Open Air Business April 2017

GLAMPSITES
STARBED HIDEAWAYS DEVON
WITH AN INCREASING spectrum of
structures, business models and price
points out there, it’s an appropriate time
to evaluate the potential for investing in
the luxury sector. One interesting point to
note is that this sector currently remains
one of the least competitive because there
are not that many truly luxury offerings in
the market. And, while it requires a larger
initial investment per unit, if a luxury offer
has been well planned and carried out, the
higher rental fees should continue to attract
good occupancy rates and reap a healthy
profit long after the initial investment is
recouped.
Some would say that the luxury side
of the market is also more ‘future proof’,
meaning that it will continue to command
high rental fees long after the boom has
bust. Let’s put it this way, I’ll be surprised to
see top quality, well run and well marketed
glamping sites in discount voucher schemes
at any point.
As a prospective owner, a few factors will
influence whether this type of glamping
has potential. Is the proposed site in the
right location? Is there an existing business
or feature, for example a special property,
hotel, gastro pub, gardens/lakes, or an
All Out
Luxury
Kate Morel explores the alluring
landscape of high-end, luxury glamping. It’s a worldwide,
growing and profitable sector of the industry, so pack
your Panamas and parasols because we’ll be stopping
off at a couple of exotic destinations along the way
outstanding, exclusive rural setting? If
not, are you confident that you can create
something so superior that it will still attract
enough guests willing to pay the high rental
fees?
HIGH DEFINITION
Our first thoughts about luxury glamping
might turn to expensive tents, stylish
furnishings and opulent baths - and whose
wouldn’t: One dictionary defines luxury as:
“a state of great comfort or elegance,
especially when involving great expense
Synonym: opulence, luxuriousness,
sumptuousness, richness, costliness,
grandness, splendour, magnificent,
lavishness”
The definition of luxury in this business,
however, seems to be rather subjective.
ADRIA
For some, it’s acceptable to describe a
nice-looking canvas tent with a proper
bed and a few accessories as ‘luxury’,
and, in comparison to a regular camping
tent I suppose it is. But as the standard of
glamping continues to rise, the time will
come when we need to take a squinty-eyed
review of what luxury glamping should
entail in terms of décor and facilities. At
least, for this article, ‘luxury’ is going to be
the same as any other self-catering rental,
the key criteria being quality, style and
taste.
High-end accommodation should
always utilise quality furnishings and
boast beautiful facilities, I don’t believe it’s
possible to get around that. While some
of us certainly have a knack of making
inexpensive look great, these ensembles will
only look good on photographs, they won’t
feel luxurious in use. Discerning guests will,
quite rightly, expect the experience to be
one of genuine quality when paying topdollar
rental fees.
STYLE COUNSEL
The style of a luxury glamping offering can
be influenced by many things, the location,
a property that it’s associated with - a
historic country house, for example. They
can also be a ‘stand-alone’ offer, where it
becomes important to get the style and
facilities right for the specified guest profile.
It’s a bigger subject than I have time to
explore here, but suffice it to say there are
hundreds of design styles and ideas out
there – and really, of all the decisions we
make, this is one of the easiest.
One of the hardest, however, is because
glamping differs from other holiday rentals
in one respect - we usually start with an
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