Note: from what guests share with them, there’s clearly a huge opportunity for more nature-immersive retreats that are accessible. Hardly any exist, anywhere, meaning they typically have to find traditional hotels, even when desiring something beautiful and secluded.
Then they built a state-of-the-art laundry and storage facility (on par with what I saw at the $200M Amangiri), and recently added custom saunas and wood-fired tubs at both cabins.
In essence, the McPheeters spent their entire budget building two cabins instead of five, which was the original plan. But the brand they’ve built is unmatched in quality and taste. They also have much of the infrastructure—like roads, oversized septic, ops facility—for a much larger development.
Now, they are planning a couple more distinctive cabins and, eventually, a 20-unit landscape hotel!
Their approach reminded me of Tesla’s strategy:
Start with a high-end, iconic product to establish the brand, then gradually expand with more accessible options—all without sacrificing quality.
This approach has resulted in Tesla’s utter domination, and Nordlys is well on its way to becoming a world-renowned hospitality brand.
With just two cabins in the middle of “flyover country”!!