Getaway, a fast-growing New York-based startup that is building campgrounds within driving proximity of major cities, is expanding to the St. Louis region, with plans to open a location that will feature dozens of “tiny cabins.”
Venture-backed Getaway said later this year it will launch one of its “Outposts,” campsites that feature cabins and that are located within a two-hour drive of large cities, in Bloomsdale, Missouri, about 50 miles south of St. Louis.
The Bloomsdale site, called Getaway St. Francois, is slated to include 40 of Getaway’s tiny cabins. The company says its cabins range from 140 to 200 square feet in size and include either one queen size bed or a bunk bed with two queen mattresses. The cabins also include air conditioning/heat, a kitchenette, toilet, shower and outdoor fire pit.
Getaway declined to disclose its financial investment it is making to establish its St. Louis-area campsite. It also did not share the location of the facility, with a spokeswoman saying the company typically doesn’t share the address of its Outposts with its customers until the first day of their trip "to ensure guests cannot over plan their stay.” She said the site is a 45-minute drive from St. Louis and a 19-minute drive from St. Francois State Park in Bonne Terre, Missouri.
Founded in 2015, Getaway describes itself as a “health and wellness hospitality company,” positioning its cabins as a way to help individuals easily escape their hometowns to unwind and relax.
"At Getaway, we're seeing a cultural shift in travel as more urban dwellers are seeking short, frequent escapes to nature to focus on their mental health and well-being,” said Jon Staff, founder and CEO of Getaway. “Our cabins and campsites offer space for people of all walks of life to honor their free time, disconnect from work and technology and reconnect with their loved ones and themselves.”
Getaway, which in 2021 raised $41.7 million from investors in a Series C funding round, is rapidly expanding its footprint. In June, it said it is opening nine new Outposts by year’s end, including its campsite outside of St. Louis. It is also plotting new campsites near Indianapolis; Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Greenville, South Carolina; and Milwaukee. The company also plans to expand in markets where it already has a presence, including Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, D.C., saying the new locations are being driven by customer interest.
Getaway says its existing campsites have had a 94% average occupancy within the past year. The expansion strategy will give Getaway 28 U.S. locations and more than 1,000 cabins.
