Glamping weddings will be huge by Kelly Chandler

Georgia

GLAMPING COMPANY

Georgia Glamping Company was created when founders Nathan and Rebeka Self were returning from a holiday that featured particularly noisy hotel neighbours. They started their first site at Lake Lanier and have since opened up a second location at Clarks Hill. International Glamping Business Editor Will Rusbridge caught up with Nathan and Rebeka to talk about their company.

The idea for Georgia Glamping Company was formed in 2018 while Nathan, Rebeka and their family were road tripping back from spending a long weekend at the beach with noisy neighbors. “We liked the idea of getting the family away from fancy hotels, away from their technology and having them experience the great outdoors much like we did when we were kids. We dreamed of unique, one-of-a-kind getaways where people can explore on their own terms. Rebeka grew up

“We are always looking for new locations that would be a good fit for our brand. We have several new locations that are in the planning phase!”

camping with her family a lot on the West Coast and loves all kinds of camping. Nathan prefers nice hotels. Glamping was a perfect compromise for our family, and we knew that if our family needed this compromise, there had to be other families out there needing it as well.”

Georgia Glamping Company’s first site was Lake Lanier, located in Georgia, close to Atlanta. “It is located just 40 miles north of Atlanta, Georgia, within Shady Grove Campground in Forsyth County. We approached the county in 2018 and negotiated a sublease for a portion of their 100-acre campground surrounded by beautiful Lake Lanier. We have plans to expand our footprint there this coming year and have some big things in store.”

With Lake Lanier proving successful, Nathan and Rebeka decided to start looking for a second location, which they found on the shores of Clark Hill Lake. “Clarks Hill Lake is our newest location.

Located near Augusta, Georgia, within Wildwood Campground right on the shores of Clarks Hill Lake. We are so excited about this Columbia County location as it is offers amazing hiking and biking trails, a massive Disc Golf course and the Serene18 Paddle Trail.”

Having started their company due to a noisy neighbors, Nathan and Rebeka knew the importance of site design and layout when creating their locations. “It has always been important to us to provide the most comfortable and clean accommodations possible, without sacrificing luxury and stylish details. A big priority for us when designing a site is that no one is too close to their neighbors and that each site is very convenient to water access. Families make a big part of our market, so we design a lot of our interior spaces to accommodate larger families, all while keeping them versatile enough to feel comfortable for the couple or solo traveler as well.”

Both Lake Lanier and Clark Hill feature bell tents and safari tents as accommodation, which was important to the owners, “We knew we really wanted to provide the classic “tent camping” experience to people, because there is really nothing better than the sound of rain on canvas. We started out with just bell tents, because we loved the beautiful design and the aesthetic they provide. As we grew, we knew we wanted to add additional accommodation styles. We loved the classic look of the Safari tents and that they offer more square footage and ceiling height.”

Glamping site design and the choice of accommodation type is a great way to make a glamping site stand out as they both add to the character of the place in a big way, but smaller details like amenities and optional extras are equally as important.

“We provide air conditioning and heat depending on the season. We provide hotel style linens, soft rugs, lamps with warm lighting, and an indoor seating area. We also provide mini refrigerators and Keurig coffee makers. We have optional amenities that guests can add-on as well including gourmet s’mores kits and children’s activity bags.

We actually offer quite a few optional amenities as we think it’s important for everyone to customize their stay to make it truly unique to them. We offer kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, paddle boats, giant jenga games, corn hole, dinner gazebos, propane fire pits, propane grills, charter boat rides and photography sessions.”

So, what sets Georgia Glamping Company apart from the rest? Nathan and Rebeka believe that it’s all in the details. “We have made it our passion that everything we do, we do in excellence. Short cuts will not bring guests back to stay. The majority of our guests return and bring friends. Encouraging feedback we have received is that our sites look exactly like the photos. We don’t want to do glamorous, staged photoshoots for our social media pages or website because we want people to see exactly what they will be getting when they stay with us. We strive for that WOW factor from the moment they show up at their Glampsite to the time they leave. Around 80% of our guests are first time campers, and we absolutely love getting to introduce them to the great outdoors in this setting.”

Speaking about their plans for the future, Nathan and Rebeka added, “More GROWTH to keep up with our demand! In our 2020 season, we were booked at 100% capacity on weekends and weekdays! We are always looking for new locations that would be a good fit for our brand. We have several new locations that are in the planning phase!”

Asked about advice they have for other glamping site owners, they said, “Things don’t have to be over the top, but you can show your guests that you care about them through the details you provide in your accommodations. We started out with a very modest budget, but we never made shortcuts along the way.”

If you’d like to find out more about Georgia Glamping Company, you can find their website at gaglamping.com.