Glamping Business Americas | April/May 2022

‘NATURE,’ A NORTHERN-BASED WEDDING DESTINATION, OFFERS GLAMPING ON THE SIDE

‘N

ature’ is located in the rolling hills of Northwest Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula vacation area. It’s a great example a unique business model that encompasses destination weddings and events, with tent and cabin glamping. Simply branded ‘Nature, a Michigan Retreat,’ the 78-acre destination resort features a large gathering and event facility coined “The Great Nest” that offers its event attendees a modern, minimalistic palette from which to craft unique weddings and retreats.

Co-owners and managers of the resort, Bryan and Emma Cloninger found the untouched property surrounded by the beauty of Northern Michigan just three years ago and since then have been fully booked.

Like many other camping resorts around the country, Bryan stated that labor shortages put a delay to the start of its season in 2021. Nature has 24 canvas camping tents and two large glamping tents. The small tents go for $100 per night, with the larger tents getting $180. The facility does not accommodate RV camping due to local township regulations.

“Camping is a side business for us,” Bryan said.

“Our main business is events right now, but we’re moving towards accommodations to support that business. Our camping may actually be an interim project. It’s not something we’re doing long term.

Corporate retreats, weddings, family reunions, stuff like that are taking up the focus.”

With one other silent investor the Cloningers have committed a significant amount since its inception just five years ago.

“It’s a $4 million resort,” Bryan shared. “The new lodge is $2 million. It’s pretty fancy. We have incorporated food service into the mix now, and we added more, little sanctuary spots in the woods. There are various ceremony spots also for weddings. It’s our third year, so we’re still just trying to get everything tuned in that we have done from the beginning.”

The venue currently has a packed schedule of weddings and events due to the pent-up COVID backlog.

“Normally, we do 20 weddings but this year, we’re doing 42,” Bryan noted.

“People are very polarized and it’s mostly politically driven,” he said frankly. “But the biggest problem is labor. You can’t find people to work.

People’s businesses and supply chain won’t fulfill the promises that they make. Whether it’s for materials or supplies or whatever, that’s a huge problem. Getting supplies is a pretty serious problem.”

If a supplier of drinks, food or other assets essential to the event can’t make it, it effects his customer satisfaction index. To defend against this

Bryan and Emma Cloninger

reality, he has to plan far in advance.

“It’s affecting our reviews, our reputation and our brand,” Bryan said. “Because basically, now I can promise nothing. If it shows up, it’s here.

And then the clients who expect to be served, understandably, don’t understand it. They’re like, ‘We’ll pay for it. You got to have it.’ and I have to say sorry, it doesn’t work like that at this point in time.”

For the future, as he begins to back off the pent-up demand for weddings, there are plans for more permanent accommodations.

“I’d like to convert to year-round accommodations that are all cabins and little houses.” Bryan explained. “I can’t find staff to take care of and manage tents as well. That’s gotten me some pretty bad reviews and there is basically nothing in my power that I can do to solve it. Little cabins will be easier to maintain than having to wet vac and broom out tents. Tents are labor intensive. It takes me over five hours to flip the whole property after an event.”

Bryan uses Davis Tent for the glamping portion and handmade canvas tents for the camping.

The cabins he plans to expand with are based off his own design and will be manufactured locally.

“We’re doing a custom cabin design,” he concluded. “It’s a very contemporary design. It’s resistant to weather and bad situations. It has a lot of anti-viral, anti-covid kind of planning involved with it, so that the cabins can be sterilized between uses.”

To learn more about this park, head to www.naturemichigan.com, or visit woodallscm.com.

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