Cool Camping
Cool Camping is a UK-based online travel agency operating as Hipcamp UK, running a two-sided campsite marketplace with over 500,000 listings across six countries, serving individual campers and small accommodation hosts via web and mobile booking platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Cool Camping does
Cool Camping is a UK-based online travel agency founded in 2016 and headquartered in London that has been integrated into the Hipcamp platform, operating as Hipcamp UK under US-domiciled Hipcamp, Inc. The company runs a two-sided online marketplace connecting campers and outdoor enthusiasts with private landowners, farmers, campsite operators, and glamping business owners. The platform lists over 500,000 campsites, caravan parks, holiday parks, glamping pods, cabins, shepherd huts, treehouses, bell tents, and other unique accommodations across the UK, France, Spain, the United States, Canada, and Australia.
The underlying technology is a digital marketplace platform combining a searchable campsite database, interactive mapping, user review system, and booking infrastructure delivered through both a website and iOS/Android mobile applications. The platform supports self-serve consumer booking and self-serve host onboarding, operating on a product-led growth model. Revenue is generated primarily through booking commissions (transaction fees) charged to hosts on completed bookings, with prices ranging from £8 per night for basic tent pitches to premium glamping accommodations with hot tubs and distinctive structures. Ancillary revenue includes digital gift cards and an e-commerce merchandise store at hipcamp.shop.
The go-to-market approach combines content marketing via the Hipcamp Journal, organic SEO across extensive destination and category pages (Lake District, Cornwall, Scotland, glamping pods, dog-friendly sites, etc.), mobile app store presence, and community-based referral programs. No detailed funding history, ownership structure, management team, or financial disclosures were available in the source material beyond the company's active operating status.
Cool Camping firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cool Camping
- Legal name
- Hipcamp, Inc.
- Website
- https://coolcamping.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cool Camping is a UK-based online travel agency operating as Hipcamp UK, running a two-sided campsite marketplace with over 500,000 listings across six countries, serving individual campers and small accommodation hosts via web and mobile booking platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cool Camping industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Camping Marketplace
- NAICS
- RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (721211)
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Campgrounds & RV Parks (Developed Sites) (THAGAOAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Traditional Campgrounds (Tent & Mixed-Use) (THAMAJAB), Family & Recreation Campgrounds (Amenities/Activities Focus) (THAMAJAJ)
Keywords
Where Cool Camping is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Cool Camping business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Booking commission/transaction fees: Platform charges hosts a commission on completed bookings. Users pay for campsite bookings through the platform, with prices ranging from £8 per night for basic pitches to premium glamping accommodations
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Budget camping pitches |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Cool Camping product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cool Camping operates as a UK-focused online travel agency and camping marketplace platform, connecting campers and outdoor enthusiasts with over 500,000 campsites, caravan parks, cabins, and glamping accommodations across the UK and internationally. The platform enables users to discover, filter by camping style (tent, caravan, glamping pods, shepherd huts, treehouses, bell tents, yurts, airstreams, tiny homes), and book sites by destination, amenities, and price, while also providing landowners with self-serve tools to list properties and manage bookings.
Product overview
Hipcamp operates as a unified camping marketplace platform combining a consumer-facing app and a hosting platform. The core Hipcamp Platform and Hipcamp Mobile App enable campers to discover and book over 500,000 campsites, caravan parks, cabins, and glamping sites with filtering by style (tent, caravan, glamping pods, bell tents, yurts, treehouses, etc.), amenities, and destinations. Supporting the marketplace, the Hipcamp Host Platform allows landowners and campsite operators to list properties and manage bookings. Add-on services include Hipcamp Gift Cards and the Hipcamp General Store for merchandise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hipcamp Platform (Cool Camping UK Marketplace) A camping marketplace platform enabling UK campers and outdoor enthusiasts to discover and book campsites, caravan parks, holiday parks, cabins, and glamping accommodations. The platform offers comprehensive filtering by camping style, location, amenities, and price across destinations such as the Lake District, Cornwall, New Forest, Scotland, Wales, and Devon.
- Hipcamp Mobile App The #1 camping app providing comprehensive maps, filtering by camping style (tent, caravan, glamping), access to millions of real reviews from verified campers, and booking functionality for campsites across the UK, US, Canada, Australia, France, and Spain.
- Hipcamp Host Platform A self-serve hosting platform allowing landowners, farmers, campsite operators, glamping site owners, and caravan park owners to list their properties, manage bookings, and reach new customers. Includes tools for professional campground owners and host insurance/protection standards.
- Hipcamp Gift Cards
Quantifiable outcome
- Find camping pitches from as little as £8 per night
Companies that use Cool Camping
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cool Camping technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Cool Camping partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cool Camping competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- ACSI / CampingCard: European campsite discount and directory platform providing camper card-based savings at thousands of campsites across Europe. Comparable as a European camping demand/sales channel, though primarily a discount/discovery service rather than full marketplace.
- The Camping and Caravanning Club: UK membership organisation operating a network of Club campsites with a booking site for members and non-members. Comparable on the supply side (developed UK campsites) but runs a membership rather than open-marketplace model.
- The Caravan and Motorhome Club: UK-based membership club with a large UK network of caravan, motorhome, and tent sites bookable online. Comparable as a UK campsite inventory operator but owned by members rather than an open third-party marketplace.
Direct peers
- Camping.info: Pan-European campsite database and booking site featuring more than 25,000 campsites across 50+ countries. Highly comparable to Hipcamp's European coverage in supply focus and traveler audience.
- Campsites.co.uk: UK-focused campsite directory and booking platform covering campsites, caravan parks, and glamping accommodation. Directly comparable to Hipcamp UK in product offering and target audience.
- Pitchup.com: UK- and Europe-focused online camping marketplace that lets travelers search and book campsites, caravan parks, and glamping sites. It is the closest direct competitor to Hipcamp UK / Cool Camping in terms of product, customer base, and transaction-fee business model.
- Eurocamp / Vacansoleil: European camping-holiday operators selling packages to family campsites with pitches, mobile homes, and on-site amenities. Comparable on the supply/booking side for European family camping holidays, though operating a package holiday rather than pure marketplace model.
Broad incumbents
- Airbnb: Global short-stay marketplace that has expanded into 'Airbnb-style' private land glamping and outdoor stays. Competes for the same unique-stay camper demand but operates a much broader accommodation marketplace.
- Booking.com: Global online travel agency with a substantial inventory of campgrounds, holiday parks, and glamping sites alongside its core hotel business. Overlaps with Hipcamp's supply and demand but as part of a much wider accommodation portfolio.
Others
- Hipcamp (US parent entity): The US parent platform of Hipcamp UK / Cool Camping; included here because the UK operation is a localized extension of the same marketplace technology, code base, and brand, and effectively represents the anchor company's own global expansion path.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cool Camping social profiles
Digital presenceCool Camping financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cool Camping leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Cool Camping funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cool Camping M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cool Camping
What does Cool Camping do?
Cool Camping operates as a UK-focused online travel agency and camping marketplace platform, connecting campers and outdoor enthusiasts with over 500,000 campsites, caravan parks, cabins, and glamping accommodations across the UK and internationally. The platform enables users to discover, filter by camping style (tent, caravan, glamping pods, shepherd huts, treehouses, bell tents, yurts, airstreams, tiny homes), and book sites by destination, amenities, and price, while also providing landowners with self-serve tools to list properties and manage bookings.
Is Cool Camping a public or private company?
Cool Camping is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Cool Camping founded?
Cool Camping was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cool Camping based?
Cool Camping is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Cool Camping make money?
One revenue line is on record: booking commission/transaction fees.
Who are Cool Camping's main competitors?
Regional players on record are ACSI / CampingCard, The Camping and Caravanning Club and The Caravan and Motorhome Club. Direct peers are Camping.info, Campsites.co.uk, Pitchup.com and Eurocamp / Vacansoleil. Broad incumbents are Airbnb and Booking.com. Hipcamp (US parent entity) is listed as an others.
Does Cool Camping have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cool Camping.
What industry is Cool Camping in?
Cool Camping's product category is Online Camping Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAGAOAA, Campgrounds & RV Parks (Developed Sites), with a secondary code of THAMAJAB, Traditional Campgrounds (Tent & Mixed-Use). Its NAICS code is 721211 and its SIC code is 7000.