What Happens When Two Engineers Build a Boutique Resort with Zero Hospitality Experience?

What happens when two lifelong friends and engineers decide to stop dreaming about their mountain getaway — and start building it from scratch?

Meet Dave Mayo and Matt Kamp, the co-founders of New River Ridge—a design-forward micro resort perched on 14 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

These guys aren’t developers. They’re not influencers. And they’re definitely not hotel veterans.

But what they are is obsessed with building a better kind of retreat. One where couples can truly disconnect, recharge, and rediscover each other in nature—without sacrificing thoughtful design or high-end comfort.

In this episode, we unpack:

– How a shared dream turned into a full-blown SBA-funded hospitality business
– Why they traded prefab shortcuts for custom stick-built cabins—and what most people misunderstand about that decision
– The zoning workarounds, financing hurdles, and site planning pivots that nearly derailed the project
– How they’re navigating build-in-public storytelling while still holding full-time jobs
– Why they believe in building lifestyle assets, not just investment properties—and how that mindset shapes every decision

Whether you’re a builder, dreamer, or first-time founder with land on the brain, this episode is your permission slip to start small—and think big.

Follow New River Ridge on Instagram

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 journey.com/alliance.