http://hospitalityacrossamerica.com/

Hospitality Across America, Foley, AL (2026)

05/27/2026

The Economy Is Uncertain. Here Is Why Outdoor Hospitality Is Not!

Turn on the news for five minutes and you will hear words like tariffs, inflation, recession and uncertainty. People are nervous. Travel budgets are being evaluated. And yet, if history has taught us anything, it is that when times get tough, people do not stop seeking a break. They just get smarter about how they take one.

That is exactly where outdoor hospitality wins.

Camping Has Always Been Recession Resilient

When families start cutting back on expensive vacations, they do not stop vacationing. They trade the resort in Florida for a campground a few hours from home. They swap the theme park for a lake, a fire pit, and a night under the stars. The value proposition of outdoor hospitality has never been stronger than it is right now.

This is not wishful thinking. It is a pattern that has played out through every major economic downturn in recent memory. Outdoor hospitality bends but it does not break. And the operators who understand that right now are the ones who will come out of this period stronger than ever.

But Resilience Is Not the Same as Automatic Success

Here is the part that does not get said enough. Yes, our industry holds up well when the economy softens. But that does not mean you can sit back and wait for guests to show up. The operators who thrive in uncertain times are the ones who show up differently than everyone else.

This is not about writing a marketing plan and putting it in a drawer. This is about doing things today that put heads in sites this season.

Stop Marketing Your Property and Start Marketing the Feeling

Nobody books a campsite because of your hookup specs. They book because they can already picture themselves there. The fire crackling. The kids running around. The stress of the week melting away by 6pm.

That is what you are selling right now. Not amenities. Escape.

Look at every piece of content you are putting out and ask yourself one question. Does this make someone feel something? If the answer is no, rewrite it. A photo of an empty site does nothing. A photo of a family roasting marshmallows at golden hour does everything.

Your Past Guests Are Your Best Marketing Tool

In an uncertain economy people do not experiment. They go back to what they know and trust. That means your returning guests are more valuable right now than they have ever been.

Reach out to them. Not with a generic blast but with something that feels personal. A note from you as the owner. A first look at what is new this season. An early booking window before you open to the public. Make them feel like insiders and they will reward you with loyalty and referrals that no paid ad can match.

Give People a Reason to Say Yes Right Now

Uncertainty makes people hesitate. Your job is to make saying yes feel easy and safe.

Think about what small things you can offer that lower the barrier to booking. A flexible cancellation policy during uncertain times goes a long way. A midweek package that delivers real value without discounting your weekend rates. A first time guest offer that gets someone through the gate who then becomes a repeat customer for years.

You are not discounting your property. You are removing the hesitation.

Take Care of the Guest in Front of You

This is the one that matters most and it is the one that no budget can replace.

The guest who is standing at your check in desk right now, or setting up their site on a Tuesday afternoon, is your most valuable marketing asset. If they leave happy they will come back. They will bring their friends. They will leave a great review. They will tag you on social media. They will do your marketing for you in ways that no ad ever could.

In an uncertain economy loyalty is everything. And loyalty is built one stay at a time.

Train your team to genuinely care. Greet people by name. Solve problems before they become complaints. Go out of your way to make someone feel welcome. These are not big expensive gestures. They are small consistent habits that add up to a guest experience people remember and talk about.

A happy guest is your best business plan.

This Is Your Moment

The outdoor hospitality industry is well positioned heading into what could be a challenging economic season for a lot of businesses. You offer something people genuinely need right now. Affordable, accessible, meaningful time away from the noise of daily life.

The operators who lean into that message, take care of their guests and stay visible and active in their communities will not just survive this season. They will build something that lasts.

If you want help sharpening your guest experience or thinking through your approach for this season, reach out to us at Hospitality Across America at www.hospitalityacrossamerica.com

05/11/2026

Why Your Campground Website Is Losing You Bookings

Spring is here. Guests are searching. Families are planning their summer trips right now, this week, tonight after dinner. And if your website is not doing its job, they are booking somewhere else before you even know they were there.

Your website is not just a digital brochure. It is your hardest working salesperson. Here are the mistakes I see most often and what to do about them.

1. The Book Now Button Is Nowhere to Be Found
This one still surprises me. A guest lands on your site, they are interested, they are ready to check dates, and they have to hunt around to figure out how to actually book.
Your booking button should be impossible to miss. It should be at the top of every single page, on mobile and desktop, in a color that stands out. Every extra click you make a guest take is a booking you risk losing.

2. Your Photos Are Doing You No Favors
Outdoor hospitality is a visual sell. Guests are buying a feeling before they buy a site. If your photos are dark, blurry, outdated, or look like they were taken on a flip phone in 2009, you are losing people in the first five seconds.
You do not need a professional photographer for every shot. A newer smartphone on a sunny morning can do a lot. Show your best sites, your amenities, your sunsets, happy guests around a fire. Make someone feel like they are already there.
And please, update your photos seasonally. A website full of snow photos in April is not helping anyone book a summer trip.

3. Nobody Can Use It on Their Phone
A significant portion of travel searches today happen on a mobile device and that number keeps growing. If your website is hard to navigate, slow to load, or requires pinching and zooming on a phone, most people will simply leave.
Pull up your own website on your phone right now. Can you find the Book Now button easily? Do the photos load quickly? Is the text readable without zooming in? If the answer to any of those is no, this is your most urgent fix.

4. The Basic Information Is Missing
This one costs operators bookings every single day. Guests want to know your rates, what amenities you have, your pet policy, your cancellation policy, whether you have full hookups or just electric, and how far you are from the nearest town.
If they cannot find that information quickly they will not call to ask. They will just move on to the next property.
Think about the top ten questions you get asked at check in or over the phone. Every single one of those answers should be easy to find on your website.

5. Your Website Has Not Been Updated in Years
Outdated hours, old pricing, amenities that no longer exist, a copyright date at the bottom that says 2021. These are small things that send a big message to a potential guest. They signal that nobody is minding the store.
Set a reminder to do a full website review every 90 days. Update your photos, check your rates, make sure your policies are current, and confirm that every link actually works.

6. There Is No Reason to Choose You
This is the one most people miss entirely. A lot of campground websites tell you what the property has. Very few tell you why it is special.
What makes your property different from the one down the road? Is it the views? The family atmosphere? The fact that you have been operating for 30 years and your guests come back every summer? Whatever it is, say it clearly and say it early. Guests are not just looking for a site. They are looking for the right experience.
Your website should answer that question before they even have to ask.

The good news is that none of these fixes require a full website rebuild. Most of them can be tackled one at a time over the next few weeks. Start with the booking button and the photos and you will already be ahead of a lot of your competition.
If you want a fresh set of eyes on your website or help thinking through your online presence, reach out to us at Hospitality Across America at www.hospitalityacrossamerica.com.

04/27/2026

What Guests Are Really Saying in Your Reviews and How to Use It

If you are only glancing at your star rating, you are missing the most valuable free consulting you will ever get. Your guests are telling you exactly what is working, what is not, and what would make them come back. The question is whether you are actually listening.

Here is how to stop treating reviews as a report card and start using them as a growth tool.

Google Is Where It Starts

Let us be honest. Google is the first place most people go before they book anything. Your Google rating and your responses are often the very first impression a potential guest gets of how you run your property.

A park with a low rating and no responses tells a story. A park with a solid rating where the owner thoughtfully responds to every review, good and bad, tells a very different one.

If you are not actively managing your Google presence, that is the first place to start.

Reviews Are Not Just Feedback. They Are Data.

When you start reading your reviews as a pattern rather than as individual opinions, everything changes. Pull your last 50 reviews and look for themes. You will start to see things like:

Three people mentioned the bathrooms felt dated. That is not a complaint, that is a capital improvement priority.

Five people said check in was confusing. That is a training and communication opportunity.

Eight people mentioned how friendly your staff was. That is a marketing asset you are probably not using.

The patterns in your reviews are telling you where to invest, where to improve, and what to shout about.

What Negative Reviews Are Really Telling You

Nobody loves a bad review. But the operators who grow the fastest are the ones who lean into them instead of getting defensive.

A negative review that goes unanswered is a red flag to every future guest who reads it. A negative review with a thoughtful, professional response actually builds trust. It shows that you are paying attention and that you care.

When you respond to a negative review, keep it simple. Acknowledge what they experienced, thank them for the feedback, and let them know what you are doing about it. You are not writing for the person who left the review. You are writing for the next thousand people who will read it.

What Positive Reviews Are Really Telling You

This is where I see operators leave the most on the table. A glowing review is not just a nice thing to screenshot. It is a window into what your guests value most about your property.

If guests keep mentioning the fire pits, the sunsets, a specific team member by name, or how peaceful it felt on a Tuesday morning, those are the things you should be leading with in your marketing. Your guests are literally writing your copy for you.

Pull the language right out of your best reviews and use it in your website, your social posts, and your booking descriptions. Nothing is more convincing to a new guest than reading what a real guest already loved.

Are You Even Asking for Reviews?

This is one of the most overlooked parts of the whole process. Most operators wait and hope guests leave a review on their own. The properties that consistently build strong review profiles are the ones that make asking part of their routine.

It does not have to be complicated. A quick text or email after checkout with a direct link to your Google page works really well. A small sign at check out reminding guests to share their experience is another easy one. Train your team to mention it during departure. Make it easy and most happy guests will be glad to help.

How to Actually Use Reviews to Drive More Bookings

Here is a simple system that works. Set aside 30 minutes every week to do the following. Read all new reviews across Google, TripAdvisor, The Dyrt, RV Life, Yelp, Campendium and Hipcamp. If you are listed on other platforms, check those too.
Respond to every single one. Flag any theme that comes up more than twice. Pull one or two guest quotes to use in your marketing that week.

That is it. Thirty minutes a week and you are doing more than most of your competitors.

The properties that win on reviews are not necessarily the ones with the fanciest amenities. They are the ones where the owner is clearly present, engaged, and takes their guest experience seriously. That comes through in every response you write.

Your guests are already talking about you. The only question is whether you are part of the conversation.

If you want help building a review strategy or taking a closer look at your guest experience, reach out to us at Hospitality Across America at www.hospitalityacrossamerica.com.

04/13/2026

Gas Prices Are Up. Camping Demand Is Not Down. Here Is What to Do With That.

Every time gas prices spike, I hear the same thing from owners and operators. "Are people still going to come?"

The short answer is yes. The longer answer is more interesting than that.

Recent research from Cairn Consulting Group tracked National Park visitation and RV retail sales against gas prices over nearly a decade. The two lines barely move together. Camping follows seasons and lifestyle, not what is happening at the pump. People who own rigs and love to travel are not parking them because fuel costs more. They are adjusting where they go, how long they drive, and what they spend on-site. That is a very different problem than losing the guest entirely.

In fact, when campers are asked directly how a tougher economy affects their plans, nearly half say it makes them more likely to camp. Two thirds say it has no impact at all. Camping is not a luxury people cut when budgets tighten. For many families, it is the alternative to the vacation they can no longer afford.

So the question is not whether guests are coming. The question is whether they are coming to you.

Here is what I am telling clients right now.

Lead with how close you are, not just what you have

Guests who are watching fuel costs are actively choosing shorter drives. If you are within two to three hours of a major market, that needs to be in your headline, not buried in your listing. "Two hours from Charlotte. No flight required." is doing more work right now than almost any amenity callout you can write.

Tell the value story nobody else is telling

A family of four on a four-night camping trip spends a fraction of what they would spend at a resort hotel, a cruise, or even a rental cabin. That comparison is sitting right there and most campgrounds never make it. Put the math in front of people. A simple social post or a short blog that shows what a stay at your property costs versus the alternatives is some of the most useful content you can publish right now.

Go after the guests who were going to travel internationally

Current research shows a meaningful share of travelers shifting away from international and air travel right now. These guests still have vacation budgets. They were planning to spend money somewhere. They are looking for a domestic experience worth their time. Upscale RV resorts and glamping properties with strong amenities are exactly what that guest is looking for. Your marketing should be speaking to them directly.

Midweek and length-of-stay pricing is more important than ever

Guests who are delaying or adjusting trips are often flexible on timing. Price your Monday through Thursday inventory intentionally and promote it in your feeder markets. Then think about length of stay. If a guest drives two hours to reach you, the fuel cost is essentially the same whether they stay two nights or five. The per-night cost of that drive goes down significantly on a longer trip. Build a package around it and say so plainly in your marketing.

Make pricing transparency part of your pitch

Campground and RV park fees rank among the top cost concerns for campers right now, right behind fuel. Guests who have been hit with resort fees, electricity surcharges, and add-on booking fees elsewhere are paying attention to how you present your rate. If your pricing is clean and all-in, say that clearly. It is a competitive advantage right now, not just a policy.

The properties that struggle in uncertain economic cycles are usually the ones that react to noise. They discount too fast, pull back on marketing spend, and wait to see what happens. The ones that grow are doing the opposite. They understand who is still traveling, what those guests are thinking about, and they show up with a clear and confident message.

Gas prices are a headline. Demand is still your signal. Read the right one.

If you want to talk through what any of this looks like for your property, reach out at www.hospitalityacrossamerica.com

03/30/2026

Stop Leaving Money on the Table: 5 Pricing Mistakes Campground Owners Make

After working with outdoor lodging properties across the country, I can tell you that pricing is one of the fastest ways to leave money on the table without even realizing it. The good news is that these mistakes are fixable. Here are the five I see most often.

1. Flat Rates All Season
This is the big one. If your rates look the same in May as they do in July, you are not pricing to demand. You are just pricing to habit.
Every property has a high season, a shoulder season, and a slow season. Each one deserves its own rate strategy. A guest booking a summer holiday weekend should pay more than someone coming out on a Tuesday in April. That is not gouging, that is just good revenue management.
Start simple. Create at least three seasonal tiers and build from there.

2. No Difference Between Premium and Standard Sites
Not all sites are created equal and your pricing should reflect that. A pull through site with full hookups and a water view is worth more than a back in with a partial hookup in the back corner of the property.
When everything is priced the same, you are essentially discounting your best inventory every single day. Give your premium sites a premium price and let guests self select based on what they value.

3. Discounting Too Quickly
I understand the instinct. You see open sites and you want to fill them. But dropping your rate at the first sign of soft demand trains your guests to wait for a deal.
Before you discount, ask yourself a few things. Is demand actually soft or is it just early? Are there other levers you can pull like minimum stays, packages, or targeted marketing? Discounting should be a last resort, not a first response.

4. Ignoring Demand Weekends
Memorial Day. Fourth of July. Labor Day. Local festivals. These are your most valuable nights of the year and some properties still price them like any other weekend.
If your park is selling out on peak weekends at your standard rate, that is a signal that your rate is too low. You do not have to gouge anyone. But you do have a right and a responsibility to your business to price those weekends accordingly.

5. Not Adjusting Rates as the Property Improves
This one is subtle but it adds up. You add a new bathhouse. You put in a splash pad. You landscape the entrance. Your property gets better every year and your rates stay the same.

Your investment in the property earns you the right to charge more. Guests who love what you have built will pay for it. Do not be afraid to let your pricing grow with your property.

Pricing is not set it and forget it. The most successful outdoor lodging operators I work with treat their rates like a living strategy, always reviewing, always adjusting, always asking if the numbers reflect the value they are delivering.

If you want help building a smarter pricing strategy for your property, reach out to us at Hospitality Across America at www.hospitalityacrossamerica.com.

03/16/2026

The Occupancy Trap: What RV Parks, Campgrounds and Glamping Properties Get Wrong

Most outdoor lodging owners I talk to measure success by one number. Occupancy. And I get it. A full property feels like a win. But here is the truth that took the hotel industry decades to learn and outdoor hospitality is still catching up on. Full does not always mean profitable.
100% Occupancy Can Actually Hurt You

When your property is completely full, you have no flexibility. No room for a last minute call, a premium guest willing to pay more, or a group booking that could anchor your whole weekend. You are also running your staff and infrastructure at maximum stress with no cushion.

A property running at 85% with smart pricing will often outperform one at 100% that gave away sites to fill the calendar.

Shoulder Nights Are Where Revenue Is Won or Lost

Monday through Thursday, early spring, late fall. These are the nights that separate properties that struggle from properties that thrive. The goal is not to fill every shoulder night at any price. The goal is to build demand over time through the right packages, the right guests, and the right minimum stay strategies.

Think about what brings people out mid-week. Remote workers. Retirees. Small families with flexible schedules. Are you talking to them directly?

Protect Your Weekends
This is one of the most common mistakes I see. Discounting Friday and Saturday nights to drive volume. Your weekends are your most valuable inventory. Once you train guests to wait for a deal, you have a problem that is very hard to undo.

Set your weekend rates with confidence and hold them. Use your shoulder nights as the place to create value, not your peak days.

Start Thinking in RevPAS
Revenue Per Available Site is the metric that actually tells you how your property is performing. It combines both occupancy and rate into one honest number.
If your RevPAS is growing, you are moving in the right direction. If occupancy is up but RevPAS is flat or down, something is off in your pricing strategy and it is worth a closer look.

Think about it this way. Two properties, same 100 sites.
*Property A runs at 100% occupancy at an average rate of $55 a night. Total revenue: $5,500.
*Property B runs at 80% occupancy at an average rate of $75 a night. Total revenue: $6,000.

*Property B has 20 empty sites and is making more money. Less wear on the property, less stress on the staff, and a guest who is paying a fair rate for the experience is usually a happier guest.

That is the power of rate strategy over occupancy chasing.

The properties that win long term are not the ones that are always full. They are the ones that know what each site is worth and price accordingly.

If you are ready to take a closer look at your revenue strategy, we would love to help. Reach out to us at Hospitality Across America at www.hospitalityacrossamerica.com.

02/23/2026

Why Training, Not Hiring, Is the Real Staffing Solution in 2026

If I had a dollar for every time I heard “We just need better people,” I could fund a new development.
Staffing is still one of the biggest challenges in outdoor hospitality. Owners are tired. Managers are stretched thin. Teams are smaller than they would like. And when service slips, the first instinct is to hire someone new.
But here is what I am seeing in 2026.
Hiring is not the real problem. Training is.
You can hire great people and still struggle if expectations are unclear, processes are inconsistent, and no one has shown them what “great” actually looks like at your property.

Hiring feels like progress
When a role is open, and guests are complaining, hiring feels productive. It gives you hope that relief is coming.
The problem is that many parks hire quickly out of pressure. The new team member shows up, gets a quick tour, shadows someone for a day, and then is expected to figure it out.
A few weeks later, you are frustrated again. Not because the person is bad, but because they were never truly set up to succeed.
Replacing them starts to feel easier than fixing the system.

Training creates consistency
Guests do not expect perfection. They expect consistency.
They want the same tone at check-in, the same cleanliness standard in the bathhouse, the same clear answer when they ask about quiet hours. When each team member handles things differently, it creates confusion and frustration.
Training solves this.
Not complicated corporate training. Simple, repeatable standards that everyone understands.
What does a five star check in look like here?
How do we respond to a billing question?
What do we say when a site is not ready?
How do we handle a noise complaint?
If you do not define it, your team will improvise. And improvising under pressure rarely produces excellence.

Good people want direction
One of the biggest myths in our industry is that strong team members should “just know.”
Most people want to do a good job. They want to feel confident. They want to avoid getting in trouble. When they are unsure, they hesitate. Or worse, they guess.
Clear training reduces anxiety. It builds confidence. It improves morale.
When your team knows the standard, they can focus on hospitality instead of worrying if they are doing it wrong.

Small training beats big training
You do not need a three day seminar to fix this.
The most effective parks I work with focus on small, consistent training moments.
Ten minutes in the morning before the office opens.
A quick refresher on site standards before a busy weekend.
Role playing a difficult guest conversation during a slower afternoon.
Training becomes part of the culture instead of a once a year event that everyone forgets.
Consistency is built in small repetitions.

Training protects your revenue
There is also a financial side to this.
Poor training shows up in reviews. It shows up in refunds. It shows up in occupancy swings. It shows up in burnout.
Strong training improves conversion, reduces complaints, and increases repeat business. It protects your rate because guests feel taken care of.
In 2026, when guests are more selective and expectations are higher, service ex*****on matters more than ever.

The real staffing question
Instead of asking “Who can we hire next?” try asking:
Have we clearly defined what success looks like here?
Does every team member know the standard?
Are we reinforcing it consistently?
If the answer is no, the solution is not another hire. It is better training.
The parks that focus on training are calmer. More confident. More consistent. And ultimately more profitable.

If you would like help building simple, practical training systems for your team, Hospitality Across America works with owners and managers across the country to create repeatable standards that actually stick.
Learn more at www.hospitalityacrossamerica.com

02/09/2026

Add-Ons Are Not Upsells. They’re Expectation Setters.

Retail performs well because guests are already on property and already spending.
Add-ons work because the decision happens before arrival, when guests are still planning and imagining their stay.

This is one of the most underutilized revenue tools in outdoor hospitality.
Most reservation platforms now support add-ons, including Campspot, Newbook, and Bookmysite.

The technology is not the issue. Strategy usually is.

Why Add-Ons Matter More Than You Think
Add-ons do three important things at once:
• They increase revenue without adding inventory
• They reduce friction and questions at check-in
• They shape the guest’s perception of value before they arrive
Guests are already saying yes when they book. Add-ons simply give them better ways to say yes again.

The Biggest Miss I See
Most parks either do not use add-ons at all, or they list one or two items with no explanation and no intention behind them.
Add-ons should not feel like extras.
They should feel like part of the experience.
If a guest is camping, glamping, or staying monthly, they are already planning meals, comfort, activities, and convenience. Add-ons should meet them there.

High-Performing Add-On Categories
You do not need a long list. You need the right list.

Convenience Add-Ons
Firewood delivered to site
Propane exchange or delivery
Early arrival or late departure
Ice bundles or cooler restock
These sell well because they remove effort.

Experience Add-Ons
S’mores kits
Bike rentals
Kayak or paddleboard rentals
Guided activities or seasonal events
These sell because they turn a stay into a story.

Celebration and Personalization
Birthday or anniversary site setup
Kids welcome kits
Pet welcome kits
Customized signage or notes
These drive emotion and social sharing.

Local and Curated Items
Local coffee or candles
Local honey, snacks, or souvenirs
Park-branded merchandise packaged as a welcome bundle
This is where retail and add-ons work together.

Pricing Matters Less Than Framing

The biggest mistake is underpricing add-ons or explaining them poorly.

Add-ons should be framed around:
Saving time
Enhancing the stay
Creating a better arrival
Not “Would you like to buy this?”
But “Would you like this handled before you arrive?”

Operational Reality Check
If your team cannot deliver it consistently, do not sell it.

Add-ons should be simple to execute and easy to track.
Start small. One to three add-ons done well will outperform ten done poorly.

Ownership matters here. Someone must be responsible for fulfillment and inventory, even if it is just part of an existing role.

Why This Works Even for Parks With Limited Amenities
You do not need a pool, restaurant, or activity staff to succeed with add-ons.
You need clarity.

Even parks with minimal amenities can monetize convenience, local partnerships, and thoughtful touches. In many cases, simpler parks perform better because expectations are clear and delivery is consistent.

The Takeaway

Add-ons are not about nickel-and-diming guests.
They are about removing friction and increasing perceived value.
If retail is what guests discover once they arrive, add-ons are what convince them they chose the right place before they ever pull in.
Parks that get this right see higher spend per reservation, smoother arrivals, and happier guests.

Need Help Building This the Right Way?

Add-ons only work when they are intentional, priced correctly, and operationally executable.
That’s where most parks get stuck.
At Hospitality Across America, we help campgrounds, RV resorts, and glamping properties identify the right add-ons, structure them inside the reservation system, and align them with operations so they actually deliver revenue, not headaches.

If you want help evaluating your current add-ons, building a pre-arrival revenue strategy, or tightening the guest journey from booking to arrival, let’s talk.

Visit www.hospitalityacrossamerica.com to connect.

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