Description

In this episode, Zeke heads up to Evergreen, Colorado, to explore the story behind Juniper, a boutique lodge on a 10-acre property that is transforming into Colorado’s first treehouse hotel. Owners Alea and Ashley take us through their six-year journey—from buying a former B&B with zero hospitality experience to building luxury treehouses, hosting intimate weddings, and creating deeply personal guest experiences rooted in nature, design, and storytelling.

This conversation pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to create an experiential micro-resort:

• Turning an old bed-and-breakfast into a modern boutique stay
• Balancing operations while still living on property
• The realities of building treehouses (why so few exist in the U.S.)
• How design, soundproofing, durability, and cleanability truly make or break a hotel
• Why “first five feet, first five words, first five seconds” defines their entire guest philosophy
• Cultivating community trust through transparency, neighbor engagement, and listening
• The long road of permitting, planning commissions, and navigating short-term rental regulation
• The irreplaceable role of story, small moments, and human connection in hospitality

From the magic of themed treehouses to the weight of running a property without investors, Alea and Ashley share lessons in perseverance, design thinking, leadership, regulation, and the heart-led grit required to build something extraordinary.

This episode is a masterclass for hospitality entrepreneurs, boutique hotel developers, short-term rental operators, and anyone dreaming of building a place that inspires awe.

Connect with Zeke Freeman:
Instagram: @zekefreeman_rootarchitecture and @rootarchitecture
YouTube: @rootarchitecture
Facebook: @RootArchitectureandDevelopment
LinkedIn: Zeke Freeman
X/Twitter: @zfreemanroot

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