The Hospitality Startup That Wants to Make a Business Out of Luxury Pop-Up Hotels
Photo Caption: Collective Retreats specializes in luxury tent accommodations in destinations that include Vail, Colorado, and Big Sky, Montana, near Yellowstone. Collective Retreats
Skift Take
Is glamping really more than a fad? Collective Retreats and its investors seem to think so, but will that be enough?
When Peter Mack was working as vice president of product design and innovation in 2014 for Tough Mudder, the notoriously challenging obstacle course/mud run, he had an epiphany in the middle of one of the races.
The former Starwood Hotels & Resorts veteran of 10 years realized that because these mud runs often take place in rural, remote locations, many participants had to stay in less-than-ideal lodgings: Ones that were often far from the course, and overly expensive because the hotels knew they could charge more when the Tough Mudder was in town.
"We do all of our registration in tents," Mack said. "We do all of our medical in tents. Why can't we do a hotel right here in tents and make it a much better experience on property?"
That realization led to Mack's departure from Tough Mudder in 2014 and since then, he's been working to develop Collective Retreats, specializing in mobile accommodations.
Mack, the co-founder and CEO, initially self-funded the company and open
