To think we can start a glamping business

[Glampinggirl]

We have always dreamed of running a glamping experience but it seems to me that the market is a bit oversaturated. However my family seem to think it’s a wonderful idea. We would need some investment with a cash injection from ourselves also. Would live onsite with our son and his family. Separate annexe for us. Could this work (yabu) or am I right in thinking there are already too many (yanbu). This would be in North Wales

Also, those children will never be able to go on holiday during half terms, or Easter holidays, or summer holidays.

They might manage a couple of weeks in your downtime winter break. But that's it.

I think ChatGP has not yet visited N Wales, or been glamping.

55% occupancy...come on OP - you can do better than ChatGP on the back of an envelope....Mid Oct - to end of March.... ?

And that would have to be 100% occupancy for the remaining months!

Honestly OP, once you start pulling out ChatGPT and "other people will somehow magically invest in our pipedream to make it happen", as well as clearly never had any experience of actually running/being responsible for a campsite, you're lost. Even before we get to the family dynamics.

Exactly. We need a usp. This is what I tell the family

Yes we already live in north wales. DIL born and bred and her and the kids speak Welsh. I totally understand what you are saying and thank you for your honesty

You’ve said glamping but then said cabins. Which is it?

After being involved behind the scenes a couple of years ago for a new cabin site and how long and what it took to get approval you need a very very good plan and honestly lots of money.

You’re either going to have to go full speed cabins and hot tubs or build up from basic camping with a couple of glamping pods and one or two cabins.

You need maintenance on site daily, hot tubs testing daily. Repairs on hot tubs asap as otherwise you will get lots of complaints so again someone on sight than can fix most things.

Now I love camping I love statics and cabin holidays and I love wales and hot tubs so I’ll probably end up checking out your site once/if it exists and you need something I can’t get else where for a good price.

Is that forests or is that sea views? How far apart are your pitches/cabins? I want privacy for good money especially with a hot tub but I still want a view. I want nice trail walks if we are forestry. Picnic benches. A small shop I don’t need a spar. I also don’t need arcades but lots of people do. But also I don’t want to be hours away from everything. Be that a castle or a beach or a waterfall to visit.

Who is your ideal clientele? You wanting havens customer base or more a Landal park?

and dogs… what’s the plan with dogs… I won’t stay in a dog caravan / cabin because I find they are never cleaned well enough. Camping or glamping I still want dogs on leads and I expect to see a warden patrolling on their golf cart thought the day and night. Especially if having open fires.

The more you post, the more it just sounds like a fantasy.

You don't have the money, for starters, you don't even have planning permission or a USP.

Have you really thought about this? You'll lose all your weekends, all your school holidays, all your bank holidays - you'll have to be on-call 24/7 pretty much all year round unless you close or hire staff, both of which have massive financial implications. What happens if you or DIL gets sick? What if your son gets a divorce? What happens when the kids are teenagers and need a constant stream of lifts, or supervision with exams or all sorts of other things?

It was South Wales and 3 years ago but DH and I rented a Motorhome from a farmer. His planning permission was turned down for glamping as market oversaturated as you mentioned. I wonder if overseas holidays are also back on the table for a lot more people

We have always dreamed of running a glamping experience

What, exactly, is that dream? Having loads of lovely bell tents (which someone has had to put up and secure) or shepherd's huts in a fabulous landscape, magically having all utilities sorted, and floating round and chatting with your lovely, non-demanding customers? Maybe retiring for your long and relaxed evening, sharing a glass as you look out at the valley?

Reality: Two of the bell tents have blown down in the storm. They want their money back. Hut 2 are arriving late, they need us to check them in at 10pm. Hut 3's loo has backed up. Hut 4 are complaining about the noise from Hut 5. Hut 6 is empty, and there's mould. We've been told off by the FSA for not noting the temperature of the food delivery for the breakfasts. We've got another 2 star review because it rained.

You don't have the property, money or experience or any idea how to do any of it
Other than that why not?

Also let’s just keep this dream running but cabin or static there is a huge difference in quality.

People don’t and won’t pay good money for basic caravans and cabins. They want en-suites, patio doors and decking even without a hot tub really unless you are going cheapo end of the scale. Big flat screens with wifi, TVs in the master and often the secondary.

The last cabin we visited even had coffee maker, nutra bullet, winecooler with wine, island hob, built in Bluetooth speakers, all bedrooms had their own bathrooms, a boot room, dedicated WiFi, crome cast, reception phone, hot tub, full outside seating and parasol, provided shower gel and shampoo, all robes and towels, dish washer with tablets, washing machine, chocolates and coffee pods. But even that was only £499 for a long weekend.

Now imagine what that one lodge cost, what it cost to hook it up, the cleaners, the hot tub, the maintenance that check the hot tub, the luxuries, the extra bits of kit.

We had lakes and forest, play park, fenced dog field, shop, cafe, bbq area and farm animals. Wild deer and in a stargazing clear skies area.

The site has under 40 lodges and has cost millions.

The market is saturated. So many people thought this was a great idea in Covid times and now there are too many sites and not enough people who want to glamp. When I started in 2019 an Air bnb search showed 11 shepherds huts within a 5 mile radius. Now there are 75. And that's just Air bnb!

I think OP means shepherd's hut type cabins, not static caravan type things.

Either way, it's a non-starter.

Even smaller market for shepherds huts so small.

Definitely pipe dream.

Cant deny it’s one I’ve also had. A if I won the euro millions one.

If you won the Euro millions, you wouldn't need to start a glamping site 😆

I mean I would like to.

Really and sadly my actual dream life would be a lovely plot of land actually in wales, sea views, farming with polytunnels and offer some basic camping and a few luxury lodges.

It would be very divided the “field” I allowed dogs on wouldn’t be allowed access to my non dog field. Dog lodge on dog field. Zero cross over of the pets to prove for both sides.

Some chickens for fresh eggs. Sell out grown veg in the little farm shop.

Sadly I live in a city and I’m not rich but I do grow my own my food.

I can't even begin to imagine the horror of glamping in North Wales - the rain, the mud and the language are all turn offs for me.

Look up https://caelal.co.uk - stunning eco- glamping retreat near Bangor, we know the owner, and other friends have a farm-stay glamping site. It is a lot of work. It might be all glamour and insta for the guests but not the buggers running it dealing with the shit, vomit, mud etc.

You need to watch more Four in a bed. A glamping site in North Wales isn’t going to make you money.

I know of a few business that rent out glamping setups, setting them up at weddings, small festivals, private fields, one or two for kids parties, etc.

Might be a lower stakes (though still hard work), way into it

You need to really do your research on what the competition is like in your area. Have a look on Air bnb, Pitch Up etc. Look at how many bookings they have, what they're charging, what facilities they have.

You also have to consider planning. Have a look on the Planning Portal at similar applications and also read the Local Plan of your area which will give you an idea of whether what you are planning is acceptable to the planners. You can actually apply for planning before you buy. Don't waste money on a planning consultant.

The glamping which is working at the moment is the more luxurious stuff- the 'extras' you mention are bare minimum these days for example. You are selling an experience- a wooden pod in a field just isn't enough anymore because they are ten a penny even with en suite bathrooms.

I would question where your investor is going to come from? The most successful.sites I know of started small with one or two then built up. You can do that with mortgage/loans. Have a look at Secret Garden glamping- they guy who owns it is an inspiration. I have 2 units which is enough to support two of us ( just) only because we do everything ourselves.