louise roe coachella

Culture + Style

Louise Roe’s 4 Secrets to Glamping at Coachella Like a Boss

I finally recovered from the annual Coachella music festival, and it was so worth it! I’m a Coachella veteran at this point, but this time was unlike any other.

This year I was lucky enough to experience their luxury Safari tents, which were located within the artist area — literally right behind the stages.

If you’ve ever been to Coachella, you know what a nightmare it is to get home at the end of the night, so I felt so lucky to zip back to my tent in a golf cart after the festival.

louise roe coachella glamping

Not only were the tents just steps away, the decor was so cute! The tents were all decked out to represent different Marriott hotel brands around the world, and mine was inspired by the Autograph Collection — perfectly boho, with major Coachella vibes.

It had dream catchers above the bed, Moroccan slippers, Aztec-inspired rugs and hanging lanterns, plus a bottle of tequila on ice waiting for me when I checked in — heaven!

And thank goodness, Marriott had set up a concierge tent where every single amenity was available, from electrolytes and Advil to chocolate-chip cookies and earplugs, which ended up being a total lifesaver.

On top of all that, my neighbors were Emma Roberts and Vanessa Hudgens!

autograph collection safari tent coachella

On the first night, the sun was setting as my husband and I checked in and unpacked (and maybe had a couple of shots of tequila).

Once we settled in, we took a golf cart to the VIP area to meet up with friends and go watch Radiohead on the main stage, which was so amazing.

After a long night of dancing, we strolled back to the Safari tent area, and OMG, there were midnight snacks being prepared! Pizza and ice cream: the perfect way to end our first night at Coachella.

With the rest of the weekend jam packed with parties and music, we just loved coming back to our little oasis at the end of the day.

Read below for some tips we learned about how to go glamping in style at Coachella!

louise roe style

1. Have your outfits planned.

Packing light makes life so much easier and getting ready a breeze. Even though it’s a luxury campsite, it’s still camping, so don’t bring your entire closet with you.

2. Bring an eye mask and earplugs.

The tents are super comfortable and air conditioned, but you’re in the thick of it all, so if you need to sneak away for a nap or pass out early, you’ll hear the goings on of the festival until late in the evening. It’s all part of the experience. Channel your inner desert goddess.

I’m not really one for “roughing it,” so to be honest I was a little nervous about going camping (though if you’re going to do it, this is definitely the way to go).

But once I got there, it was all so well curated, and the vibe was so much fun I got over those fears immediately. Waking up to the view of the mountains and the sounds of the festival each day made it all worth it, so just go with the flow and embrace the experience — noise, dust and all!

3. Make friends with your neighbors.

As we learned, you never know who will be staying around you. Who knows, you might get a new celeb bestie out of it … or at least be able to borrow some sunscreen if you run out.

4. Pack these fashion essentials …

For the campsite and the festival in general, you’ll need a pair or two of closed-toe shoes (preferably boots, your feet will get pretty nasty in sandals!), flowy crop tops that are off the shoulder or balloon sleeved to beat the heat, giant mirrored sunglasses to protect your eyes and also double as a mirror for quick touchups, a big boater hat to protect your face, and a chic backpack for housing all other necessities (lip balm, sunscreen, Band-Aids and water).

Until next time, Coachella!


Louise Roe is a TV host and journalist who started her career as news editor for Vogue.com in London and is known for hosting TV’s makeover show “Plain Jane” and Access Hollywood red carpet coverage. She’s also the author of the blog Front Roe. Find her on Instagram @louiseroe.