Three Camel Lodge exemplifies a new boom in culturally immersive lodgings, where hotels and homestays steep guests in a destination’s distinctive architecture, traditions, and food. Call it bed, breakfast, and a crash course in local customs.“Some sectors of the hospitality industry don’t just want to put heads in beds—they want to make hotels into cultural hubs and places to interact with locals,” says Samantha Hardcastle, founder of the.
“You want to feel like you’re visiting a community, and that its people are on equal footing with you,” says Hardcastle. “Look for a place that incorporates locals in a way that has them not catering to you as a tourist but encountering you as a friend.”Properties that employ and seek input from locals can provide experiences benefiting both travelers and residents.
In travelers’ quests to go deeper and further, these overnight stays might represent the best way to get to know a place. “There’s so much genericness in the hotel business,” says Jalsa Urubshurow, the founder of Three Camel Lodge. “If you highlight local architecture and the local community, it adds another layer to your exploration.”Several hotel groups and organizations specialize in culturally immersive overnight stays, usually with a significant commitment to sustainability.