The Remarkable Story of the Dunlap Hollow A-frame & Cave

Meet the Gingerich Family, from Columbus, Ohio.

Amy's a stay-at-home mom—they have 3 kids.

Bryant's an engineer by trade, but his 9-to-5 was unfulfilling.

In 2018, they started searching for a slice of Hocking Hills, and just 7 days later, they found it:

34 acres of rock formations, waterfalls, towering trees—and an old, shabby cottage. The land was top dollar for the area ($10,000/acre), but well worth it for this piece.

A local community bank gave them a land loan.

Bryant immediately renovated the tiny 1920s cottage, and Amy made it charming. Four months and $120,000 later, it was ready to rent, and with that income they could cover the mortgage.

But this place wasn’t just a project—this was their future, and they were ready to go all-in. Bryant quit his job, and they set their sights on building a one-of-a-kind A-frame.

With Bryant’s engineering skills and Amy’s eye for design, they drafted plans and got to work. Over eight months, doing nearly all the labor themselves, they completed a breathtaking 3-story A-frame for $250,000.

Guests couldn’t get enough—and they wanted more than just a stay.

Many began begging to buy the plans to build their own.

The Gingerichs obliged.

They set this up as a digital product on their website, and have since sold $220k worth (almost the entire cost of the A-frame!!).

But we're finally getting to the really exciting part:

They had no idea their property was hiding a cave.

Dead trees and a pile of dirt hid the entrance to it, but one day on a hike, they discovered it.

Ideas immediately started flowing, but so did obstacles.

You can imagine what the local building department thought. Geologists and structural engineers finally signed off, and then came the toughest part: moisture.

Water seeped in from every direction. Trapping it was impossible.

The solution? Let it in—and figure out how to manage it.

After months of trial and error, they landed on 4 heavy-duty dehumidifiers, running 24/7, pulling 20 gallons of water per day out of the air to keep the space normal.

Nine months and $350,000 later (including $50k in furnishings), the Gingerichs unveiled their masterpiece:

A natural, luxury cave with decadent decor, modern amenities, and an otherworldly vibe.

Today, it rents for $1,400 per night and has gone mega-viral multiple times, amassing 405,000 instagram followers and 100% direct bookings.

Here’s maybe the wildest stat: Just 1 vacant night in over 2 years since opening!

Bryant and Amy are so humble and low-key, and I’m immensely proud of what they’ve accomplished over these past few years with creativity, determination, faith, and a lot of hard work. They’re an inspiration to all of us!

This is the future of hospitality: story-driven, experiential, and one-of-a-kind. I’m here for it.

Who’s ready to go conquer your own little corner of the world and create something extraordinary, too?