Choice Hotels buys RV club Harvest Hosts for $130 million in cash

Choice Hotels said on Wednesday it will acquire 100% of Harvest Hosts, a membership club for recreational vehicle travellers, in a deal valued at approximately $130 million in cash. The company says it is pursuing growth in the rapidly expanding outdoor hospitality space.

It is the first acquisition under Dom Dragisich, who was named permanent president and chief executive last month, and the hotel franchisor's first move outside hotels. Choice is buying from Stripes, a New York growth equity firm, and other shareholders.

Choice will fund the purchase with cash on hand and its revolving credit facility. It says the transaction will not materially affect this year's results. Closing conditions and a completion date were not given in the material we reviewed.

What Choice is buying

Harvest Hosts connects RV owners with 11,200 host locations, among them wineries, farms, breweries and museums. Members park overnight for free after paying between $99 and $179 a year for access. The company puts its community at more than 500,000 RVers.

Those members have spent more than $200 million at host businesses since 2010, according to the company. That figure is spending at hosts, not revenue for Harvest Hosts, and the sources give no revenue or earnings for the business.

Harvest Hosts will continue as a standalone business under its existing brand, which Choice says preserves its distinct member and host experience. Chief executive Joel Holland stays on, and the two companies will work together to grow and enhance the business.

Holland said the heart and soul of Harvest Hosts is the connections between its members, hosts and employees. He added that joining Choice gives an opportunity to bring that experience to more people and accelerate a mission of creating millions of happier campers and communities.

The price and the logic

Stripes bought the business in 2021 for $37 million. Choice is paying about 3.5 times that amount, so the growth equity firm sells at a substantial gain over its entry price, although the sources do not say what else was invested in between.

The stated rationale is loyalty. Choice says its research shows many travellers already enjoy both hotel and RV travel, and that members of its Choice Privileges programme are particularly active in both. It calls the deal a natural way to connect that base with Harvest Hosts.

Choice has not said how it will market Harvest Hosts to Choice Privileges members, and the sources give no timetable for any loyalty link between the two. Skift's view is that Dragisich will need to show the half-million-strong RV list converts into hotel stays, or risk drifting from the top priority he set on taking the job: driving net rooms growth.

Dragisich pointed to Harvest Hosts' asset-light operating model as complementary to the hotel portfolio and consistent with long-term strategy. He described Choice as having a long history of delivering quality travel for value-minded consumers, and the deal as extending that reach into outdoor travel.

In the release, Choice said the combination brings together its scale, commercial capabilities and loyalty reach with Harvest Hosts' offerings. The aim is to deepen engagement with existing members, introduce more travellers to Harvest Hosts and support growth of both businesses.

Rivals got to outdoor lodging first

Choice follows larger hotel groups into outdoor accommodation. Hilton partnered with AutoCamp and Hyatt with Under Canvas in 2024, both outdoor hospitality providers, as travellers sought unique, nature-centred stays.

Marriott International went further last year, debuting its Outdoor Collection anchored by the Trailborn and Postcard Cabins brands, now bundled as the Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy. Those are lodging brands, whereas Harvest Hosts is a membership network rather than a property portfolio.

Dragisich said the two companies together offer even more stay options for both companies' guests. Choice has not said how it will market Harvest Hosts to Choice Privileges members, and the sources give no timetable for any loyalty link between the two.

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This briefing is published daily using an AI-powered system crafted by Worthbury's team and finely tuned to meet our editorial standards. While we continuously test and review the output, mistakes can sometimes happen. Tell us if you spot one.

Images: Photo Credit: Harvest Hosts; Choice Hotels