A two-hour interactive workshop designed for real estate investors, developers, and hospitality entrepreneurs who want to understand—and build—the micro-resort asset class: purpose-built experiential lodging properties, typically 5–20 keys, founder-led, story-driven, and located within drive distance of a major metro.
Led by Isaac French, founder of Live Oak Lake—one of the most recognized micro-resorts in the country. At 24, Isaac bought five acres of raw Texas land and built a seven-cabin resort for $2.3M. A year later, he sold it for $7M ($1M per key), driven by an Instagram following he built from scratch to 150K, 80%+ direct booking rates, and 94% first-year occupancy. Isaac now teaches the Experiential Hospitality masterclass and advises operators building in the category he helped define.
Tuesday, June 9: 12:00pm–2:00pm ET
The session will be recorded and shared with all participants via Circle.
In this workshop, Isaac will walk through the exact framework he uses to help entrepreneurs go from idea to operating resort—from finding land and raising capital to design, branding, construction, marketing, and operations. This isn't a theoretical discussion about hospitality trends. It's a practical roadmap built from real projects, mistakes, and results.
Participants will receive post-course access to Circle, where we’ll share recordings, financial models, and deal examples.
The workshop moves through three phases of the micro-resort journey:
Part 1 — Vision & Foundation How to find and evaluate a site, stack capital creatively (investor equity, SBA lending, and rewards-based crowdfunding), build a brand before you break ground, and document your journey in a way that attracts guests, investors, and press from day one.
Part 2 — Design & Build How to let the land inform the design, build a design bible that guides every decision, hire and manage contractors without getting burned, value-engineer, and furnish and prepare a property that delivers on the promise of an exceptional experience.
Part 3 — Launch & Scale How to generate social proof and press before opening, build a direct booking engine that makes you independent of OTAs, set up staff-light, experience-forward operations and automation without losing the human touch, and use guest feedback and content to compound growth over time.
Part One: Vision, Capital & Brand
The Experiential Hospitality Opportunity
Why guests increasingly value experiences over possessions, and why thoughtfully designed micro-resorts continue to outperform conventional lodging.
Finding the Right Property
How to evaluate markets, identify promising land, avoid regulatory headaches, and choose locations with long-term potential.
Funding Your Project
How to combine investor equity, bank financing, SBA programs, crowdfunding, and creative capital sources to get projects off the ground.
Building a Brand People Care About
Why story matters more than logos, how to develop a compelling identity, and how to build an audience before you build the resort.
Part Two: Design, Construction & Operations
Designing Experiences, Not Buildings
How to let the land inform the design, create unforgettable guest moments, and develop a cohesive vision for the property.
Building Smart
Working with contractors, managing budgets, value engineering, landscaping, and avoiding expensive mistakes.
Preparing for Launch
Furnishings, guest experience design, cleaning systems, maintenance, staffing, and the details that separate great properties from average ones.
Marketing, Operations & Scale
Direct bookings, social media, content creation, automation, technology, and building a business that continues to improve year after year.
Who Should Attend
• Aspiring micro-resort developers
• Short-term rental owners looking to build something more differentiated
• Landowners exploring hospitality as a business
• Hospitality entrepreneurs seeking a proven framework
• Investors interested in experiential real estate
You’ll leave with a clear roadmap for building, funding, launching, and growing a micro-resort—along with the tools, frameworks, and lessons Isaac wishes he had when he started.
