The Business Of Glamping And Unique Holiday Rentals

Lilypod Glamping is a unique floating sanctuary designed with love and handbuilt with passion in Devon UK. It is a unique stay inspired by nature using the natural wonder of timber. It is low carbon, off-grid short stay unique accommodation that uses natural materials to make an eco-tourism offering worth visiting.

Nestled on a stunning lake at Alder Farm, hushed by mature deciduous trees on the border of Dartmoor. With local activities in abundance, ranging from spas to wild swimming, horse riding in the National Park, local farm shops, unique towns and awesome pubs, this is a glamping stay worth experiencing.

In this episode I speak with the Lilypods designer and builder about the highs and lows of creating such a unique space and how important it was to him to find such a stunning location and then develop something to gently on the environment.

This episode is both inspirational and aspirational and demonstrates that you don't need to be neglectful of sustainable practices when designing something truly amazing in the genre of low carbon, ecologically responsible off-grid glamping.

If you are thinking of visiting Lilypod, be quick before the secret gets out!

Lilypod Website: https://lilypod.uk/

Location: MR7R+VG Lewdown, Okehampton

We provide these inspirations for free for your benefit so we would love to receive a positive review or comment in return, which really helps.

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If you would like to speak with Sarah Riley then reach out via The Glamping Academy https://glamping.academy hosted by https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Louis Thompson who is the founder and CEO of multiple businesses including Nomadic Resorts, an award-winning architectural and landscape design office that delivers innovative, experiential hospitality projects across the planet.

His company designs bespoke green building projects for various luxury hotel groups including Soneva, Banyan Tree, Playa Viva, Neom and Resplendent Ceylon.

Louis also founded Nomadic Escapes, a new outdoor hospitality management company focussed on, biophilic tented experiences; net zero carbon operations, re-wilding and regenerative landscaping.

Throughout his career, Louis has worked at the cutting edge of green building and landscaping projects including the pioneering Farm to Fork treetop restaurant at Soneva Fushi, the Treetop Dining Pod at Soneva Kiri and the innovative bamboo treehouses at Playa Viva.

In this episode, we talk about the future of experiential travel, sustainability by design, how to develop a community-enhancing regenerative approach and how unique structures are key to attracting the attention of the right type of guest for unique hospitality resorts.

We also touch on the wellness travel trend, designing the needs of guests into the core of a unique offer and how social media influences all of this.

Finally, we discussed what glamping has that helps it stand out from the bigger hotels and resorts to help it survive the growing competition in the marketplace.

Contact:

Louis Thompson here: https://nomadicresorts.com/

Sarah Riley here: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/

For more about this podcast and how to take part visit here:

https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/glamping-business-podcast

Kerry has been a successful glamping business owner for many years. She has single-handedly managed multiple businesses and has had her fair share of ups and downs. She is also known to share generously and talk openly about industry vitals while others keep their cards close to their chests.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Key glamping events in the calendar we are looking forward to most this year
• The most important part of glamping that some owners miss today
• Industry insights from a serial glamping business owner and TV star
• What it's really like to start a glamping business on rented land
• Her tips for starting a glamping business in a foreign country without even knowing the local language
• How this style of hospitality can be a retirement plan and a passive income if managed right
• Why location, location, location is still number 1 for attracting repeat guests
• And how to price your offering competitively in the market at the moment

Learn from one of the most established glamping business entrepreneurs in the industry at these events.

The Glamping Business Start Up And Grow Retreat - 16-20 October

Click here to spend 5 days with Kerry Roy and Sarah Riley helping you build your business in person: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/italy-retreat

Eco-Resort Network - Montenegro 24-26 May

Enjoy your breakfast with an industry giant like Sarah Dusek, Founder of Under Canvas and Bill Bensley, Founder of Bensley Hotel Designs at The Eco-Resort Network in Montenegro. We have been able to negotiate a 25% discount on a delegate pass and money off your hotel booking https://www.ecoresort.network/

Use coupon: INSPIRED250

This will discount €250 from the delegate ticket price. You can also find the 15% hotel discount code and link through the organiser's website

See you there!

Inspired Courses and The Glamping Academy

Always take the time to hunt out the experts and speak with those who are generous enough to share their expertise in the industry. Especially when they have been working within it for so many years. This is why I was happy to welcome Phil Russell from Tor View Shepherds Huts in Somerset onto the show.

In this episode, Phil shares his insights into the industry and the typical glamping guest. He also talks about the thing that surprises him the most about some guests that stay with him. Having been in business for 10 years now, he discusses the top things that have led to his success and how his determination was key. He also talks about maintaining his team and how he has built it to support him where he needs it most. Phil finally shares what he would do first if he was starting from scratch again and how having a seasonal lifestyle business really works with his personal passion to travel.

Contact Sarah Riley at The Glamping academy https://glamping.academy

Visit the Masterclasses at: https://inspiredcourses.com

Contact Phil Russell at: https://torviewshepherdshuts.co.uk/

What sustainability practices are most appreciated by guests and what services are being used to attract eco-tourists and those with a preference towards environmentally sensitive businesses?

Rachel Bowers has been deciphering guest preferences on glamping offerings, boutique hotels and unique hospitality and how eco-travel does not mean guests need to sacrifice the quality of the service they receive.

It's very rare to find research on this topic that includes guest and operator surveys for this industry, so when something comes along I want to hear about it. That's why I invited Rachel onto the podcast to talk about her project and what it means for sustainability.

The need for environmental elements to become a priority in hospitality design is clear, but which ones are best and how is it all being fueled by the rising eco-travel demands of the younger generations?

This podcast episode has been supported by The Start Up And Grow Club and The Glamping Academy, hosted by Inspired Courses. For more information please visit:

The Club: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/club

The Glamping Academy: https://glamping.academy/

Inspired Courses: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/

Rachel Bowers has kindly offered to share her research and you can contact her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelbowers/

If you found this episode helpful, we would love your review of this episode and particularly to give Rachel your thanks.

Looking forward to you joining me again soon.

Sarah Riley - The Glamping Academy

If you start a small glamping business with your kids for something to do because your existing transport business has failed due to the pandemic, is it realistic to think you might get booked out for 2 years in advance, gain hundreds of thousands of social media followers and will soon need to expand your site as the awards keep rolling in?

Well, apparently it is!

Derry Green is the founder of The Secret Garden Glamping and in this podcast episode, he shares the inspirational story behind his business, the catalysts that caused it to take off so fast, what his key successes have been, his social media growth strategy and where he thinks the industry is going right now.

If you enjoyed this please leave a review and share your thanks and comments with podcast host Sarah Riley and her guest Derry Green.

The Secret Garden Glamping - https://www.thesecretgardenglamping.uk/

The Glamping Academy - https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/glamping-business-academy

More from the podcast - https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/glamping-business-podcast

It is estimated there are over 700 million websites in the world so how can a glamping business, eco-resort or unique hospitality possibly stand out from the crowd and get noticed?

In this episode, I talk with Malcolm Freeman, Director of Oxygen Graphics, a company that helps glamping businesses get up and running with their websites, digital assets and overall online strategy to generate an impact.

This episode is packed with nuggets of gold for anyone wanting to get their business noticed by customers online and attract guests.

As well as talking about the top 5 elements that need to be featured on a glamping website to attract bookings, we also discuss:

• The biggest struggles faced by hospitality hosts online today
• How to get your website to do the hard work for you
• What elements must be included in a unique hospitality business website
• Why you shouldn't be relying on Facebook to promote your business
• How guests expect to book their glamping stays
• The website content balance that works in the industry
• The time involved for the owner when getting online
• How you can avoid losing bookings to your competitors
• The likely cost of getting a website developer involved in your project
• What Web 3.0 is and how it will impact unique hospitality in the future

Contact Malcolm Freeman at Oxygen Graphics:

https://www.oxygengraphics.co.uk/

Contact Sarah Riley at The Glamping Business Academy:

https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/glamping-business-academy

Additional show notes can be found on Inspired Camping

https://www.inspiredcamping.com/category/podcast/

We've known for many years that farmers can use glamping to manage income fluctuations, but what is it really like to run this style of business alongside the demands of farming and does it really allow them to diversify their farm income?

Meadow Field Luxury Glamping is situated in Harborough Magna, Rugby in Warwickshire. Jules Mold is passionate about providing a high-end service for her guests and has worked hard to deliver something she would enjoy, which for her is the litmus test to getting it right. After a challenging time during the pandemic and having to delay the launch of her business, she has refined it further and is now being invited to industry events to showcase what she has achieved.

This episode #055 was filmed on-site at Meadow Field Luxury Glamping with Jules and is shared on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/inspiredcamping in this video https://youtu.be/RSwRZAnHLLY

The interesting thing about glamping is how it's attracting an entirely new group of customers into outdoor hospitality. Those who have never considered traditional camping are exploring the possibilities of glamping in comparison to bed and breakfast services. This is opening up new opportunities and prospects for farmers to get involved in this exciting tourist market.

Contact Sarah here: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/glamping-business-academy

Visit Meadow Field Luxury Glamping: https://www.meadowfieldglamping.co.uk/

More reading:

https://www.inspiredcamping.com/farmers-landowners-glamping-business-manage-income-fluctuations/

More from the podcast: https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/glamping-business-podcast

Today I am speaking with Sarah Dusek of Under Canvas USA and Enygma Ventures, a purpose-driven business support fund and investment organisation. We talk about everything from glamping business news to investment success and current market updates.

I also asked Sarah what her view is of the glamping industry today and where she thinks it's going with experiential accommodation, boutique luxury services and new eco-resort offerings in the future.

Today's episode is brought to you by The Start-Up And Grow Club https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/club which offers an accelerator program and support group for those who want to set up their unique holiday rental, eco-resort or glamping businesses quickly.

More information about this episode:

Under Canvas® https://www.undercanvas.com/ Upscale Outdoor Accommodation, Glamping and Luxury Camping

Enygma Ventures https://www.enygmaventures.com/ A purpose-driven business support fund

The Glamping Academy https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/ Everything you need to start up and grow a retreat, unique holiday rental or glamping business

Today's episode is with Noelle Homsy from ENVI Lodges https://envilodges.com/ an award-winning founder listed in the 50 most influential hoteliers in the Middle East. We chat about the future of experiential tourism, eco-resorts and glamping, and her recent experience of raising significant investments. Noelle is a strategic thinker who knows how to avoid getting bogged down in the weeds when it comes to funding her ideas and in this episode, she shares insights and tips so others can do the same.

This episode is brought to you by The Start Up And Grow Club, https://www.inspiredcoursesvip.com/club/ an accelerator program, community and support system for new hosts of unique holiday rentals, eco-resorts and glamping businesses.

You can contact Sarah Riley through the Glamping Academy http://glamping.academy/ and listen to more podcast episodes on Inspired Courses https://inspiredcourses.com/podcast