The Buyer's Guide to Tented Structures

When it comes to glamping accommodation, tented structures are among the most iconic available. Low set up costs mean a good return on investment, but it is also important to factor in maintenance costs and the kind of weather conditions that will be faced at your site. With so many choices available, choosing the right accommodation for your site is easier said than done. International Glamping Business reporter Annie Hilton reached out to some suppliers to get you the information that you need.

BOND FABRICATIONS

bondfabrications.co.uk

Can you tell us a little about the background of your business and how long you have been trading?

Bond has been in business for over 30 years supplying the outdoor hospitality industry with British designed and manufactured structures. Based in Stroud, Gloucestershire, we have long been associated with offering high quality and a bespoke design service to our clients creating interesting and unique marquees and tents for a wide range of uses.

What type of structures do you offer?

Using a variety of frame types, we offer robust year-round structures including our luxury safari tents in many sizes through to larger event marquees. Our safari tents are used widely for high end glamping accommodation and a variety of other uses such as shared social spaces, shooting lodges, farm shops etc. We also provide a custom design service for our larger marquees and offer a range of styles and sizes with complete CAD service available.

What is unique about your products?

All structures are designed and made by us here in Gloucestershire and each project is centred around client-led design. We do not import any aspect of the tents and only make to order so each structure is unique to the client and specific end use requirements. We are not a ’one size fits all’ company, it’s important to us that we meet our client’s expectations with regards to design and we can offer a range of customisations for all structures.

What maintenance is required to keep your structures in top condition?

Different structures require differing approaches to maintenance and it’s important to note that we use only the highest quality materials available to us. All of our structures, including our safari tents, are built to be in place year-round. Fabrics used have a variety of crucial properties beyond the obvious waterproofing such as fungicide treated, rot and mildew resistant and UV resistant. We have a highly technical approach to all aspects of our manufacturing process meaning maintenance is limited for the client.

How long does it take to create and assemble your structures?

Our safari tents take around 1-2 days to fully install dependant on the size. However, for many of our clients looking to aim at the higher end of the glamping market there are several internal elements to consider before the tent is ready for guests. We feel it is very important that our clients provide unique, luxury interiors thus creating a strong visual identity for their location.

What is the lifespan of your structures and do you offer any warranties?

At Bond we have been manufacturing robust commercial grade structures for the outdoor hospitality industry for a long time now and our reputation for British quality is something we are very proud of. Well cared for structures should last many years indeed, our safari tents have a life of at least 10 years and many of our original safari clients are still very happy with their tents and they still look great! It’s important to remember that since we manufacture all our structures here in the UK, we are on hand to help out clients should any accidental damage occur that needs a quick repair. Supporting our clients through the season is important to us, as is the resulting relationships we have built over the years.

Bond Fabrications

WHITE DUCK OUTDOORS

whiteduckoutdoors.com

Can you tell us a little about the background of your business and how long you have been trading?

White Duck Outdoors has been in business since 2017 and our mission is to give outdoor lovers a way to reconnect with loved ones, friends and themselves through sustainably manufactured, durable products that are designed to last a lifetime. Our focus is on best-in-class, sustainably manufactured canvas gear for the outdoors. We offer a complete range of canvas tents and tent accessories (bell tents, wall tents & cabin tents), as well as duffel bags, tarps & covers, log carriers, dog beds and more.

White Duck Outdoors

The Georgia Glamping Company

What type of structures do you offer?

Bell tents: The Regatta is a functional, versatile, price competitive line of bell tents designed for use in almost any kind of activity. The Avalon is a premium, luxury bell tent that’s made for glamping experiences. It’s made from a heavier cotton canvas, has windows all around, the side walls can be rolled up and the walls and centre height are higher than the average bell tent.

Wall tents: Our Alpha Wall Tent is made from 10.10 oz army duck canvas and boasts galvanized steel frames. We have six sizes available, which means you can customize the glamping experience completely.

Cabin tents: The Prota Cabin Tent is a spacious, functional cabin tent with a square/rectangle floor shape and almost 7’ wall height. Our Deluxe version has windows all around, which makes for spectacular 360-degree views when you’re inside.

What is unique about your products?

Investment in quality: we don’t hold back on the quality of any aspect of our products, including the canvas fabric, zippers, bug mesh, floor material and metal poles. We also offer a flame-retardant finish on our bell tents, which is unique to the industry.

Functionality and features: (Almost) all of our tents come equipped with a stove jack, windows, bug mesh on the windows and doors, flooring, cable outlet, organizer pockets and roof vents.

Sustainability: Our tents are made from BCI Cotton, which stresses our investment in sustainability and a responsible manufacturing process. Our canvas tents (save for the poles) are also completely biodegradable. The treatment we apply to our tents is PFC-free, so they’re environmentally friendly.

Tent accessories: we offer a complete range of accessories for all of our canvas tents.

White Duck Outdoors

The Georgia Glamping Company

What maintenance is required to keep your structures in top condition?

All our tents are made from our proprietary DYNADUCK canvas, which is 100% cotton canvas that’s treated with a breathable, PFC-free water repellent, mould and UV-resistant finish. We also offer a flame-retardant finish.

Beyond this though, it’s important that customers:

Always dry the tent out completely before storing or packing away

Regularly clean the zippers

Brush off any dirt or debris from the tent often

Not use bleach or other cleaning products that can harm the water repellent & mould resistant treatment

Never set up directly under trees n Brush off any snow that accumulates over the roof

Take measures to prevent the build-up of condensation

How long does it take to create and assemble your structures?

Depending on size and number of people available: Bell tents: 10-20 minutes Wall tents: 20-30 minutes Cabin tents: 10-15 minutes

What is the lifespan of your structures and do you offer any warranties?

With proper care, the lifespan of our structures can be up to 5 years (assuming regular usage in a glamping context). As a camping tent that’s packed away often and stored properly, it can very well cross 5 years.

We offer our White Duck Warranty, which is unique-to-the-industry limited lifetime warranty. It covers any defects in manufacturing or craftsmanship and protects customers from damages that arise from the result of a fault in our production process. However, this does not cover damage from regular wear & tear, inclement weather, mould/mildew, acts of God, or damage arising from any other improper/negligent use of the tent or bad maintenance.

White Duck Outdoors

The Georgia Glamping Company

EXCLUSIVE TENTS

exclusivetents.com

Exclusive Tents

Can you tell us a little about the background of your business and how long you have been trading?

We are a two-family business with a combined experience in tents and tent manufacturing for close to 40 years. We also come from a professional Nature Conservation background which blends in with our philosophy of environmental consciousness and understanding.

What type of structures do you offer?

Our primary focus is on framed tents that are either supported by steel or wooden poles with canvas walls. We are also able to attach our tent roof frames to hard wall structures or a combination of both and clad the hard walls with canvas. We strive to produce the highest quality tents with the longest longevity at a competitive price. No components are designed to be sacrificial so that they need to be replaced halfway through the life of our tents and we are constantly innovating and making improvements whenever we can.

We pride ourselves in crafting our tents to withstand extreme weather conditions with very robust frames to also withstand high wind and snow loads. All of our tents are 4-Season tents.

What is unique about your products?

Ultra-robust and unique roof frame design for safety and longevity

Free floating roof flys with a unique tensioning system

Versatile designs

Using the highest quality materials and trims

Constantly innovating and improving

High wind and snow load ratings

Hand crafted by master canvas crafters

What maintenance is required to keep your structures in top condition?

Maintenance is not an intense timeconsuming practice with our tents. Keeping the fabrics clean and the roof flys well tensioned is primary. Applying our canvas restoration paint every two to three years restores UV protection, fire retardancy, anti-microbial, stitching protection and brings back original color.

How long does it take to create and assemble your structures?

2-3 days depending on the size of the tent being setup.

What is the lifespan of your structures and do you offer any warranties?

15-20 years if well maintained, most times the frames will outlast the fabrics. We have a 2-year warranty on manufacturing defects.

Exclusive Tents

YALA

yalacanvaslodges.com

What is your company background?

YALA luxury canvas lodges is the European market leader in developing and selling canvas lodges. It all started twelve years ago with the design and production of safari tents. From one model, we grew our range to a variety of canvas lodges. We started in 2009 under the typical Dutch name LuxeTenten. The glamping trend was just upcoming back then. It proved to be one that lasted and still, luxury camping is growing in popularity all over the world.

In 2019 Gladventure, represented by Hans van der Wind and Ivo van der Vlis, acquired LuxeTenten. From the start, their ambition has been to grow the company and become the global market leader. As of July 1st, 2020, we changed our name to YALA luxury canvas lodge. A new identity and proactive brand strategy that fits our aspiration to become a prominent global player.

YALA is already the largest supplier of high-quality canvas lodges in Europe. To date, we have built approximately 7000 canvas lodges in more than 50 countries. We started production in a small factory in the Netherlands, nowadays we have expanded our production to efficiently supply the entire world. To deliver excellent service and support worldwide, we have grown a strong global sales network of 40 partners that bring our products to market. We have offices in Dubai, Rome, Singapore, Tennessee and the Netherlands.

Together with our clients we define new opportunities to help them setup or upgrade their business. In close cooperation with our design partner RAY Tensile Design, we deliver innovative glamping solutions, from design to installation. We continuously develop the best constructions with the strongest materials and most beautiful interiors. As true pioneers, we are always pushing the limits.

What structures do you offer?

Our portfolio consists of twelve different models of canvas lodges. Within this portfolio, we offer a broad range of varieties. It goes from the more basic tents to high-end modular tented structures, offering the highest standards in luxury. Because of this, we can tailor our canvas lodges to a client’s needs and wishes. To complement our canvas lodges, we have designed several distinctive interior lines. Together with our design partner RAY Tensile Design, we also offer customized tensile designs and concept development.

How would you describe your Unique Selling Point?

With years of experience as a pioneer in the glamping industry, we confidently say that we offer the best high-quality safari tents available. Over the last twelve years, we have proven that our canvas lodges are durable. They have an incredible lifespan of at least 8-10 years; most of our first lodges are still in great condition. Moreover, our designs are unique, and with flexible layouts, our clients can choose the look and feel that fits their holiday park, campsite or resort.

What maintenance is required to keep your structures in top condition?

The maintenance of our canvas lodges is minimal. The outer canvas needs relatively little upkeep. All our canvas has a UV coating and it is impregnated with a water and dirt-resistant product. There are two aspects that need a little maintenance. These are the zippers of the doors and the ratchets that keep tension on the roof. The YKK zippers, the best in the world, just need some greasing once a year to keep running smoothly. The ratchets need to be checked on a more regular basis. For example, after a heavy storm or snowfall. They need to be tight and secured properly to keep the roof under tension. Both checks can be easily done by the owner. Furthermore, always ensure good ventilation of the tents and lodges, both on the inside and around the exterior of the tents.

How long does it take to create and assemble your structures?

It all depends on the model the client chooses and the number of canvas lodges. Is it a large site that has to be set-up from scratch, including conceptual designing? Or does the client already own a holiday park and want to replace for example mobile homes by canvas lodges. So, this goes from just 6-8 weeks to 8 months or more, also depending on available permits and if the site already has electrical and sewerage facilities. Every client and site are different and needs a different approach. No matter the duration of the project, YALA offers support from start to finish, and even beyond.

What is the lifespan of your structures?

We have canvas lodges built twelve years ago, and they are still in good condition and rented out. Because we only use the best available high-quality, certified materials, we offer a long lifespan. Additionally, because our product development team always focuses on innovation and smart sourcing, we offer lodges that remain in pristine condition/meet the needs of holidaymakers for a long time.

Do you offer any warranties?

We provide a standard 24-month warranty on all our canvas lodges. We are happy to give this some more explanation when someone contacts us.

Yala Luxury Canvas Lodges

OUTSTANDING

outstandingtent.com

Outstanding Tents

What is your company background?

Officially, Outstanding launched in 2014 with Robin van Kooten as co-owner, but for the roots of the business we need to go back to 2009. This was the year when the man who would become his co-founder, Erik van Donselaar, started importing tents from Pakistan. However, due to concerns about quality and delayed orders, he severed ties with the Pakistani company and found better and more reliable suppliers for his growing pool of clients.

In 2014 Robin and Erik joined forces and launched Outstanding. By that time, we started developing new products and we began developing our own tents. Right at the start, quality was and remains the most important element of our business. Our clients have to be 100% satisfied and that soon became the foundation of everything that we are built on.

What structures do you offer?

A world full of luxury safari tents, fully equipped lodges and the fastest service. With us you can choose what you want: big or small, a lot of or a little luxury, box bed or maybe an extra floor. We take care of you from start to finish. Whether you want advice on which tent is best for your campsite or want us to build it as a turnkey delivery.

A safari tent and camping lodge is only Outstanding if it shows innovation, sustainability and creativity. Our glamping tents are also efficiently and practically furnished. This will not only be a great experience for every tourist, but also for you as a campsite owner. Because with their service life of 10 years, you hardly have to worry about our safari tents and lodges.

How would you describe your Unique Selling Point?

Our products are designed by ourselves, only made of high-quality materials and we deliver from our own stock. But besides this I think it’s our personal approach and passion that really distinguishes us from the other suppliers. We go the extra mile for all of our customers, and we live up to our name. Outstanding means “remarkable” and “impressive”. But for us, it also means energy, passion and experience. And that’s what we aim for every day.

Outstanding Tents

What maintenance is required to keep your structures in top condition?

Our tents are resistant against all weather conditions and require little maintenance. Even better, you can leave them outside all year. Of course, there are ways to optimize the lifespan of a tent. Like the unique end couplings we’ve developed, or the set of windbreak mesh we’ve added to our product range. It’s not a necessity, but this green cover protects the tent against sun, rain, and deposits, while it keeps breathing at the same time.

How long does it take to create and assemble your structures?

The assembly of our tents really depend on the model, the size and whether it’s with furniture and sanitation or not. It varies from a day to a couple of days. Besides, it also depends on who is building the tent. We have clear instructions for customers who want to build the tent themselves, but we also have building teams in different countries who can do it for them. They not only assemble the tent, but also complete the tent interior. That means that our customer can welcome their first guests the moment our building team leaves!

What is the lifespan of your structures?

We make sure our tents are sustainable in every conceivable way. By, for example, the choices we make for the materials and our goal to make the look of our tents modern yet timeless. Therefore, our tents have a lifespan of at least 10 years and will still look attractive in a couple of years.

Do you offer any warranties?

We have a quality guarantee, or better said a 100% satisfaction guarantee. When we say that we put our quality guarantee ahead of everything we really do mean it. If a customer isn’t 100% happy with a product and if it cannot be improved upon, let’s say with repair or redesign, we will take the tent back and refund them their money.

Outstanding Tents

GLAMPING INNOVATIONS

glampinginnovations.co.uk

Can you tell us a little about the background of your business and how long you have been trading?

Glamping Innovations was launched in July 2020. Sara Gladstone, the founder, has spent over 7 years in the Glamping sector and has seen a lot of changes as the sector develops. Glamping used to be about “camping in comfort” - a fairly basic concept. As long as there was a bed and you didn’t have to build the shelter yourself on arrival, then it was classed as glamping.

As the trend grew, the expectations grew, to private facilities, heating, luxurious beds and furnishings and unique experiences. Glamping Innovations’ ethos is to focus on unique and innovative accommodation units that offer the “wow” factor and an all-inclusive offering.

What type of structures do you offer?

The Panorama Dome and Tent were launched in the UK in March 2021 and are exclusively available through Glamping Innovations in the UK and Italy.

The Panorama Tent is a special appearance in every landscape. In line with our philosophy to create impressive spaces by combining design and functionality. The unique wooden structure gives the tent a beautiful natural look, both inside and out. Made with love for the outdoor life and with the necessary luxury and comfort. Experience the environment as a real panorama with a stunning panoramic view. In addition to natural light, the panorama roof offers a unique and magical view of the starry sky.

The Panorama Tent is made in a unique oval shape. This special shape gives the tent its unique character and also offers structural strength. All details are designed in such a way that they ensure simple installation. The tent is supplied as standard with a fully water and insect resistant groundsheet. The tent fabric is stretched over the wooden frame with a special tensioning system. After assembly, this can still be adjusted to ensure optimum tension at all times.

Glamping Innovations

The Panorama Dome is truly a tent with a view. It is made in a unique dome shape with a stunning panoramic view. Bright daylight enters the tent through the transparent windows. The special wooden structure gives a comfortable natural ambiance inside and outside the tent. The Dome can easily accommodate two people comfortably.

The unique Panorama Dome is made of a dome shaped wooden structure. This special shape gives the tent its unique identity but also provides structural strength. All connecting details are specially designed to make an aesthetic experience as well as a practical and smooth installation. It is delivered with a fully water and insect proof ground sheet. With a special tension system, the strong canvas is stretched on the frame. The stretching can be adjusted after build-up to assure a perfect tension at all times. What is unique about your products? n The PANORAMA dome and tent are aesthetically very beautiful with the wooden birch frame and huge windows. n They can be used all year round and will withstand temperatures of -40 to +70 and winds of 120km and offer adaptable/ flexible space. n The tents have a stargazer panel in the roof so that you can lie in bed and look at the night sky or the sun rising. n They are manufactured as one unit, so no gaps for draughts, damp or small animals. n The return on investment is fantastic for this product.

What maintenance is required to keep your structures in top condition?

They need very little maintenance, the canvas/PVC is the best on the market and will last for 10 years plus. The frame is internal and protected by the canvas so there is little, or no maintenance needed for that.

How long does it take to create and assemble your structures?

It takes approximately a day to build. If you are adding the modular internal bathroom, kitchen and sleeping areas that would take another day to complete.

What is the lifespan of your structures and do you offer any warranties?

Lifespan is approximately 10 years. The products come with a 2-year warranty.

Glamping Innovations

NOMADIC RESORTS

nomadicresorts.com

Nomadic Resorts

Can you tell us a little about the background of your business and how long you have been trading?

Nomadic Resorts was founded in 2011. The core founders met during the construction of Soneva Kiri in Thailand – one of the leading tented resorts in the world. After working together on the design and construction of the treetop dining pod and Den projects from 2008-2009, Olav Bruin and Louis Thompson decided that a more accessible, sustainable resort development model, using modular design would allow developers to build resorts in remote location with far fewer workers and therefore significantly less environmental impacts.

What type of structures do you offer?

We currently have 3 pod models – the Looper which is a 44m2 luxury suite, the Urchin an 18m2 unit for couples and the Seedpod a suspended treehouse.

Nomadic Resorts

What is unique about your products?

The unique difference with our products and most of the other glamping units is related to the biomimicry inspiration for the architectural design and our tensile membrane engineering approach – our goal was to develop accommodation units that provide the same level of luxury and security as the Six Senses resorts we had been working on prior to launching the company – they are engineered to specific wind loads and snow loads to ensure that guests are safe during extreme weather events, we have used thermal model and computation fluid dynamics to calculate insultation, glazing and cross ventilation requirements so they can be heated or cooled, they can be equipped with ensuite bathrooms, the materials are fully recyclable and meet international fire safety requirements. As a result, our project Wild Coast Tented Lodge was nominated best new resort in Asia in 2019 at the Ahead Awards and we work for some of the world’s leading resort developers.

What maintenance is required to keep your structures in top condition?

The pods exterior membranes do need to be cleaned every 3 months with soapy water to remove dust and debris. In high humidity environments it may need to be washed every 3 months in the rainy season.

How long does it take to create and assemble your structures?

It depends on the units – the Seedpod takes a few hours, the Looper could take a few weeks depending on the internal finishes.

What is the lifespan of you structures and do you offer any warranties?

We use Ferrari textiles which typically have a 7-12 year warranty and a 10-15 year design life. The tented roofs we used at Soneva Kiri are nearly 15 years old.

Nomadic Resorts

ECO STRUCTURES

ecostructures.com.au

Can you tell us a little about the background of your business and how long you have been trading?

In 2000, Cyclone Rosita tore through Broome, Western Australia, wiping out the world-famous Eco Beach Resort – but not the steely resolve of its owner, Karl Plunkett. Amidst the rubble and ruins, Karl conceived a vision to redesign and rebuild a completely new resort concept fusing glamorous eco design with extreme weather structural integrity.

In 2009, Eco Beach Resort was reborn as a thriving tourism ‘village’ of structurally engineered, cyclone rated, modular, demountable structures, ranging from tents, to cabins and gazebos. It was a grand accomplishment – but it was just the beginning. Fuelled by his burning desire to innovate and revolutionise, Karl launched Eco Structures Australia to change the way travellers interact with the people and places.

Today, the company’s eco tents are dotted all around the world. Eco Structures leads the way helping resort owners and operators capitalise on the modern traveller’s demand for luxurious, ‘one of a kind’ experiences.

Eco Structures

What type of structures do you offer?

Tents, Cabins or Hybrids, Our Eco Tents are designed with the ability to be transformed into a Cabin/Chalet if the desire or demand was ever required.

What is unique about your products?

Our rich industry experience as tourism operators has taught a lot about the beauty of nature – and its raw power. Wind, fire, floods, drought – we’ve seen it all. That’s why every one of our products are designed uniquely around your travel concept and the environment it will exist in. Our Eco Tents are gateways to unique experiences where guests can escape life, pause, unhook and reconnect with nature without giving up creature comforts. Every Eco Tent can truly be custom. While all come supplied in kit form complete with all structural steel and fixings, the canvas ceiling and walls, large fly windows and doors and internal and external decking, we give you the freedom to ‘make your own’ masterpiece by handselecting various components that match your vision, such as Bath pods, Ensuites, decking and glass front doors.

What maintenance is required to keep your structures in top condition?

Eco Structures carefully selected all products to be not only durable but to have as little maintenance as possible, in fact other than sweeping and mopping ready for the next guest there is not any daily or even monthly maintenance. As a case study from our own resort Eco Beach, we started a canvas replacement program in 2020 which was 11 years after we opened and 12 years from when they were actually installed. The canvas is still fine it just looked tired, so it was kind of like giving it a paint job. In all these years we still have not touched the structures or the flooring and 20 of the 50 Tents are within 20 meters from the high tide line.

How long does it take to create and assemble your structures?

Our lead time from manufacture to delivery on site is 90 – 120 days, install could be 2 days to 6 days per structure depending on design.

What is the lifespan of your structures and do you offer any warranties?

According to the Galvanizers Association UK Data shows that Hot Dipped Galvanising can provide 34 – 170 years of protection, depending on its proximity to the ocean, once the protection is gone you are still left with 5mm thick steel to get through, should you not re prime and spray. Not bad for a Tent hey! Our canvas has a life span of 10 + Years and the flooring is the same. We do offer warranties on each component.

Eco Structures