Choice Hotels buys RV travel platform Harvest Hosts for $130M
What's the deal? Choice Hotels International has agreed to acquire Harvest Hosts, an RV travel membership company, for $130 million. Choice is buying 100% of the business from New York growth equity firm Stripes and other shareholders.
What does Harvest Hosts do? It connects RV travelers with overnight stays at more than 11,200 host locations, including wineries, farms, breweries, and museums. Members discover distinctive destinations while supporting local businesses.
Why now? Choice Privileges members over-index among RV travelers, according to the company, creating what it sees as a natural link between its loyalty base and Harvest Hosts' network. The deal extends Choice's focus on value-minded consumers into outdoor travel.
What's the endgame? Choice, one of the world's largest lodging franchisors, wants to deepen engagement with existing members and introduce more travelers to Harvest Hosts. The acquisition fits its asset-light strategy, avoiding the capital costs of owning property.
What changes? Harvest Hosts will keep operating as a standalone business under its existing brand, preserving its member and host relationships. Both companies say they will continue to grow the platform.
"Harvest Hosts has built a passionate, loyal membership community by partnering with local businesses to offer the accessible, distinctive experiences today's RVers are looking for," said Dom Dragisich, president and chief executive officer of Choice Hotels. He added that it did so "through an asset-light model that complements our broader portfolio strategy."
Stripes invested in Harvest Hosts in 2021, backing chief executive officer Joel Holland and his team to scale the membership experience. "We believe Choice is an exceptional home for Harvest Hosts as it enters its next chapter of growth," said Chris Carey, a partner at Stripes.
The signal: Hotel operators are increasingly reaching beyond traditional rooms to capture travelers across categories. By buying a subscription platform rather than physical sites, Choice bets that loyalty and scale — not real estate — are the assets that matter in a fragmented outdoor travel market.
Read more: ae.marketscreener.com
Image credit: Suzanne Schroeter
