KOA's Terramor Glamping Resort

OFF TO A FAST START DESPITE OPENING DURING A PANDEMIC

BY MIKE GAST

When Kampgrounds of America Inc. decided to build an exclusive glamping resort a few years ago near Bar Harbor, Maine, KOA leaders felt the company’s 60 years of experience in family camping would provide a distinct advantage.

After all, with 520 campground locations across North America, KOA has long been the world’s largest provider of traditional family camping. The company also claimed to be the largest provider of glamping experiences in the world, with thousands of glamping tents, teepees, Deluxe Cabins and other accommodations on their existing parks.

Kampgrounds of America created a new brand for glamping called “Terramor” and set out to transform an existing KOA campground near the gates of Acadia National Park into an exclusive 64-tent showpiece glamping resort. They were all set to open in May 2020.

Then came COVID-19.

“All of our plans went out the window that spring,” said Whitney Scott, chief operating officer for KOA’s Terramor operation, and KOA’s chief marketing officer. “We didn’t get to open as we had planned. It was difficult to hire staff, and guests were just not able to get there.”

The pandemic’s effect on the global supply chain also left Terramor waiting for everything from sheets to lampshades. Staff raced to put on the finishing touches, and Terramor finally opened for business on August 1, 2020 with 64 stylish glamping tents (all but four with full bathrooms attached) as well as a newly constructed lodge that rivals anything you’d see at a top-end ski resort.

“Overall, we ended the year with more than 77% occupancy, which is great considering where we started from,” Scott said.

What KOA now has in Bar Harbor is a glamping experience that somewhat bridges the gap between a high-end version of traditional camping and a full-blown, do-it-all-for-you luxury glamping resort.

Yet even though KOA brought nearly six decades of campground management experience to the table, creating the Terramor glamping experience brought a few surprises.

“We learned that there are different expectations for guests looking for pure luxury compared to those who are looking for something a little more rustic,” Scott said. “We were surprised by what was seemed extremely important to a glamping guest that we just wouldn’t be important to campers on the traditional camping side.”

For instance, traditional campers expect to either bring their own firewood, or purchase wood at the store when they arrive. “At Terramor, we learned that providing free wood upon their arrival wasn’t going to be enough of an upgrade,” Scott said. “We had to adjust to the demands of the glampers. Now, wood is completely free all during their stay. Wood seems like a small thing, but it’s an example of how we had to constantly be looking for ways to upgrade our services to meet glamper’s expectations.”

Terramor managers also didn’t escape many of the challenges faced by traditional campground owners. In fact, some of those challenges were magnified.

“We quickly found out that Terramor was very likely the first outdoor experience for many of our guests,” said Scott. “Our guests really didn’t know how to behave in an outdoor setting.”

As an example, Scott said that glampers are often unaware of how sound carries when your accommodation is made from canvas.

“They just aren’t aware of how noisy staying in a tent can be,” she said. “Sound-wise, tent glamping is a lot less private than staying in a hard-sided accommodation, no matter how much space there is between tents.”

Scott said Terramor staff now sends out a special SMS text reminder message to glamper’s phones every night that says, in effect, “Enjoy the sounds of nature tonight, instead of the sounds of each other.”

STAFFING DURING THE PANDEMIC

KOA also discovered that staff skills on a traditional campground didn’t translate well to the Terramor Resort.

“We found out that we had to have a more hotel-trained staff than a campground-trained staff,” she said. “That was true even with the food services we provided. Glamping food services has much more in common with a nice restaurant than what you would traditionally find on a campground, so you have to staff accordingly.”

Staffing challenges brought on by the pandemic also forced Terramor to adapt its meal offerings. Glampers are now offered an extensive complimentary “grab and go” breakfast that includes cereals, oatmeal and fresh local pastries and muffins.

Lunch became a pre-packed picnic lunch, ready to go in its own cooler. “The idea is that we wanted to encourage guests to be off the property during the day, exploring the area,” Scott said. “They are in Bar Harbor and right next to Acadia National Park. There is a lot to see here.”

Dinners at the Terramor Lodge are prepared by a kitchen staff using a counter service model with a menu that focuses on local ingredients and flavors. The wood-fired pizza oven at the Lodge is also always available and is always busy throughout the evening, she said. A bar at Terramor also provides local microbrews, wines and custom cocktails.

Scott said the summer of 2021 has been the true “launch year” for Terramor, and managers and staff are still learning as they go.

“We now know that Terramor is much more like a hotel operation, but in the outdoors,” she said. “Those traditional ‘back of house’ items that a guest never sees at a hotel are areas that we are focusing on now with Terramor, too. We have had to expand our resources to provide things that we now know a ‘glampground’ needs that likely a campground does not.”

MARKETING TO A NEW OUTDOOR GUEST

“They want a refined experience in the outdoors, and they are willing to pay for that experience.”

“We know that there is a leisure traveler who is very interested in the glamping experience, but not necessarily the traditional camping experience,” Scott said. “We see our niche for Terramor as a glamping customer who wants a bit of a traditional camping experience, but doesn’t want to get their shoes too dirty,” she laughed. “They want a refined experience in the outdoors, and they are willing to pay for that experience.”

Terramor is currently charging a $400-per-night average rate, and seeing very little rate resistance.“Our Net Promoter Score has risen all of the way to 68, so we know we are on the right track,” she said.

MORE TERRAMORS ON THE WAY

Scott said KOA has plans to eventually add several more Terramor locations each year as the brand expands.

“This is really our test year in Bar Harbor,” she said. “We are still trying to figure out how this brand expands, and what elements are important for every Terramor location to have. But we will be looking to expand and provide the Terramor experience in many more places.”

She said while national parks are always likely targets for new Terramors, the concept won’t be limited to adjacent park locations. “We will be looking for more Terramor sites around points of natural interest,” she said. “We want places that are certainly ‘in-demand’ destinations that people want to explore but don’t have the level of experience that Terramor offers.”

Mike Gast was the Vice President of Communications for Kampgrounds of America, Inc. for the past 20 years. Now, he’s on to new adventures, helping others tell their stories through his freelance company, ‘Imi Ola Group. You can reach Mike at mike.imiolagroup@gmail.com.