The short answer
Since COVID, travelers have gone looking for a real escape from noise, crowds, screens and schedules, and many found it in glamping. They want to feel off the grid without actually being off it: stars, silence and privacy, with air conditioning, a hot shower and Wi-Fi. Big companies and booking platforms have noticed. For an independent owner, the opportunity is real, and so is the need for a website that sells the experience.
Looking for a real escape
In the years since COVID, something interesting happened in travel. People started looking for escape. Not just from cities, but from noise, crowds, screens and schedules. A lot of them found glamping.
People still like the idea of camping. Fewer of them want tent stakes and pit toilets. They want the remote setting, the quiet and the feeling of getting away, and they want to enjoy it from a comfortable bed, under a ceiling fan, with a good cup of coffee in the morning.
Honestly, I get it.
What changed in Terlingua
I travel to Terlingua, Texas often to mountain bike in Big Bend Ranch State Park and recharge in the quiet of the desert. The area is part of the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve, which makes it a magnet for stargazers, photographers and anyone looking for a slower pace.
Over the years I've watched the places to stay there change. What started as basic campsites and rustic RV spots has turned into something much more imaginative:
- Rooms carved into the side of desert hills, with walk-in showers and modern comforts
- Clear domes made for stargazing from bed
- Converted shipping containers with rooftop decks and walls of glass
- Canvas yurts with good linens, climate control and soaking tubs facing the Chisos Mountains
It's a blend of storytelling and architecture. These aren't just places to sleep. They're designed experiences.
The new balance: off the grid, without being off it
What guests want now is a balance most traditional lodging never had to strike.
| They want | But | What that looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Nature-focused | but not rugged | Stars, quiet and a view, from a real bed with clean linens. |
| Remote | but not unreachable | Far from the crowds, with a road guests can drive and a way to reach you. |
| Quiet | but still curated | Outdoor tubs, fire pits, pickleball or giant Jenga. Something to do, nothing to plan. |
That balance is the whole product. Get the comfort wrong and the reviews say so. Lose the setting and you're just another room.
Big money noticed
It's not just individual owners putting an Airstream in the back pasture anymore. There's a real market, and the big players understand it:
- Brands are building. Companies like Under Canvas and AutoCamp have built glamping resorts near national parks across the U.S.
- Platforms are built for it. Sites like Hipcamp and Glamping Hub exist to market these stays to the guests looking for them.
- Airbnb made room for them. It added whole categories for stays like domes, treehouses and tiny homes.
When companies with that much money behind them invest in a kind of stay, it's a good sign the demand is here to stay.
What it means for an independent owner
The demand is proven, which is good news. It also means every platform selling these stays wants a cut, and branded resorts are spending real money to be found first. An independent owner wins on what a brand can't copy: the exact place, the story behind it, and a real person who answers the phone.
Glamping might not be for everyone. But as someone with a background in real estate, vacation rentals and boutique lodging, this feels like more than a moment. It's a shift in how people want to engage with place and pace, and it's absolutely here to stay.
Quick answers
Is glamping just a trend?
It doesn’t look like one. Large companies are building glamping resorts, whole booking platforms are built around these stays, and Airbnb gave them their own categories. Guests want nature and quiet with real comfort, and that isn’t going away.
What do glamping guests expect?
The setting of camping with the comfort of a good hotel room. A real bed, climate control, a hot shower and good coffee are the starting point. The view, the quiet and the night sky are what they’re really paying for.
Do I need to list on Hipcamp or Airbnb?
Those platforms are good at bringing in guests who have never heard of you, so most owners use at least one. A website of your own is where the guests who loved their stay, and the friends they told, can book you directly next time.
Want me to look at your site?
Send me your website. I'll tell you what I'd fix first, for free.