Open Air Business April 2017

GLAMPSITES
Pods and
Huts Advice
Suppliers explain why pods and huts are a great
choice for glampsite accommodation
Cath Caesar, founder
Plain Huts
07903 313922
www.plainhuts.co.uk
How can shepherd’s hut accommodation
benefit a glampsite?
The shepherd’s hut is not only a muchloved
traditional icon of the countryside,
it also happens to be a very versatile
addition to a glamping site. The huts can
be used individually to accommodate
two people comfortably or combined to
cater for families or groups. With a little
imagination, however, the shepherd’s hut
can become a hardworking attraction on
your site. For instance, if kitted out with a
kitchen it could serve bacon sandwiches for
breakfast, offer a range of sandwich fillings
at lunch time, ice creams in the afternoon
etc. Off season, it could be hired by
groups wanting to organise food for a
special occasion or activity.
What is the USP of your product?
Here at Plain Huts we have lovingly
developed a slightly contemporary look
and feel to our huts. The traditional
corrugated tin roof is still there, as are
our fabulous cast iron wheels, but the
space itself is light and airy, the doors
open wide bringing the outside in and
allowing furniture and fittings to be
changed easily. Maintenance is kept to a
minimum; the powder-coated aluminium
frames need only a simple wipe over
and will not jam shut during the winter
months
How can your product be customised or
made bespoke?
Our company is called Plain Huts because
we are situated on Salisbury Plain, not
because our huts are plain. We love to do
bespoke and if you have an idea we will
happily help to realise it, whether you
want a bridal suite, an activity centre, or a
charming setting for cream teas.
What options do you have for small,
medium and large budgets?
Our smallest huts start at £9,500, but a hut
that sleeps two with an en-suite wet room
and kitchen would cost in the region of
£27,000. For those of you looking for that
extra special space, then you might like
to consider two huts joined with a raised
walkway, deck and hot tub.
Another option is to purchase a kit.
These can be bought for £3,800 and provide
a starting point for a hut up to 2.4m wide
and 4.8m long.
What is the estimated return on
investment of your product?
We believe that the best returns are to be
gained from the larger huts with an ensuite
wet room and kitchen. With estimated
bookings of 50 per cent overheads of 35 per
cent and rental of £120 per night, the initial
outlay of £27,000 would be redeemed in
just under two years.
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