The Rise Of Resort-Style Rentals: How Luxury, Experience-Driven Stays Are Reshaping Investing

The short-term rental boom reshaped real estate investing across the United States. Now, as traveler expectations evolve, a new category is gaining traction: multi-use, resort-style properties designed to deliver high-end, experience-driven stays.
From the Coachella Valley in Southern California to the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, these properties are attracting strong occupancy rates, premium nightly pricing, and diversified revenue streams. For developers and investors, they represent a strategic evolution of the traditional Airbnb model.
Here’s a closer look at two standout properties—and why this model is emerging as one of the most compelling trends in real estate right now.
Bravo Luxury Retreats: A Coachella Valley Investment Strategy
The Coachella Valley has great appeal for those looking for everything from a sophisticated experience, such as Modernism Week in Palm Springs to a wild time at the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals, locking in this locale as one of the most in-demand short-term rental markets in California. With limited hotel inventory during peak seasons, luxury rental properties are increasingly filling the gap.
Developer Claudio Bravo anticipated this demand nearly a decade ago, launching Bravo Luxury Retreats, a collection of sixteen multimillion-dollar estates and seven luxury homes across the region. Located near Palm Springs, La Quinta, and Rancho Mirage, each property includes five to nine bedrooms, resort-style pools, fire pits, putting greens, and pickleball courts.
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Guests can also book hospitality add-ons such as private chefs and butlers for a more elevated experience.
Bravo’s crown jewel is a Beach House that spans ten acres and features a Tulum-inspired lagoon-style pool with a swim-up island bar, which is an exceptionally rare amenity in a desert setting. The property also includes professional-grade tennis and pickleball courts.
Unlike traditional hotels in Palm Springs, each Bravo home is individually designed. “The bespoke design was cultivated by our in-house design. Each home was thoughtfully planned with large gathering spaces, outdoor living areas, and resort-style amenities that encourage people to spend time together under one roof, while offering a unique element of privacy not available at a hotel.”
In addition to overnight stays, Bravo Luxury Retreats has hosted brand activations for companies such as Guess Jeans during Coachella, creating an additional revenue stream beyond nightly bookings.
Scaling Luxury Rentals In La Quinta
Following the success of its initial properties, Bravo is expanding further into the Coachella Valley real estate market. In October 2025, the developer broke ground on Bravo Estates La Quinta, a $60 million gated development on Madison Avenue in La Quinta, California.
Set on ten acres, the project will feature purpose-built luxury homes specifically designed for short-term rental use, with completion expected in 2027.
Bravo emphasizes location as a key driver of success for several reasons. “The Coachella Valley has an incredible energy with sunlight, open desert landscapes, and mountain views that create a sense of calm and inspiration. We are also within driving distance of affluent and highly concentrated markets, making the collection accessible to well-heeled guests in search of a private enclave to decompress. This area is not just known for its festivals—it’s a growing hub for art, culture, and sports.”
Camptown: Revitalizing The Catskills Hospitality Market
On the opposite coast, a similar transformation is underway in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Once a thriving resort destination in the mid-20th century, the region experienced decades of decline before seeing a resurgence in the 2010s.
Stephen Wendell, founder and CEO of Mountain Shore Properties, capitalized on this revival with Camptown, a hybrid hospitality concept that blends cabin rentals with boutique hotel amenities.
Designed as a modern camp experience, Camptown has 26 log cabins and 24 hotel rooms. The property combines rustic aesthetics with upscale features such as organic mattresses, Frette linens, a pool with a poolside bar, and a Mexican restaurant with a James Beard Award winning chef.
“Camptown came together shortly after as an opportunity to take a somewhat overlooked roadside motel and reimagine it into something more experiential,” Wendell tells me.
Why Resort-Style Rentals Appeal To Investors
One of the primary advantages of resort-style short-term rentals is their flexibility. Unlike single-home Airbnb properties, these developments are designed to accommodate multiple use cases, including family vacations, corporate retreats, weddings and brand events.
This versatility creates more stable revenue streams and higher margins.
“There’s clear demand for properties that can flex across uses. Developers are prioritizing assets that work for family use, corporate retreats, and group travel, which creates multiple revenue streams and more resilient performance. Also, event revenue has a higher margin and is easier to plan and execute,” says the developer.
Is Airbnb Still A Good Investment?
As the short-term rental market matures, many investors are questioning whether Airbnb remains a viable strategy.
“The ‘easy money’ phase is over, but the asset class isn’t. Short-term rentals have matured into a true hospitality business—returns now depend on design, operations, and differentiation, not just owning the asset,” Wendell explains. “Airbnbs can still be a great investment, but travelers now expect hotel-like amenities; therefore, Airbnb owners and operators have had to level up to succeed. I view this as a healthy correction that was inevitable.”
Briggs Elwell, cofounder and CEO of RLTYco, sees growing demand for compound-style developments. “It’s all about the compound, with multiple homes on the property (ideally in a setting that can capture the best of each season (i.e., apple picking and spring hikes).”
He also notes the increasing importance of wellness-driven amenities, a trend long established in European markets. “In Switzerland, this has been done extremely well. It’s high time the United States catches up, and investors are finally doing so.”
The Future Of Short-Term Rental Investing
For investors and developers evaluating opportunities in markets like Southern California and upstate New York, the takeaway is clear: experience is now the product.
Resort-style, multi-use properties that combine luxury design, premium amenities, and flexible functionality are well-positioned to outperform traditional short-term rentals.
As demand continues to grow in high-traffic leisure markets such as the Coachella Valley and the Catskills, this model may define the next phase of real estate investing in the United States.