In France, camping is evolving into an outdoor hotel

Outdoor hotel business

I was on holiday during the May half-term and on a few work trips in France, and anyone travelling through the south of France – as I was – cannot fail to notice that campsites are everywhere here and largely define the character of places such as Argelès-sur-Mer, Canet-en-Roussillon, Sérignan-Plage and Cap d’Agde. In recent years, the camping industry has developed into a mature and highly professional sector, and France has been the number one country in Europe for years when it comes to ‘hotellerie de plein air’ – literally translated as ‘open-air hospitality’. And rightly so, if you ask me.

During my stay in this region, I’ll be visiting resorts run by Sandaya, Yelloh! Village and Marvilla Parks, amongst others. Each of these operators has taken the camping concept a step further, developing it into fully-fledged holiday destinations with extensive facilities, entertainment programmes and a strong focus on families. Glamping has only accelerated this development.

It is precisely in this context that the arrival of the Blendin brand in Le Grau d’Agde stands out as a striking exception. No large-scale holiday park, no entertainment teams or water parks, but a small-scale boutique retreat that explicitly distances itself from the ‘campsite’ label.

Not a campsite, but a ‘hotel in the countryside’

Blendin Agde, which opened its doors on 24 April 2026, comprises 76 lodges and deliberately sets itself apart. Here, there are no rows of mobile homes or bustling boulevard-style layouts, but rather a landscaped site with mature greenery, winding paths and a clear focus on tranquillity and personalised service.

That positioning is no coincidence, explains Bob Kremer, who is in charge of business development in France at the parent company, Inleisure. I speak to him on site, where the first guests have now made their way to the Mediterranean Sea and the River Hérault.

“France has elevated the camping sector to an art form,” says Kremer. “But precisely because it is so highly developed, you also see that many sites are starting to look alike: large, efficient and focused on volume. What we’re doing here is deliberately moving away from that.”

According to Kremer, Blendin should therefore not be seen as a campsite, but as a form of hotel service in a natural setting. “We want to combine the service and experience of a boutique hotel with the freedom of an outdoor stay. That means: no mass tourism, but personalised attention. No standard programmes, but bespoke hospitality.”

From hardware to experience

It is worth noting that Blendin Agde was not developed from scratch as a new concept. The venue had already been operating under a different business model in recent years. The transformation into Blendin is therefore less about bricks and mortar and more about software. Or, as Kremer himself puts it, “in the DNA”. “The physical infrastructure here was already sound,” he explains. “But where we add value is in how you make a place like this function. How you manage a team, how you interact with guests, how you create a consistent brand experience.”

This approach is evident in the details. The brasserie uses local produce, the scale of the park is deliberately kept modest, and the staff operate less according to strict protocols and more on the basis of personal commitment.

Rebelling against the establishment

In a region dominated by big names such as Sandaya and Yelloh! Village, that is a bold strategy. Especially as those operators have, in fact, refined their offering in recent years and shifted increasingly towards luxury and comfort.

Yet Kremer sees an opportunity precisely there. “Many of those parks are superbly organised – there’s no doubt about that. But they also cater to a very specific market segment. We focus on guests who fall just outside that segment – those who are looking for quality, but have no desire for crowds or large-scale facilities.”

This also means that Blendin does not focus on providing as many facilities as possible, but on providing the right ones. A heated swimming pool, a small-scale catering facility, a peaceful setting: these are choices that suit a target group more inclined towards boutique hotels than traditional campsites.

European growth strategy

Blendin Agde is only the second property in the collection, following the boutique hotel in Bloemendaal. But the ambitions extend further. Work is currently under way on a third property in the Algarve, scheduled to open in 2027.

According to Kremer, the focus here is not on rapid expansion, but on selecting the right locations. “There are many locations in Southern Europe where the hardware is right, but where a strong concept is lacking. That’s where we see opportunities. Not by building everything from scratch, but by repositioning existing venues.”.

A different take on outdoor living

As I leave the park and drive back past the larger resorts in the region, the contrast becomes clear once again. Whilst most parks focus on creating an experience through the range of facilities and their scale, Blendin opts for simplicity and refinement.

In a country where ‘hotellerie de plein air’ is synonymous with large-scale, well-organised holiday accommodation, Blendin is attempting to subtly stretch that definition. Less campsite, more hotel. Less mass tourism, more personal touch. Whether that model will catch on remains to be seen. But in the crowded landscape of campsites in the south of France, one thing is certain: Blendin Agde is anything but run-of-the-mill.