Glen Helen Glamping opened summer 2019 on the site and surrounding grounds of the old Glen Helen Inn which had stood empty for a number of years. The first pods opened this summer, with 3 more planned by the end of 2020. Early in 2020 there are plans to install hot tubs, and undertake further landscaping work.
Since opening, they have been busy and receiving consistently positive feedback from visitors. There have been a large proportion of locals staying, with the site proving popular for groups and events. The function room means they have been able to host events from soft play parties to weddings, with further plans to offer a fully equipped function space for businesses.
With the majority of bookings over the weekends, a typical week then consists of Monday and Tuesday stripping all the pods and cleaning. A deep clean of each pod takes 3-4 hours. Tuesday and Wednesday are then used for site maintenance, and Fridays the pods are prepared for the next guests.
They have recently launched online booking on their website and have invested in quality imagery from local photographer Lee Norton (Just Lee Photography). Bookings are good for next year, with summer looking busy, and there are already a number of return visitors. They are hoping to further target off-island visitors.
It was 2016 when James Fennell and Stuart Owens had the idea to develop a Glamping Site. They produced a business plan, secured investors, and approached DEFA to help find a suitable location. Their first independent assessment took place September this year and they became the first site on Island to be given a 4 Star Glamping award.
When asked the best thing about the project, Stuart replied it was “receiving all the positive feedback, a lot of hard work went into getting the site up and running and it is nice to see people enjoying it.”
To anyone else considering a similar venture Stuart offers the following advice:
- Take time to produce a business plan
- Get involved with Industry
- Do your research
- Meet with relevant departments early on
- Don’t be deterred by a lack of knowledge or resources, find the right people to help and go for it!
If you are interested in operating a Glamping site on the Isle of Man, please get in touch with the Visit Isle of Man Business Development team to discuss on tourismquality@gov.im
Images by Just Lee Photography
