7 minute read
Missing in action
Missing Hotel opened in August of this year, to great acclaim. Owners Sam and Stephen Hopkins have taken a very hands-on approach in setting up their glamping resort and learned a lot in the process. They share their key findings with our Editor Will Rusbridge.
It will be tough…
Nobody expects it to be easy to set up a dream business but Sam and Stephen might not have anticipated it would be as tough as it turned out to be. “This was definitely a passion project for us,” says Stephen, “It took us three years to find a property that met all of our criteria, then we had one hell of a year getting it ready to share! We worked 12-14 hour days, seven days a week to take a beautiful, but overgrown raw parcel and turn it into something luxurious and fun to explore. We were extremely hands-on through the process and built most everything ourselves with an exceptional team of six people.” “We could give others setting up around 100 pages of advice, but the key takeaway is that it will be tough. There will be far more telling you can’t or shouldn’t do something than you should, but this isn’t a reason you shouldn’t!” he adds.
“Given our hands-on approach to construction, our advice may trend this way. The only constants are it will cost more and take longer than you think. Plan accordingly, both financially and in your timetable. This is a unique space of construction that not many general contractors or trades fully understand. Bringing a carpenter or electrician into an Airstream and you’ll soon find out! Focus as much on the lay of the land and site plan as you do inside. Be prepared to do much of the work yourself. The closer you are to the project, the better you’ll be able to make it what you want. For us, that meant clearing the land and sitting on a machine for four months. Don’t be afraid to do something, just because you haven’t done it before. Get your hands dirty and work.”
Under-promise and over-deliver…
MISSING has been a dream for both Sam and Stephen for around a decade, “We love traveling and have been fortunate to have visited over fifty countries. Along the way, we’ve taken note
of the elements in places we’ve been as well and experiences that left an impact on us. Our hope is that we can incorporate the meaningful parts of those experiences and share them with our guests. One of our favorite parts of traveling is the “unexpected”. So, we’ve tried to help curate an experience for our guests that surprises them. Our goal is to under promise and over deliver, so hopefully there will be some surprises during the guests’ visit that will leave them pleasantly surprised. We named our property the MISSING Hotel with the idea that guests will “go missing” for a while. They’ll disconnect and hopefully find something they were missing in them along the way.”
Think about your location and your competition…
MISSING Hotel is located 45 minutes northwest of downtown Austin near Lake Travis, “Despite being so close to Austin, the uniqueness of our location is its seclusion. We’re surrounded by the 50,000- acre Balcones Wildlife Preserve,” say Sam and Stephen. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, “The Texas Hill Country region is very populated with glamping sites, however, we’ve really sought to make something very unique.”
Many would view the presence of competitive glamping sights nearby as a negative, but Sam and Stephen see things a little differently, “Find great mentors in the glamping space and get to know your competitors. I’ve always thought it surprising how we tend to think of competition as the enemy, all the while there’s no one that knows more of what you’re going through than them. The opportunities that arise may surprise you.”
Create somewhere you would like to stay yourself…
Having spent years searching for the perfect location, Sam and Stephen settled on a site with dramatic topography and expansive views of the surrounding canyon, “We were adamant that we keep our accommodations private and with 100 acres to work with we have ample room to do so. We’re proud that we’ve not sacrificed the secluded settings we’ve created. The last thing we want when we’re getting away is to be 20’ or so away from someone else. We’ve also really put so much into our interiors and decor. They are plush with private dip pools, high-end fixtures, and in-room bathrooms with full showers. We want our guests to be submersed in nature, but not sacrifice the elements common to a high-end hotel.
Our advice would be to make something that you’d want to go to, even if it’s a weird and wild idea. Unique is good. Location is key and knowing your land. “From a land acquisition standpoint, have a long due diligence period and treat it like a full-time job. Land and title can be complex.”
Keep on learning and improving…
MISSING opened their doors to the public in the middle of August this year (2021). Having been open for around a month, Sam and Stephen are already looking for ways to improve the experience that they offer, “We are thrilled with the positive responses we have received from our guests and hope that now that the shelters are up, that we can work on the onsite experience for the guests. We want to have some spontaneous and hidden gems that they find as they explore the 100-acre property.”
MISSING began in the midst of Covid, but fortunately, like many glamping sites, seclusion and privacy were always high up on the list of priorities. This meant that it was relatively easy for Sam and Stephen to adapt their site to be safe for both guests and staff. “We have kept to our plan of distanced and private accommodation locations. Our guest experience is completely self-check-in with a guided map and signage to ensure everyone gets to their shelter without the need to interact with our staff. We’ll continue this as guests are really seeming to want to interact less with us and come to get away and feel secluded.”
Offer privacy but the option of activities too…
So far, guests to the site have ranged in terms of demographics, but Sam and Stephen have noticed that “Generally our guests are local Texans looking to get away for a bit. Couples find a romantic getaway in a private setting to spend some time together. Many of our guests are celebrating a special occasion and looking for a unique getaway. Given our proximity to Austin and as we’re in North Austin, we closer to Dallas, we have a lot of weekend getaways. We’ve found with the flexible work arrangements, we’re having far more people coming out for a mid-week stay.”
With the site located within 100 acres, there is certainly a lot to explore. “Elvis and Presley, our mini cows are definitely local celebrities with the guests! We’ll be adding more hiking trails to explore as well as a natural swimming hole. We want the guest experience to be like a scavenger hunt of surprises along the way, so we won’t get too specific, but there are plenty of hidden treasures onsite now and in the works.”
With plans to open upwards of thirty total units at the 100-acre property, multiple phases of construction have been planned, “We’ll likely begin with the second phase of six to ten units this Fall and are currently working on creating the best secluded spots. We have several very unique ideas in mind, but right now it’s important to hear from guests as to what they want and maintain flexibility in terms of unit types.”
Guest responses have overwhelmingly been positive. It appears the details and attention spent on the finer elements are seen and appreciated which makes us feel so good. There’s nothing like sending your baby out into the world and others seeing what you do. Our hope in creating MISSING is to create an experience through the property that leaves our guests changed. Take some time to go missing and see what you find.”
For more information: www.missinghotel.com.
