The Biggest Story in Outdoor Hospitality Since... Ever? Our Interview with Sam Morton, Former Getaway Developer
We don't have any real details yet, but Marriott acquiring Postcard Cabins (formerly Getaway) means a lot for the industry, regardless of the financials.
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Estimated time to read: 5 minutes
TL;DR:
Who is Postcard Cabins?
Founded by Jon Staff & Pete Davis in Boston in 2015, Postcard Cabins has humble beginnings. They placed 3 off-grid cabins that Jon's dad helped build on leased land in NH. Since then, they've launched 29 locations, totaling 1,216 cabins.
What happened?
Earlier this week, news broke that Marriott acquired Postcard Cabins.
Why does it matter?
We don’t have any financial details of the acquisition yet, but in short, the largest hotel operator in the world acquired one of the largest outdoor-focused lodging operators. This deal signals that mainstream hospitality recognizes consumers’ desire to “return to nature” and that this trend isn’t a flash in the pan.
I try to keep this newsletter to 5 minutes of reading time or less, so I am focusing this edition on our recent podcast interview with Sam Morton (listen here), an early employee and former construction project manager at Postcard Cabins (Getaway House during his time).
If you’re interested in reading about the backstory of Getaway and its founders, as well as a rough breakdown of their financials/portfolio, you can read my article on LinkedIn here or my Twitter thread here.
As for our interview with Sam:
I had the privilege of meeting Sam a few years ago and, since then, have been fascinated by Sam’s story and expertise. I'm fortunate to have worked directly with Sam on a few projects, and it is not an exaggeration to say that I learn something valuable every time I speak with him.
He's always my first call whenever I have a question about development or construction.
Sam is never one to look for the limelight, but we just had to interview him for our podcast once the Postcard Cabins acquisition news dropped.
Here’s Sam’s story:
QUICK BACKSTORY
He grew up in a small town in Maine, so he's always felt at home in the outdoors.
He studied fine art/painting in Boston.
In 2016, he seized an opportunity to become the second full-time hire at Getaway and get into real estate development. He led several development projects during his 5 years with the company.
He now develops his own real estate projects and lends his expertise to other developers (learn more here), having been instrumental in developing 25+ projects valued at ~$200MM.
FROM FINE ART TO CONSTRUCTION
One of the most interesting things about Sam's story is that he studied fine art and painting and then wound up in development/construction. I can tell you from experience that Sam's creativity comes through in his work, so it's not surprising to learn about his background or interest in art. But I can also tell you from experience that Sam is highly organized, pragmatic, and an efficient, level-headed problem-solver in often chaotic, complex situations.
I don't mean to stereotype people in construction or artists, and I'm sure he's not the first painter to find himself earning a paycheck on a construction site and then excelling in a development career. I do, however, find the combination of these interests and skillsets in Sam to be rare and to be a big reason why he is the special talent he is today.
LESSONS LEARNED
Sam is never one to take credit or seek attention. He says one of the biggest lessons he has learned in his 8-year journey in real estate development is that you can't succeed alone, and it's one of his core values.
While Sam is absolutely one of the most knowledgeable people in the outdoor/experiential hospitality development industry, that might not be his biggest professional strength. I’d venture that his most valuable asset is his vast network of consultants, contractors, and other colleagues who always seem eager to take Sam's calls.
When asked what advice he would give aspiring hospitality developers, Sam said, "Don’t try to be unique for the sake of being unique." I found this to be genuine but somewhat ironic, given Sam's involvement in building such a unique, pioneering company and brand in Postcard Cabins/Getaway.
I think this speaks to Sam's pragmatism and belief that Postcard Cabins and its acquisition by Marriott are unlikely to be repeated and that they are a product of a unique vision and a special, highly capable, cohesive team coming together to do special things repeatedly for nearly 10 years.
WHAT'S NEXT
Since leaving Postcard Cabins in 2021, Sam founded SomaBuild, Inc., where he offers development services to real estate developers and investors. He also founded Topos Ventures, where he and two partners develop their own projects.
Sam's mission is to be a resource for developers and contribute to developing unique spaces. If that interests you, you should contact him here.
That’s all for this week. Thank you so much for reading!
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