boutique homes dispatches

Deep In the Heart of Texas

You probably already know how difficult it can be to find a vacation rental or small hotel that is stylish, unique, and intimate. We’ve been bombarded with images of massive resorts and bland mega-chains for so long that it’s hard to imagine there are any other options out there. But those of us who value small spaces go on vacation just like everybody else, so why shouldn’t we have a place to stay when we’re away?

If you count yourself among these lovers of the small, Cinco Camp might be the place for you.

Cinco Camp is a teeny-tiny hotel set in the picturesque rolling plains of West Texas (think Friday Night Lights or No Country For Old Men for visual reference). Cinco Camp is so small and so well hidden within its environment, you may not see the property at first glance. And that’s actually the whole idea.

Cinco Camp is the brainchild of Roger Black, former Rolling Stone art director and New York City resident. He imagined Cinco Camp as an alternative to overly-fancy, overly-large Hamptons-style vacation rentals. The camp is located “deep in the heart of Texas”, on a 3,000 acre-spread that’s 200 miles from Midland – the nearest town. The only man-made disturbance that guests at Cinco Camp experience is the whistle of a train passing by in the distance. Black explained his reasoning behind Cinco Camp’s diminutive size to the New York Times: “I wanted something that blends into the landscape and could be installed and eventually removed with minimal disturbance to the environment.”

Here’s what makes Cinco Camp so unique: it’s constructed entirely out of shipping containers – five 8 x 20 shipping containers to be exact. Recycled shipping containers, creatively repurposed, make up the “rooms” of the camp. Shipping container construction is nothing new, but at Cinco Camp the containers have been left totally intact, rather than cut up and welded into different shapes. Each container is home to a different living space and altogether make up a functional vacation rental that’s perfect for up to 6 people (any more and it can get a bit crowded, according to Black).

Cinco Camp architect Mark Wellen should get credit for the innovative use of shipping containers. During the construction of Cinco Camp, Wellen was challenged to come up with creative and clever ideas to maximize space and minimize cost. The shipping containers came pre-equipped with slots on each corner; a design feature installed to ensure safe stacking and storage of the containers during transit. Wellen used these slots to attach slanted roofing and stilts to each container, providing both shade (a must have in Texas) and protection from ground-dwelling snakes and spiders. The sturdy container material keep out sand, wind, and other natural elements that can cause erosion, making Cinco Camp essentially maintenance free. Simply close the cargo doors on each container prior to departing, and the rest takes care of itself.

Cinco Camp is an example of a modern vacation rental that has, from conception to completion, been designed to be totally enveloped by the landscape. Nothing is extraneous: just the warmth of sun and the simple luxury of a self-contained space within a gorgeous natural vista. The success of Cinco Camp demonstrates that there is a market for vacation properties that favor unique experience over unnecessary frills.

Cinco Camp is part of the Boutique Homes collection of modern vacation rentals and small hotels for incurably stylish nomads. Visit the ‘vacation rentals’ section of our website to book your stay at Cinco Camp.

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