Choice Hotels International is acquiring Harvest Hosts, the largest private RV camping network in North America, for approximately $130 million in an all-cash transaction expected to close October 1, 2026. The deal gives the lodging giant — which operates more than 7,500 hotels across 22 brands through Choice Hotels — a subscription-based membership platform serving RV travelers who seek overnight stays at wineries, breweries, farms, museums, and other local businesses.
Why the Deal Matters
For hospitality operators, the acquisition underscores how major lodging brands are broadening their definitions of "stay" beyond traditional hotel rooms. Harvest Hosts operates across more than 11,200 host locations with no nightly camping fees for members, generating revenue through annual subscriptions rather than room inventory — a model Choice Hotels describes as consistent with its asset-light portfolio strategy. The acquisition was funded with cash on hand and borrowings under Choice's existing revolving credit facility, and the company says it will not materially affect 2026 financial results.
Choice Hotels President and CEO Dom Dragisich pointed to natural overlap between its existing loyalty base and the RV travel segment: research cited by the company shows that Choice Privileges members over-index among RV travelers. That alignment positions the deal less as a diversification gamble and more as a loyalty deepening play — giving members more reasons to engage with the Choice ecosystem beyond a traditional hotel booking. The move reflects a broader trend in hospitality loyalty strategy where brands compete not just on room quality or price, but on the breadth of experiences they can offer enrolled members.
Operator and Local Business Implications
The Harvest Hosts model has a direct connection to food and beverage businesses: a significant share of its 11,200 host locations are wineries and breweries that allow RV travelers to park overnight on their property in exchange for the draw of foot traffic and potential sales. For those operators, the platform represents a low-cost marketing channel that delivers overnight guests with a built-in affinity for local products. Choice Hotels' commercial scale and loyalty reach could meaningfully expand that pipeline, bringing more members — and more potential customers — into those local businesses.
Joel Holland will remain CEO of Harvest Hosts following the close, and the full existing team will transition to Choice Hotels employees. The brand will continue to operate independently under its existing name, preserving its host-and-member community relationships. Harvest Hosts also operates a family of adjacent brands including Escapees RV Club, Boondockers Welcome, CampScanner, and UK-and-Ireland-focused Brit Stops — all of which become part of the Choice Hotels portfolio.
Stripes, a New York-based growth equity firm that invested in Harvest Hosts in 2021, is divesting its stake through the transaction alongside other shareholders. The deal represents an exit after roughly five years of partnership focused on scaling the membership platform and expanding its host network.
For industry observers tracking restaurant and hospitality deal activity, the acquisition is a signal that lodging companies are increasingly willing to cross into adjacent travel categories — particularly those with subscription economics and strong community loyalty — to retain value-minded consumers who may split their travel between hotels and alternative accommodations.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
