Guest Experience by HoneyTrek: Art of the Check-in

Before you start pouring money into a property, remember... thoughtfulness is the most luxurious amenity you can offer. We know this to be true after reviewing over 200 glamping properties and boutique hotels across all seven continents for Glamping.com, National Geographic, Honeymoons.com, and our book Comfortably Wild: The Best Glamping Destinations in North America. To research this coffee-table guidebook, we spent 2.5 years scouring the continent for exceptional glamping properties. While “best” is subjective, we found that places with heart, immersive experiences, and a knack to delight often beat out the five-star resorts.

In our HoneyTrek column for Glamping Business Americas, we’re excited to breakdown the essential elements of the guest experience (check-in process, room enhancements, activity offerings, dining options, and more) and the ways you can make them shine—no matter your budget. To make this column as useful as possible, we will give concrete examples from our hundreds of stays around the Americas—from ultra-luxe resorts in Argentina to pop-up camps in Alaska—and tips to make them your own. We’re sharing them because they made an impression on us... and when you can do that for guests, they become your brand ambassadors and champions for success.

Big-box hotels made “check-in” synonymous with busy lobbies and paperwork. The bar has been set low and you have an easy opportunity to dazzle your guests. After a day of travel, they are usually fried; make them feel at ease and reinvigorated the moment they enter your property. This can be done in a few key ways:

In this digital age, so much of the necessary paperwork can be done beforehand. Have your guests fill-out as much as possible from home or a smartphone, using services like DocuSign, so they don’t waste time in paradise. When sending those initial logistical emails, balance the mundane with fun info about the activities they can look forward to and book in advance. We loved when Asheville Glamping sent over their forms, they also included their locals’ guide to the area.

Most people go glamping because they love the outdoors and the adventures it beholds. If your landscape and resources allow, play that up with guests’ mode of arrival. To get to/from Pacuare Lodge in Costa Rica, we were presented with two options: take a 4x4 to a cable car or whitewater raft to the banks of their river lodge—we opted for both and still tell people about it six years later. At The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, many people choose the island glamping site because it’s a scenic canoe ride to get there. If your property has a stream or ravine to cross, don’t view it as an impediment. Treat the long way around as a means to build excitement and a story.

The entryway to your property should make your guests feel like they are crossing the threshold into a new world. Passing through a beautiful archway with your hotel name, following a winding road to a glowing dome or cottage covered in flowering vines will let guests know they’re in the right place. When it comes to parking, don’t just let them belly up to your beautiful tent; give them a walk in the woods. When KOA was developing their glamping concept, they purposely made their parking area a short nature walk away from their tents. Ventana Big Sur finds that their “hike-in” sites are just as popular because of the adventure they offer. Plus, no one wants a boring sedan cluttering the view of their Instagrammable accommodation.

Make the first building your guests visit the one the best view, prettiest landscape, or coolest structure. The space should have a laid-back vibe with chill music, soft light, and local treasures. When we arrived at Bull Hill Guest Ranch in northeast Washington, we thought we’d walked into a 19th-century saloon with guests dancing and the cowboy owners chatting up the bar. Before touching a pen or paper, our host at Beniya Mukayu led us to the garden house for a private tea ceremony—their tradition of welcoming guests for nearly a century.

Exhausted from their travels and busy lives at home, guests are looking for a breather. After we took a boat from Puerto Vallarta to Yelapa, the last leg to our glamping property was a giant set of stone stairs through the jungle. Before any exasperation could set in, the staff greeted us with huge smiles, a cool towel, and a hand with our luggage. Our porter shared so many interesting facts about the flora and fauna, that it made the ascent feel like a naturalist-led hike. Do whatever you can to cool them down (or warm them up), quench their thirst, and lighten their load so they can quickly get on vacation time.

Guests have made it all the way to your corner of the world, reward them for it. At ANC Tiny Houses in the vineyards of Columbia Valley, check-in is paired with a wine tasting. Sit for a flight with their friendly staff or take a glass to the cornhole court, whatever makes you happy. For properties using a self-check-in model, we love that Airydale Retreat in Pennsylvania Amish Country lets guests settle into their accommodation and after an hour or two, the owner pops by to welcome them with their local delicacy: the whoopie pie. Guests never have any qualms about the paperwork, because chocolate makes everything better.

This might be the oldest trick in the book, but that’s because it works… welcome guests with something to take the edge off and a reason to raise a glass. Impress them at the door with a pretty tray of drinks or have a bottle of wine or local beers on ice waiting in their room. Glamping at your retreat is a special occasion, help them celebrate.

We’ll talk about this a lot in our column, because designing your property to highlight the unique qualities of its location and you as a host are the key to making it one-of-a-kind. To get your creative juices flowing, think about what makes your region special; what’s the history of your land and the interesting characters that preceded you. Express your brand story everywhere from your driveway to your lobby, with antiques, hand-drawn maps, personal objects, local delicacies, regional music, and whatever helps guests better understand where they are and why they came.

Traveling for 9 years across 62 countries, Mike and Anne Howard are global travel experts with a specialty in glamping. They launched HoneyTrek.com to chronicle their journey and have since written National Geographic’s bestselling book Ultimate Journeys for Two and the first travel guide on glamping in North America, Comfortably Wild. Earning a Lowell Thomas Journalism Award for their guidebook and a seat on the American Glamping Association Board of Advisors, they work hard for the glamping community. Budding glampgrounds to established tent manufacturers have partnered with the Howards for their multifaceted skill set as photographers, writers, influencers, and consultants to improve their guest experience and share it with the world.

Visit HoneyTrek.com/GlampingExperts