Bella Solviva is excited to announce the acquisition of our permanent home outside of East Jordan, Michigan!
The Bella Solviva eco-resort is now located on 229 stunning acres in
the Jordan River Valley, on West Old State Road five miles east of
Central Lake, half way between East Jordan and Bellaire, and 25 miles
west of Gaylord.
With sweeping vistas, winding creeks, cedar and pine forests and towering hardwoods, we knew this was home. The two ponds,
one which features an adventure island in the center of the pond, will
be sure to stir the imagination of your children and create family
memories for years to come.
We expect to announce an opening date this coming week, and are
shooting for a handful of sites to be available in July. The
announcement will coincide with our reservation system being turned on,
allowing you to choose available accommodations and finalize your
reservation.
We are thrilled to partner with you in building a
legacy of traditions. Use our referral program to share your excitement
about Bella Solviva and glamp with us for free. Check out our surveys
to receive a discount on your first reservation and visit our
sponsorship page to customize a glamping accommodation to your own
personal specifications. We are building it so you can come! Follow us on Facebook or at BellaSolviva.com. Reservations will be available shortly. Let’s do
this!
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Phase I Note
We have chosen crowdfunding for our first phase to use as a proof of concept. This means that we wish to ascertain whether or not Bella Solviva is a viable concept, by means of the interest generated by this campaign. If we hit our modest goal, we know the interest is there and will move on to Phase II. If the interest is not evident, we will gladly refund those that participated in this phase if desired, (minus Indiegogo fees) and reevaluate our approach for the future.
It should be noted that no Indiegogo campground campaign we've found has garnered much of any support, Bella Solviva is very different. So, if you feel our concept hits the mark as something you and your family would enjoy for years to come, purchase with confidence!
Project Overview
This is not your Grandfather's campground. Bella Solviva is a comfy camping eco-resort, being created for the outdoor adventure enthusiast who has an appetite for indulgence. While traditional camping and RV's are supported at Bella Solviva, our emphasis is on glamping! What's glamping, you say? It's a new word for a new kind of travel - defined as posh, luxury or boutique camping. Glamping is a fusion of glamour and camping which emerged internationally and came across the Atlantic over the last decade. Glamping emphasizes a high level services and amenities which focus on the complete comfort of our guests.
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Bella Solviva is Midwest's first and only glamping destination where travelers will experience the positive aspects of camping without the uncomfortable negatives. As our guest, you'll choose from an array of furnished accommodations; there’s no tent to pitch, no RV to haul and no sleeping bag to unroll. (unless you want to; we have sites for you, too!) Whether in a safari tent, teepee, airstream, airliner, caboose, cabin, villa or tree house, you can experience the great outdoors without sacrificing comfort or luxury while enjoying an endless combination of year round activities, amenities, and services to make your stay relaxing and memorable.
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If you are looking to experience the peace and tranquility of the
outdoors coupled with the ease and comfort of a lavish retreat, then
welcome to your new favorite vacation destination -
Bella Solviva!
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C&G Newspapers on 15-April, 2015
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Glamping.com on 06-April, 2015
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Crain's Chicago Business on 27-March, 2015
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Traverse City Ticker on 28-March, 2015
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PromoteMichigan on 25-March, 2015
GLAMPING' AN UNDERSERVED MARKET (from Crain's Chicago Busines)
Glamping is an
underserved market in the area, Brad Carlson said. “There's nothing
like it. Campgrounds are already overflowing, so they need more
occupancy. I think we're hitting the right market at the
right time with the right product, and we are interested to see if
Indiegogo people agree with that.”
Ryan Hutchings, the Salt Lake City-based general manager of Glamping.com,
a website through which guests can book glamping accommodations, agreed
that the market is underserved, especially in the Midwest.
“It is
still spread out across the country. You have a few places in Florida
that serve it; you have California, Washington, Montana, and then beyond
they are kind of interspersed here and there,” he said. “Unless you
live in proximity to one of those places, it becomes a much bigger
commitment.”
Since then, independent properties and global
hospitality brands, including Four Seasons, have capitalized on the
rising trend. Hutchings said online glamping search volumes have grown
by double digits every month since January 2012. He said there are an
estimated 2,000 to 3,000 glamping sites worldwide.
Alden, Mich.,
sits on the shores of Torch Lake, which runs parallel to the Grand
Traverse Bay. The town is deep in Michigan wine country, and the area
draws tourists from Chicago and Detroit focused on wine, hunting, water,
foliage and cross-country skiing. It is about a 40-minute drive from
Traverse City, which hosts outdoor recreation such as Sleeping Bear
Dunes, Traverse City State Forest and other activities surrounding Lake
Michigan.
“Glamping really epitomizes what we call experiential
travel,” Hutchings said. “Where you are staying is part of your
experience. It is not just another piece where you go back to your hotel
room and sleep, it is part of your trip.”
Campsites are plentiful
throughout the area, but Hutchings confirmed glamping sites are rare.
Glamping.com lists only two sites in Michigan, one in the Upper
Peninsula and one just north of the Indiana border. Glamping Hub,
another website devoted to the activity, identifies only two places to glamp in the Grand Traverse Bay area—a yurt in Lake Leelanau and a garden cottage on Lakeview Lake.
The
Chicago area has the same kind of scarcity in glamping sites, Hutchings
said, with only a few locations listed on either website throughout
Illinois and Wisconsin.
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Bella Solviva's property features 100+ acres of handsome
woodlands and cascading creeks nestled among rolling hills and gorgeous
ridge-top views – perfect for a private, secluded year-round getaway.
Typical Garden Bath
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Bella Solviva means
Beautiful Hope. Solviva is the name of a
Swedish flower that means hope or it will at last be the way we wish.
The word Solviva also means sun life which is one of our primary goals -
to create a
sustainable, near net-zero energy footprint recreational community by utilizing onsite generation of renewable energy through
solar, wind and hydro power; a vacation destination unlike any other in
Michigan, if not in the nation.
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When you make your 'reservation' to secure a 1-week stay at Bella Solviva today, you’ll earn a FoundersFirst VIP Membership!
FoundersFirst Benefits
- Advanced reservation privileges on promotional offers
- VIP Perks during your stay which include gifts, celebrations, and onsite privileges
- Discounts toward future reservations
- Your name will be included on our Wall of Fame at the Bella Solviva Resort
- Earn complimentary services, meals or a free week of glamping when your friends & family, as a result of your referral, make a reservation during this campaign (Go to BellaSolviva.com for more details)
As a FoundersFirst VIP member, you become the architects. With your input on accommodations, activities, services and amenities, you have the opportunity to help
draw up the blueprint for the
Bella Solviva Eco-Resort. In essence, you help to build a vacation destination that will create memories year after year.
Funds from this campaign will be used to
This is Phase 1 of at least 2 Indiegogo campaigns. Primary use of Phase 1 funds are to:
- Get reservations systems online and functioning
- Purchase ads and links on various industry sites and publications
- Handle regulatory & licensing needs
- Develop as many sites as funds permit
- If donations permit, begin work on permanent clubhouse/welcome center
About your Hosts
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Brad and Sandy Carlson are a foward-thinking couple who have a passion for the outdoors and premium camping experiences, combined with real-world experience in a variety of companies that they have owned, making them ideally-suited to this venture.
Brad is an entrepreneurial, senior executive with over 30 years of proven leadership in business startups, team and project management. He utilizes a team oriented, process focused management style to build and retain highly motivated development, sales and support teams. Brad is proficient in operations, development, technical application, testing, marketing and training of personnel for startups as well as established public and private sector companies.
Sandy is a seasoned leader who has led, managed, and trained teams in a variety of service related industries including education, fitness, ministry, hospitality, and private duty home care over the last 25 years. As a trainer, Sandy has been invited to speak at seminars and conferences on the topics of personal development, interpersonal relationships, team building and creating viable profit centers as a strategy for short and long term growth of an organization. She is recognized for discernment and strong interpersonal skills while compassionately serving the unique needs of others. Honest transparency, a strong work ethic and integrity - doing the right thing when no one is looking - are central to what she expects from herself. As an entrepreneur, she has started and/or owned several other businesses, including an adventure-based travel venture.
Additionally, you will find Brad & Sandy, along with the entire staff, eager to please, open to ideas and wishing to make
Bella Solviva as much your place as ours.
FAQ
1) Why is Bella Solviva using Indiegogo to fund this eco-resort?
- It provides us a proof-of-concept. Knowing before building what our clientele's desires and tastes are. What the demand is for each accommodation type. How popular different activities and amenities would be. And most importantly, if this is a viable concept.
- It allows our clientele to be part of the evolution of this project. They help us define what it should be. In exchange, we expect this to become a generational family destination, because many families will be fully engaged with us.
2) If the proof of concept shows the concept not to be viable, do I get my money back?
- Yes, if we don't hit our goal and you request a refund, we will kindly honor that, minus fees charged us by payment processors and Indiegogo. If we hit or exceed our goal, refunds are not an option. (We should have set this as a fixed funding campaign, but missed it) The Indiegogo fee is 9% and if credit card is used, another 3%.
3) Will all unit-types be built immediately?
4) How do reservations certificates work, and what is the fine print?
- While we expect to have sites available late-June, weather, construction schedules or a host of other events have the potential to delay the opening. We will work diligently to meet our expectations, but if the arranged unit is not available, we will work with you to either reschedule your stay, or find you alternative accommodations in lieu of. Certificates will be good indefinitely, and do not have to be used in 2015.
- Certificates will be numbered in the order donations are received. Those who donate first get to reserve first when the reservation system is up!
- With each paid contribution above $499 from the campaign, contributors will receive a survey where they will select the type of accommodation desired. If we do not have enough “votes” for a given type, we will not build it at this time. In such case, you will be given the choice of other comparable units.
- Contributors will also rate by weight our various amenities and activity offerings. With those weights in hand, certain ones will float to the top of the list, and others may take a lower priority.
- By means of engagement with this project, you agree in the spirit of this venture to model flexibility and understanding of a project of this scope. We agree to work towards the common goal of making this the best Eco-Resort in the Midwest, in a spirit of unity and cooperation.
