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The Next Big Thing In Hospitality: Turning Retired Motels Into Adventure-Ready Basecamps

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Think about some of your favorite surf spots or trails in the Pacific Northwest, California, and Colorado.

How would you like to be a 20-minute drive away from Mt. Bachelor? Or settled in on a secret surf spot on the Washington coast? How about being 15 minutes away from Colorado’s Copper Mountain? Well, that’s exactly the idea behind LOGE Camps, the boutique hotel chain that’s transforming run-down motels into adventure-ready basecamps.

Because it used to be that you might sacrifice where you stay and forgive the less-than-adequate motel or campsite basecamp because it was all secondary to the adventure. But not anymore. Because for LOGE Camps founders Johannes Ariens and Cale Genenbacher, that wasn’t good enough.

After initially raising $30,000 during a Kickstarter campaign in 2016, the brand opened their first LOGE outpost in Westport, Washington in 2017. The idea is that they find these near forgotten motels that are adjacent to some of your favorite towns and trails and bring them back to life. It’s that simple.

And having raised $6.5 million to date and an advisory board that includes investors from some of the outdoor industry’s biggest players – Evo, Hydro Flask, Chrome, Keen, Diamond Back, Nuun, OR, Miir, Raleigh, Smith, The Seattle Bouldering Project, K2, Eddie Bauer, and Outdoor Research – this just might be the next big thing in hospitality.

And the brand’s fifth and newest location, LOGE Mt. Shasta, is officially hosting their grand opening this weekend.

With a variety of ways to stay, from more traditional hotel rooms to hostel bunks and campsites (including tent platforms and RV hookups), it’s clear that LOGE’s inspiration comes from the surf, climbing, camping and road trip culture of the ‘70s.

But it isn’t just the overnight accommodations that make LOGE (pronounced “lodge”) an adventure-lovers dream – expect to find on-site gear rentals, dreamy fire pits, and a calendar of events that includes free live music and other events that attract like-minded adventurers to the different LOGE outposts. With a motto like “Live Outside, Go Explore” (LOGE), this is something that the brand clearly takes seriously. And that’s exactly why they care so much about bringing these retired motels in these incredible locations back to life.

And once LOGE finds these perfect locations, their approach is to renovate the existing structures instead of starting a new build, reducing the footprint that inevitably comes with new construction. Since the point of LOGE locations is to make the most out of the nature and the natural environment all around, renovations ensure that all sink faucets and showers heads use low flow fixtures and they do their best to re-use as much of the old furnishings as possible – with the help of some refurbishments, of course.

Additionally, all electrical is upgraded to energy efficient LED lights and fixtures. When it comes to landscaping at each of the properties, LOGE prefers natural landscaping that doesn’t require watering. And instead of tossing useful items into the garbage, LOGE instead looks for people or places where they can donate unwanted items, such as local shelters who can take them in and make good use of them.

But LOGE knows that building responsibly isn’t enough, which is why they also donate a portion of their revenue to foundations that are in line with their mission to help foster responsible outdoor access and stewardship of the environment. For each LOGE location, the company spends time finding the right local non-profit that supports their mission and donates 1% from a company-wide level, bringing their giving to a total of 2% of their revenue. In addition to their standard giving, the brand also hosts quarterly events with 100% of the proceeds going to one of their non-profit partners, often offering up the properties for trail work parties, avalanche seminars and other events that their non-profit partners put on.

In Westport, Washington, LOGE works with the Surfrider Foundation, a foundation that is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches, while in Bend, Oregon, they work closely with the Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA), whose mission is to develop, protect, and enhance the Central Oregon mountain bike experience through trail stewardship advocacy, collaboration, and education.

In Leavenworth, Washington, it’s the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC), a collaborative effort between the U.S. Forest Service Northwest Avalanche Center and the non-profit to save lives and reduce the impact of avalanches on recreation, industry, and transportation in the Cascade and Olympic Mountains of Washington and northern Oregon through mountain weather and avalanche forecasting, data collection, and education.

The Mt. Shasta location chose the Mt. Shasta Avalanche Center as their partner, and in Breckenridge, Colorado the non-profit they support is the Friends of the Dillon Ranger District, a group that volunteers thousands of hours maintaining and improving trails, planting trees, educating forest visitors, and more.

And lastly, company-wide, LOGE donates to The Service Board, which mentors teens to conquer personal and cultural challenges through outdoor adventure, environmental and social justice education, and public service.

LOGE isn’t about coming in and taking over, they’re more interested in finding a great location that just needs an environmentally friendly face lift so that it can continue to be used and benefited from instead. It’s clear that LOGE is about bringing together a community and inspiring them to explore the outdoors.

There are currently five distinct LOGE locations scattered throughout the western U.S. in Bend, Oregon, Westport and Leavenworth, Washington, Mt. Shasta, California, and Breckenridge, Colorado.

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