Camp Elena is owned and operated by Hannah, who has been in the short term rental industry for over two years and has already made a huge impact. Through her vision and hard work, she has transformed her properties into luxurious, peaceful, and unique glamping experiences that provide a safe, comfortable home away from home for her guests.
Providing a memorable experience to guests is no easy task, but with HostGPO Hannah knows everything will be alright. She can easily replace broken furniture, provide full bathroom amenities and while having peace of mind knowing she’s saving. Join HostGPO today for 3-months free.
How many years have you been in the short term rental industry and how did you get started?
Camp Elena opened in December 2022 after a little over two years of planning and development. My dad and I took a trip to Big Bend in fall of 2020, fell in love with the area, and decided to buy a piece of land that has great mountain views and is minutes away from Big Bend National Park. Our goal was to find an awesome spot like this to share with others, and we were thankful to find one in Texas!
What do you find most rewarding about your career?
At Camp Elena we love to host. It is the greatest reward when guests’ reviews evidence that their experience was exactly as we had curated: peaceful, luxurious, and unique.
What is your favorite rental property you have and why do you love it?
Camp Elena is located in one of the most beautiful places in the world, outside of Big Bend National Park in Texas. The desert landscape has majestic mountain ranges and other-worldly stargazing. Since it’s in a remote area, we found value in having glamping structures (tented cabins) that have all the utilities and added luxury with an ensuite kitchen, sliding glass doors, private patio, Coyuchi linens, etc. since those amenities are not common to the area. We love it because it provides a place of comfort, safety, and peace to many who are adventuring far away from home to the Wild West, and we love to stay there as well!
What’s the craziest story you have from hosting?
1-2 days before our first “stranger” guests arrived, the area experienced a rare freeze. We received notification from our property managers that all the faucets were frozen and no water was coming to the units. We reached out to the guests and offered them an extreme discount if they still wanted to stay, or a free cancellation. Thankfully, they were very understanding and were some of the best guests! We were able to get most of the damage resolved with much help from our property managers and contractors in the area who responded immediately. We were very thankful!
What’s one “pro-tip” you’d be willing to pass on to the community?
There will be many scenarios that pop-up that are out of your control. Most of the time the best response is being open and honest with the guest, thinking about how you would want the host to respond if you were the guest and responding even better than that. Even if the resolution hurts or the guest doesn’t respond well, the best you can do is keep being a sincere, understanding host, respond quickly to any issues, and add any preventative measures after learning from a situation.
What’s the most recent item that you can remember that you’ve ordered from HostGPO?
Helix Hospitality Mattresses – we love them! I don’t have a picture of the mattress, but I do have pictures of the Williams Sonoma Tumblers, salt and pepper grinders, etc. in our kitchens and have attached that.
What would you tell others about whether to join HostGPO?
This is one of the best platforms to get host discounts at retailers (even compared to trade programs at those same retailers). It’s also a great place to connect with others in the industry for inspiration, recommendations, and encouragement.
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