SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.—AutoCamp Hospitality Group is launching a new lodging brand, Field Station, an inspiring and inclusive modern lodging brand for the active outdoor community. Designed as the ultimate experience from affordable accommodations to easy exploration, Field Station offers several room types, onsite guides, turnkey outdoor equipment rentals and retail, educational programming, DIY or guided experiences, an espresso cafe, and biergarten. Both guests and the community at large can enjoy lodging amenities and programming.
Field Station is upcycling and renovating existing lodges and motels in prime outdoor destinations to provide inclusive, supportive, and sustainable basecamps for exploring nearby natural areas. The first location will open in Moab, Utah, in early 2023, with non-peak season rates starting from $159 for rooms. One additional location is set to open in 2023 in Joshua Tree, Calif. followed by a Lake Tahoe, Calif. location in 2024.
Neil Dipaola founded AutoCamp Hospitality Group in 2013 to make it easier for people to experience nature by integrating beautiful design and welcoming hospitality in the outdoors. The group’s first brand, AutoCamp, has revolutionized alternative lodging by blending the spirit of the American camping experience with the service and design of a boutique hotel.
“The success of AutoCamp inspired us to create Field Station to make it even easier for everyone to get outside, more often,” said Neil Dipaola, CEO and founder of AutoCamp Hospitality Group.
“We believe the world would be a better place if more people could experience the outdoors, so we’re on a mission to empower all people to get outside with greater comfort, ease, knowledge and support,” added Dipaola. “There are many exciting locations around the country that cater to adventurous travelers yet fall short in the hospitality category. Field Station transforms the outdoor lodging experience in an entirely new way to help connect even more people with nature.”
An Experience From the Outside In
Upon arrival, Field Station guests are greeted by a Field Station team member who collaborates with them to create the adventure they are looking for, from a fully curated experience to a DIY adventure. Guests can easily access gear from the onsite rental service or the retail shop. Field Station rooms are equipped with ample gear storage from bike racks to Dometic Outdoor coolers.
Libations are at the ready at the onsite Gear + Beer, where guests can pick up or drop off gear while enjoying an array of food and beverages. Outside, both guests and locals alike relax, enjoy a beverage, mingle around the campfires, or enjoy an outdoor film screening together. Guides, fresh from their latest adventures, connect with guests to swap stories, offering up curated hiking and trail recommendations and information from their AllTrails shortlist.
In the evening, Field Station serves as a community outpost for education, both for the local community and its guests. Weekly programming and classes will include topics such as survivalist skills, the local history of Indigenous Peoples, backcountry clinics, on-trail bike tire patching, sustainable stewardship and Leave No Trace principles, and more.
Designed for Function & Adventure
Inspired by Scandinavian industrial (ScanDustrial) design, Field Station is designed for function while fostering practicality. The lodge embraces clean lines, open environments, and raw materials with a utilitarian approach to enhance outdoor discoveries, including stunning photography from adventure photographer Cliford Mervil. Thoughtful room designs create spaces for gear and extra amenities. In-room food and beverages are available for purchase to fuel guests at any hour.
Brands featured throughout Field Station locations include Dometic Outdoor coolers, Black Diamond outdoor equipment and apparel, Outdoor Research clothing and gear, Picture Organic Clothing, AllTrails onsite recommendations and curated trail lists and Cliford Mervil photography.
Field Station Maps Growth for the Future
Field Station plans growth nationwide, selecting locations adjacent to national parks and well-loved outdoor recreation corridors.
“We know that travel and outdoor recreation have a big impact on the environment,” added Dipaola. “We stand for an approach where caring for the places we choose to play is inseparable from the playing itself, and we impart this ethos onto our guests.”
