When we first embarked on our journey with Ferncrest, we introduced a modest but diverse array of accommodations: 6 dome tents, 9 crest (aka safari) tents, and 5 bell tents.
The booking data from our first season told a clear and compelling story.
The dome tents not only reached full occupancy regularly but also became the highlight of many guest reviews.
On the flip side, the bell tents, while picturesque, didn’t meet our occupancy and satisfaction benchmarks. They failed.
Lastly, the crest tents performed well, but not as well as the dome tents. They were “middle of the road”.
Armed with these insights, we made a pivotal decision: double down on what works and reevaluate what doesn’t.
Going into this season, we’ve doubled our dome tent offerings to 12, confident in their continued success thanks to the booking and customer data we collected.
As for the bell tents, we saw an opportunity not in persistence but in innovation. By eliminating the underperforming bell tents (gifting them to our followers in a gesture of community and sustainability), we repurposed their wooden platforms for projects that would enhance our guests’ experience even further:
- The foundation for a new wood-fired sauna (see picture below)
- A magical boardwalk to our future wellness tent (ie massage in the woods etc)
As we look to the future, we’re excited about the possibilities that a data-driven mindset opens up. And as you look at building your own glamping business, think of how you can start small and use the data you gather to expand. Don’t think you have to get it all correct on day 1 (hint: you’ll make mistakes).
Learn from what works and what doesn’t. And by continuously analyzing guest feedback, occupancy rates, and other key metrics, you can create a world-class and highly profitable glampground.
This is exactly what we are doing at Ferncrest!
You can see more about our ongoing glampground expansion plans and the work we are doing via this newly posted YouTube video. Also, please consider hitting “Subscribe” when you’re there as we plan to create more insightful and hands-on videos like this that we think you’ll find of interest and value.
Happy Glamping!
Brian & Joanna Linton
