Little Massingham Estate, Norfolk
Product: Franchised glamping
Supplier: Amber’s Bell Tents, 07580 072861, ambersbelltents@hotmail.co.uk, www.ambersbelltents.co.uk
Details: On the far reaches of North West Norfolk sits Little Massingham Estate – 2,000 acres of forests and heathland, wild ponies and pigs, all playing a part in the important rewilding work that is happening there. Oak Dell is home to seven furnished 5m bell tents courtesy of glamping franchise, Amber’s Bell Tents.
Amber and her team use their 10 years of experience in the glamping industry to help franchisees launch successful glamping sites. This allows landowners with no prior experience in the hospitality sector to create high end glamping opportunities that meet with market demand.
Amber’s Bell Tents highlights what can be utilised in each location to make the space unique and special. Everything needed to offer guests a comfortable and stylish glamping stay is provided, including all the thoughtful items that help communicate care for guests’ wellbeing during their stay. A new product line means all franchised partners will have access to unique branded products to give each space its own aesthetic and help strengthen brand identity in this crowded market.
Amber’s Bell Tents also draws up a plan to get sites ready for guests, and provides a team to set up in year 1. Behind the scenes, the team markets the site using its brand, generating sales and handling customer support until guests arrive on site when it’s time for the new partners to take over.
Customer feedback: Oliver Birkbeck, owner of Little Massingham Estate, said: “I have been working with Amber and her team since late 2020. I manage a large estate in North Norfolk, which has lots of different enterprises – the main one being a re-wilding project. I was looking for a way to bring people onto the estate very lightly, who would enjoy the nature and hopefully take some of the rewilding ethos away with them, while also creating a much needed revenue stream.
“I immediately felt that we were on the same page – Amber is also passionate about creating access to nature and wild spaces for people. I felt like someone was on my side, and that bringing people onto the estate to enjoy the wildlife was not only viable, but would be financially beneficial too. Amber’s Bell Tents took away all the usual bumps in the road that launching a business from scratch brings. We launched in June last year and had a season of happy glampers, with the space working particularly well for groups. We had many a Saturday night of people dancing under the trees and stars.”
Cardross Estate, Sterling
Service: Partnership providing pods and full business services
Supplier: Further Space, 07761 747212, simon@furtherspace.co.uk, www.further.space
Details: Further Space partnered with Cardross Estate in 2020 to bring further diversification activities to the estate. Overlooking Ben Lomond, the site has six 4-star glamping accommodation pods. Each pod sleeps four people and has its own fire pit and outdoor seating area. Cardross Estate work with local suppliers to provide breakfast, BBQ packs and even sustainable charcoal from a local social enterprise.
Further Space brings a completely unique business model to the glamping market, working with landowners to create micro-tourism partnerships. It provides luxury four berth pods at zero upfront cost with partners only needing to invest in their site works. This gives a significantly lower cost method to entry, with a far lower financial risk profile. Full support with site layout, design, architectural services and the planning process is also provided.
Once the site is open the entire customer acquisition process is managed, including TV, radio, press and digital/social media advertising. A booking system, payment processing and customer service is provided so landowners only need focus on customer experience once they arrive on site.
As a partner you are connecting with a brand currently building a network of sites across Ireland and the UK. Partners benefit from a level of marketing spend and promotion that would be difficult to justify individually and receive a dedicated relationship manager, training materials and support for glamping experts. They also benefit from a growing base of existing loyal customers keen to experience more Further Space glamping in new and unique locations.
Customer feedback: Alistair Orr-Ewing, owner of Cardross Estate, said: “The main challenge for landowners is that they have the assets but lack the marketing budget and expertise to get to scale quickly. We operate the site but split the capital investment. Further Space helped with getting through the planning process, the design and layout. We don’t have to worry about booking systems and pre-arrival customer communications, we just focus on the customer when they arrive. It means I have more time to work on the many other projects across the estate.”
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Letting the Unusual
Quality Unearthed
01348 830922
letting@qualityunearthed.co.uk
www.qualityunearthed.co.uk
Why Choose Quality Unearthed to market your glampsite? Simple, we’ve got proven experience in increasing bookings. Employing Quality Unearthed gives you immediate access to an existing customer database and the benefit of our experience in marketing and administration. This frees up your time to pursue other projects or concentrate on our site, accommodation and guests.
There are no costs to join us – all photography, brochure and marketing costs are included in your commission fee so you only pay once we get you bookings. We have a skilled in-house development and marketing team, allowing us to respond effectively as digital marketing evolves.
We have over 60 years’ experience in cottage and glamping holiday letting so get in touch now for a no obligation consultation. Whatever stage your project is at, we can advise how best to proceed to maximise your demand and revenue potential. We specialise in letting the unusual!
Do you Have a One of a Kind Place?
Unique Hideaways
01736 230140
hello@uniquehideaways.com
www.uniquehideaways.com
From houseboats docked in private quays to romantic clifftop cabins with luxurious hot tubs, Unique Hideaways offers a collection of one-of-a-kind places to stay in hidden corners across the UK.
The team at Unique Hideaways works with owners to learn everything about their hideaway. From the initial idea to the finished piece, and if owners need help from the very beginning, we are on hand to advise every step of the way. Most of the hideaways are positioned in the South West, but Unique Hideaways is now starting to spread its magic across Wales and is looking to head further afield.
If you have your own hideaway, a plot of land or even a vision that you’d like to explore, please get in touch.
