Use glamping to expand your existing business!
Logos Beach Village, on the island of Rhodes, offers a place to unwind after a day of surfing and kiting at the owner’s water sports centre. In 2011, Tobi Gottfried started as the owner of this kite and windsurfing centre and opened the resort in 2018 to provide the ultimate holiday experience. A great move; the resort is usually fully booked and they are looking to expand their glamping business on the Greek island.
Tobi talked us through his journey of how the resort with luxury glamping tents from YALA was created. Keep reading to find out his motivations and be inspired by his story.
Adding accommodation to an existing business
Why start a hotel or resort if you already have a successful water sports business? Tobi had a simple answer: ‘It’s just a better business case,’ he says: ‘When people think of going on holiday, they first look at the accommodation options, then the flights and finally they will consider water sports or other activities.’ In creating a beautiful resort, Logos Beach Village positions itself at the start of a holidaymaker’s journey and subsequently draws attention to their water sports centre as well. Adding, even a few, luxury glamping tents to your business enhances the experience and makes it more attractive to holidaymakers. Tobi agrees: ‘Almost all of our guests also come for the water sports, either because they already know it or love it, or because they would like to start with it. We used to book hotels for our customers before we had our own accommodation facility, but now they can stay with us and it’s even better.’
Dreamer glamping tentsGlamping is part of the golden combination
The combination of water sports and their family-oriented approach is a golden one. ‘We accumulated quite a few returners just because of our water sports. The glamping tents only added to our unique experience and family atmosphere.’ Glamping contributes to existing tourism businesses because it expands their business. People who visit the island for water sports also need a place to stay. The same applies to other types of businesses in other destinations.
We opted for glamping tents because we wanted to do something unique and it’s paying off.
Tobi Gottfried, Owner of
Logos Beach Village – Greece
Challenges
Permits, transport and finishing presented the most challenges. ‘But that’s only natural,’ says Tobi, ‘it was our first project and it doesn’t stop after you get the permit and buy the tents. The interior and the final details also have to be taken care of before the opening’. He is positive: ‘We learned from our first project. We now know how to organise and calculate shipping and have experience in designing, constructing and styling our glamping tents.’
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Glamping is unique
Uniqueness is the core of the business at Logos Beach Resort. Despite the challenges, Tobi was confident in his plan to start glamping. ‘It was difficult to get a glamping permit, but we wanted to do something unique. We are actually the first and only glamping site on the island.’
But why? Tobi explains: ‘Glamping is becoming increasingly popular because people want a different lifestyle, different food and also a different kind of holiday. Everything is shifting from mainstream experiences to something more unique.’ Glamping is the way to go because it offers a unique experience by combining luxury with nature. ‘We are preparing for the future by responding to the wishes of our guests and also following our intuition. We see that privacy and space are becoming more important, which suits the layout of our resort with individual glamping tents that are positioned quite far apart from each other. This is very different from a hotel where each room is connected to another. We choose space and privacy because we believe this will be the future.’
Why choose YALA luxury canvas lodges?
After Tobi decided to buy glamping tents and start a glamping site, he had to source the luxury tents. ‘I visited two companies, but eventually chose YALA because of the beautiful showroom and the pleasant communication with sales manager Dirk-Jan. I stayed because of him, because of the person. It was our first project working together and he is still a very good contact.’
- Large showroom with
an extensive variety
of glamping tents - Glamping tents are adjustable, from layout to design
- A sustainable business relationship with a personal touch
Tailor-made designs
Another advantage of working with YALA is the adaptability of the designs. ‘At the time, we wanted to adapt the designs to make our 13 Dreamer glamping tents even more luxurious.’ Logos Beach Village explored the versatile possibilities of YALA glamping tents at an early stage. All of our glamping tents have different layout options and the Eclipse and Aurora offer a modular system that allows you to choose different materials and design styles to create the look you want.
The connection makes the difference, which is why we work with YALA.
Tobi Gottfried, Owner of
Logos Beach Village – Greece
Glamping pays off
‘In the end, it was a big investment, but because we chose space and privacy, our guests are also willing to pay more. Just like building a hotel, you need a good business plan to recover the investment.’ Adding accommodation to the water sports business proved to be a great move. ‘It works, because people who like water sports also like this style. All in all, it’s a good package.’ To provide guests with the best possible experience, Logos Beach Village always includes breakfast for their guests and they have additional services available. Glamping is proving good business for Logos Beach Village and they are already experimenting with new canvas lodges. ‘We are on a good path, in the future I would like to build another site, or two, or three.’
Want to know how you can expand your business with glamping? Get in touch with our experienced sales team to explore the possibilities for your business!