Open Air Business December 2018
The UK's outdoor hospitality business magazine for function venues, glamping, festivals and outdoor events
The UK's outdoor hospitality business magazine for function venues, glamping, festivals and outdoor events
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GLAMPSITES<br />
ironing, stripping cabins down after<br />
guests leave, answering emails,<br />
taking pictures and sharing on social<br />
media, putting together proposals<br />
and marketing, preparing for new<br />
guests, emptying, cleaning, filling<br />
and lighting the hot tub, checking<br />
health and safety - the list goes on…<br />
Why do you enjoy the business?<br />
I never thought I’d be in the<br />
hospitality business and had no<br />
experience prior to opening but I<br />
love interacting with guests and<br />
being able to share this beautiful<br />
part of the country with them. I<br />
manage expectations by being<br />
transparent in what we offer<br />
and I love that I am outside for a<br />
considerable part of the job.<br />
What are you most proud of?<br />
Sticking with it and not giving up.<br />
We faced a lot of opposition in the<br />
initial stages with differing advice<br />
from planning consultants and huge<br />
cost implications but we did it. We<br />
had a vision that was sustainable<br />
and exciting and didn’t give up. My<br />
“WE HAD<br />
A VISION<br />
THAT WAS<br />
SUSTAINABLE<br />
AND EXCITING<br />
AND DIDN’T<br />
GIVE UP”<br />
husband is a master craftsman and<br />
I’m hugely proud of him for the high<br />
level of accommodation we offer.<br />
What other outdoor hospitality<br />
sectors do you operate in?<br />
We hold events on site and are<br />
currently going through the process<br />
of obtaining a wedding licence so<br />
people can get married here. It<br />
works very well during the summer<br />
months as demand in more laid<br />
back outdoor weddings is on the<br />
rise. Having accommodation on site<br />
is definitely an added bonus.<br />
It’s the perfect venue for health<br />
retreats and we intend to offer this<br />
in future. Glamping throughout<br />
the year gives us an income during<br />
the quieter months and as the site<br />
changes so dramatically throughout<br />
the seasons we’ve found people<br />
love it as much in the winter as they<br />
do in the summer.<br />
What advice could you give<br />
to someone coming into the<br />
industry?<br />
Find your unique selling point<br />
and be aware of the increase<br />
in competition. It needs to be<br />
something you’re very passionate<br />
about as it’s definitely a lot harder<br />
than I anticipated both physically<br />
and emotionally. Make sure you<br />
over budget for infrastructure and<br />
build costs.<br />
ADDRESS BOOK<br />
HOT TUBS<br />
Royal Tubs www.royaltubs.co.uk<br />
BOOKING SYSTEM<br />
Cool Camping<br />
www.coolcamping.com<br />
DIRECTORY SITES<br />
<strong>Air</strong>bnb www.airbnb.co.uk<br />
Cool Camping<br />
www.coolcamping.com<br />
INSURANCE<br />
NFU Mutual www.nfumutual.co.uk<br />
DETAILS<br />
Happy Valley Norfolk,<br />
Massingham Road, Grimston,<br />
Norfolk, PE32 1DN<br />
01485 600719<br />
www.happyvalleynorfolk.co.uk<br />
38 WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM
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