Airbnbing your Lotus Belle Tent

Posted by Jessica Lauren Seymour on May 17, 2017

Using Airbnb as a secondary source of income has become increasingly more popular these days. Hosting on Airbnb is an excellent way to make passive income while having the time to work or follow your own passions. Many people choose to find their lodging accommodations through Airbnb because it is often more reasonably priced than hotels and provides the guests with a unique experience provided by locals from that area. We have found that customers can make a great return on their investment (ROI) in the Lotus Belle within a matter of weeks once they begin renting them out. Over the last couple of days, we took the time to chat with a couple of our customers who rent out their Lotus Belle’s on Airbnb and are seeing great success in doing so.

Photograph courtesy of Green Acres Boutique Retreat, Elgin, TX

We spoke with was Luiza Black from Zuma Sanctuary in Malibu, CA. They‘re our neighbors now in sunny Southern California and offer an amazing glamping stay a stone's throw from the beach.

Lotus Belle: “How long have you been using your Lotus Belle tent for Airbnb?”

Luiza: “It has been about six months now, we started right before the Winter months.”

Lotus Belle: “And how has business been since you started?”

Luiza: It’s been great, of course we’ve gotten much busier now because the weather is starting to get nicer now and it’s Summer so people are booking more.”

Lotus Belle: “That makes sense. And what has your experience been so far with Airbnbing the tents?”

Luiza: “It’s been really positive, I would say that 98% of people that stay in the lotus belles really love the tents. We get really great feedback from people. Since you are dealing with the general public of course sometimes people are not happy but that is very rare. We are trying to make the stay here a really positive one for everyone who comes.”

Lotus Belle: “Wonderful, and how would you describe the experience that you are trying to create for everyone there?”

Luiza: “We are trying to make a retreat for people A space where they can come unplug and reset while they are surrounded by nature and in a safe space. We have the beach nearby, Topanga Canyon, Solstice Canyon, Charmlee Wilderness Park nearby which has really beautiful hikes people can take, and Point Zuma is close by as well.”

Lotus Belle: And what kind of people would you say are typically drawn to the Lotus Belles?

Luiza: “That is hard to say, we get a lot of different kinds of people. We get small families, couples, small groups who want to have an intimate gathering in a safe space, healers, and other kinds of people. They’re all different but have similar goals of relaxing, getting away from the city to reset, or having a romantic getaway. “

Photograph courtesy of Zuma Sanctuary, Malibu, CA

Next we spoke with Brad Otts, who is one of the owners of Green Acres, a boutique glamping experience that is located just 24 miles outside of Austin, Texas. Their eco-lodge helps to provide a peaceful space where visitors can slow down and connect with nature while still having all of the comfortable amenities of home.

Lotus Belle: “How long have you been Airbnbing your Lotus Belle tents?”

Brad: “Green Acres began opened up a little over two years ago now, and I took over in December. I wanted to get into more of a hospitality space, and earned a degree in Hospitality Management when I was in college.”

Lotus Belle: Awesome, and how would you describe your overall experience with renting the tents out on Airbnb?

Brad: “People really love the tents as most of them are not familiar with staying in a tent or a yurt. It’s the most booked thing on our property for sure. 16 square feet is really good for a couple with a queen bed, and if it is a family we can always add a twin. The novelty of the tents is really good, we’ve had a really positive experience with them. If I had more of an opportunity for acclimatizing the weather here I would have a dozen of the tents on the property because they are so popular.

The Lotus Belle tents are also the best way to go for small groups and couples because they are the easiest to set up. Air streams are great as well but there is much more infrastructure set up to do with them. With these it is a lock and load situation, where you basically just have to set the tent up and then accessorize the inside however you would like to. We have the tents booked out 90% of the time, and have them booked every single weekend throughout the whole year."

Lotus Belle: “And have you had any issues with maintaining the tents?”

Brad: “We really haven’t had any major issues with the tents. We make sure to have the actual tent itself cleaned every 1-3 months, and make sure to aerate them properly.”

Photograph courtesy of Green Acres Boutique Retreat, Elgin, TX

Lotus Belle: ”What sort of customers are you finding are attracted to booking stays with you?

Brad: “We actually find that a lot of women book with us. Or it’s the woman of the couple who books and a man comes with her. I’d say that our visitor ratio is about 70% females and 30% males.

Lotus Belle: “Interesting, why do you think that is?”

Brad: “ I think that it is probably because of the aesthetics of the tents, they appeal more to women. We are going to decorate an airstream so that hopefully single men will be attracted to coming out more often and unwinding by themselves as well.”

Lotus Belle: “Nice, and how would you describe the overall experience that you are trying to create for people there?”

Brad: “We’re trying to take the idea of glamping and combine it with creating amazing events now. Events and non-straight up glamping end up being about 75% of our revenue. And glamping is much more appealing than regular camping. So if we can get people to come for an event and stay on the property they typically will want to come back or tell someone about the experience that they had here.

We also want to make it so that eventually people can come here and just rent out a hammock for $35 dollars if they want to. We are looking to expand a ton. Eventually I actually want to be able to have glamping boutique lodges like Green Acres all over America.”

Green Acres Website

Photograph courtesy of Green Acres Boutique Retreat, Elgin, TX

After speaking with these two hosts of ours it was clear how valuable using a Lotus Belle as a second source of income can be. They attract a wide variety of people who are looking for an experience that is out of the ordinary. And also understand the importance of taking the time to tune out, get off of the grid, reset and unwind. Both of our hosts said that the Lotus Belles are constantly booked on their property and easy to love by visitors. If you are looking at the prospect of beginning an Airbnb yourself or are looking for ways to make some secondary income for you or your family, investing in a Lotus Belle could be a wonderful way to make that happen.