Can You Franchise Glamping? Brian Linton Thinks So — And He’s Proving It Works.

Meet Brian Linton—entrepreneur, brand builder, and now a rising force in boutique hospitality. From founding the sustainable apparel company United by Blue to transforming rundown motels into sought-after boutique stays, Brian has mastered the art of brand storytelling and customer experience.

His hospitality journey started unexpectedly in 2020 when he and his wife purchased a neglected roadside motel in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. What began as a pandemic side project became The Rex, a high-design boutique retreat that quickly gained a cult following. From there, Brian expanded into new ventures—including Ferncrest, a glamping brand that’s pioneering a fresh approach to hospitality franchising.

In this episode, we dive into:

• How Brian went from selling jewelry out of his car to building a $20M apparel brand
• The unexpected pivot that led him from fashion to hospitality
• Why boutique motels and glamping are booming—and how social media plays a massive role
• The business of experience-driven stays: balancing high design with low-touch operations
• The future of Ferncrest and why he believes the glamping space is ripe for franchising
• Lessons from scaling a brand in multiple industries—what works, what doesn’t, and what he’d do differently

Brian is redefining what it means to build a hospitality brand in the modern era—where content, community, and commerce intersect. If you’re fascinated by the future of boutique hotels, unique stays, and experiential travel, this conversation is one you won’t want to miss.

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Learn more about Ferncrest

 

Behind the Stays is brought to you by Journey — a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that brings together an alliance of the world’s top independently owned and operated stays and allows travelers to earn points and perks on boutique hotels, vacation rentals, treehouses, ski chalets, glamping experiences and so much more.

Your host is Zach Busekrus, Head of the Journey Alliance. If you are a hospitality entrepreneur who has a stay, or a collection of stays with soul, we’d love for you to apply to join our Alliance at joinjourney.com/alliance.