KOA and other camp grounds declining??

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by BAMA & Pachyderm Posse

if it is a self proclaimed resort or a KOA I look elsewhere , koa`s just are not worth it .

Come on Hershel, that's a subjective statement based on needs. Your needs may not meet others needs. To say something is not worth it... remember, in the eye of the beholder.

[rbryan]

Some KOA's are nice. The brand of campground is nowhere near as important as the people RUNNING it. Everything rises and falls on leadership. We stayed at a KOA in Idaho that was just great. Clean, well maintained, level sites, nice showers, and attentive hosts. Someone is leading that.


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[Glenn Baglo]

The whole point of branding is ensure a standard of quality.
You go to Arby's knowing what you are going to get.
All KOAs should be "nice".

[rbryan]

True Glenn, but some Arby's are not so hot and some are good. Leadership.


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[Glenn Baglo]

I thought they were all dreadful. "I'm so hungry, I could eat at Arby's" - The Simpsons.
Anyway, the leadership at KOA should be removing the franchise from the campgrounds that don't live up to the standard.

[rbryan]

Agreed. I think it's like many franchise or branding models. They become a success by doing something quite well, and adhering to a strict quality standard. Then, once they're well recognized, they sometimes think they don't have to try as hard. Think of all the franchises or brand names you've encountered where the difference in quality varies widely from one location to another. Don't even get me started about McDonalds or Chilis.


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[LindaandPat]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

The whole point of branding is ensure a standard of quality.
You go to Arby's knowing what you are going to get.
All KOAs should be "nice".

That is the truth ! Pat

[El Brazo Enophre]

Harvest Hosts is a membership type group.. We got it as a gift but I think it is something like $45 a year. Cheaper than two nights at a mediocre campsite and, we hope, a lot mor fun. We will let you know as soon as we use it in a couple of weeks.

[BAMA & Pachyderm Posse]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Come on Hershel, that's a subjective statement based on needs. Your needs may not meet others needs. To say something is not worth it... remember, in the eye of the beholder.

Hi Donna D you are correct in your assessment , my point is most of the koa`s we have stayed at are anywhere from 25% to 40% higher than an park equal in most every way to them , example the last koa we stayed in Santa Rosa new mexico , we stayed there 3 years ago then 2 weeks ago at a rate of $48.00 night , boy what a difference 3 years make .restaurant was very bad , pool closed , high grass , bath housed closed no wifi ,no cable , while the night before we stayed at Crater monument az very clean neat and well kept wifi,cable , store with snacks & grocery very frendly all for $25.00 almost 1/2 the price . Donna good to here from you we were in Organ a few weeks back there is a casnio that has a nice rv park cannyonville Or at 7 feathers close to you ? Hope you are enjoying your new trailer . we went out there to pick our new to us Casita

[Wallo]

If I am not mistaken, most KOA's are franchises. And the person that franchises pays a certain amount of money to the corporation. I think the corporations are taking more money from the franchisees than is necessary and doesn't allow enough for upkeep and improvements. Corporate greed in America.

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by Wallo

If I am not mistaken, most KOA's are franchises. And the person that franchises pays a certain amount of money to the corporation. I think the corporations are taking more money from the franchisees than is necessary and doesn't allow enough for upkeep and improvements. Corporate greed in America.

I'll not argue that some corporations are "greedy", but that's a stretch in this case. KOA has several models: you can become a KOA if you already own a campground, you can build one from scratch, or you can become a KOA partner (franchisee). They also have a few other business models which they don't publish, but are negotiated individually. Their franchise fees are on the lower end as franchises go. The profit margin is largely driven by where they're located and how well RUN they are. People tend to stay at nicer parks, and they don't have to worry about drawing repeat customers. Some franchisees choose to spend less on facilities to up their margin. If we're talking greed, there's plenty to go around.


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[Dextersp1]

Originally Posted by Wallo

If I am not mistaken, most KOA's are franchises. And the person that franchises pays a certain amount of money to the corporation. I think the corporations are taking more money from the franchisees than is necessary and doesn't allow enough for upkeep and improvements. Corporate greed in America.

They are franchises and like most e.g. McDonalds they pay a percentage of revenue to the franchisor.

There are a lot of KOAs out there so, a lot of owners must think it is a good deal. After a period of time the franchisee can get out of the agreement.

I've found KOAs over priced for my needs. However, the ones I went to did have an abundance of children so, families find the worth the cost.

[padlin00]

I've only been doing campground for the last 10 years. The only thing I've noticed changing is how busy they are. Harder to get a site without reservations, and also harder to get reservations. Guess I'd have to blame the internet. Fall is now more crowded, as are weekdays. Campgrounds are still hit or miss. State and federal CG's get older and even more run down. No brownie points for politicians that would put $ into them.

[Kevin A]

"A weed is a flower to the next person."

We pretty much only stay in KOAs on our trips. I can say we've never had a bad one and look forward to the differences between them. More expensive than a small motel in a small town? Maybe, but I know what's in our sheets! We need electric at a site and prefer a city water hookup if possible. So, many of our Christmas and summer trips are almost always at KOAs. To each his own, I guess.

It does sound like there may be a difference in quality west of the Rockies, since most of the folks here commenting about bad experiences are from out west. We haven't gotten west of Colorado with our VT yet due to vacation time constraints.