PROPERTY PROFITS NEWSLETTER
JUN 19, 2026
When Marriott, the world’s largest hotel company, quietly acquired network of tiny cabin sites in December 2024 and had them live on the Marriott Bonvoy app by mid-2025, most people outside hospitality shrugged.
Tiny cabins. In woods. How very rustic!
Except Marriott doesn’t do rustic for sentiment. They do it for money.
Hilton had already partnered with AutoCamp for boutique glamping near national parks, and Hyatt had expanded through Under Canvas.
Three of the world’s biggest hotel chains moved into the same category within the same year.
That’s not a coincidence. That’s a signal — and it’s one worth paying attention to if you own land in Jamaica. Skyquestt
The global picture
The glamping market is estimated to reach approximately USD 4.40 billion in 2026.
Over the forecast period from 2026 to 2031, the industry is expected to expand annually ultimately approaching a valuation of nearly USD 7.45 billion by 2031. Research And MarketsMarket Research Port
The travellers driving this aren’t roughing it, they want nature, privacy, an oversized window with a view, and something worth posting.
Jamaica ticks every box. Warm year-round, dramatic landscape,international visitor access, and a diaspora travel market that is literally your target audience.
The Jamaica reality check, How much can you earn?
Now, the honest numbers, because that’s what we do here. STR occupancy in Jamaica’s main tourist areas currently sits at around 34–40% at the median.
For example, in Kingston: Based on AirROI's 2026 dataset (June 2025 –May 2026), the average earning is $12,240 per year, at 35.7% occupancy.
For Runaway Bay, based on AirROI's 2026 dataset (June 2025 – May 2026), the average annual earning is $16,514 per year, at 27.1% occupancy. https://www.airroi.com/airbnb-data
What this tells you: location and differentiation matter enormously. A standard apartment in a crowded market at 34% occupancy is a very different conversation to a distinctive glamping unit on well-positioned
land with a clear niche.
The average is dragged down by listings that look like every other
listing. Something genuinely different stands apart from that average for a reason.
An Opportunity to Stop you Scrolling?
The Mantra Micro Cabin is an ultra-compact tiny house on wheels that sleeps two in just 12 feet of space, starting at $17,000.
Built by Florida-based Simplify Further Tiny Homes, it sits on a double-axle trailer, meaning it can be moved between sites without a production, opening up use cases most permanent structures simply can’t compete with.
What it doesn’t have: a kitchen or bathroom. For a standalone home, nthat’s a problem. For a glamping unit on land where you add a shared outdoor kitchen and bathroom block, it’s actually a lower entry cost and
faster to deploy than any permanent build.Three units, well located, marketed well, that’s a real business model, not a side project.
One thing worth naming directly: Jamaica took a direct Category 5 hit from Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, the strongest Atlantic hurricane on record. Anyone investing in Jamaican property, glamping or otherwise, needs to factor hurricane risk into their numbers.
The mobile nature of a cabin on wheels is actually an advantage here, you can move it before a storm, which you cannot do with a concrete build.
But insurance, storm prep, and honest cash flow modelling that accounts for disruption are non-negotiable parts of the business case.
The questions worth asking
Do you own land in Jamaica that currently produces little or no income?
Have you looked at what comparable glamping experiences nearby
are charging per night?
Do you know how Jamaican STR income is taxed, both locally and
in the UK if you’re a UK resident?
What would three units at even a lowly 30% occupancy at $120/night each produce annually, after costs?That last one is worth actually calculating. Not estimating. calculating
---Reply and tell me — are you sitting on land in Jamaica that could work for this?
Business Blessings
Ally O’Meally-Watson
The Freedom Landlords' Club is where cross-border landlords run exactly these numbers together.