6 minute read
How Ronnie Smith is Transforming Portugal's Outdoor Hospitality Movement
From the French Alps to Lisbon, Ronnie Smith has turned her passion for sustainable living into one of Portugal’s fastest-growing glamping enterprises. In this feature, she reveals how Glamping Revolution is reshaping hospitality with modular design, bold partnerships and a strong environmental ethos.
When Ronnie describes her journey to founding Glamping Revolution, the story starts far from Portugal. “I was born in the UK, raised in France, studied in Spain and relocated to Portugal to start my entrepreneurial journey in Lisbon, the start-up capital of Europe,” she recalls. After earning a dual master’s in chemical and process engineering and modern languages, she rejected corporate graduate programs to pursue what she called a dream of being a “real engineer.”
Growing up in the French Alps inspired her perspective. “People were so healthy and happy living in harmony with nature,” she says. “Then, travelling across Europe’s cities, everything felt wrong: too fast, too disconnected, too unsustainable.” That tension became the seed of Glamping Revolution, a company designed to provoke change by bringing people back to nature. Today, the business designs, manufactures and installs innovative structures for sustainable outdoor living, delivering turn-key hospitality projects across Europe.
More than a company
Glamping Revolution has grown into one of the most recognisable names in Portugal’s glamping sector. Ronnie believes success lies in its identity as more than a business. “In Portugal we are widely recognised as a movement,” she explains.
The pandemic proved to be a turning point. When events arm Eurodome stalled, the company pivoted hard into glamping. “As our sales grew, waiting for others to install cement foundations delayed us. We started importing groundscrews and developed specialist carpentry teams. Suddenly we no longer depended on anyone. We could manage projects from start to finish, and this was a game-changer.”
Building close relationships with Portugal’s Tourism Ministry, regional governments and industry associations strengthened that momentum. International partnerships with suppliers across Belgium, Holland, Bulgaria and the UK extended its credibility and reach.
Portugal’s glamping movement
Portugal’s appeal as a destination is undeniable: sunshine, scenery, food and culture. Yet accommodation shortages long plagued rural areas. “The insufficient housing stock, married with booming tourism, caused an accommodation crisis,” Ronnie says.
Glamping offered a fast, flexible solution.
With flat-packable structures requiring no permanent foundations and rapid assembly, developers could create resorts in record time. “Our projects achieved unmatched occupancy rates, not only in summer but year-round,” she notes. The results attracted investors, who reinvested profits to expand their parks. Today, glamping is recognised as one of the leisure market’s strongest investment opportunities, with demand moving toward luxury and wellness-focused experiences.
Landmark projects
Glamping Revolution’s portfolio now includes some of Portugal’s most ambitious outdoor destinations. Ronnie points to Reserva Alecrim as a milestone. “I still remember the first time I walked the land – 50 hectares of empty space,” she says. “The mastermind behind it declared: ‘We will have the largest Glamping Project in Southern Europe.’ I replied: ‘Over the next decade we will become the largest equipment supplier.’ At that time we were only months old.”
Eight years later, Reserva Alecrim accommodates over 200 guests with lakes, pools and a wide range of modular structures. Other standout projects include Gavião Nature Village, featuring 13 adventure domes on a riverfront site; Sois Ecolodge, with 10 luxury panorama domes nestled in vineyards near Lisbon; and Glamping Camp Faro, a beachside retreat with 16 bell tents that the company itself operates each season.
Clients and concepts
Glamping Revolution works with a wide range of B2B clients. Ronnie identifies four main project types: accommodation-driven resorts built from scratch, experience-driven projects that expand existing estates or activity parks, hotels seeking to increase capacity without major builds, and businesses adding glamping as a secondary revenue stream.
Each path requires tailored guidance. The company’s team supports clients from land purchase and design to licensing, infrastructure, construction and interiors. “We meet the unique challenges of every project, from concept to completion,” she says.
Building with sustainability in mind
For Ronnie, sustainability is non-negotiable. Her early career in waste treatment revealed how much society discards, and those lessons underpin every product. “Our domes are designed with full recyclability in mind,” she explains. The metal frames are guaranteed for life, PVC covers can be recycled, and interiors use reused wood, recycled insulation and recycled polyester.
The approach extends to construction. Groundscrew foundations eliminate cement and protect local ecosystems, while flat-packed products cut transport emissions. By 2026, the company plans to launch its first fully off-grid dome with integrated water and solar systems.
Adapting to Portugal’s landscapes
From beaches to vineyards to mountain cliffs, Glamping Revolution has built on Portugal’s most challenging terrains. Elevated platforms and groundscrew foundations make nearly any location feasible. Projects are always tailored through site visits and careful mapping.
General principles guide design: orienting units toward views, grouping communal spaces out of sight and using uneven terrain or vegetation for privacy.
The company’s catalogue of 14 product families ensures the right match for every environment, whether it’s bell tents in vineyards, geodesic domes for year-round comfort, or panorama domes in windy regions.
Advice for investors
For those eyeing a glamping project, Ronnie stresses three points. “Location is everything – coastlines or areas of natural beauty perform best. Create your own identity and brand because clients come for unique experiences. And be ready to scale. Pre-plan phases and install infrastructure early so you can grow without disruption.” She also invites prospects to the Lisbon showroom, where case studies and structures can be explored firsthand.
The power of collaboration
With glamping still relatively new, Ronnie sees community as essential. “There isn’t a rule book to follow,” she says. “Community becomes essential to guide new projects and set standards.”
In Portugal, Glamping Revolution co-founded the Portuguese Glamping Association (AdGP) to protect and strengthen the sector, prevent unsafe builds and ensure high standards of safety, hygiene and construction.
What’s next?
Looking forward, Glamping Revolution is extending its expertise beyond glamping into residential, wellness and education projects. Sister brand Eurodome is also expanding across Europe and the Middle East, delivering everything from festivals to immersive shows.
In 2024 a third company was launched: AMA – Amazing Modular Architecture. “AMA was born to unify our two brands and expand our offering,” Ronnie explains. It focuses on modular houses, plug-and-play kitchens and bathrooms, and larger-scale projects such as a new school planned for 2026. “AMA is really about pushing the boundaries of what modular architecture can do: scalable, sustainable and inspiring
