Choice Hotels to Acquire Harvest Hosts: What RVers Need to Know

Last updated: September 30, 2026. Information current as of September 30, 2026.

Choice Hotels International has agreed to acquire Harvest Hosts in an all-cash transaction with an enterprise value of approximately $130 million, according to the Choice Hotels announcement distributed by PR Newswire. The announcement is significant for RV travelers because the deal covers not only Harvest Hosts, but also the wider family that includes Boondockers Welcome, Escapees RV Club, CampScanner, and Brit Stops.

The acquisition had not closed when it was announced on September 30. Choice said it expected the transaction to close on October 1, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. For now, the most accurate description is that Choice Hotels agreed to acquire Harvest Hosts—not that every operational change has already happened.

Editorial and affiliate disclosure: Boondock or Bust is a Harvest Hosts affiliate. We may earn a commission if a reader joins through a link on this page, at no additional cost to the reader. The acquisition coverage and conclusions below are based on the announcement and are not supplied or approved by Harvest Hosts.

What did Choice Hotels announce?

Choice Hotels said it entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of Harvest Hosts from growth-equity firm Stripes and other shareholders. The approximately $130 million enterprise-value transaction is all cash and is expected to be funded with cash on hand and borrowing under Choice’s existing revolving credit facility.

The announcement says Harvest Hosts connects RV travelers with more than 11,200 host locations across its network. Choice described the business as an asset-light subscription platform that complements its hotel portfolio.

The release also says the transaction is not expected to have a material effect on Choice Hotels’ 2026 financial results and does not change the company’s previously communicated 2026 share-repurchase expectations. Those financial expectations do not establish future member prices or host terms.

What is confirmed—and what is still unknown?

The September 30 announcement contains several concrete commitments about structure and leadership. It does not contain the operational detail most members and hosts want to know.

Why does a hotel company want an RV membership network?

Choice is not buying thousands of campgrounds. It is buying a subscription platform, a network of host relationships and access to travelers who may use both hotels and RVs. That matches Choice’s stated asset-light strategy: grow travel inventory and loyalty engagement without owning the underlying farms, wineries, museums, private homes or campgrounds.

The strategic fit is not as strange as the headline sounds. RV trips can include hotel nights before a rental pickup, during repairs, when weather turns or when travelers want a break from the rig. Choice says its loyalty members are unusually active in RV travel, although the announcement does not publish the underlying study or the size of that overlap.

For Choice, the opportunity is a new subscription category and more ways to keep travelers inside its ecosystem. For Harvest Hosts, the stated upside is access to Choice’s scale, marketing capabilities and loyalty reach. Whether those advantages improve the day-to-day experience will depend on execution after the deal closes.

What are Harvest Hosts members and hosts saying?

Early comments in a Harvest Hosts enthusiasts Facebook thread were cautious rather than uniformly negative. This was a convenience sample from one developing discussion, not a poll. Comments can be added, removed or reordered, and people who post in an enthusiast group may not reflect the full member or host base.

In the excerpt reviewed September 30, commenters raised four themes. Because this was an informal sample from one discussion, it cannot show how common these views are among Harvest Hosts members or hosts:

• Wait and see: Many commenters wanted to see what actually changes before deciding whether to renew.
• Pricing anxiety: Several said a future increase could push them not to renew. No increase was announced.
• Corporate-ownership concern: Some worried that a public company would prioritize shareholder returns or introduce paid tiers. Those are predictions, not announced plans.
• Alternatives: RV Overnights was mentioned repeatedly, while other commenters noted that its network is smaller or that host responses can be inconsistent.

A Harvest Hosts account replied in the discussion that the company was focused on operational improvement while maintaining its core identity. That is consistent with the formal announcement’s standalone-brand language, but it is not a promise that every price, term or feature will remain unchanged.

What could improve after the acquisition?

The following are plausible opportunities, not announced features:

• Technology and support: Choice could invest in search, mapping, reservations, fraud prevention and customer service.
• Broader distribution: Harvest Hosts could reach travelers through Choice’s loyalty and marketing channels.
• More host recruitment: A larger sales and partnership operation could expand the network or improve coverage gaps.
• Mixed-trip benefits: A future connection between RV stays and Choice Privileges could help travelers who combine hotels with RV travel.

None of those possibilities was promised with a launch date. Treat them as a watch list, not a reason to buy a membership today.

What should members and hosts watch for?

Watch official renewal notices, host agreements, and benefit announcements for changes that affect your trips.

• Renewal notices: Compare your current rate, renewal date and plan benefits with any new notice before accepting a change.
• Terms and privacy updates: Read notices about data sharing, account linking, automatic renewal and cancellation.
• Host agreements: Hosts should watch for changes to eligibility, guest expectations, support spending, insurance language or fees.
• Choice Privileges: Look for a formal announcement before assuming points can be earned or redeemed.
• Network quality: Track usable hosts on your real routes, not only a headline location count.

Take screenshots of your current account page, renewal rate and benefits. That gives you a clean before-and-after record if the company changes terms later.

Should you renew or join Harvest Hosts now?

The acquisition announcement alone is not a reason to cancel, renew early or buy a higher tier. The practical decision still depends on your renewal date, your routes and how often you use the network.

• Renew now if the current plan already pays for itself on trips you have scheduled and your renewal terms remain acceptable.
• Wait if your renewal is months away, your travel is paused or you would be buying mainly because of hoped-for Choice benefits.
• Compare alternatives if price is the deciding factor. Our RV Overnights vs Harvest Hosts analysis compares price, network size, route fit and host expectations.
• Check the broader market with our Good Sam vs Harvest Hosts vs RV Overnights comparison.
• Compare club economics in our RV club membership guide, which explains how trip frequency and route fit affect value.

If you are new to host-based overnight stays, our Harvest Hosts cost and expectations guide explains what the membership includes, what travelers typically buy from hosts and why “free camping” can be misleading shorthand.

Frequently asked questions

These answers reflect the September 30 announcement; future program changes require separate confirmation.

Did Choice Hotels buy Harvest Hosts?

Choice Hotels announced on September 30, 2026, that it had agreed to acquire 100% of Harvest Hosts. The transaction was expected to close October 1, subject to customary closing conditions. Until closing is confirmed, “agreed to acquire” is the precise wording.

How much is Choice Hotels paying for Harvest Hosts?

The announced all-cash transaction has an enterprise value of approximately $130 million. Choice said it would use cash on hand and borrowings under its existing revolving credit facility.

Will Harvest Hosts remain a separate brand?

Choice says Harvest Hosts will continue as a standalone business under its existing brand. Joel Holland is expected to remain CEO with the existing leadership team.

Will Harvest Hosts membership prices increase?

No price change was announced. The release does not promise that future list prices, promotions or renewal rates will remain unchanged. Members should rely on their account and renewal notice rather than predictions in social media comments.

Will Choice Hotels charge Harvest Hosts locations a fee?

No new host fee was announced. Online comments predicting host fees or paid host tiers are speculation unless Choice or Harvest Hosts publishes new host terms.

Will Harvest Hosts work with Choice Privileges?

No points earning, redemption or account-linking benefit was announced. Choice highlighted overlap between its loyalty members and RV travelers, but that is a strategic rationale, not a published Choice Privileges benefit.

What happens to Boondockers Welcome and Escapees RV Club?

Both are part of the Harvest Hosts family covered by the transaction. The announcement does not describe specific price, brand, or benefit changes for either program. Our Boondockers Welcome review explains its current membership model and host expectations.

Is RV Overnights a replacement for Harvest Hosts?

It can be an alternative for some routes and budgets, but it is not identical. Our RV Overnights vs Harvest Hosts analysis reports a lower standard annual fee and a smaller published network for RV Overnights. That comparison reflects the dated provider figures cited there; verify current prices and actual hosts on your planned routes before switching.

Bottom line

Choice Hotels has agreed to buy access to an RV travel ecosystem, not turn Harvest Hosts locations into hotels. The announcement promises a standalone brand and continuity in leadership, but leaves pricing, host terms, loyalty integration and future plan structure unanswered.

The rational response is neither panic nor blind optimism. Keep using the membership if it works for your routes, save your current terms, and judge the acquisition by the first concrete post-closing changes.

Sources

The company announcement supports the transaction facts; provider pages supply membership context.

1. Choice Hotels International. (2026, September 30). Choice Hotels to acquire Harvest Hosts.
2. Harvest Hosts. (2026). About Harvest Hosts.
3. Harvest Hosts. (2026). Membership plans.
4. Harvest Hosts Help Center. (2026). Membership costs, renewals and taxes.

This is a developing story. Boondock or Bust will update this page when the transaction closes or when Choice Hotels or Harvest Hosts publishes material changes to member pricing, host terms, program benefits or loyalty integration.