Why Guests Are Booking Unique Nature Retreats and Short-Term Rental Cabins in Vermont

Melissa Hessney Masters (00:00)
For us, was just that really unique offering, something that is, I think part of the reason why it is so magical is because probably a lot of people, especially with an investment mindset, would think it’s wild to only have something that’s available four and a half months of the year. But that is part of what makes it magical and unique and keeps the calendar really full and keeps the demand really high.

Michelle Kesil (01:59)
Hey everybody, welcome to the Real Estate Pros podcast. I’m your host, Michelle Kesil. Today I’m joined by someone I’m looking forward to chatting with, Melissa Hessney Masters, who is the founder of Tangle Bloom Cabins in Vermont, creating a short term cabin rental. So excited to have you here today, Melissa.

Melissa Hessney Masters (02:22)
Thank you so much, Michelle. I’m excited to chat with you.

Michelle Kesil (02:25)
Awesome, let’s dive in. First off, for those not yet familiar with you and your work, can you share what your main focus is these days?

Melissa Hessney Masters (02:34)
Sure, so we focus on immersive nature retreats and our first offering is a glamping style tiny cabin that’s tucked away in a corner of our cut flower farm, which is Tangle Bloom. And we’re located in Southern Vermont and that puts us about two and a half hours outside of Boston and a little over three hours, three and a half hours from New York City.

Michelle Kesil (03:01)
Awesome. And how did you get into real estate?

Melissa Hessney Masters (03:06)
Yeah, you know, I’d always been an appreciator of unique stays and love to travel. So that’s kind of where the seed was initially planted. And this cabin, we actually did not intend to rent at all. It was something that my husband and I built for ourselves.

We found ourselves not using it as much after we had a baby and our farm was keeping us very busy. So we decided to try renting it out and had pretty low expectations. We really thought it was too rustic and weird for anyone to really want to ⁓ pay us to stay at, but we were very pleasantly surprised very quickly. Dates were booking up as fast as we opened them and we quickly

quickly saw that there was demand for something like this. that’s when we started to invest a little more both in the space and in just trying to come up with an offering that was unique and that people would respond to.

Michelle Kesil (04:15)
Awesome. how are people finding a rental? Is it mostly through Airbnb?

Melissa Hessney Masters (04:22)
For sure, there’s a lot who find us through Airbnb or HipCamp. Those are the two main platforms that we list on, but I also do a lot of our own marketing. So we have a very active social media presence on Instagram, and we also have an email list and a website.

Michelle Kesil (04:41)
Awesome. And so what do you feel have been some of the main keys that have allowed your business to be able to grow and run successfully?

Melissa Hessney Masters (05:38)
Yeah, the biggest thing is really dialing into what people are asking for. When we first started renting, was very low lift on our end. We didn’t provide much and in exchange we offered a pretty low rate. We were also, you know, still sort of testing the waters. And very quickly we saw that, you know, people were asking us to borrow things or mentioning that they wish they had this or that. And so we realized that

you know, people were coming from the cities, they were coming to unplug and they didn’t necessarily want to spend so much time planning their stay, packing equipment, you know, setting up a tent. Maybe they didn’t have camping equipment. So after a season or two and really listening to our guests, we kind of flipped our model around to where we provide almost everything you need besides food and, you know, price it accordingly. And the response has been really wonderful. People

have really enjoyed just being able to come and not have to do so much of the planning and packing and setup.

Michelle Kesil (06:47)
Yeah, amazing. And what was the creation process like in finding the right space and making it the aesthetics that you felt were the best for your audience?

Melissa Hessney Masters (07:03)
Yeah, because this is, you know, it’s located on a farm and it’s very much immersed in nature. You’re surrounded by forest and trees. I very much let the landscape dictate the aesthetic. So really what I was trying to do is make something that really blurs the lines between indoors and out. So from the color palette to the textures that we use, we use as much natural materials as we can. So wood, cotton, linen.

natural fibers and yeah, really try to create something that sort of just melts into the background and also has a little bit of like this fairy tale sort of feel because you’re on this like cushy organic mattress in the forest in a real bed, but there’s trees all around you. So you have that really nice contrast that makes it unique.

Michelle Kesil (07:59)
Yeah, I love that. And are you focusing on scaling this or creating any other projects?

Melissa Hessney Masters (08:09)
Yeah, we are working on a second cabin, which we are hoping will launch ⁓ fall winter of 2026. And this one will be again, very much listening to our guests and trying to appeal to the folks who ⁓ are interested in coming. But maybe this offering is a little bit too rustic or they’d be great if the weather was perfect. But if the weather’s not perfect, they or maybe their partner wouldn’t be super into it.

and also solving for one of our main challenges, is very limited seasonality due to being outside in Vermont. So we will have a new offering that is year round and hopefully retains a lot of the charm and the, you know, what people have come to love about Tankerbloom Cabin.

Michelle Kesil (09:03)
Awesome. And so how was the journey of like the investment process and like the real estate? Is that something that you had to learn?

Melissa Hessney Masters (09:15)
⁓

A little bit. So my husband is a realtor and so I had the benefit of that. like I said, we both traveled a lot and you know, like most people love to check out the real estate listings anywhere you go. ⁓ So we had been looking for a number of years and you know, toured lots of properties, considered many different opportunities and properties. ⁓

And it’s just one of those things that sounds kind of cliche, when the right one pops up, you just kind of know. And so, yeah, then we just dove in.

Michelle Kesil (09:56)
Yeah, amazing. And so what are you most excited about, whether it’s with this project or any other opportunities?

Melissa Hessney Masters (10:40)
Yeah, for sure it’s giving our guests, people a place to reconnect back to nature. hear it time and time again. We get to meet a lot of our guests and we see that when they come and when they leave, they are really different people. And so it just kind of reinforces for us over and over again how much something like this is needed and welcomed and…

how we can do some good and really serve people and also build our own financial security along the way.

Michelle Kesil (11:17)
Yeah. How have the day-to-day operations been for you?

Melissa Hessney Masters (11:24)
Yeah, they are pretty dialed in. We’ve been hosting since 2017. So we’ve had a lot of time to figure out our systems and we have a great team. I think this will be the fourth or fifth year returning for many of our team, which is really awesome. yeah, so the data data operations are pretty smooth at this point.

⁓ I will say I do invest more time and energy in marketing in the last few years than we had to at first, but that’s kind of just comes with the territory now.

Michelle Kesil (12:02)
Yeah, can you expand on what the marketing process looks like?

Melissa Hessney Masters (12:07)
Yeah, so as mentioned, we have very active social media. So I do, I’ve hired a content creator for that, which has been amazing. So I still handle the strategy and then we meet together to discuss the strategy and how we’ll implement that. And the content creator then takes care of the creative aspects. So photography, making reels, just making everything look beautiful and engaging. And

I do manage our email list as well. So we try to send out ⁓ one to two emails a month and we’re actively growing our email list with lead magnets and ⁓ through our website traffic.

Michelle Kesil (12:54)
Yeah, and what has been some of the biggest challenges or obstacles that you’ve had to overcome in this role?

Melissa Hessney Masters (13:03)
Yeah, you know, things are always changing, right? Like marketing, social media, you kind of figure out a strategy or a practice and then it just, it changes. So you have to really be willing to be adaptable and willing to just kind of roll with it and flow with it a little bit and not just fight against it. That’s kind of a losing battle.

Michelle Kesil (13:29)
Yeah. And what have been some of the most like profound takeaways in this position?

Melissa Hessney Masters (13:42)
Yeah, I think that again goes back to just the guest experience and seeing the impact that we can have on guests. ⁓ That’s definitely the biggest takeaway. Yeah.

Michelle Kesil (13:54)
Yeah, and how do most of your guests find you? Would you say it’s like organic, like social media?

Melissa Hessney Masters (14:02)
A lot of it is social media, know, Airbnb, the OTAs definitely play a role there. Google search still is up there as a lead source. Yeah.

Michelle Kesil (14:17)
Awesome. And so what is your target audience for the guests that come?

Melissa Hessney Masters (14:23)
So our guests are mostly city dwellers from greater Boston or New York City area. We do get some folks from as far north as Montreal and then down to Philadelphia and DC area sometimes as well. ⁓ They’re generally, and there are 20s and 30s, most of them, ⁓ majority of them are couples. We do get a fair number of solo travelers as well.

and many of the couples that are visiting, they’re often celebrating something, so a birthday, anniversary. We’ve hosted a number of honeymoons and even some proposals in the last few years, so that’s been really exciting.

Michelle Kesil (15:43)
Yeah, super exciting. And so what are some of the biggest takeaways that you have from hosting this type of hospitality business?

Melissa Hessney Masters (15:56)
Biggest takeaways, knowing your market, knowing your audience, constantly trying to improve or strive to provide what it is that they’re asking for.

Yeah, I think that’s the biggest takeaway for sure.

Michelle Kesil (16:20)
And what kind of opportunities do you see this providing for growth in terms of real estate?

Melissa Hessney Masters (16:28)
Yeah, it’s definitely a model that could be expanded. ⁓ You know, we’ve considered expanding in a few different ways, whether it’s different stays that are very similar to this or expanding with another stay on the same property or, you know, one of our biggest challenges is the seasonality. So then the other idea is to have something that’s not so limited by seasonality.

And I think for us, it’s really a mix of those things. It feels the most exciting and the most diverse.

Michelle Kesil (17:07)
And are you looking to scale in terms of different type of investments opportunities?

Melissa Hessney Masters (17:14)
Over time, yeah, I think we have our hands full at the moment with this next project and we’ll probably cool it after that for a little while. But yeah, in the long term for sure.

Michelle Kesil (17:27)
Yeah. Is there any advice you’d give to someone that’s looking to also operate this type of business?

Melissa Hessney Masters (17:35)
Yeah, definitely do your research. Know your market, know your target audience, ⁓ know what’s already around you, ⁓ and try to fill in those gaps, for sure. You know, I see a lot of people who just want to do like a copy and paste approach, and ⁓ that could work for like a framework, but to really set yourself apart just copying and pasting what you see someone else do is probably not gonna work out.

Michelle Kesil (18:01)
Yeah. What would you say the gaps are that you’re filling?

Melissa Hessney Masters (18:06)
For us, was just that really unique offering, something that is, I think part of the reason why it is so magical is because probably a lot of people, especially with an investment mindset, would think it’s wild to only have something that’s available four and a half months of the year. But that is part of what makes it magical and unique and keeps the calendar really full and keeps the demand really high.

Michelle Kesil (18:33)
Yeah. And are you working with like a team on this or it’s just you and your husband?

Melissa Hessney Masters (18:41)
Yeah, we have a small team.

Michelle Kesil (18:44)
What does that look like?

Melissa Hessney Masters (18:46)
So we have a content creator, we have ⁓ some help with property management, we have help with cleaning or turnovers, and then like an overall ⁓ business mentor.

Michelle Kesil (19:02)
Yeah, amazing.

And so is this a type of business that you would recommend for other entrepreneurs to dabble in?

Melissa Hessney Masters (19:16)
If it speaks to them, absolutely. ⁓ You know, there are challenges that come with, you know, working off grid, hosting in nature for sure. So it’s, ⁓ it’s definitely not for everyone. ⁓ So yeah, I would say that is a little caveat, but if you are someone who is interested in that, enjoys that, or has the resources just to hire that right person who has that skill set, then absolutely.

Michelle Kesil (19:46)
Yeah, and when you say like off-grid challenges, what does that entail?

Melissa Hessney Masters (19:50)
Yeah, so our cabin itself is completely off-grid. There’s no electricity. There’s no heating or cooling or anything like that. ⁓ It’s basically like camping. Some of the amenities are located closer to the main property. So there is some water and very limited ⁓ electricity access for like charging a phone, limited wifi in the outdoor kitchen. So you can still like check in, but it’s…

it’s not enough to do a Zoom call or work from home or something like that. yeah, just in like weather, we’ve had some extreme weather in the last few years, lots of rain and so trails washing out to requiring more maintenance, just kind of that like on the ground work that you don’t see on Instagram.

Michelle Kesil (20:41)
Definitely, it’s not always a highlight reel.

Melissa Hessney Masters (20:43)
I’m

Michelle Kesil (20:46)
Amazing. Thank you for sharing.

Well, before we begin to wrap up here, if someone wants to reach out, connect, learn more, where can people find you and connect with you?

Melissa Hessney Masters (20:58)
Our website is TangleBloomCabin.com and they can also find us on Instagram @TangleBloom_Cabin

Michelle Kesil (21:07)
Perfect. Well, appreciate your time and your story. Thank you for being here.

Melissa Hessney Masters (21:11)
Thank you so much, Michelle.

Michelle Kesil (21:13)
Of course. And for those tuning in, if you got value, make sure you’ve subscribed. We’ve got more conversations with operators like Melissa who are building real businesses and we’ll see you on our next episode.