We had a couple of friends who took their families “glamping” a few weeks ago. They extolled the virtues of lower costs and the fabulous service, and even invited parts of our family to come stay with them for a couple of nights. This was not the first time we were invited to “glamping”, and it still left a bitter aftertaste once we were about to leave.
But all in all. I get camping, where you can pitch your tent in a forest or on a meadow and enjoy the stars, and then (scouting wise) leave no impression other than imprints on the grass that will soon fade. For me, tent camping where you stay a few nights and then make sure you leave nothing negative behind is fairly benign. Except that not all bodies will tolerate camping conditions. And then there are those people who will absolutely pollute their surrondings and leave all the trash for the conscientious to pick up.
But is “glamping” really a thrifty or even environmentally friendly vacationing?
I do a lot of car camping in my truck at state and national parks. That is pretty frugal, especially if you don’t get electricity. A non-electric tent site is usually under $25/night.
I do not get the impression that glamping is frugal at all.
As far as comfort goes, you can use an air mattress in a tent which rivals a regular mattress. All my fat ass needs is a 3" air mattress between me and the ground. Less than that and my back might hurt.
Most campgrounds have a washhouse with running water, sinks, flush toilets. You can go more rustic without that. I’ve done it but cannot say that shitting in a hole is much fun.