Crowdfunding for Your Hospitality Project
Every aspiring unique stays builder eventually arrives at the same question. You can see the domes glowing under the night sky, the cabins tucked into the forest, the retreat alive with your story. The design is in your head. The vision is on paper.
But where does the money come from to bring it to life?
The Fastest Door: Equity
For most first projects, the fastest way forward is equity.
Investors can provide immediate funds when banks hesitate and personal savings fall short. Equity can mean progress instead of stalling. It accelerates timelines and moves projects from concept to ground-breaking.
The cost is ownership. Every share you trade reduces your freedom to shape the project exactly as you imagined it. If possible, protect as much equity as you can.
Another Path: Pre-Selling Stays on Indiegogo
Instead of relying solely on investors or loans, you can raise money directly from your future guests.
This is where Indiegogo becomes a powerful tool. Originally designed for product launches, Indiegogo also works beautifully for hospitality projects, because you are offering something tangible: nights, weekends, and experiences at your future stay.
It turns your community, friends, family, and even strangers into early supporters of your vision.
How Indiegogo Works
Create a Campaign Page
Build a page that tells your story.
Share your vision, the uniqueness of your stay, and why it matters.
Use visuals like renderings, sketches, photos of the land.
Add a Campaign Video
Record yourself explaining your vision and why this project matters.
Layer in renderings, your personal story, and visual cues of what the guest experience will feel like.
Keep it personal, direct, and authentic. People are backing you as much as the concept.
Choose Your Funding Model
Fixed funding: all-or-nothing; you only receive funds if the goal is met.
Flexible funding: you keep whatever you raise, even if you don’t hit the full goal. Most unique stay builders prefer flexible funding, since every dollar counts.
Set a Timeline
For development projects like a unique stay or resort, a longer timeline makes more sense.
Market Before You Launch
Warm up your email list and social media with teasers.
Have supporters lined up to pledge in the first 48 hours.
Crowdfunding platforms boost campaigns that show early traction.
Deliver Updates
Share progress with your backers during the campaign and after funding. Updates keep supporters engaged and increase trust.
Designing Rewards That Sell
Rewards are the heart of the campaign. For unique stays, they revolve around pre-selling booking nights. Here’s a structure that works:
One-Night Stay: Offer at a special early-bird rate. Example: $250 instead of $300.
Two-Night Stay: Slightly deeper discount. Example: $500 instead of $600. Position this as the “most popular” tier.
Three-Night Stay: Premium package with the best value. Example: $700 instead of $900. Add an extra perk such as a welcome basket or priority booking.
Founder’s Package: Limited availability. Example: $1,000 for three nights, plus early access to opening dates, a tree planted in their honor, or their name in a founder’s guestbook.
Non-Stay Rewards: Options for those who want to support but may never visit. Branded mugs, tote bags, a digital photo book of the build, or a private virtual Q&A about the process.
Include scarcity. Limit the number of discounted packages so early backers feel rewarded for acting quickly.
Why It Works
Capital without debt. You raise money upfront with no loans or interest.
Proof of demand. Pre-sold nights show lenders and investors that people want your concept.
Community support. Backers become your first guests and strongest advocates.
Visibility. Unique stay projects stand out on crowdfunding platforms and often attract media coverage.
Video builds trust. When backers see your face, hear your voice, and watch the vision come alive with renderings and story, they connect emotionally.
The Currency of Vision
This approach depends on the strength of your vision.
If your project feels generic, people won’t commit. But if it is bold and clear—if your campaign makes them feel the glow of lanterns at night, hear the forest around their dome, or picture their family gathered by your firepit—they will believe.
And belief is the true currency of crowdfunding.
Let those first backers arrive not only as guests, but as the reason your project became real.
A Word of Caution
Sometimes these campaigns succeed when the creator of a unique stay actually follows through and builds the property. Guests who backed early get to experience the vision they supported, often becoming lifelong advocates of the place.
But there are also stories of campaigns that raised substantial funds and never delivered as promised. Projects stalled, money was mismanaged, or the builder simply didn’t have the capacity to finish.
If you ever consider supporting someone else’s campaign rather than running your own, take time to research carefully. Look into who they are, what they have built in the past, and whether their track record shows they can deliver. Backing a dream is inspiring, but it should be grounded in trust and credibility.
