Molly O’Brien
I visited Ventana Cove, a short-term rental property in Joshua Tree, California.
Ventana Cove partnered with the company Minoan, which offers a “native retail” shopping experience.
Guests are able to try out products in real life before making a purchase during their stay.
I recently went to Ventana Cove in Yucca Valley, California, which is just outside Joshua Tree National Park.
Courtesy of Ventana Cove.
It’s a rental home that let me shop without ever leaving the property.
Courtesy of Ventana Cove
When I’m on vacation, I like to enjoy myself and go shopping every once in a while.
Molly O’Brien
There’s something special about stepping into a store and seeing things with your own eyes before making a purchase.
Courtesy of Ventana Cove.
There are usually plenty of in-person shops to visit if I’m vacationing in a city.
Courtesy of Ventana Cove.
However, I don’t always want to go on vacation in the city, and sometimes it’s nice to stay inside and relax instead of going out shopping.
Molly O’Brien
So this time, I went to a vacation house called Ventana Cove. It’s a “native retail” experience.
Courtesy of Ventana Cove
In it, the material items and foods inside the house are actually for sale and can be shipped directly to your home after your stay.
Molly O’Brien
Ventana Cove offers native retail through a partnership with a brand called Minoan, which lets customers experience products in everyday life.
Molly O’Brien
The idea is that the best products are usually found without actually seeking them out, but rather encountering them in everyday life.
Molly O’Brien
Most of the stuff you see on your visit — while stargazing, relaxing by the fire, or in the hot tub — is actually for sale.
Molly O’Brien
Native retail allows travelers the chance to try out products in a real-life, relevant environment.
Molly O’Brien
In the home, travelers can enjoy spending time in a 1,500-square-foot, custom-built house perched on two acres of open space.
Molly O’Brien
The house features floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the natural landscape and the desert sights.
Molly O’Brien
It can accommodate eight guests in three bedrooms.
Courtesy of Ventana Cove.
The bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms and separate entrances from the surrounding central patio area.
Molly O’Brien
There’s a minimum two-night stay to book this vacation rental.
Molly O’Brien
A stay from Friday to Sunday in the summer currently costs about $1,400, while a visit from Monday to Wednesday goes for just over $700.
Courtesy of Ventana Cove.
Minoan is partnered with a range of boutique hotels and rental properties.
Molly O’Brien
The company furnishes these properties with high-quality and popular brands (at a steeply discounted rate for the property).
Courtesy of Ventana Cove.
And if a traveler decides to purchase something while they’re visiting, the property gets a cut of those sales.
Molly O’Brien
At Ventana Cove, products like the hot tub, fire pit, bedding, outdoor swings, and hammocks are available for purchase.
Courtesy of Ventana Cove.
Even the snacks and coffee (made by a local roaster, Joshua Tree Coffee Company) is for sale.
Courtesy of Ventana Cove.
The unique part is, you can actually “try it before you buy it.”
Courtesy of Ventana Cove.
I was there for a short visit, but I knew as soon as I walked into this house that I would be buying something inside.
Molly O’Brien
I really loved the huge “La Cantina” door walls that open out into the patio from the bedroom, flowing from one of the master suite bedrooms to the outside hot tub area.
Courtesy of Ventana Cove.
And the mattress was so comfortable — it was made of memory foam, and you could actually buy the exact one using a QR code.
Molly O’Brien
After using that hot tub and sitting underneath a plethora of glittering stars, I was really tempted to purchase the super soft bathrobes provided.
Courtesy of Ventana Cove.
Ultimately, I decided to grab a souvenir in the form of the locally roasted Joshua Tree coffee I was able to taste and a really cute desert chic pillow that was on my bed.
Molly O’Brien
It perfectly matched the color scheme of my apartment, which I was able to verify by seeing it in person as opposed to just on a screen.
Molly O’Brien
It was really easy to scan the QR code and use my phone to browse through the things that were available to buy online.
Molly O’Brien
Whatever I bought would be shipped to my house while I was still “on vacation.”
Molly O’Brien
The pillow and coffee honestly took about a week to ship to my house, but I was only visiting the property for one evening.
Molly O’Brien
If I’d been there on an extended trip for a longer period of time, it would’ve been really neat to arrive home to the new goodies.
Courtesy of Ventana Cove.
Overall, I thought this native retail concept was pretty cool and very modern.
Courtesy of Ventana Cove.
The process was easy to go through, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this concept expand in the future.
Courtesy of Ventana Cove.
Read the original article on Business Insider