How to Furnish a Five Star Glamping Tent

The Tent Is the Shell. The Furnishing Is the Experience.

You can have the most beautiful glamping tent in the world. Great fabric, stunning shape, perfect location. But if guests walk in and find a bare floor, an air mattress, and a flashlight on a folding chair, the reviews are going to reflect that.

Furnishing is where a glamping tent becomes a glamping experience. It's the difference between "we slept in a tent" and "it felt like a boutique hotel that happened to be in the woods." That second version is what gets five-star reviews, rebookings, social media posts, and word-of-mouth referrals. And the good news is that it doesn't require a massive budget. It requires thoughtful choices about a few things that guests disproportionately notice and care about.

The Bed: Get This Right First

If you invest in one thing, make it the bed. This is not an exaggeration. Guest reviews in glamping skew more heavily on sleep quality than almost any other factor. A guest will forgive a lot of "rustic" if they sleep well. A guest who sleeps badly will mention it in the review regardless of how beautiful everything else was.

Use a real mattress on a real bed frame. Not an air mattress. Not a cot with a foam topper. A proper mattress, ideally queen or king sized, on a frame that lifts it off the ground. Lifting the bed off the floor matters for two reasons: it keeps the sleeper away from ground cold (especially important in spring and fall), and it creates storage space underneath for luggage.

A queen bed fits comfortably in a 13-foot tent like the Astral 13-foot. A king bed works in 16-foot and 20-foot tents without feeling cramped. In the Jellyfish, the absence of a center pole means you can place the bed anywhere, including dead center for a symmetrical layout that photographs well and feels intentionally designed.

Sheets and bedding matter more than the mattress brand. Crisp white cotton or linen sheets are the standard in high-end glamping. They photograph well, they feel clean, and they're easy to launder between guests. Add a textured throw blanket at the foot of the bed and two or three accent pillows. Seasonal adjustment matters here too: lightweight cotton in summer, flannel sheets and a heavier duvet in fall and winter.

Lighting: The Mood Maker

Lighting is the second most impactful furnishing decision, and it's where many operators go wrong by defaulting to whatever is brightest. Brightness is not the goal. Warmth is.

String lights are the single most effective lighting element in a glamping tent. Drape them along the interior ceiling line, wrap them around the center pole (if your tent has one), or run them in a spiral pattern from the peak down. Warm white bulbs. Not cool white, not colored. Warm white creates the golden glow that makes tent interiors look inviting in photos and feel cozy in person.

Lanterns or LED candles on side tables add layers of light at eye level. A single overhead source creates flat, harsh light. Multiple smaller sources at different heights create depth and atmosphere. Two bedside lanterns plus a string of overhead lights is a simple setup that transforms the interior.

Avoid overhead lighting entirely. No clip-on tent lights at the peak blasting downward. No fluorescent anything. The goal is a space that feels like a retreat, not a garage.

During the day, the tent structure itself handles lighting. The Astral's stargazer skylight floods the interior with natural light without needing to unzip anything. The Jellyfish's transparent TPU door panels let you control exactly how much daylight enters by swapping panels in or out. The Eclipse's four windows provide balanced ambient light throughout the day.

Flooring

All of our tents come with a flame-retardant PVC groundsheet that creates a waterproof, sealed floor. That's the structural base. But from a guest experience standpoint, a bare PVC floor feels institutional. It looks and feels like a tarp. Covering it changes the entire perception of the space.

Area rugs are the most cost-effective upgrade you can make. A large rug that covers most of the central floor area, plus a smaller rug beside the bed for bare feet in the morning, takes the interior from "tent" to "room" instantly. Choose rugs that can handle some dirt and moisture without being ruined. Indoor-outdoor rugs, jute rugs, and flatweave cotton rugs all work well. Avoid deep-pile or shag rugs that trap moisture and are difficult to clean between guests.

For rental operations, rugs need to be cleanable. Choose materials you can shake out, spot clean, or run through a commercial washer. You'll be doing this between every guest turnover, so ease of maintenance matters as much as appearance.

Furniture: Less Is More

A glamping tent has a defined amount of floor space, and the biggest mistake new operators make is overcrowding it. The tent should feel spacious and intentional, not cluttered. Every piece of furniture should earn its place by serving a clear function.

What to Include

Two bedside tables. One on each side of the bed. They hold lanterns, phones, books, glasses of water. They don't need to be large or expensive. Small wooden stools, stacked crates, or simple nightstands all work.

One seating option. A chair, a small loveseat, or a bench. Somewhere to sit that isn't the bed. This is where guests read, put on shoes, or just decompress. In a 13-foot tent, a single accent chair is enough. In a 16 or 20-foot tent, you have room for a small loveseat or two chairs with a tiny table between them.

A luggage rack or bench. Guests need somewhere to put their bags that isn't the floor and isn't the bed. A folding luggage rack is cheap, functional, and signals "we thought about your comfort before you arrived."

A small mirror. Hung or propped near the entrance. Guests use it, and it reflects light around the interior, making the space feel larger.

What to Leave Out

Full dressers. Desks. Large tables. Multiple storage units. Anything that makes the tent feel like a furniture showroom. Guests are staying one to three nights, not moving in. They need a bed, a surface, a seat, and a place for bags. That's it. Everything beyond that should be outside.

Layout by Tent Size

The available interior space varies significantly across tent sizes, and the layout should reflect that.

13-Foot Tent (Astral 13ft)

About 130 square feet. This is a couple's retreat. Place the bed against the wall opposite the door so guests see it as they enter. One bedside table on each side. A small chair in the remaining space near the entrance. A rug covering the central floor area. That's the full layout, and it works because the space isn't fighting itself. The Astral 13-foot has 60-inch wall height, which means nightstands and a chair fit against the walls without issue.

16-Foot Tent (Astral 16ft, Eclipse 16ft, Jellyfish)

About 200 square feet. Room for a king bed, two nightstands, a seating area with a chair or small loveseat, a luggage rack, and a small side table. The center pole in the Astral and Eclipse naturally divides the space into zones (sleeping area on one side, sitting area on the other). In the Jellyfish, with no pole, you can center the bed and create a symmetrical layout that feels balanced and spacious.

20-Foot Tent (Astral 20ft, Eclipse 20ft)

About 315 square feet. This is a genuine suite. You can fit a king bed, full nightstands, a proper sitting area with two chairs and a table, a luggage bench, a full-length mirror, and still have room to move comfortably. The 67-inch wall height on the 20-foot Astral and Eclipse means you can place tall furniture (a clothing rack, a standing mirror, a shelving unit) against the walls without it hitting the sloped ceiling.

The Details Guests Photograph

There's a category of small touches that cost very little but show up disproportionately in guest photos and reviews. These are the things that signal you cared about the experience, not just the booking fee.

A welcome basket. A bottle of wine, local snacks, a handwritten note, s'mores supplies, locally roasted coffee. This is the most frequently mentioned positive detail in glamping reviews across every platform. It doesn't need to be expensive. It needs to feel personal and intentional.

Fresh flowers or greenery. A small vase with wildflowers or a potted succulent on the side table. Takes 30 seconds to place, costs next to nothing, and it appears in guest photos constantly.

A curated recommendation list. Printed or handwritten, with your favorite local restaurants, hiking trails, swimming spots, and things to do. This tells guests you know the area and care about their experience beyond the tent. It also keeps them engaged with the local area, which increases the chance they'll leave a review mentioning the overall experience rather than just the accommodation.

Quality toiletries. Not travel-size hotel leftovers. A full-size bottle of good soap, shampoo, and conditioner. A clean towel set. These are small costs that remove friction from the guest experience and avoid the "I wish I had brought my own" reaction.

The Outdoor Space

In glamping, the outdoor area immediately around the tent is just as important as the interior. Guests spend most of their waking hours outside the tent. The tent is the bedroom. Everything else happens in the outdoor living space.

Two quality camp chairs (not the cheap collapsing kind that break after three uses). Adirondack chairs, directors chairs, or quality folding chairs with arms and cup holders. Positioned facing the view, the fire pit, or each other.

A fire pit with a stack of firewood, kindling, and a lighter. This is the social center of any glamping site and generates more positive review mentions than almost any other single amenity.

A small outdoor table for drinks, plates, and morning coffee. Doesn't need to be large. Just a surface that's not the ground.

String lights or solar lanterns along the path to the tent and around the outdoor seating area. This handles both ambiance and safety (guests need to see where they're walking after dark).

For operations with multiple tent sites, a communal outdoor space under a Twin Star or Star Cluster Canopy creates a shared dining or lounge area that ties the property together and gives guests a reason to gather. Our canopy guide covers sizing and use cases.

Seasonal Adjustments

The furnishing shouldn't stay static year-round. Seasonal swaps keep the experience fresh and show guests you're paying attention.

Summer: Lightweight cotton or linen sheets, light blankets, a fan if no AC, a cooler with cold water near the tent entrance, lighter-colored throws and rugs. Our summer tent guide covers the full warm-weather setup.

Fall and Winter: Flannel sheets, heavy duvet, wool or fleece blankets, hot water bottle for the bed, a kettle with coffee and tea supplies, warmer-toned lighting. If you're running a wood stove through the stove jack, the stove itself becomes a furnishing element that adds warmth and atmosphere to the interior.

Update your listing photos to match the season. Summer photos in December make a listing look neglected. A winter photo showing a cozy interior with warm lighting, heavy bedding, and a glowing stove tells a completely different story and captures travelers searching for cold-weather getaways.

Budget Guide

Here's roughly what a full furnishing setup costs per tent, assuming you're buying new:

Item	Budget Range	Notes
Mattress + frame	$300-$800	Queen or king. This is where to spend the most.
Sheets + bedding	$100-$250	White cotton sheets, duvet, throw, pillows
Rugs	$50-$150	One large area rug, one small bedside rug
Bedside tables	$40-$120	Two small tables, stools, or crates
Chair or loveseat	$50-$200	One seating piece for the interior
Lighting (string lights, lanterns)	$30-$80	Warm white string lights + 2 bedside lanterns
Luggage rack	$25-$50	Folding style
Mirror	$20-$50	Small wall or standing mirror
Outdoor chairs (2)	$60-$200	Quality folding or Adirondack
Outdoor table	$30-$80	Small side table or folding table
Fire pit	$50-$200	Portable fire pit or built ring
Misc (welcome basket, toiletries, flowers)	$20-$50 per turnover	Ongoing per-guest cost

Total per tent: $775-$2,230 for a full setup. You can start at the lower end with well-chosen secondhand furniture and quality budget bedding, then upgrade as revenue comes in. At $150/night, the furnishing investment pays for itself within the first 5-15 bookings.

Get Started

Browse our tent collection to see interior dimensions, wall heights, and features for each model. If you're furnishing for the first time and want to talk through layout options for a specific tent, contact our team. We've seen hundreds of customer setups across every tent model and we're happy to share what works.

For the operational side of running a glamping rental, our Airbnb hosting guide covers pricing, photography, guest communication, and platform strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the most important thing to invest in when furnishing a glamping tent?

The bed. A real mattress on a real frame with quality sheets. Sleep quality drives reviews more than any other single factor. Guests will forgive minimal decor if they sleep well. They won't forgive a beautiful tent if they sleep badly.

How much does it cost to furnish a glamping tent?

$775-$2,230 per tent for a full interior and outdoor setup, buying new. You can start at the lower end with secondhand furniture and budget bedding and upgrade as revenue comes in. The furnishing pays for itself within 5-15 bookings at typical glamping nightly rates.

What size bed fits in a 13-foot glamping tent?

A queen bed fits comfortably in a 13-foot tent like the Astral 13-foot, with room for two small nightstands and a chair. A king bed is tight at 13 feet. For a king, go with the 16-foot or 20-foot versions.

What kind of rugs work in a glamping tent?

Indoor-outdoor rugs, jute rugs, and flatweave cotton rugs. You want something that handles some dirt and moisture without being ruined, and that you can shake out or wash easily between guest turnovers. Avoid deep-pile or shag rugs that trap moisture and are hard to clean.

Do I need to furnish the outdoor area too?

Yes. Guests spend most of their waking hours outside the tent. At minimum, provide two quality chairs, a small table, and a fire pit with firewood. String lights or solar lanterns along the path and around the seating area handle ambiance and safety after dark. The outdoor space is just as important to the guest experience as the tent interior.

Should I change the furnishing between seasons?

Yes. Swap to lightweight cotton bedding in summer and heavy duvets with flannel sheets in fall and winter. Adjust accent pieces (lighter throws in summer, warmer tones in cooler months). Update your listing photos to match. Seasonal adjustments show guests you're paying attention and keep the experience feeling fresh for repeat visitors.