Tentrr was a short-lived American

glamping Glamping is a portmanteau of " glamorous" and "camping", and describes a style of camping with amenities and, in some cases, resort-style services not usually associated with "traditional" camping. Glamping has become particularly popular with 2 ...

rental service based in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. It aspired to be the camping equivalent of

Airbnb Airbnb, Inc. ( , an abbreviation of its original name, "Air Bed and Breakfast") is an American company operating an online marketplace for short-and-long-term homestays, experiences and services in various countries and regions. It acts as a ...

, at its peak operating over one thousand properties in 43 states.

History

The company was founded in 2015 by Michael D'Agostino, a

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

-based

investment banker Investment banking is an advisory-based financial service for institutional investors, corporations, governments, and similar clients. Traditionally associated with corporate finance, such a bank might assist in raising financial capital by unde ...

who had been disappointed by previous camping trips to the

Catskill Mountains The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province and subrange of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined a ...

. He was inspired to leave his job at the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the List of stock exchanges, largest stock excha ...

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 Delaware County is a county located in the US state of New York. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 44,308. The county seat is Delhi. The county is named after the Delaware River, which was named in honor of Thomas Wes ...

. Sites were furnished with a wooden tent platform,

chemical toilet A chemical toilet collects human waste in a holding tank and uses chemicals to minimize odors. They do not require a connection to a water supply and are used in a wide variety of situations. These toilets are usually, but not always, self-conta ...

, storage box, and canvas

tent A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using g ...

, with renters supplying their own firewood and bedding. Others were so-called "back-country" locations that were more rustic in their offerings. Many sites were dog-friendly. Tentrr's sites were initially located on private property and maintained by private property owners the company referred to as "CampKeepers."

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

was the first state to officially partner with Tentrr for

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "Federated state, state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on accou ...

access, followed by

and

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

in 2021. In 2018, Tentrr opened a manufacturing headquarters in

Oneonta, New York Oneonta ( ) is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in southern Otsego County, New York, Otsego County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is one of the northernmost cities of Appalachia. Oneonta is home to the State Un ...

, 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 Kingston is the only Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in, and the county seat of, Ulster County, New York, United States. It is north of New York City and south of Albany, New York, Albany. The city's metropolitan area is grou ...

Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania Stroudsburg is a borough in and the county seat of Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies within the Poconos region approximately five miles (8 km) from the Delaware Water Gap at the confluence of Brodhead Creek, McMichaels, ...

, and

Saco, Maine Saco ( ) is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,381 at the 2020 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as Saco Valley Shopping Center. General Dynamics ...

. While the company saw steady growth in its initial years, demand surged from 2020 to 2021 during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. The company received numerous complaints about customer service from both campers and hosts, and received the

Better Business Bureau The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is an American private, 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization founded in 1912. BBB's self-described mission is to focus on advancing marketplace trust, consisting of 92 independently incorporated local BBB organizati ...

's lowest rating. In January 2023, Tentrr filed for

Chapter 11 bankruptcy Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...

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

Chapter 7 liquidation Chapter 7 of Title 11 U.S. Code is the bankruptcy code that governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. This is in contrast to bankruptcy under Chapter 11 and Chapter 13, which govern the process of ''reor ...

References

{{Reflist Camping American companies established in 2015 Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023 Companies based in New York City Oneonta, New York Social planning websites Vacation rental Hospitality companies of the United States Hospitality services Hospitality companies established in 2015 Travel and holiday companies of the United States