7 minute read
Interior Design, Outdoors
BY TODD WYNNE-PARRY
Whether a glamping operation is small or large, the importance of high-quality interior design cannot be understated. Of course, not all operations can afford a professional hospitality interior design consultant, but all should be able to apply the key principals these firms use to create amazing indoor and outdoor spaces. Interior design firms dedicated to this sector such as Workshop APD (AutoCamp) or ROY (Yonder Escalante) focus on a consistent property wide aesthetic or design theme that works in harmony with the architecture to tell the story of the destination. They then look to match the caliber of the design to room rate expectations, while balancing the need for commercial (as opposed to residential) durability and the sustainability of the design and its elements. These perspectives start to provide the framework for the overall interior design package that will both enhance guest experience and overall profitability.
One of the key elements to a glamping destination is the guests’ experience with and connection to nature or the outdoors. This constant in the outdoor hospitality sector writ large, creates a unique challenge of providing the guest all the creature comforts of home, while experiencing the otherwise uncomfortable natural outside world. In fact, the challenge is often seen as bringing the inside to the outdoors (or vice versa) without negatively impacting the naturecentric experience. However, it is not enough to just provide a knotty pine king size bed in the bedroom, an Adirondack chair on the deck and a farmhouse table with benches to the communal lounge/workspace. As Jonah Kaplan, Director of Business Development of Workshop APD states;
Collective Retreats
The design aesthetic for a glamping destination should be the physical reflection of the destination’s story or its mission as a business.
Presumably the story will relate to the local area or region’s history, whether that is its natural environment or its short- or long-term societal past. In most cases there is a blend of the two. That is, in some parts of the world a region’s natural resources history becomes the reason humans interact with that area. For instance, an area’s propensity to grow crops, yield precious ore, or fulfill specific recreational interests can all drive a societal demand. Wine country, gold rush areas and skiing destinations all provide obvious fodder for a design theme. The key is to determine this aesthetic or its design principles and then have these principals guide all architectural and design elements in the built form. Like a high-end resort, the design theme needs to be felt upon entry and held consistent throughout the grounds, the public spaces, and the guest rooms.
Too many times I have seen properties with a variety of design themes and inconsistent design application. This confuses the guests and creates an uncontrolled delivery of the message through social media and other sales and marketing channels. The design’s consistent support of the property’s story will enhance the guest experience, your ability to clearly market the property and ultimately your ability to demand stronger room rates.
In addition to setting the design theme early in the property’s evolution, the on-going purposeful selection of both interior and exterior furniture, fixtures, and equipment (“FF&E”) is important for the longevity of the asset and capital expenses (“CapEx”) budgets. It is easy to identify some piece of FF&E that may be particularly trendy in the residential market, but glamping is a commercial use and typically requires a commercial grade application of most FF&E items.
ROY Interior Design of Yonder Escalante
While there may be some argument to get that Ikea bench or a Costco item for the short-term due to financial constraints, if you are serious about the property and its long-term value it Is better to spend more in the short-term term to have the guest feel the solid and stable items they are sitting or sleeping on. These little touches increase the aspirational value proposition of the room rate. The guests want to feel justified in paying the high room rate for their stay. So being able to experience living for a short time in and on top quality furnishings and bedding adds the “glamorous” to the glamping. Using high quality FF&E, preferably locally or at least regionally manufactured, also reduces the expense of and space needed to keep a par stock of items that constantly breakdown. Furthermore, regardless of the climate, FF&E left outdoors for any extended period will weather, deteriorate, and require replacement or repair on a faster cycle than its interior counterparts.
While the durability factor may or may not directly impact revenue generation, it will provide for a longer replacement schedule for FF&E and therefore a stronger bottom line over time and in turn a higher valuation.
The sustainability of materials in the construction and fit-out of glamping destinations is a consideration most developers and brands specify as a key pillar of their mission. This is because in the glamping world guests are very in tune to this concept and sometimes even demand the property and staff be responsible custodians of the environment. So “green washing” your property or feigning a truly sustainable approach to development and operations, may get called out on social media or booking channel reviews accordingly. The commitment to making thoughtful design choices that are in harmony with this ethos should remain on the list of considerations throughout the design development process.
Collective Retreats
To that end, Cassie Novick, Chief Creative Officer of Collective Retreats, looks to local artisans and antique sources to repurpose FF&E that will match their brand’s aesthetic. This has a positive impact on the local or regional communities, saves on waste and adds authenticity to each of their projects.
Interior design is both literally and figuratively the element of glamping that “ties the room together”. It is the common thread of a property’s vibe that connects the indoors to the outdoors and the public spaces to the guestrooms. This is the part guests are excited about. It’s the part that delivers on the promise of soft adventure – the part they mention when confessing to not being a camper but could be a glamper. Whether they are staying in a safari tent, cabin or trailer, it’s the ambiance thoughtful interior design creates that provides the connection to the comfort of home while in the midst of the untamed wilds of nature.
About Todd G. Wynne-Parry
A seasoned leader in the hospitality industry, Todd has over 30 years of hotel development experience, having held senior leadership positions at several major hotel brands and most recently AutoCamp and Two Roads Hospitality. A dual-citizen of the US and Australia, Wynne-Parry has lived and worked in the U.S., Asia, Australia and the United Kingdom. He was instrumental in the development efforts for IHG, Starwood and Marriott in the Asia Pacific region and for Two Roads Hospitality globally. He began his career as a hotel consultant in the San Diego office of Laventhol & Horwath, the predecessor to Horwath HTL. He is now Managing Director of Horwath HTL and leads the Outdoor Hospitality practice for North America. Horwath HTL is the largest independent hospitality consultancy with 52 offices worldwide.
Todd earned an MBA from Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management and sits on the advisory council of the American Glamping Association. In his spare time, Todd enjoys fly fishing and exploring the western US in his 1953 Airstream.
Todd Wynne-Parry
