Glamping At Manatee Springs – The Worst Choice You Can Make

Writing about glamping at Manatee Springs is the most difficult write-up that I’ve done in a long time. I hate to bash a business; I really dislike forming someone’s opinion adversely, and more than this, I really don’t like saying something unless it’s positive. Or better stated, I would prefer to find the uncovered gem in a less-than-desirable subject and present it as such. Sadly, glamping at Manatee Springs warrants no grace.

I’ve always vowed to tell the truth to my audience, the readers, and supporters. I’ll die on the cross for this! I think I am exceptionally neutral about what’s great and not so great, and given my extensive experience, I’m more than qualified to advise. Not to mention, I own Airbnb’s, so I am above and beyond fluent in “guest experience”. For the record, this is a key reason I prefer to pay my own way: I am not bound by a contract to tell you anything other than my thoughts.

This content in no way reflects my thoughts or opinions on Manatee Springs State Park. The park and spring are a favorite of mine. This article is solely about the glamping offered by Manatee Fanning Company (officially registered as P3 Manatee Fanning LLC), which is owned and operated by the ecotourism and hospitality company P3 (People | Profit | Planet).

Who Operates Glamping At Manatee Springs

Before P3 Manatee Fanning LLC took over the concession contract, visitor and rental services at Manatee Springs State Park were operated by Anderson’s Outdoor Adventures, LLC.

The Operator History

• Anderson’s Outdoor Adventures (2013–2022): AOA signed a multi-year concession agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in 2013. For nearly a decade, they were the exclusive operators, managing the park’s camp store, famous on-site BBQ food service, and canoe and kayak rentals.
• The Glamping Tents: While AOA laid the groundwork for robust recreational rentals at the park, the glamping tents as they exist today are a relatively new addition brought in specifically by P3. P3 initially pioneered its signature luxury canvas tent setups (marketed under its brand name InnTents) at Lake Louisa State Park in 2019 before expanding the concept to Manatee Springs.

What Is It Like To Glamp At Manatee Springs?

If you are anything like me and thrive on an unusual accommodation, a cabin in a prized area, a self-contained retreat, or even a converted Chinook, you’ll understand the excitement that you get when you find a place that makes your list.

When I first learned that Manatee Springs offered glamping, I almost cried! When I saw the pictures, I melted. I spent a good six months checking the availability over and over again with no luck.

Then, the opportunity presented itself, and I scored a night. Fortunately for me, I only booked one night.

A Picture Says A Thousand Words

I would ask you, “How many times have you arrived somewhere and the pictures either under or overrepresented the accommodation?” – but how many is relative. For me, it’s hundreds and hundreds, and 95% of the time the pictures are up to date, accurate, and reflective. Occasionally, they inflate or downplay the accommodations.

In the case of the glamping tents at Manatee Springs State Park, it’s marketing magic at its finest. Here’s a side-by-side shot. Naturally, the image on the left of Manatee Fanning‘s website has a higher pixel count than mine, created by a professional photographer. Regardless, take a look side-by-side. Mine is the second image on the right.

Now, you might be thinking camera or quality issues, but I enhanced my photo to give it more color and depth! I want this to be a fair comparison.

You tell me your thoughts. I’m happy to hear what you all have to say. Here’s what I think. Total camera fraud – or to be politer – their photo deserves an award and was clearly taken on day one of the staging. As mentioned, I enhanced mine by adding more color, but the bottom line is that these glamping tents look nothing like their hyped-up photographs. The furniture is not even the same!

The glamping tents are worn down, dingy, dull, and completely uninviting. So much so that I checked the bedding, because, for me, while a step up from a tent, this was not what I paid for and was not even close to what I imagined. I almost took a guy I was dating. Thank God I did not – boy, would expectations have been busted.

Rusted And Dilapidated Furniture & Fittings

We all understand that overtime accommodations need to be maintained. Towels, bedding, and sometimes practical items. For a glamping tent that, while covered, it is still subject to the elements and this can include furniture. I was shocked! Not because the side tables, lamps, and outdoor rugs clearly need replacing. No, I was shocked that such cheap items were choosen and not treated as disposable!

Let’s start with the nightstand table and the lamp. You can get these blue nightstands from tons of places for a whopping $47 – I pay more than this for a bedding set in my rentals. Then there’s the rusted-out lamp, a ten-dollar lamp at best. Then, the outdoor RV rug. I have two of these on my own patio. They too are cheap – way less than $100 for the size in the tent. At the price point, they should be replaced every six months to a year.

Take a closer look:

In addition to the worn-out furniture, the outdoor rugs are well beyond their life expectancy, and the tents are grubby. The canvas inside needs stem cleaning, bleaching, or treating. The dingy tent kills any ambiance.

Now let’s move on to the amenities, or lack of them.

Amenities Provided In The Glamping Tents At Manatee Springs

Here’s What The Official Says Sites for Ammeities:

– One Queen Bed w/ Linens
– Cooling & Heating Unit
– Coffee maker
– Interior Chandelier
– Interior Bedside Lamps
– Extra Outlets to Charge Your Devices
– Picnic table
– Firepit with Cooking Grill
– Exterior Market Lights

Before I get into the weeds, I’ll be totally honest – I did read what amenities were provided. However, I made some assumptions that proved catastrophic. For example, even though the listing does not say utilities or cookware are provided, I have yet to stay at a place billed as glamping that does not at least provide this. It was a shock!

I brought dinner to cook over the fire, but how do you cook on an open fire without utensils or cookware? Well, you get creative. Fortunately for me, I travel with foil, so I made my own cookware and then ate with my hands. Another inconvenience is that there were no lighters or matches! I’m sure the defense here is to give people a camping experience with some home comforts. However, that does not cut it for glamping.

The glamping tents at Manatee Springs are absolutely bare bones. There’s not even a fire poking stick. Never mind something to retrieve things when you cook on the open fire outside. All you are paying for is a bed, air conditioning, two bedside cabinets, a chair, an end-of-the-bed footstool, and a tiny bookshelf that contains a K-cup maker and two towels.

The Air Conditioning

Cooling a tent can be problematic for any host. Florida’s summers are brutal, and tents offer no insulation. I’ve stayed in tons – it can be done if you know what you are doing.

The AC unit is positioned at the entryway on the right-hand side as you walk in. That’s where the lion’s share of the coolness is, and that’s ridiculous. It should be placed higher so that when you sleep, you get some cold air. There is a fan overhead, but it doesn’t move much air. To combat this, I moved the pillows to the bottom of the bed and slept upside down. The placement of the AC is illogical. I’m not sure why it’s been set up that way. I would’ve raised the AC unit and pointed it down naturally. This would require more investment, but you get more flow if it were pointing down, and I know that because I’m familiar with split slit units

Wi-Fi

Another letdown: there is no Wi-Fi. Now, I could’ve sworn I checked the website and the listing to make sure there was Wi-Fi. I must’ve got carried away with the pictures because, when I checked it again today as I’m actually writing this up, it doesn’t specify Wi-Fi, so again, that one’s on me. But realistically, that should be a given at this point in this day and age.

The Bed & Pillows

The bed is average at best. I describe it as a medium, and it’s clearly a cheap mattress. You can actually feel the springs in the mattress, which doesn’t necessarily mean that it is uncomfortable. Sadly, it was uncomfortable.

I can tell that they do keep up with the decorated pillows. They’re immaculate and spotless. So is the bedding, the sheets are and the pillows. Now, are you pillows comfortable? Sure, if you’re into lying on a flat piece of foam, you’ll enjoy them, but I wouldn’t consider that luxurious or comfy. I wouldn’t even consider that basic, they’re piss poor in my opinion, cheap foam pillows that probably cost a couple of dollars in bulk.

Concessions

I went down to the concession stand to get firewood and ice, but there’s no ice. Well, it’s f’ing July, I mean, seriously, ship it in, get it made somewhere, but for the love of Christ – make ice available!

Had I known that, I would’ve brought my own ice on the way in, but of course, who would think you’d arrive at the skate park and they don’t have any ice?

The lack of ice and not being told there’s no ice was the icing on the cake – pun intended. A shit show dinner, a shit show tent, and no ice for a drink to drown my sorrows. Another failure of Manatee Fanning Company (officially registered as P3 Manatee Fanning LLC).

The Bathrooms At Manatee Springs State Park

Shared community bathrooms can be diabolical. I’ve stayed in places with compost toilets, outdoor showers, and similar amenities, and they’re in better condition than the ones at Manatee Springs State Park. I mean, these are gnarly at best. I wouldn’t say they’re filthy, but they’re certainly not spotless. For example, during my stay, the sink was full of debris. I’m sure that’s on whoever was in there before me, but there was no one actually manning those bathrooms or cleaning them.

At other times when I’ve visited, the bathrooms were clean, so I guess it depends on who is on call. I’ll also call out the obvious: campsite bathrooms are not necessarily the best to begin with. And to clarify – the bathrooms are at Manatee Springs State Park – not Manatee Fanning Company, the company that manages the glamping.

What Was Great About The Glamping Tents At Manatee Springs?

There is only one thing – you are staying onsite at one of Florida’s most beautiful springs – Manatee Springs. Aside from this, you’d have to be new to glamping with no expectations or happy to overpay because you know no better.

Which Locations Does P3 Manatee Fanning LLC Operate Glaming At?

• Fanning Springs
• Manatee Springs
• Colt Creek State Park
• Lake Louisa State Park
• Lake Kissimmee State Park
• Rock Springs Run State Reserve

Closing Thoughts

I’m not a stranger to glamping. I glamp all over the world, staying in all kinds of unusual accommodations. I’ve even stayed in a man-made fairy house that was crafted from mud, container homes, yurts etc. I’ve also stayed at several KOA’s. I stayed in primitive camping. I’ve stayed in the next step up, which is primitive plus AC. In the camping world, glamping implies luxury. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you anything about a stay at Manatee Springs is luxurious. If I were looking for a camping experience, I would’ve chosen a campsite. I could’ve brought my own RV ot tent.

My advice to everybody is if you wanna see Manatee Springs State Park, then come to the park and spend the day. I would not recommend renting a tent, and as a result of my experience here, I will not be renting from the other parks operated by Manatee Fanning Company (officially registered as P3 Manatee Fanning LLC).

The glamping tent was a total bust, way over priced for what’s included and in serious need of a re-do.

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