Glamping design consultancy unveils portable luxury pod

EDINBURGH-headquartered glamping site design consultancy, Glampitect, has announced the launch of the Middle East’s first portable luxury glamping pod.

Calum MacLeod set up the business nearly three years ago, expanding into the UAE in March 2021.

The firm said it has since enjoyed ‘rapid growth’, culminating in this latest project in collaboration with UAE engineering business Rescom. The unit was unveiled at the Dubai Hotel Show, with one of the first visitors to the stand being Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, a member of Dubai’s ruling Al Maktoum family.

“It was an honour to meet His Highness and to spend time showing him around our pod was truly humbling,” said Calum MacLeod. “When we started building this unit we knew it was going to be a success but didn’t think one of the world’s wealthiest royal family members would be among the first through the door!”

The pods measure 6.7m x 3.3m as standard, and the air-conditioned units have powder-coated aluminium tiles on the outside as well as accessories such as flat-screen TVs and modern kitchens. Internally they can be finished in a variety of ways, meaning the units can also be transformed into anything from a home office to yoga studio or spa room.

Glampitect explained that the pods are built on a galvanised steel chassis, which allows them to be picked up and moved to different locations.

“The transportable luxury pod is just the start for us,” Calum added. “The big advantage is that it can be taken out into the desert, or hard-to-reach places, so there is a high degree of flexibility.

“It’s ideal for people looking to set up a glamping site or who have additional space in their house. It is much cheaper than setting up a hotel, and makes a quicker return on investment than a hotel, so will be a major asset for anyone wanting to move into the glamping business.

“We carried out consumer research on the Middle East market and want to help the area catch up with the glamping boom that is happening elsewhere, particularly in the UK. It’s just starting to take off here: compound annual growth rate for the glamping industry is 14.1% and we’re looking to help accelerate that growth.”