Open Air Business February 2019

GLAMPSITES
FOR YOUR DIARY
IF YOU’RE in need of hospitality inspiration and networking, you
will definitely want to attend the Open Air Business Gathering on 25
March… and if you’re in the mood for a little socialising you’ll also
want to join us for drinks and supper on the evening of the 24th.
I know, I mentioned it last month but life is busy and before you
know it, it will be over, so here’s another nudge because it’s one of
those events you’ll regret missing… trust me on this one - www.
oabgathering.com
If your business has anything to do with short stays, you might
also want to check out the Short Stay Show on 14 March at Excel in
London. I’m hosting a discussion on urban glamping. Glamping in
cities might seem a contradiction, but I’m going to review existing
examples and explore new ideas because the concept opens
up exciting possibilities… and only dead fish go with the flow,
remember – www.shortstay.show
Permissions and Plans
Other subjects that have raised their heads lately are flaunted
planning permissions and faulty business plans.
› Planning Permissions - A
new glamping site was recently
reported by angry neighbours as
being an eyesore but to be fair to
the local planning department,
what had been installed wasn’t
the development they had
granted permission for. The
landowner had changed their
mind and used a completely
different structure design in a
different layout, and sadly the
resulting effect didn’t do the site
or the new structure choice any
favours
I can understand the reasons
behind this kind of change of
heart, but once permissions
have been granted, that’s what
you have to install, unless you
resubmit a new application
altogether, or apply for
variations to the existing design.
I sometimes hear from people
who have already obtained
planning but aren’t quite sure,
and often I have to concur that
what they have permission for
isn’t going to be as commercially
viable as they thought.
› Business plans - Getting
the figures close to how the
business will perform is,
obviously, important. Rental
fees and occupancy rates can
sometimes be tricky though,
because for various timescale
and market reasons, by the
time a business becomes
operational they may no longer
be as relevant. However, some
aspects, such as seasonal
change-over frequencies are
very predictable yet can be miscalculated
by people or business
plan service providers who don’t
know the industry. If they’re
underestimated, there’s less
financial impact if you’re doing
change-overs/laundry yourself,
but you’ll be working harder
than you thought you would.
However, if you’re outsourcing
them, over time and several
units, those additional changeovers
could add a hefty figure to
your running costs.
Tip No 2.
Whisk me Away
PAN TREETOP CABINS,
GJESÅSEN, NORWAY
www.panhytter.no
I’m as fond of a rustic log
cabin as the next country gal
but lately I’ve been decidedly
seduced by modernity, and
its smooth simplicity in the
form of clean lines and plain
facades.
These treetop cabins
perched on structural
supports strike a sharp
angled silhouette against the
skies. What I like about them:
› Simplicity - unlike some
cabins they are beautifully
bereft of pretension and fuss,
pushing the focus onto the
natural environment around
them
› Perspective - they’ve raised them just high enough to
maximise on the superb landscape
› Form and functionality – they blend stylish design
with the fundamental facilities for human comfort…
no more, no less.
FOLLY DESERT CABIN,
JOSHUA TREE, USA
www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/
plus/18332523
At first I thought ‘what the…’
but actually, this is one pile
of rust I can get excited
about. It’s off-grid for a start,
a desert cabin, refreshingly
devoid of delusions in being
anything other than what it
is. What I like about it:
› I want to dislike it, but I can’t, and that makes it
interesting, intriguing even. Is it the rust, the location,
the juxtaposition of the two?
› The solar panel has been mounted on a separate
post not on the roof, better performance, but from an
aesthetic perspective it frees the cabin’s design from
an unattractive practical constraint
› The vast open window above the bed – seriously –
now that’s what I call stargazing.
MNAL ESPEN SURNEVIK
COHESION STUDIO
MNAL ESPEN SURNEVIK
Tip No 1.
Don’t dive into submitting a
planning application before
thoroughly researching
accommodation structures.
Ensure that your business plan
is accurate, well researched and
informed, and if you’re using a
business plan service, that the
person writing it understands
every nuance of how this
industry works.
COHESION STUDIO
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 39