By Mason Edwards, Chattanooga Times Free Press
Picture arriving at a campground to find a luxurious tent already set up, ready for a weekend complete with your favorite activities, whether hiking, kayaking or fishing. When the weekend is over, there's no need to take the tent down – collect your belongings and go.
Two recent Chattanooga transplants liked the idea of that too, so they started Bellanova Glamping last month. Nathan and Kendry Kettell's business tries to combine the rugged charm of camping with the elegance of a boutique-style getaway. The combination of camping, plus glamour, makes glamping.
"I think our tents are a lovely way to introduce oneself to camping without 100% committing to roughing it," Kendry Kettell said.
The Kettells, originally from northern Virginia, moved to Chattanooga in May 2023, drawn by the area's natural beauty and proximity to family. A few months in as a new city resident, Kendry Kettell saw the idea for her business on TikTok. A few months and a lot of research later, she said that they're a licensed, insured and tax-paying business.
"(The idea) resonated with me because it's something I would feel comfortable doing, and I thought others like me would feel the same way," she said.
Nathan Kettell describes their service as a "pop-up Airbnb for your house." The tents can be set up in backyards, campgrounds, wedding venues or anywhere else that allows tents, and the process takes around an hour and a half. The only thing they ask customers to bring is their pillows.
"As long as we have the right permits, we can make it happen," Nathan Kettell said.
Bellanova Glamping currently offers two packages, according to the owners. Designed for two, the "Queen Experience" starts at $199 a night and includes a 16-foot weatherproof tent with a queen-sized memory foam mattress on a raised platform. The setup includes rugs, end tables, bedding, decorative pillows, throw blankets, string lights and a Bluetooth speaker, according to their website.
For larger groups, the "Twin Experience" starts at $229 and includes four twin-sized air mattresses with similar decor. Customers can add extra beds for $20 each, with a maximum of eight beds per tent. For groups needing more than six beds, a 20-foot tent is used instead, according to Bellanova's website.
Add-ons like movie projectors, karaoke machines or heaters and air conditioning allow customers to tailor the service to their needs, like date nights or family gatherings.
"I like the idea of disconnecting from your day-to-day," Kendry Kettell said. "Just having this time to focus on the people that you're there with."
To Kendry Kettell, getting outdoors and away from the phone is how parents like her can dedicate time to their loved ones. "It's hard to focus on other people if you're not intentional about doing that," she said. "Like right in your marriage or with your kids, you just kind of get caught with the OK, wake up to breakfast and the school soccer practice, come home, feed them, put them to bed, and you don't maybe take those moments to connect with them as much as you ought to during the day because you just get caught in your routine."
The name for the business, Bellanova Glamping, reflects the Kettells' commitment to themselves and the new venture.
"I love Italy and all things Italian," Kendry Kettell said. "So 'bella,' which is beautiful in Italian, and 'nova,' which ties back to Northern Virginia – that's what we call Northern Virginia. It kind of ties to where Nathan and I started our journey."
Chattanoogans Michael and Chrissy Steffey rented the tents for two nights, using them to host an 18th birthday party sleepover for their daughter and her friends. The tent decor exceeded their expectations, but their daughter and guests had a stronger reaction.
"The girls were blown away," Chrissy Steffey wrote in a text message. "They thought it was a regular sleepover but were surprised by how magical if felt."
The business is off to a promising start, and Nathan Kettell said he feels optimistic that Chattanooga's potential designation as the first National Park City could open more business opportunities. Still, the couple agreed to take the venture one step at a time.
"I'm trying to keep my dreams contained," Kendry Kettell said. "Of course, I'd love to see this grow, maybe add more tents and hire some staff, but I want to be realistic. Just because I think it's a great idea doesn't mean everyone else will catch the vision."
For now, the couple said they're focused on exceeding customer expectations.
"Since we're personally invested in this, we want every experience to be stellar," Kendry Kettell said. "I'm not a perfectionist, but I do like things to be done well. If something didn't meet someone's expectations, we'd work hard to make it right."
For more information, visit bellanovaglamping.com.
Contact staff writer Mason Edwards at medwards@timesfreepress.com.
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