7 minute read
Good Knights: The Legendary Medieval Glampsite
Themed glamping can be a hit or miss for travelers keen to seek out authenticity and sense of place. But one couple in Canada have managed to create a Medieval Encampment with such passion and authenticity that nobody could fail to become fully charmed and immersed in their vision.
Located in Three Hills, Alberta Canada, Good Knights has won a TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice award three years running and it is proof that combining top level luxury accommodation, entertainment and activities in glorious nature takes experiential hospitality to the next level.
Will Rusbridge, Editor of Glamping Business Americas, reached out to Daniel Smith, co-owner/operator of Good Knights, alongside his wife, Linda, to find out more.
Daniel and Linda had been involved in medieval reenactment for many years and had been hosting a private medieval festival for their friends since 2008. After a number of successful festivals, they started to think of ways to offer this 'festival' environment to the public in the form of a medieval destination with all the activities and fun - without the work of setting up your own tent.
"We had recently been on safari in Africa, and we loved the aesthetic of the deluxe tented camps with wooden floors, covered deck, nice bens and good food. So, in 2017, we decided to build and open our Good Knights Medieval Encampment to the public. We were totally unaware of 'glamping' at that time, we just knew what we wanted to offer. It turned out that we fell into one of the most popular and growing trends in travel."
Jumping into the new project, they had approval to build by the end of April 2017 and within 6 weeks, had all the utilities and major infrastructure in place to open to their first guests in mid-June. "We were lucky to have a number of farm buildings on our property that we converted and painted for the project. The only real difficulties occurred when working with development authorities and code inspectors because our place is not the 'usual' rural development. The authorities and inspectors did not quite know how to treat it - it is not a bed & breakfast, nor is it a traditional campground."
At Good Knights there are 8 deluxe medieval style tents in various shapes and sizes on offer. "Each one is unique. They range from a three-person tent to a double pavilion with 2 bedrooms that sleeps up to 8 people. All are quite large and spacious with a wood floor and deck, a 'throne room', electricity, and lots of rich decor. Most tents have a covered deck, and most are wheelchair accessible - as are all of our common facilities."
When it came to furnishing the tents, it was very important to Daniel and Linda, who were very committed to having a unique décor in all the tents, that they remained true to the medieval theme, “We have antique chairs, tables, trunks, and some really spectacular beds – a couple of which are real rope beds with canopies. There are wall hangings and tapestries, and curtains as well. We are sticklers for detail. For example, we hide the electrical outlets inside little treasure chests. Obviously, there are some concessions for modern luxuries – such as toilets and comfy beds (no straw mattresses here).”
More than just a place to stay, Good Knights offer a range of medieval style activities to guests, “Every Saturday night we put on a multi-course medieval feast for all the on-site guests served at the tables in our Great Hall and we have free classes in long-bow archery, crafting (leather and embroidery), as well as a sword and chivalry class (taught by our resident knight – Sir Daniel). There are also several yard games – such as bocci ball, croquette, and Kube or Viking chess.” And, as if this wasn’t enough, “we have a mid-sized trebuchet that we use to launch water balloons for the kids to ‘catch’ on a hot day.”
Daniel says that the trick to providing an immersive experience is to hire great people who love to interact with guests, and train them well, “Our team works very hard to put on an immersive experience – starting with meeting guests in our own costumes at our massive wooden gates and twin towers (palisades). Once inside the gates there are wooden wheelbarrows for guest to bring their gear to their tents. We are constantly interacting with our guests throughout their stay to ensure that they have a great time and that their needs are met (and exceeded). Getting guests into costumes as soon as they arrive helps set the mood and it carries on from there into the activities. Everything we do is designed to enhance the immersive guest experience.”
On top of the myriad of activities available, Good Knights also hold multiple events, “We host monthly public medieval feasts, one Sunday a month throughout the season (June – September), with up to 65 guests (all in costumes) sitting at long tables and feasting off wooden trenchers and bowls, with drinks served in silver goblets and clay mugs (no plastic or cans allowed). We serve traditional mead and locally produced beer, as well as wine. The meal lasts for 3 hours, has at least 6 courses plus there is entertainment, music, story-telling, and medieval dancing. We also do a few medieval murder mystery dinners each year – for up to 25 people, including costumes and prizes. Every year we do one or two medieval weddings, plus family re-unions, birthday parties, and church and youth camps. These require a bit more work to prepare for, but we are well equipped for and well experienced in hosting these types of events.”
And as for the future? Daniel and Linda are currently in the final stages of building a new section to the Good Knights themed park – the Wanderer’s Hideaway, “The first part of this new area will be “the Burrow”. This will be a deluxe underground dwelling (650 sq foot) with a sod roof and round door, a private fenced garden, and a hot tub. We have been working on this project for several years and we are committed to getting it open later this summer or early fall. This will be a year-round unique accommodation unit that will take us from a seasonal development to a year-round destination,” says Daniel. “To tie into this theme will be building 3 Romani-inspired Vardos / caravans for guests to stay in. These will be insulated and heated so we can rent these out 7-8 months a year (opening spring of 2023). We do plan to winterize our traditional Mongolian yurt this fall so that it can be rented out in the fall and early spring – to extend our season. We have lots of other dreams and plans beyond that, but we will have to see how this next phase goes before we commit to another new development.”
