near Pico Bonito National Park in proximity to jungle trails, hidden waterfalls and wildlife.
Additionally, Backdrop properties feature on-site kitchens as well as adaptable indoor and outdoor layouts suited for meetings, corporate retreats and special events, per the release.
According to BWH Hotels, “early conversations” are taking place for a location in Phan Thiet, Vietnam, as well as for safari experiences in Africa and Australia.
WorldHotels Backdrop offers owners and developers a “flexible pathway” for outdoor and adventure properties to join a portfolio “without compromising their individual character,” per the release. Hotels under the collection also have access to an integrated guest management system and the WorldHotels Rewards program, which has about 66 million members.
BWH Hotels is the latest among a slew of other hotel companies aiming to compete in the outdoors-focused accommodations space as younger travelers, in particular, seek experiences that “prioritize restoration and a deeper sense of destination,” per the release. According to Grand View, travelers aged 18 to 32 accounted for 43.9% of the glamping revenue share in 2025.
In October 2025, Marriott launched its Marriott Bonvoy Outdoors platform that enables travelers to search and book trips based on popular outdoor activities, following the debut of its nature-focused collection brand, Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy. Hilton, meanwhile, partnered with AutoCamp in 2024 on boutique glamping stays, and Hyatt that same year entered into an exclusive collaboration with upscale outdoor hospitality provider Under Canvas.
Other outdoors-focused hospitality brands are capitalizing on the skiing and winter sports market, including Waterton’s Outbound Hotels, which plans to open a 182-key hotel in Park City, Utah, next year, and Gravity Haus, which recently expanded in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
