VOL 26 ISSUE 27, July 7, 2025
Main caption: Group President Scott Socha discusses Delaware North Parks and Resorts’ new alternative lodging brand as part of its strategy to lead the growing outdoor recreation and hospitality market during a Transformation Information Session on July 1 at corporate headquarters and livestreamed on Teams.
Delaware North Parks and Resorts is poised to expand in the fast-growing $1.3 trillion outdoor recreation and leisure market by building on the company’s success in alternative lodging with expanded consumer-facing brands and new locations.
A new alternative lodging strategy was the theme of the first Transformation Information Session on July 1 presented by Scott Socha, group president for Parks and Resorts, Travel and Delaware North Australia, at corporate headquarters and livestreamed on Microsoft Teams. Team members with business emails can watch a recording of the session here.
Delaware North’s Transformation – our pursuit to reimagine how we win for our guests, clients and teams – began with “Investor Day” earlier this year, when our subsidiary presidents articulated their visions to top leadership on how they plan to transform their businesses.
Socha’s presentation was the first in a series of information sessions this summer hosted by Vice President of Communications Cait Zulewski, during which each subsidiary will share its plans and priorities for the future and answer audience questions. The next Transformation Information Session is noon ET July 9 with Patina Group President John Kolaski (JK).
The session began with Socha offering a brief recap of the company’s need for transformation – to be more nimble, higher performing and guest-centric to meet fast-evolving guest expectations and counter quick-adapting competitors.
Becoming the undisputed leader in hospitality for the outdoor recreation and leisure market is the transformation vision for Delaware North Parks and Resorts, Socha said.
“We look at it as ‘Where hospitality meets nature’s playground.’ We provide hospitality in an outdoor setting that is really important – where we see a gap from a consumer standpoint that we do well, and we have to seize on that,” Socha said.
For context, he provided a brief history of the evolution of Parks and Resorts, existing and new target markets, and its varied portfolio – including the 2013 debut of Explorer Cabins in West Yellowstone, Mont., and several subsequent cabin developments.
Socha also noted the recent interest in outdoor alternative lodging of the largest lodging companies – Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt – and their partner brands.
“So, you have a large market space with great growth that is becoming more professionalized as the hotel brands enter the marketplace. We see that as being very important to us in changing how we look at the business,” he said.
Delaware North is also using insights from its post-COVID lodging strategy initiative to shape the alternative lodging strategy by determining guest desires on cabin products and travel locations. Socha said demand is high, but supply is limited due to difficulties building in these locations.
Socha said the team is “working very hard” on many fronts – including the cabin product, potential brand affiliation and locations – to launch alternative lodging as a formal and distinct part of Parks and Resorts this year.
“We are challenging ourselves to rethink our business and we’re bringing enthusiasm and passion to it,” he said.
In addition to alternative lodging, Parks and Resorts is focused on brand alignment and positioning; reinforcing core lodging, food and beverage, retail, experience and tour capabilities; and expanding in “space hospitality” beyond operating Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and the nearby Courtyard Titusville hotel.
“It’s not just lodging. We do not want to operate just the four walls of a hotel – that does not excite us,” Socha said. “We want to operate the culinary, the retail, the tours, attractions and education part of that. It’s all about that whole guest experience.”