A Room Key Season Pass For Outdoor Adventurers

To hit the slopes at more than one resort, skiers can buy season passes that allow them to try out many different properties. Now, lodging companies are looking to apply a similar concept to overnight stays, with perks such as beverages and equipment rentals included.

LOGE Camps in the Pacific Northwest, for instance, launched a beta of a season pass this year at one of its locations, with plans to allow pass holders to use it at all of its properties. The experiment was so successful that LOGE Camps sold out of the passes before Memorial Day weekend.

With its version of a season pass, travelers paid a flat rate of $500 in advance for a hotel room, a hostel or a campsite at one of its locations for five nights. Co-founder Cale Genenbacher noted that a single night alone could approach $200 in the summer, so the pass could save travelers money on their stays.

Genenbacher also included some perks beyond the room or campsite with the season pass, which included five surfboard and wetsuit rentals as well as five coffees or beers and a camp mug, along with a few other pieces of gear. “You’re basically prepaying at a pretty big discount,” he told PYMNTS in an interview. And if travelers stay beyond the number of nights included with the season pass, they receive a discount on those additional purchases.

Now, Genenbacher said his company is working on a season pass that travelers can use at all of his properties. Overall, he said that guests are used to the concept through the rise of Epic and Ikon ski passes. As Alterra and Vail have bought more and more ski resorts, Genenbacher noted, the passes have risen in popularity over the last couple of years. “It’s been a game changer for skiers who want to travel and try new places,” Genenbacher noted.

Testing the Waters

Genenbacher said the company built its first property for the hardcore surfer. With that traveler in mind, amenities such as a wetsuit drying station were included. And, while that market is important, he also seeks to target people who simply enjoy being outside or might be new to an outdoor sport.

Mountain bikes can come with a hefty price tag, with a minimum cost of around $1,000. “That’s a high price point for people,” Genenbacher said, adding that a would-be mountain biker might make a purchase without knowing if they actually like the activity. But with concepts like LOGE, travelers can rent a bike at a property without having to make a large investment.

Genenbacher also seeks to help introduce travelers to surfing, allowing them to rent boards and wetsuits for the day through a LOGE partner. And if travelers decide that they like their experiences, they can apply the cost of the rental toward the purchase of their boards. In essence, LOGE is providing travelers with try-before-you-buy experiences.

The Lodging Experience

LOGE takes a multi-platform approach when it comes to booking and reservations. Travelers can reserve a room or campsite through the company’s own website, Airbnb or a third-party booking platform like hotels.com. According to Genenbacher, it’s important to meet customers where they are. LOGE’s own website, however, does offer a point of differentiation: If customers book on the site, they can have a mountain bike or surfboard waiting for them when they arrive at a property.

The properties also have some amenities that allow travelers to connect over food, including food prep areas and tools that people would need to prepare a meal that they can share with others while sitting around a fire enjoying a beer. At one of the company’s coastal locations, for example, Genenbacher said guests would fish and then return to the cooking area to clean a fish and throw it on the grill.

While the features of the outdoor kitchens vary based on location, Genenbacher said they feature a sink, food prep areas and grills at a minimum, while the hostel areas have indoor kitchens with stoves and microwaves. These amenities allow travelers to cook and relax without the expense of eating at a restaurant.

LOGE is among many lodging companies rolling out offerings like season passes to make the outdoors more affordable for adventure-seeking travelers.