Après Inn: How two first-time hoteliers built a modern ski-town motel that runs itself

The Après Inn gives guests the best of both worlds — close to the adventure when the sun’s out and close to the fun when the evening rolls in.

After constantly finding themselves driving past outdated motels all over New England thinking how cool it would be to bring one back to life, and inspired by their own adventure-filled travels, founders Brett and Casey set out to create a place that included some form of “Après,” where the energy didn’t fade just because the mountain closed. 

They envisioned a stay where outdoor enthusiasts could recharge, connect, and keep the spirit of the mountain alive long after the day’s final run.

After a year-long search for the right space to bring their idea to life, they discovered the former Happy Bear Motel in Killington, VT, and knew instantly they had found the perfect match.

The motel was far from guest-ready, but that didn’t scare them off. They saw the chance to build something with character, charm, and real business potential.

So they tore the place apart, rebuilt it piece by piece, and shared every messy, magical step on Instagram. The journey exploded, drawing more than 300,000 followers who didn’t just watch the story unfold — they wanted to stay in it.

“The entire place needed a full renovation from top to bottom, and as we started to dig into some of the rooms, we started documenting and making videos that we posted on our instagram page, Innvestors, and that quickly took off and we grew a following of 300,000 people.”

But building the dream was one thing. Running it? That came with a different set of challenges.

Ski town guests usually arrive late, after a full day on the mountain and a long drive from home on a Friday afternoon. 

“After operating for a few months, we learned that our guests were arriving late to ski for the weekend,” comments Casey. Brett continues, “a lot of our guests here are checking very late. They’re driving up after work in a snowstorm, and we used to have to stay up till midnight handing out physical keys.”

They quickly learned that staying up for this wasn’t just unsustainable — it wasn’t a lifestyle they wanted to build a business around. They needed technology that didn’t just look modern, but acted modern. Reliable. Automated. Built for real hotelier life. 

After talking to colleagues and testing options, Cloudbeds became the obvious choice.

With Cloudbeds, Guests arrive when they want, and Brett and Casey go to bed when they want. 

Guests now receive automated texts, emails, and OTA messages with their room numbers, personalized access codes, and clear digital instructions powered by apps in the Cloudbeds Marketplace. 

Cloudbeds has also become the command center of their day-to-day. With the Unified Inbox, all guest communications from Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more land in one place — no juggling, no missed messages. 

The Guest Portal lets travelers sign agreements, access digital guidebooks, and find everything they need without ever stopping at a desk — giving Brett and Casey the time and space to clean rooms, run errands, or step off-property while staying connected and keeping every guest cared for.

“The craziest thing that Cloudbeds’ guest experience has done for us is really eliminate the need for us to have a 24/7 desk.”

Après Inn also makes use of Cloudbeds Marketplace integration, RoomPriceGenie, to automate pricing. No more manual rate updates — just smart, dynamic revenue strategies pushed to every OTA automatically.

The pair have turned what was a forgotten motel into a thriving, modernized destination loved by both travelers and a 300K-strong online community. As new hoteliers, they needed a partner — not just software.

“Integrating Cloudbeds into our property was an absolute game-changer,” they share. Asked whether they’d recommend it, their answer is clear: “We would highly recommend Cloudbeds to any other owners in a similar situation.”