How to set up a glamping site

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Why join the glamping industry - Choosing your market - Making the most of your location - Deciding on the type of structure - Planning permission - Getting facilities in place - Creating an experience - Styling your hideaway - Marketing your hideaway - Health and safety - Get in touch

Why join the glamping industry

Over the past decade, the glamping industry has grown rapidly and evolved to cover a vast range of properties that offer the perfect retreat to nature. From traditional glamping structures such as yurts and safari tents to high-end luxury treehouses and bespoke handcrafted cabins, all types of unique structures fall under its umbrella. Venturing into the world of glamping allows land-owners and farmers to diversify their spaces into high-yielding business assets, enhancing income and securing land for future generations. Even a small section of land can generate significant revenue, often surpassing what the same space can yield through farming. 

The demand for wellness breaks and retreats in nature is bigger than ever and only growing. There is a rising need for unique experiences, interest in eco-tourism, and general awareness for improving personal health and well-being which have all positively impacted the glamping industry. The more you can offer with your glamping structure, its features, and maximising its location and experiences available to guests, the better your market positioning will be.  

Choosing your market

One of the first steps to take when setting up a glamping site is to decide on your target guests as this will help you fine-tune your overall vision. Couples or families are two obvious options, but there’s a gap in the market for larger groups, so this might be something to consider. 

Some key advice is to think about your lifestyle and what already exists where you plan to set up your hideaway. If this is at home, do you have a young family or do you already have a holiday cottage that welcomes more than two guests? If so, we advise creating a space that reflects the current set-up. We find that couples seek retreats where only couples are on site, as they wish to switch off from the outside world and find total peace and tranquillity, however, families are more open to happy background noise from other guests. 

This also applies to anyone wishing to set up multiple units. For example, if you are thinking of creating three unique spaces then it would be best that all your hideaways welcome the same demographic of guests. 

Making the most of your location

If you are considering multiple units, then space, privacy, and positioning are important aspects to consider. As mentioned above, couples wish to be cocooned in a world where only they exist for a little while, so if you are building multiple units onsite, ensure enough space between them to offer seclusion. This also applies to family-sized retreats, but not quite on the same scale. Families will of course appreciate privacy and their own areas to enjoy, but if they can occasionally see other guests and hear other families' children playing, this isn’t likely to be an issue. 

To make the most of your location, consider positioning your hideaway to maximise the views. If you are lucky to have a sea or mountain view, ensure the hideaway is set to elevate this incredible selling point! Or if your retreat overlooks rambling countryside, a glassy lake, wildflower meadow, or verdant forest then you can maximise the vistas by incorporating wide open windows to welcome the outdoors in. And, if you are in a dark skies area, why not consider putting in a stargazing window, so your guests can drift off into a sweet slumber while the night sky sparkles above them…

Deciding on the type of structure

Deciding on the type of structure you wish to create is one of the most exciting elements of setting up a glamping site. If you have the skillset or budget, our advice is to create something completely bespoke. If you are a builder or know someone who is, handcrafted hideaways that are truly ‘one-of-a-kind’ always attract a lot of attention and lead to strong bookings. If you don’t know any builders but this is of interest then get in touch as we have a recommended suppliers list of some of the best in the industry. 

Another thing to consider when deciding on the type of structure is whether the hideaway needs to be moveable, so incorporating wheels might be necessary. And then it comes down to how large the property needs to be. If your target market is families, then two bedrooms and enough open-plan space for your guests’ day to run with ease is important. We also think it’s vital to consider your seasons. You may wish to create a retreat that only opens in the warmer months, therefore canvas can be a good option, but if you are hoping to be a year-round hideaway then a solid structure like a cabin or treehouse enables this. We would also highly recommend incorporating a wood burner for anyone wishing for a year-round escape. Not only is it one of the key search terms, but the experience of lighting the fire in the heart of winter is a big draw for guests.

Planning permission

We know how exciting it can be to create a retreat and watch your vision come to life, however before getting stuck into plans, it’s important to think about the planning aspect of your journey. Whether you are putting in planning for one or multiple units, it's always best to get professional advice. We can point you in the right direction of industry specialists to help put applications together for you, to enable you to build your dream glamping site. 

Getting facilities in place

Once you have decided on your structure type, it’s time to think about your offering. Do you want your hideaway to be off-grid, allowing guests to completely switch off and get back to nature, or do you want to provide a more connected glamping experience with Wifi, a TV and other modern conveniences? Think about what you would like, and what you would like your guests to experience. There are no right or wrong options as there are guests looking for every type of stay. It’s worth also considering other needs of guests, with more people requiring an EV Charging point, for example. 

Creating an experience

When it comes to glamping, it is all about creating an experience – a stay that a guest will remember for years to come and want to share with loved ones. People interested in a glamping escape seek something that a holiday cottage can’t offer, something more unique and connected to nature. 

To achieve this and enhance your hideaway’s offering, we recommend maximising USPs as much as possible. From hot tubs, outdoor bathing and saunas, to wood burners, fire pits and alfresco cooking facilities, the more features you can offer your guests to help them unwind and reconnect with their surroundings, the more interest your hideaway will pique. Of course, your type of structure and location has a significant impact too, from boasting sea views to being nestled in a National Park, adventure and nature lovers are looking for beautiful corners of the UK for a staycation. With many people travelling with four-legged friends these days, making your hideaway dog-friendly is also a big plus. 

With the rising trend of wellness getaways, you can go even further with offering extras at your hideaway. Encouraging people to step away from the everyday, and to focus on themselves and their wellbeing, is something the glamping industry does particularly well. As owners, you can encourage this by something as small as providing yoga mats and a space for guests to enjoy a yoga session during their stay, or if you have a lake or open water, then you could consider offering paddleboarding and wild swimming for people to embrace cold water therapy - made even better by returning to a soothing hot tub or sauna.  

Styling your hideaway

With Pinterest and Instagram showcasing interior design in all manner of spaces, guests are more excited about eye-candy interiors than ever before. The way a hideaway is styled can create a sense of calm and tranquillity, and enhance the overall experience for a guest. When thinking about where to start, firstly take a look at your surroundings and where the hideaway is located. What aspects can you bring in from the outside? Be creative with your interiors, and make your hideaway stand out from the crowd. Whilst investing in the type of structure is important, so is investing in the interiors.

Our hideaway specialists are more than happy to help with any interior advice by creating moodboards and style guides. They can also share links to items they feel would work well for your space. 

Marketing your hideaway

When it comes to marketing your hideaway this may be something you carefully consider before you even start building and creating your retreat, or something you think about towards the end of your journey. At whatever stage, we are on hand to help. As a specialist marketing and booking agency in the glamping and unique accommodation industry, we have over a decade of experience and expertise in how to successfully market a hideaway. We can be involved from the very beginning and help bring your vision to life with our free consultancy service, or when you are already up and running. 

Working with a marketing and booking agency when launching your hideaway has many benefits. We already have a large database of guests who are actively seeking unique places to stay in the UK and a strong presence on social media with a brand that people know and trust. We work with owners who also have their own websites and can easily interlink calendars to avoid double bookings. 

Our team of marketing experts will carefully plan marketing activities for your hideaway throughout the year. From the launch of your hideaway with professional photography to fully showcase your offering, to seasonal content and PR coverage in travel and lifestyle publications, a strong level of exposure can be expected across our mix of marketing channels. 

Health and safety

All we want is for our guests to have an unforgettable stay at their chosen hideaway and for our owners to have a stress-free experience when hosting. With this in mind, the health and safety of guests is paramount. While you are creating your hideaway, bear in mind you will need to ensure you have all relevant compliance documents in place before you welcome your first guest. To name a few, these documents include a Fire Risk Assessment, Holiday Let Insurance and Electrical Safety Certificate. Compliance is something we can help guide you on to ensure you are letting your hideaway safely, so please do get in touch if you have any questions. 

Get in touch

Our team of specialists work with our owners to learn every detail about their vision. They are on hand to offer onsite advice and support during the creation of your hideaway, right through to the marketing and booking process. From advising on the type of structure, planning consultants, pricing, and interior design, we know what it takes to create a successful glamping site.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you in the creation of your hideaway or if you are already set up and looking for a marketing and booking agency, please get in touch at property@uniquehideaways.com. You can also explore our owners page to learn more about our approach.