J O I N T H E C A N O P Y & S TA R S TREEHOUSE & CABIN ADVENTURE
C A N O PY & S TA R S
From acorn to timber! A sustainable business opportunity
Start the journey... OUR ACORN OF AN IDEA
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CASE STUDY - TREETOPS TREEHOUSE
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TREEHOUSES BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
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DESIGN OPTIONS
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CASE STUDY - THE LODGE
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CABINS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
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DESIGN OPTIONS
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CASE STUDY - OLD MILL TREEHOUSE
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HOW WE CAN HELP SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
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CANOPY & STARS MARKETING PARTNERSHIP
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CANOPY & STARS CONSULTANCY
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CASE STUDY - HARPTREE COURT TREEHOUSE
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NEXT STEPS – TIMBER!
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LA CABANE DU PERCHE - Normandy, France canopyandstars.co.uk/cabaneduperche
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OUR ACORN OF AN IDEA
Sawday’s Canopy & Stars is a beautiful
So we’d like to share some of our unique
collection of treehouses, wagons, yurts and
insights and experience with you. We’ll try
all sorts of other unusual spaces to enjoy
to bring this opportunity to life with some
the great outdoors.
examples of treehouses and cabins we market exclusively through Canopy & Stars. We’ll
As the collection has grown, so too has
also introduce some innovative concepts we
the demand amongst our loyal guests.
have developed with our treehouse and cabin
We’ve noticed just how popular cabins and
partners and highlight things you’ll need to
treehouses are within this growing niche.
consider before planting your own acorn of
In terms of guest experience and design too,
an idea.
they’re such inspiring spaces for guests to stay in and for owners to create. And this has
We’ll happily help you on every step of this
got us thinking… ‘Wouldn’t it be great to have
journey; from initial consultation and design,
a few more popping up within the canopy, in
through to marketing and then importantly
woodland glades or on river banks?’
sharing your space with our guests and building a successful and sustainable
We believe these spaces represent the biggest
business with you. So please read on, we
opportunity for anyone thinking of setting
hope to inspire and let you dream, but also to
up a space themselves. Importantly, they’re
demonstrate just how strong the roots of this
rewarding as a project from both a creative
idea are too.
and commercial point of view, and with consistently high occupancy year round they can really help grow your income too.
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C A N O PY & S TA R S
Our occupancy levels are significantly higher than we budgeted for and they continue to grow. Canopy & Stars’ customer service is brilliant, professional and flexible and the amount of exposure they have got our property through PR and marketing has been tremendous!
Nick&Tara
TREETOPS TREEHOUSE
C A S E S T U DY
Fox & Hounds Country Hotel
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TREETOPS TREEHOUSE CHUMLEIGH, DEVON
within the grounds of their Devon hotel. After all, they had just the tree for it… Working closely with our treehouse partners they developed something quite magnificent - a luxurious family-sized nest of interconnected rooms weaving around the branches of the tree and sitting proudly within the
C A S E S T U DY
Nick and Tara always dreamed of a big treehouse
canopy. Treetops Treehouse launched on the Canopy & Stars website for Christmas 2013, in its first two full years it achieved an average occupancy of just under 80% with nightly rates from £180 to £360.
V iew online:
canopyandstars.co.uk/treetops 5
C A N O PY & S TA R S
TREEHOUSE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Working closely with our treehouse construction partners we’ve developed some amazing new designs that we know our guests will love.
environmentally and commercially.
All treehouses are different. That’s
That’s why we’re very careful about
what makes them so special. However,
the type of treehouses and partners
for business planning purposes and
we recommend and why we’ve put
based on treehouses within our
together this booklet to help guide you
collection, we estimate that a £70,000
in your own creation.
treehouse in the right setting and location can achieve upwards of
The pioneering designs use low impact
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construction techniques leaving trees
A core value of Canopy & Stars is
£40,000 of bookings a year based on
unharmed by the build and giving
to champion the small-scale and
nightly rates of £140 to £180.
incredible flexibility in design style
independent. Our collection is rich and
and site choice. So you can let your
eclectic and reflects our owner’s great
imagination soar without needing a
individuality, warmth and style. What
250 year old oak to support it. The use
we’re providing here are suggestions
of green technology and sustainable
and a set of enormously flexible designs
materials also ensures that build
that give you the means to create a
time and costs are minimised and the
wonderful space of your own.
treehouse has a light environmental
Frankly, we wouldn’t want it any other
footprint. It’s important to us that
way. So consider this a blank canvas in
our treehouses are sustainable both
the canopy.
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TREEHOUSE DESIGN OPTIONS The treehouse and cabin designs that
Built in furniture, if specific to the
Changes to the designs shown in terms
follow include a range of examples, sizes
design such as bunk beds or fold down
of extra space, additional features,
and finishes suitable for letting through
tables are also included. This price also
extra tree platforms, bespoke furniture
Canopy & Stars. Final costs are subject
includes the treehouse access stairs
or even the supply of a dry shell
to variations in these specifications,
and deck area similar to that indicated.
structure only, are all possible and
sizes, locations, access, services and
This feature obviously varies depending
would be discussed directly with our
extras. In order to allow comparison
on number and type of trees as well as
treehouse partners.
each space has been costed with a
location and setting.
fully finished exterior and interior decoration, including a plumbed in kitchen (and bathroom where included) and all electrical fittings.
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DESIGN OPTIONS
TUBE TREEHOUSE DESIGN SHOWN IS A
TREEHOUSE DESIGN OPTIONS
T W O P E R S O N 1 5 M2 L AYO U T
F E AT U R E S • Tube-shaped treehouse suspended by cables or on metal legs • Tree attached platform /living deck and stair access • 10-26 m2 interior living space with a range of uses and layouts • High tech CNC cut frame with natural insulation • Suitable for studio / home office through to four person accommodation • Highly flexible to different locations • Ideal for an off-grid low energy solution • Four person 22m2 treehouse circa £43,000 + VAT
PRICE Cost fully finished erected on a treehouse platform CIRCA
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£35,000 + VAT
Floor layout ENQUIRE ONLINE
canopyandstars.co.uk/timber
DESIGN OPTIONS
TREE CABIN TREEHOUSE DESIGN SHOWN IS A T W O P E R S O N 2 6 M2 L AYO U T
TREEHOUSE DESIGN OPTIONS
F E AT U R E S • Timber-clad treehouse for two people • Round pole platform support frame for treehouse and deck • 26m2 interior living space • High tech CNC cut frame with natural insulation • Timber finished interior • Interior bathroom and kitchen • Highly flexible to different locations • Ideal for an off-grid low energy solution
PRICE Cost fully finished erected on a treehouse platform CIRCA
£65,000 + VAT
TA L K I T T H RO U G H . . . C A L L U S O N
Floor layout
0 1 1 7 2 0 4 7 8 3 8 O R E M A I L U S AT
ideas@canopyandstars.co.uk
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DESIGN OPTIONS
O B S E RVATO RY TREEHOUSE DESIGN SHOWN IS A
TREEHOUSE DESIGN OPTIONS
T W O P E R S O N 2 5 M2 L AYO U T
F E AT U R E S • Curved-shaped treehouse on metal legs for two people • Large Sky Frame glazing aspect • Tree platform suspended from the tree • 25m2 interior living space • High tech CNC cut frame with natural insulation • Timber finished interior with curved metal roof • Flexible layout living space • Highly flexible to different locations • Ideal for an off-grid low energy solution
PRICE Cost fully finished erected on a treehouse platform CIRCA
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£70,000 + VAT
ENQUIRE ONLINE
Floor layout
canopyandstars.co.uk/timber
DESIGN OPTIONS
T H E R E T R E AT TREEHOUSE DESIGN SHOWN IS A F O U R P E R S O N 4 0 M2 L AYO U T
TREEHOUSE DESIGN OPTIONS
F E AT U R E S • Four person octagonal treehouse • Available in a range of sizes and layouts to suit two to four people • Round pole frame with High Tech SIP shell • Includes covered wooden deck • Various cladding materials, roofing finish and window styles available • Flexible layout living space • Highly flexible to different locations
Floor layout
• Ideal for an off-grid low energy solution
PRICE Cost fully finished erected on a treehouse platform CIRCA
£95,000 + VAT
TA L K I T T H RO U G H . . . C A L L U S O N
0 1 1 7 2 0 4 7 8 3 8 O R E M A I L U S AT
ideas@canopyandstars.co.uk
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DESIGN OPTIONS
BESPOKE TREEHOUSE DESIGN SHOWN IS A
TREEHOUSE DESIGN OPTIONS
F O U R P E R S O N 3 5 M2 L AYO U T
If you want to go for something a little more bespoke, then anything is possible.
Let’s be visionary. PRICE 1st floor layout
Bespoke 35m2 treehouse CIRCA
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£150,000 + VAT
ENQUIRE ONLINE
canopyandstars.co.uk/timber
2n d floor layout
DESIGN OPTIONS
DESIGN SHOWN IS A BESPOKE FOUR PERSON 4 5 M2 L AYO U T
TREEHOUSE DESIGN OPTIONS
1st floor layout
2n d floor layout
PRICE
View from the living room
Bespoke 45m2 treehouse CIRCA
£180,000 + VAT TA L K I T T H RO U G H . . . C A L L U S O N
0 1 1 7 2 0 4 7 8 3 8 O R E M A I L U S AT
ideas@canopyandstars.co.uk
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C A S E S T U DY
C A N O PY & S TA R S
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Sawday’s Canopy & Stars have been a perfect fit for our little holiday getaway. Their expertise, focus and passion make it a pleasure for ourselves and our guests. The website and their marketing capture the essence of this niche market brilliantly. Working with them is very enjoyable due to the professionalism, creativity and customer focused ethos of their staff. We look forward to our growing future relationship with them.
Mark Holden-Hindley THE LODGE Eden Hall 14
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THE LODGE PENRITH, CUMBRIA
He’d just finished building a stunning log cabin on the bank of the river Eden within the Edenhall estate and wanted us to come and have a look to see whether it was right for Canopy & Stars. We hopped on a train up to Cumbria and the guests followed shortly after. It’s just the kind of place that we always dreamed we would have
C A S E S T U DY
Mark Holden-Hindley first approached us in 2011.
within the collection. A stunning structure within a beautiful and peaceful setting. The Lodge launched on the Canopy & Stars website in 2011. In its first five years it has achieved an average occupancy of over 65% with nightly rates from £140 to £260.
V iew online:
canopyandstars.co.uk/thelodge 15
C A N O PY & S TA R S
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CABIN BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Cabins are great year round spaces and are incredibly popular with our guests. We feature a fabulously diverse range of things that go by that name and it’s that quirky and creative spirit that, as always, we want to encourage.
As with treehouses, no two cabins are alike. What you create will depend upon your setting as well as your personality and taste. For business planning purposes and based on occupancy and nightly rates of cabins within the Canopy & Stars collection, we estimate that a £40,000 cabin in the right setting and location, can expect to achieve
Just as with the treehouses, the designs are all very flexible in size and finish. We love them all, from
upwards of £20,000 of bookings per year based on nightly rates of £95 to £125.
the simple and rustic to the more architectural and modern. The exact setting, the design and the little details, those personal touches that make a place truly special, are all up to you. So if you have that little dip in a hillside, a glade in a woodland or bank by a lake, something along these lines could feel just right.
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DESIGN OPTIONS
SAFARI CABIN D E S I G N S H O W N I S 1 5 M2 I N T E R N A L A N D 1 3 M2 C OV E R E D E X T E R N A L AREA. THE SAME DESIGN CAN INCLUDE E X T R A I N T E R N A L L I V I N G S PAC E A N D I T S O W N B AT H R O O M I F
CABIN DESIGN OPTIONS
REQUIRED.
F E AT U R E S • A highly flexible cabin utilising an enclosable covered outdoor area • Round pole frame with hi-tech SIP walls • Roll down double bunk space available • Outdoor kitchen living space with the option of doors • Highly flexible to different locations • Ideal for an off-grid low energy solution
PRICE Cost fully finished CIRCA
£25,000 + VAT Floor layout
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ENQUIRE ONLINE
canopyandstars.co.uk/timber
DESIGN OPTIONS
CORDWOOD CABIN DESIGN SHOWN IS A F O U R P E R S O N 4 0 M2 L AYO U T
T R ECEAHBO I NU SDEE S DIEGSNI GONP O T IPOTN IO SNS
F E AT U R E S • Rustic timber cabin with large surround veranda and deck • Accommodation for four people with flexible mezzanine and ground level beds • Hi-tech SIP construction • Clad in recycled timber and corrugated iron • Round pole support posts and balustrade • Stacked log wall façade • Bespoke bathroom and kitchenette • Highly flexible to different locations • Ideal for an off-grid low energy solution
PRICE Cost fully finished CIRCA
Floor layout
£45,000 + VAT
TA L K I T T H RO U G H . . . C A L L U S O N
0 1 1 7 2 0 4 7 8 3 8 O R E M A I L U S AT
ideas@canopyandstars.co.uk
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DESIGN OPTIONS
S H E P H E R D’S CABIN D E S I G N S H O W N I S 2 4 M2 G R O U N D F LO O R A N D 1 2 M2
CABIN DESIGN OPTIONS
MEZZANINE
AREA.
F E AT U R E S • Oak frame design with mezzanine bed platform • Hi-tech SIP walls with timber cladding • Shingle roof and recycled floorboards • Two person luxury layout with bespoke bathroom and kitchen • Fully glazed end wall • Large covered veranda • Four-person bunk option available • Highly flexible to different locations • Ideal for an off-grid low energy solution
PRICE Floor layout
Cost fully finished CIRCA
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£65,000 + VAT
ENQUIRE ONLINE
canopyandstars.co.uk/timber
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C A S E S T U DY
C A N O PY & S TA R S
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Canopy & Stars... what can I say, just an amazing group of people! We started our treehouse business late 2013 and have been busy ever since. All thanks to the superb marketing of Canopy & Stars. Their support and advice pre-launch was invaluable, and once up and running their customer service has been fantastic. They have a real passion for what they do and are always happy to help.
Tony & Beverley THE OLD MILL TREEHOUSE 22
The Old Mill
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OLD MILL N R . B AT H , S O M E R S E T
a B&B, but always wanted to have a treehouse! We helped them to think about the kind of experience they wanted to create as well as giving more practical advice on having guests stay. Old Mill Treehouse launched on the Canopy & Stars website in 2013, in its first two full years it
C A S E S T U DY
Tony and Beverley had no experience of running
achieved an average occupancy of over 95% with nightly rates from ÂŁ150 to ÂŁ180.
V iew online:
canopyandstars.co.uk/oldmill 23
C A N O PY & S TA R S
THE ARC - Peterborough canopyandstars.co.uk/thearc
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How we can help
S O M E T H I N G S TO T H I N K A B O U T. . . Whether you’re thinking about a treehouse, cabin or other type of space, there’s a great deal to consider before you can really get going. We know what works well and have contacts who can help you at every stage of the journey, but while we want to be your project partners, it’s your space, land and home, not ours. So sometimes the best thing we can do is simply ask the right questions and get you thinking about the things that you need to really consider.
SETTING Be honest and we will be too. Do you really have the right kind of setting and location for a project of this type? It’s a major undertaking so it needs to be somewhere special. Great views and a rich natural environment are so important in the success of any space. We’re promoting an outdoor holiday experience, so you need a setting and location that will let guests enjoy being closer to nature.
EXPERIENCE The starting point of your experience has to be your guests and who you plan to host. Are you looking to create a cosy couples retreat or somewhere for a family adventure? Think about who you’d like to stay and the kind of experience you’d like to create. This should run through everything you do. This is closely linked to your setting of course. What’s outside is often just as important as what’s inside.
GUEST MANAGEMENT You do need to consider how you are going to manage guests from arrival to departure and the kind of relationship you want to have with them. Canopy & Stars aim to make every aspect of a holiday an amazing experience, from the initial booking through us to arrival and the stay itself. It’s a real team effort to create truly special holidays.
PLANNING Most sites will require planning permission and we would always advise you to seek advice from a planning consultant. We have planning guidelines that we can share with you to help you better understand the process and the steps towards a successful planning application.
BUDGET It needn’t be big, but this is probably the big question. When we’re creative and resourceful we’re often at our best and some of our most popular spaces are products of innovation and creativity, rather than a financial outlay. However, a treehouse is a relatively expensive structure. And so to understand what might be possible you need to start with an idea of the budget you have available.
MARKETING There’s no point in creating a fantastic place to stay if nobody ever knows about it! We know what guests like and we are experts in marketing this type of niche experience. We have a huge following of loyal guests and will be able to send you lots of the right kind of people for what you’ve created. It’s what we do every single day.
T A L K I T T H R O U G H . . . C A L L U S O N 0 1 1 7 2 0 4 7 8 3 8 O R E M A I L U S A T ideas@canopyandstars.co.uk
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C A N O PY & S TA R S
THE RAFT - Essex canopyandstars.co.uk/theraft
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How we can help
C A N O PY & S TA R S M A R K E T I N G PA RT N E R S H I P Canopy & Stars are the leading booking and marketing agents for treehouses and cabins. We will represent and support your business in a number of ways. INSPECT & SELECT We only take on the most special places and we inspect every place that we represent. It’s how we make sure that our guests have loads of great places to go and that our owners are part of a superb, niche collection.
PRECISE BUT FLEXIBLE We work with precision and professionalism to make everything run as smoothly as possible, but we believe in being flexible too. Whether it’s how you want to work with us, or your guests, we’ll do our best to make it easy for you.
BOOKING MANAGEMENT We take care of all payments and arrangements with the guests we book for you, whether it’s through our 24/7 booking system or over the phone, leaving you free to do what you do best and make your guests happy.
OUR FOCUS We have an unswerving devotion to the outdoors, adventure and quirky places to stay. We keep that focus so that we can deliver great service and industry insight for all the owners in our collection.
GUIDANCE & SUPPORT We’re always happy to talk through a problem or a new idea, whether you’re building your first treehouse or cabin, or 10 years into running your business. We’ve got some good deals for our owners from some like-minded companies and a long list of people who can help with planning, insurance and other aspects of your project.
PR & MARKETING We work hard to generate high levels of awareness of Canopy & Stars and all the places we feature within the collection. Our marketing and PR efforts result in high levels of bookings and occupancy for our owners. We are regularly featured in major travel and lifestyle newspapers, magazines and websites and we have many long term brand partnerships with like-minded companies that give us a considerable reach to a wide audience. We supplement this with strong and constantly evolving digital marketing including on-site SEO and
a wide-ranging set of PPC campaigns that drive high volumes of traffic to all parts of our site. We also have a large database of interested guests that we engage with on social media and through our newsletters. All of our marketing is focused on a specific niche audience with a carefully considered tone and highly relevant and targeted messaging that helps us bring you lots of the kind of people that will love your place.
2 0 Y E A R S O F H E R I TA G E Canopy & Stars are part of Alastair Sawday’s which has been seeking out special places for two decades now. So while glamping, treehouses, wagons and cabins may be a relatively new trend, we’ve got years of experience to fall back on when it comes to knowing whether somewhere is truly special.
KEEPING IT GREEN Staying in a treehouse or cabin is a great way for people to explore new places and new experiences with a minimal impact on their surroundings. Our owners are providing people with the chance to ‘go slow’ and relax while travelling in a sustainable way and we love doing our bit to support it.
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C A N O PY & S TA R S
SKY DEN - Northumberland canopyandstars.co.uk/skyden
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How we can help
C A N O P Y & S TA R S C O N S U LTA N C Y We’re always very happy to chat through initial ideas and provide feedback before you press ahead. We can also help at every stage on a consultancy basis, if you’re looking for a bit more support for your treehouse or cabin project
F R E E I N I T I A L C O N S U LT A T I O N We’ll find out a bit about your project, provide some feedback and ideas and suggest some things you might like to consider.
FULL SERVICE SITE & EXPERIENCE DESIGN We have lots of experience in creating spaces and experiences and can provide this higher level of support on a consultancy basis. This is costed depending on requirement.
SITE VISIT & REPORT If you’re interested in working with us on a consultancy basis for the design and build phases of your project we can arrange a site visit and a formal report containing our recommendations. This is costed depending on requirement.
FULL PROJECT MANAGEMENT For owners who have the vision, but perhaps not the time or contacts to bring their ideas to life, we can work on a project from start to finish. We’ll be your point of contact and managing relationships with suppliers so that the project exceeds your expectations and is delivered on time and on budget.
BUSINESS PLANNING & FINANCIAL MODELLING We are happy to work with you on a consultancy basis to provide support around writing a business plan and more bespoke financial modelling. This is costed depending on requirement.
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C A S E S T U DY
C A N O PY & S TA R S
“
Sawday’s Canopy & Stars introduced to us the concept of a treehouse as a way of expanding our business and we were instantly hooked! They recommended suppliers and consultants and were always on hand to provide advice at every stage of the process. Once we started the build, the Canopy & Stars marketing team swung into action and we have had almost full occupancy ever since. The whole team at Canopy & Stars remain very interested in what we are doing and how we are doing it and are very committed to us and our guests. They are a delight to talk to on the phone and always answer any problems we have immediately.
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Charles & Linda HARPTREE COURT TREEHOUSE Harptree Court 30
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HARPTREE COURT N R . B AT H , S O M E R S E T
when we suggested a treehouse might be an interesting and profitable way for them to grow their brilliant B&B business and so help maintain and support the family home – a stunning Georgian manor house. They’re a hugely warm and creative couple and have a genuine passion for providing amazing experiences for their guests. The idea of
C A S E S T U DY
Charles and Linda didn’t really need persuading
a treehouse, set within their beautiful grounds, immediately appealed. Charles and Linda were brave and bold in their ambition for the project and, the results prove, incredibly smart too. In 2011 Canopy & Stars had its first treehouse and Harptree Court Treehouse welcomed its first guests. Hundreds of lemon drizzle cakes later (every guest gets one) it has been an overwhelming success and has achieved an average occupancy of 85% since launch with nightly rates from £180 to £360 in peak season.
V iew online:
canopyandstars.co.uk/harptreecourt 31
MY DESIGN
C A N O PY & S TA R S
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ENQUIRE ONLINE
canopyandstars.co.uk/timber
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NEXT STEPS
T IMBER!
If you’d like to join us on this adventure and create a treehouse or cabin on your land, please do get in touch. We’d love to hear from you, find out about your plans and discuss how we can help.
Please call us on
0117 204 7838 for an initial chat
Email us on
ideas canopyandstars.co.uk It always helps to have a few pictures, and ideally a few words too, about what you plan to do and what stage you’re at
or fill in your details at
canopyandstars.co.uk/timber and we’ll get in touch
We’re looking forward to creating something special. It’s time to think about Timber!
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© Copyright 2016 Sawday’s Canopy & Stars Ltd. Merchants House, Wapping Road, Bristol BS1 4RW, UK