Tentrr

Tentrr
IndustryRental, Glamping
Founded2015 (2015)
FounderMichael D'Agostino
Defunct2023 (2023)
FateDissolved

Tentrr was a short-lived American glamping rental service based in New York. It aspired to be the camping equivalent of Airbnb, at its peak operating over one thousand properties in 43 states.[1][2][3]

History

The company was founded in 2015 by Michael D'Agostino, a New York City-based investment banker who had been disappointed by previous camping trips to the Catskill Mountains. He was inspired to leave his job at the New York Stock Exchange and launch Tentrr to rent out individual isolated campsites hosted on private land. Many of the first Tentrr sites were located in areas around Delaware County, New York.[4]

Sites were furnished with a wooden tent platform, chemical toilet, storage box, and canvas tent, with renters supplying their own firewood and bedding.[4][5] Others were so-called "back-country" locations that were more rustic in their offerings.[6] Many sites were dog-friendly.[7]

Tentrr's sites were initially located on private property and maintained by private property owners the company referred to as "CampKeepers."[8] Louisiana was the first state to officially partner with Tentrr for state park access, followed by New York and Maine in 2021.[9][10] [11][12]

In 2018, Tentrr opened a manufacturing headquarters in Oneonta, New York, to produce, package, and distribute equipment for the company's sites. The location was chosen due to its close distance to many existing Tentrr locations. Employees in the Oneonta site manufactured tent platforms, lounge chairs, picnic tables, and other supplies used at the company's rental sites. Along with the Oneonta facility, Tentrr had marketing offices in Kingston, New York, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and Saco, Maine.[13]

While the company saw steady growth in its initial years, demand surged from 2020 to 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] The company received numerous complaints about customer service from both campers and hosts, and received the Better Business Bureau's lowest rating.[15]

In January 2023, Tentrr filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy,[16] saying it had "expanded quickly due to increased demand during the coronavirus pandemic" but "demand has not kept up...causing a cash flow problem."[17] It said the filing was meant as a path to renegotiate an equipment lease with Farnam Street Financial. A court order was filed on December 20, 2023, converting the case from a Chapter 11 restructuring to a Chapter 7 liquidation.[18]

References

  1. ^ Ekstein, Nikki (17 May 2017). "This New App Wants to Be the Uber of Camping". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  2. ^ Kaplan, Melanie D.G. (28 August 2020). "Hipcamp, Tentrr and the Dyrt: Trying out camping's newest start-ups". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  3. ^ Steelhammer, Rick (8 June 2021). "Upscale tent camping comes to 4 West Virginia state parks". WV News. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  4. ^ a b Bastone, Kelly (7 December 2015). "Tentrr Is the New Airbnb for Campers". outsideonline.com. Outside Interactive, Inc.
  5. ^ Wagman, Andrew (4 August 2018). "Tentrr, The Airbnb Of Camping, Comes To Pennsylvania". 90.5 WESA. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  6. ^ Bay, Scott (7 May 2021). "These New Campsites in New York's Hudson Valley Have All the Gear, so You Don't Even Need to Pack". Travel + Leisure. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Tentrr: The Airbnb Camping Experience for Owners and Their Dogs". This Dogs Life. 26 June 2017. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  8. ^ Daley, Lauren (20 August 2020). "Tentrr offers secluded campsites on private land — including dozens of gems in New England - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  9. ^ Matthews, Lyndsey (5 May 2021). "You Can Now Go Glamping at These 4 New York State Parks". AFAR. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Not into camping? What about glamping?". The Times. 13 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  11. ^ Michelson, Megan (24 April 2021). "How to Reserve a Campsite, Even at the Last Minute". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  12. ^ Ruggiero, Adam (17 May 2017). "Camp Out on 200-Acre 'Glampsites'". GearJunkie. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  13. ^ Richardson, Denise (22 March 2018). "Camping company opens Oneonta facility". The Daily Star. Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.
  14. ^ Willcox, Kathleen (22 June 2021). "Private landowners, state parks get into glamping". Times Union. Archived from the original on 23 June 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  15. ^ "Tentrr.inc". Better Business Bureau. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  16. ^ "Tentrr files for bankruptcy". BKData. 2 January 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  17. ^ "Tentrr Inc. voluntary petition for non-individuals filing for bankruptcy" (PDF). CourtListener. 2 January 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Delaware Bankruptcy Court". CourtListener. 26 December 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
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