How to Get Hotel-Level Rates with Glamping: For a Fraction of the Cost

Last year our ADR (average daily rate) at Ferncrest landed at $258! 🤯

This was the blended average of all our tent types, from domes to bell tents. We’ve discontinued the lower end bell tents this year so expect our ADR to increase in 2024.

Whenever I’ve shared these numbers with people they are shocked.

They just don’t make sense.

How can you get hotel rates while spending a fraction of the cost it would take to build a hotel?

Put simply, we’ve come to understand that delivering a unique and luxurious experience is not about how much you spend but how much you offer.

And the unique advantage of building a glamping brand is that your core customer is not looking for a butler serving champagne, but rather unique, nature-based experiences that they don’t get in their normal life.

That said, building Ferncrest has taught us that if you focus on the following 4 areas, you increase your chance of success dramatically!  

 

Provide Hotel-Level Comforts

Just because it’s a glampground, doesn’t mean it can’t be as comfortable as a hotel.

Start with where they sleep. Investing in quality bedding can turn a simple space into an experience similar to a high-end hotel.  Remember, your guests don’t get to sleep in a tent regularly, so take advantage of this uniqueness while delivering on comfort.

 

Highlight Nature

Maximize your location’s natural assets. Arrange seating to face sunsets, clear a path to a nearby stream, or set up areas for stargazing.  It’s simple things that embrace nature like this that matter the most to your glamping guests.

These are cost-effective (virtually free!) ways to make the most of what nature already offers.

 

Put Your Guests to Work…

Seriously! Giving them something to work towards while at your property is a unique way to create memorable experiences.  

For instance at Ferncrest we could have provided electric powered hot tubs…but instead, by offering wood-fired hot tubs, the guest has to make a fire and spend a couple of hours heating the water. At a home or hotel setting this would be “work”, but at a glampground this is a fulfilling and memorable experience that they will document with pictures and share with friends and family for years to come.

 

Recognize The Importance of Food

This doesn’t mean you have to have an onsite restaurant, instead highlight the unique experience of campfire cooking and the community that it fosters while staying at your property.

Providing guests with the tools and guidance to prepare their meals over an open fire connects them with a timeless tradition and enhances the overall appeal of your glamping site.

 

We don’t want to oversimplify what it means to build a successful glampground, but we can say with certainty that you should not overthink (or overbuild!) it. 

By focussing on the above 4 elements you will be catering to what glampers are looking for while building a profitable glamping experience that stands out in the growing market.

Remember, the greatest luxury you can offer might just be the opportunity for a family to spend time gathered around a campfire (without having to own their own equipment or set up camp).

Happy Glamping!

Brian & Joanna Linton