How Brackenhill Glamping Extended Its Season with a Bespoke Cabin
For many glamping businesses, canvas safari tents provide an unforgettable guest experience. They offer a close connection to nature and a sense of adventure that guests love.
But as the seasons change, so do guest expectations.
When temperatures begin to drop, canvas accommodation can become more difficult to operate comfortably, often limiting bookings during autumn and winter. For operators looking to create a more resilient business, adding permanent, insulated accommodation can be an effective way to extend the season without losing the character of their site.
That was exactly the challenge faced by Brackenhill Glamping in Devon.
The Breif
A few years ago, Alex, owner of Brackenhill Glamping, approached us with a clear vision.
Her existing safari tents had proven incredibly popular, but she recognised an opportunity to diversify the accommodation offering by introducing something that could operate comfortably throughout the year.
The brief wasn’t simply to design another cabin.
It needed to feel as though it had always belonged on the site – complementing the existing safari tents while providing guests with a completely different level of comfort during the colder months.
The result would become a bespoke safari tent cabin: combining the warmth and permanence of a timber building with the relaxed character of the surrounding glamping site.
Designing a Cabin That Belonged
Every hospitality site is different, which is why we begin every project with a collaborative design process rather than an off-the-shelf solution.
Working closely with Alex, we guided the project from the earliest stages, including:
- Initial concept design
- Site visits and appraisal
- Feasibility advice
- Planning considerations
- 3D visualisations
- Detailed design development
- Manufacture and construction
Through a series of design workshops and site visits, we developed a cabin that sat comfortably within the landscape, respecting the established aesthetic of the safari tents while introducing a new premium accommodation option.
Careful attention was given to the proportions, material palette and architectural detailing to ensure the building felt sympathetic to its surroundings.
Built for Year-Round Stays
Unlike traditional canvas accommodation, the completed cabin offers guests a warm, insulated retreat throughout every season.
Designed and built using high-quality materials, it delivers the comfort expected from modern hospitality accommodation while retaining the relaxed atmosphere that makes glamping so appealing.
For operators, this means the opportunity to welcome guests beyond the traditional summer season, creating additional revenue and making better use of the site throughout the year.
More than a year after completion, we’re delighted to see the cabin continuing to perform exactly as intended—welcoming guests in every season and becoming an integral part of Brackenhill Glamping’s accommodation offering.
A Design and Build Partnership
One of the biggest advantages of working with a dedicated design-and-build team is continuity throughout the project. From the first sketches through to completion on site, every stage remained connected, helping ensure the original vision was carried through into the finished building.
Our role extended beyond designing the cabin itself. We worked alongside Alex throughout the process, helping navigate feasibility, planning and construction to deliver a project that met both operational and aesthetic goals.
What our Client Said…
“We were looking to expand our glamping site to include a cabin which we could open all year round. We approached Life Space Cabins, who are based a few miles down the road, with the brief to design a cabin to blend in with the existing safari tents. After a couple of site visits and a few brainstorming design meetings at the LSC offices (accompanied by excellent coffee) our cabin plans were brought to life with the aid of some awesome 3D CAD drawings which really helped us to imagine the space. The attention to detail was very impressive. With high quality materials and sympathetic architecture, the design sailed through planning and it was a quick turn around to get the team out on site to start the build.
Blessed with some great weather, the project ran incredibly smoothly with a highly skilled team of very cheery carpenters who were a delight to have on site.”
Can you replace safari tents with cabins?
Yes. Many glamping businesses choose to introduce cabins alongside their existing safari tents rather than replacing them entirely. Cabins provide a warm, insulated accommodation option that can help extend the season while complementing the character of an established site.
Are cabins better than safari tents for year-round use?
Cabins offer significant advantages during the colder months. With insulated walls, durable materials and permanent construction, they provide a more comfortable guest experience throughout the year, helping operators increase occupancy outside the traditional summer season.
Do I need planning permission to add a cabin to my glamping site?
Planning requirements vary depending on your site, location and the proposed accommodation. As part of our design-and-build process, we can advise on planning considerations from the outset and help prepare the information required for an application where needed.
Can you design a cabin to match existing safari tents?
Absolutely. Every project we undertake is bespoke. At Brackenhill Glamping, for example, the brief was to design a cabin that felt completely at home alongside the existing safari tents while offering guests a distinct year-round accommodation option.
Is a bespoke cabin a good investment for a glamping business?
For many operators, introducing high-quality permanent accommodation can diversify their offering, attract new guests and extend the trading season. While every business is different, cabins often create opportunities to generate revenue beyond the months when canvas accommodation is most popular.
Can Life Space Cabins manage the whole project?
Yes. We provide a complete design-and-build service, taking projects from the initial concept and feasibility stages through planning support, detailed design, manufacture and on-site construction. Contact us here to start the conversation.
Where do you build hospitality cabins?
Our cabins are handcrafted at our workshop in South Devon and installed across the UK for hospitality businesses, private clients and commercial developments. In some cases we build on site, but it is always subject to the site and project.
Thinking Beyond Canvas
Many successful glamping businesses begin with canvas accommodation.
As demand evolves, introducing permanent, insulated cabins can help diversify your offering, appeal to a wider range of guests and reduce the seasonal limitations that canvas naturally brings.
Whether you’re considering a single cabin alongside existing safari tents or planning a larger hospitality development, thoughtful design is key to creating accommodation that feels authentic to its setting and performs commercially for years to come.
If you’re exploring ways to expand your hospitality business with bespoke cabin accommodation, we’d love to hear about your project.
Cabin: House Martin, Brackenhill Glamping.
Design and build: Life Space Cabins
Photographer: Joe Jackson