Treehouse hotels promise raised experiences, but at these properties, it’s a guarantee. Your suite may hover hundreds of feet above the ground, with only birds and flora as neighbors. Such accommodations, set on pedestals or platforms in gorgeous natural settings, tap childhood nostalgia for arboreal hideaways while coddling guests in grown-up luxury, with high-end amenities that Mother Nature herself might covet.
Architecture That Engages with the Trees
In Ontario, Canada, the Green family opened Hårtwood in April. Three treehouses designed by Toronto’s studio ksa architects were built “to engage directly with living trees while minimizing disturbance to the forest floor,” according to Lauren Green. The sleek suites—more like hip city apartments—are fully off-grid, using passive-house strategies to maximize energy efficiency. Treehouse 001, the largest at 890 square feet, features a sunken living room and rooftop terrace; Treehouses 002 and 003, both 590 square feet, offer king beds, outdoor decks and fire pits.
Related: Mallorca mountain town draws wealthy buyers
The virtuous construction belies a lavish—and very Canadian—guest experience. Ontario furniture maker Hamilton Holmes crafted in-suite seating, along with the elegant communal table at The Hydda, the hotel’s social hut, with “low-intervention” wines and Canadian-inspired menus. Through walls of windows, all three treehouses offer jaw-dropping vistas—think bright winter tableaux or jewel-box spring greenery. It is a specific kind of isolation that requires planning, but the payoff is a total disconnection from the ground below.
Surreal Designs in Northern Latitudes
It is hard to compete with the unspoiled splendor of Swedish Lapland, but Treehotel’s eight jaw-dropping treehouse designs—by starchitects like Norway’s Snøhetta—give nature a run for its money. The suite called Mirrorcube, all reflective surfaces, gets camouflaged among the trees. Molecule-shaped Biosphere encircles a square treehouse with tiny wooden birdhouses. One named UFO resembles a flying saucer perched atop a ladder. Bird’s Nest, even more surreal, looks like a gigantic nest of branches and twigs. It’s all set in the fairytale beauty of Harads, about 600 miles north of Stockholm.
Related: Important Factors to Consider Before Hiring a Cleaning Service Provider
Interiors are stylish, if restrained, with sleek Scandinavian furniture, neutral palettes and walls of windows. Likewise, amenities here are limited, letting the wilderness take center stage. There’s the 1940s–style Guesthouse restaurant, where chef Linus Lejon whips up three-hour “microseasonal” tasting menus (about $325). And Treehotel’s minimalist Forest Spa offers a sauna and outdoor whirlpool.
You’ll get just a bit closer to summer’s midnight sun or winter’s Northern Lights in one of 60 cubical treehouse suites at the Arctic Circle’s most opulent resort.
