It’s like a ‘pop-up hotel room’ – Glamping Passion

Jul. 17—New Mexico’s breathlessly beautiful mountains and postcard-worthy arid deserts attract campers, backpackers and road-trippers from across the globe. Enchantment Glamping Co. offers a chance to visit the state’s beautiful landscapes in comfort. Nell Decker and Brett Luce met working as wilderness guides in Alaska’s Matanuska Valley. The pair helped start and run a glamping experience on a glacier, so when the couple relocated to New Mexico for sunnier weather, they opened Enchantment Glamping Co. “We wanted to start a business that kept us with our passions in the outdoors, and we really like glamping because it brings the outdoors to people who otherwise maybe wouldn’t be comfortable,” Decker said. Before guests arrive, the couple set up tents with amenities like memory foam mattresses elevated off the ground, cotton linens, duvets, rugs, chairs and lighting. They also offer campground management services. “There’s a whole lot of people who are against camping because of the discomforts that always come with it, but we’ve put a lot of time and energy into basically making our set-up like a pop-up hotel room with a really comfortable bed,” Decker said. “Of course, there are some things about the wilderness that you can’t control, like temperatures and showers and things like that, but our glamping experience is a lot more comfortable than people would guess.” Sometimes hardcore campers are put off by the idea of glamping, Luce said. “Once they then experience it, they’re like, I understand now. It is camping. You’re still camping, but you’re a lot more comfortable,” he said. The four canvas tents can be booked for any kind of outdoor adventure: vacations, weddings, romantic getaways, family reunions, retreats and music festivals. Price varies depending on the requested amenities and location. “A lot of people who do retreats or music festivals who sometimes book us will also book us to take care of the guests,” Luce said. “We’ll do morning coffee. We’d eventually like to steer into doing meals and offering wonderful dinners with our product.” The couple originally planned to eventually purchase property and focus on offering glamping retreats, but the demand for glamping experiences at music festivals and in the wedding industry has given them a significant amount of business. “It’s funny, when we started, the goal absolutely was property as soon as possible, but we didn’t realize how much of a market there was for event glamping,” Decker said. “I think even if we get property now, we’ll still keep a portion of our company mobile because of how fun it is and how much of a market there is for wedding glamping and birthdays and music festivals.” The company has partnered with a camp in Angel Fire for an upcoming retreat in the Enchanted Circle region. “For me, the wilderness has always been about taking away the distractions of everyday life and really connecting with whoever you went out with,” Decker said. “It’s beautiful and wonderful, but it’s also mostly been about the people that I go into the wilderness with, and I love creating that space for our clients to have and see how they can connect and relax with their loved ones in a way that’s harder to do in everyday life.”