Hospitality Design - April 2021 - 43

hotel, and we were also [tossing around] the idea that it would be housing
for creative professionals who were tired of apartment living. There were
multiple ideas brewing. Before we were ready to open, people would walk by
and ask, 'Can I stay here?' That was when we solidified the idea that this is a
lodging play, and we leaned into that.

How did you initially retrofit the Airstream interiors?

Opening this fall in California, AutoCamp Joshua Tree's
clubhouse is a modern take on traditional Quonset huts,
courtesy of HKS Architects and Narrative Design Studio

Initially, it was all vintage Airstreams. We gutted them inside to create a
minimalist, California modern interior. In Santa Barbara, we pioneered our
current floorplan, which is a compartmentalized bathroom/living space/
kitchen in the center and a private bedroom with a queen bed. We introduced
the new Airstream when we opened Russian River Valley in 2016. That was
a big transition because the vintage Airstreams aren't operationally scalable.
From a production standpoint, we have 88 Airstreams in Cape Cod and 81 in
Yosemite. It's a whole new level. We're on the 10th version of the Airstream
because we keep upgrading systems.

How did the brand grow from there?

When we first opened the property in Santa Barbara, we knew we wanted
to open more AutoCamps. It had such magic to it. There were a couple years
of trial and error and honing in on what the concept is. We were looking at
all sorts of unique ways to deploy Airstreams and do AutoCamps. The most
notable was using underutilized urban spaces like rooftops and parking
garages. We went down that path for probably 18 months. There was a
moment in early 2015 when we realized this urban model wasn't stacking up,
and we had our great pivot at that point: This is an outdoors concept.
From Workshop/APD, the clubhouse at AutoCamp
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, shown in a rendering, is
wrapped in charred and natural cedar

The interiors of AutoCamp Yosemite's clubhouse
incorporate earthy materials, midcentury modern
pieces, organic textiles, and site-specific artwork
In addition to two dozen Airstream trailers, 10 canvas tents
are nestled among the redwoods at AutoCamp Russian River
by Geremia Design and Anacapa Architecture

After throwing away your initial blueprint, what were you
looking for in the next location?

I didn't really know what it was until I saw it. That's when I landed in
Guerneville, California on the Russian River. It was the perfect size. It's 35
licensed campground spots, which was larger than we had done in Santa
Barbara. I saw the whole vision coming together. Neil found different reasons
to love this area, mainly the town. Being adjacent to cool towns has always
been important to us. We want to be in places that are explorable and have
amenities, and Guerneville checked those boxes.
That's also when the clubhouse became what it is. We put this huge
wishlist together: We need a place for people to check in. We want to have a
place for morning coffee service. We wanted a lobby culture. We now have
an all-day dining menu and a general store. We looked at various [ideas for
the design], but when we saw the flat roof, midcentury modern, indoor/
outdoor pavilion drawn up, [we knew] that was the direction we had to go.
The site is built around that. We've been working with the same general
concept since then.
Part of our ethos is community and we feel we can build connection in
the design. In our upcoming projects, there is definitely a balance between the
AutoCamp brand standards and the local aesthetic. That's evident at Joshua
Tree, where we are doing twin Quonset hut buildings [as the] clubhouse. It's a
big leap.

How has the last year been for AutoCamp?

COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption and interest in outdoor hospitality.
People are looking for that health- and wellness-focused vacation where they
can come home feeling better and more rejuvenated than when they arrived.
It's easy for us to make sure these experiences are safe. Despite mandated
closures for statewide stay-at-home orders, we had a record booking year in
2020. It confirmed how strong our business model is, and also how much
impact we can make on people's lives. We read all the guest comments and it's
amazing to see, especially after a year of COVID, [whether it's a] solo getaway
or a family trip, that this is the thing they needed. They practically write love
letters. hd
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