Think Outside the Tent: A Landowner’s Guide to Choosing Unique Glamping Structures
Let’s face it - glamping is no longer just about canvas bell tents and fairy lights. Today’s guests want the kind of stay they can brag about. Think hanging in the trees, sleeping in a spaceship pod, or cozying up in a hillside hobbit home. If you’re a landowner or site operator, this is your sign to start thinking way beyond the basics of tents and pitches.
Unique structures - like tree tents, stilted cabins, geodomes, and other wow-worthy setups - are not just on-trend. They’re experience-makers. They turn curious browsers into booked guests. But, at Tree Tents - creators of the world’s greatest wilderness structures - we know that with great uniqueness comes… a few questions.
Not sure what to pick? Start with these 5 questions!
1. What Kind of Experience Do You Want to Offer?
Every structure tells a story. A stargazing bubble dome whispers “romance under the stars.” A cozy tree tent says “childhood dream, adult comfort.” A hillside pod screams “look at this view!”
Ask yourself:
Are you creating a quiet solo escape or a family retreat?
Is your vibe luxury, rustic, or something more wild?
Are guests here to genuinely unplug, or to brag online about where they woke up?
Pro Tip: Which of these suits your hosting style and experience best? For example, if you’re hoping to entice solo adventurers, you might want to offer a fully contactless check-in system for the ultimate off-grid experience. If you gravitate more towards hosting family get-togethers, think about how to keep kids and grown-ups happy in the structure you choose… for example, our Airspace Cabin is the perfect unique canvas structure that offers privacy for the kids on an upper mezzanine level, while allowing the grown-ups some living space downstairs for relaxing evenings with a glass of something.
2. Can Your Land Support Something Unique?
Before you fall in love with a star-gazing dome or a treetop suite, let’s get grounded (ironically). Unique structures often thrive in spots where traditional accommodations would struggle. Got a steep hillside? Remote woodland? Rocky terrain? Perfect.
Things to think about:
Do you have solid trees for support (if you’re going elevated)? At Tree Tents USA, we share our handy Tree Location Guide with landowners looking to elevate their accommodation.
Are there killer views or tucked-away spots to maximize the “wow” factor? We like to recommend structures with this in mind - our Birdhouse and Fuselage cabins boast oversized rear windows to frame your views perfectly! Whereas our Tree Tents are designed to blend seamlessly into the depths of a forest.
How will people access the structure - especially in the rain, dark, or with luggage? Sometimes it’s worth creating an outdoor covered decking area to offer a bit more practical space for when guests first arrive.
Pro tip: Tree Tents and other suspended setups are amazing for minimizing land impact while using otherwise “unbuildable” areas of your site. You may have thought your woodland was unusable for accommodation - think again!
3. How Much Effort Are You Willing to Put Into Maintenance?
Unique = cool. Unique also = different. Maintenance needs can vary big-time between structure types. Make sure you’re choosing a supplier that is with you through the seasons to help with maintenance, added extras, and custom additions.
Ask the vendor (and yourself):
How does this hold up in wind, snow, or curious wildlife? Our structures have weathered winter after winter - they can handle the harshest of coastlines in the Pacific Northwest to the snowy forests of the Northeast!
What’s the expected lifespan? Sure, bell tents are low maintenance, but they also have an incredibly short and unsustainable lifespan. Some campsites ditch their tents after just one season! With unique, well-built, sustainable accommodation, you’re investing in a structure that will give back in time and money.
Can you easily clean, repair, or take it down for winter? Better yet, can it stay out all year round?
Pro Tip: Structures that can withstand all four-seasons can extend your booking window, bringing in revenues all year round! For example, we can add wood-burning stoves to all of our structures - including the Tree Tent! Our suspended spherical pod is covered in premium quality marine-grade canvas, making our suspended accommodation relentlessly durable, waterproof and looking great for years - just give it a scrub with soap and water now and then!
As for our cabins, they’re built using Tricoya, an incredibly hard-wearing ultra-high-performance MDF panel - insect resistant, resistant to fungal decay, non-toxic and extremely low maintenance! No more surprise mold on your bell tent after winter storage.
4. How Will Guests Actually Use This?
Picture your guest’s journey - from parking the car to crashing on the bed. Now imagine they’re climbing a rope bridge to get there. Unique is great, but comfort and safety still matter.
Think through:
Will they need stairs? Ladders? Zip lines? Thinking outside the tent will get you booked, but combining comfort and practicality will get you great reviews and repeat bookings! Find a balance between creating a magical escape and ensuring your unique structure is still livable. We can help design custom deckings around your stilted or suspended structure!
Is there room inside for a comfy bed, a little heater, and that obligatory morning coffee? It’s surprising what guests expect, even in an off-grid experience. We’d always recommend your unique structure has a wood-fired stove to extend seasonality, a surface of some kind for preparing coffees or playing games, and of course somewhere comfortable to sleep/sit if the weather turns!
How do you keep it private, accessible, and still jaw-dropping?
Pro Tip: The best structures blend novelty with practicality. The goal is “wow,” not “how do I get into this thing?”
5. What’s the Business Case?
Let’s talk dollars. Unique structures can cost more upfront, but they often pay for themselves faster through higher nightly rates and better booking potential. We’ve heard it from our own customers: “The Tree Tent is fast becoming the backbone of our site!”
Run the math:
What’s the ROI on a $40k structure that books at $250/night? Luckily for you, we’ve done the math for you in our handy ROI calculator.
Can you market it as a premium experience or eco-adventure? You’ve decided on a unique structure, now you need to position it - does the value come from an ultra-luxe experience, or from being off-grid with birdsong as your only alarm clock?
Will it help differentiate your brand in a crowded market? We know The global treehouse glamping market is projected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.7% to 8.8% in the coming years, driven by factors like the increasing demand for unique travel experiences, the rise of eco-tourism!
Will a unique structure help or hinder with local permitting? Depending on your county or state regulations, a suspended Tree Tent could be the perfect way to show that your new glamping business leaves absolutely no footprint!
Pro Tip: Have a read through these industry reports, projections and articles
Treehouse Glamping Market Size
Fresh Air B&B: after yurts and huts, treehouses are now glampers’ favourites!
Be Remembered…
At the end of the day, the right unique structure isn’t just about aesthetics - it’s about storytelling. It’s about creating moments your guests will remember long after they’ve packed up and gone home.
Whether you go with a suspended tree tent, a mirrored cube, a hillside pod, or something totally one-of-a-kind, make sure it fits your land, your guests, and your vision.
Because in the world of glamping, boring is the only thing that’s truly off-limits.
Have questions? Get in touch with the Tree Tents team at info@treetents.co.uk
Prefer a chat? Book a call with Jazz, our Head of Sales and get tailored advice for your glamping project.
Explore more : Visit our website to discover our full range of unique structures.
