Ground Breaking Stays: Exploring the World of Alternative Hospitality

In recent years, alternative hospitality has taken the travel world by storm, offering unique experiences that are far more memorable and personalized than a typical hotel stay. From yoga and wellness retreats to luxury glamping, 5-story eco-friendly bamboo villas to cultural homestays, free of charge home-swapping to fully immersive and themed Hollywood movie set stays, travelers of today are seeking out accommodations that reflect their individuality and adventurousness.

Let’s take a more in depth look at some of the top options for alternative hospitality in the market today.

Wellness Retreats: While a typical vacation goal is to unwind and recharge from the stressors of everyday life, oftentimes a busy vacation just adds fuel to the fire. For this reason, many travelers are consciously opting for a vacation centered around improving their wellness. Wellness retreats come in many forms with various focuses, such as yoga, surfing, clean eating, detox programs, spa programs, meditation, recovery, and more. Most blend a few of these elements into a well-rounded program for their guests, ensuring that they return to their daily lives feeling truly rejuvenated.

Rio Perdido in Costa Rica is a wellness sanctuary for its guests, truly embodying Costa Rica’s philosophy of “Pura Vida” as it sits in harmony with its lush tropical rainforest surroundings. Holistic wellness is the focus - encouraging guests to enhance their physical, mental, and spiritual health while on site. The grounds feature mineral-rich springs for therapeutic bathing, natural volcanic mud skin treatments, cliff-side pods for yoga and meditation, miles of sacred hiking trails, bungalows designed to support restorative deep sleep, ethically and locally sourced gastronomy to support health and vitality, and more. A stay here would certainly leave one feeling balanced and reinvigorated to take on the world!

Luxury Glamping: For those who love to be immersed in the wilderness, but prefer the amenities and comfort of a luxurious accommodation, glamping is the sweet spot!

Big Bend’s Stargazing Domes exemplify an exquisite glamping experience. Situated inside Big Bend National Park, these domes provide a harmonious stay in a natural, historic setting with modern luxuries including AC, heat, kitchen amenities, and a comfortable bed. Thanks to their transparent walls and ceiling, guests can indulge in awe-inspiring sunsets and stargazing in the middle of a desert oasis, all from the comfort of their accommodation.

Eco-Stays: For the environmentally impassioned traveler, eco-stays provide an option that aligns with their values and minimizes environmental impact. Eco-stays often blend seamlessly into their natural surroundings, creating a deeper relationship with nature and minimizing environmental footprint. Some examples include treehouses, solar-powered lodges, and off the grid cabins.

The Green Village in Bali is one of the most remarkable communities of sustainable living. Each villa (and everything in it) is made almost entirely out of bamboo, showcasing how natural materials can successfully create sustainable living structures. In addition to bamboo villas, this community also has a “Green School”, where students and guests are educated in the organic permaculture system. The Green Village is open to permanent residents and rental guests alike!

Cultural Immersion Homestays: Many travelers embark on a trip with the goal to deeply connect with a new local way of life beyond the typical tourist experience. A cultural immersion homestay is an enriching opportunity for travel to be a meaningful, transformative experience that fosters personal growth, human connection, and a deeper appreciation for new cultures.

Cultural Immersion Homestays are available around the world in many forms, such as traditional accommodations like ryokans or clay huts or staying in a remote village with indigenous people. I recently participated in a life-changing homestay with the local mountain people from Quản Bạ, North Vietnam, where I stayed in a traditional clay hut, ate Vietnamese mountain food, and hopped on the back of a local guide’s motorcycle for a tour of the mountain villages nearby. Immersing myself in an entirely different culture and connecting with people living vastly different lives from my own made this one my most impactful travel experiences.

Home-Swapping: Accommodations tend to be one of the largest expenses while traveling, which can seriously limit the length of stay and choice of destination. However, home-swapping is the perfect solution! Home-swapping eliminates accommodation costs, liberates a traveler's budget for spending on other indulges, and enables longer stays in more expensive destinations.

Kindred is a prime example of an innovative members-only home exchange community. Members earn credits for hosting travelers in their home, and spend credits to stay in other homes around the world - all they have to pay for is a cleaning and service fee! With over 50,000+ properties to choose from worldwide, home swapping on Kindred will literally open doors to more travel in your life.

AirBnb 'Icons': Niche, themed accommodations are also gaining serious traction in the world of alternative hospitality. They offer guests a unique and highly personalized experience that is far more memorable, enjoyable, and Instagram-worthy than a stay at a traditional hotel.

For example, AirBnb’s new ‘Icon’ feature allows guests to book a stay in a selection of top-tier, highly curated properties. They are exclusive and rare, ranging from historical homes, recreations of fictional dwellings, luxury villas, to unique architectural marvels. Their distinct themes, such as ‘Shrek’s Swamp’ or ‘Barbie’s Malibu DreamHouse’ offer a highly unique atmosphere and experience that sets them far apart from traditional accommodations!

The rise of alternative hospitality platforms like AirBnb, Kindred, AutoCamp, and more popping up each day demonstrates the shift towards a growing demand for more memorable, unique, and personalized getaways. The accommodation is becoming just as important as the destination, and in some cases, the main attraction itself. Alternative hospitality is redefining what it means to travel - whether it’s the allure of a remote escape, living like a local or one with nature, or having a full day of wellness activities and meals mapped out for you, these unconventional options are truly transforming the hospitality industry and I am here for it!