During our trip through Swedish Lapland, we were approached by Kent from the one and only Treehotel. We decided to embark on this exciting collaboration, leading us to spend our second to last day in a stunning treehouse nestled in the forests of Harads. The Treehotel had long been on our bucket list and proved to be an absolutely incredible experience. Below, you’ll discover what the Treehotel is all about, along with explanations of the various types of treehouses available, and a detailed account of our own experience in one of these remarkable accommodations.
What is the Treehotel exactly?
The Treehotel is a luxury hotel comprised of various treehouses nestled in the forests of Harads. The owners, Kent and Britta, were inspired by the film “The Tree Lover” by Jonas Selberg Augustsen. This hotel is designed to provide a unique experience to its guests amidst nature. With no two treehouses alike and only seven in total, the experience is truly unique. Kent and Britta have created a hotel that brings together nature, ecological value, comfort, and modern design in a special adventure.
The experience is complete because the treehouses are truly nestled in the forest, with the reception and nearest road being over 700 meters away through these woods. Additionally, the hotel has a small restaurant where you can enjoy local dishes and a delicious breakfast. From the treehouses, you have a beautiful view of the Lule River.
The Treehotel is located approximately 100 kilometers from Lulea Airport. It’s good to know that the hotel also offers a transfer service to this airport. What’s even more special is that this hotel doesn’t just offer any transfer service; they offer a transfer by helicopter!
The treehouses of the Treehotel
The Treehotel has seven different treehouses, each with its own characteristics. They all vary in size and can accommodate different group sizes. Each treehouse has its own unique theme that is visible both inside and out.
The Blue Cone
The Blue Cone is spacious and offers a beautiful view of the river. Its main features are convenience and simplicity. You enter this treehouse via a ramp, making it very accessible for disabled guests. In the treehouse, you’ll find a double bed in front of a large window at the foot, and in the loft, there are two more beds with a view of the forest. The Blue Cone was built in 2010.
The Cabin
The Cabin is one of the most romantic treehouses in the hotel. This room is completely suspended in the trees and has a large rooftop terrace on top of the room. One of the sides is entirely made of glass, providing stunning views of the river and forests. This treehouse is intended for two people and was built in 2010.
The UFO
A very special and unexpected treehouse. Access to this unique treehouse is only possible by extending the automatic electric ladder. When it retracts, the UFO appears to float among the trees. The inside of the UFO is also entirely inspired by space, with stars stuck to the ceiling. The UFO accommodates five people and is particularly popular among families. The UFO was built in 2010.
The Mirrorcube
This treehouse is entirely covered with mirrored glass on the outside, making it almost invisible among the tall trees. The treehouse is 4x4x4 meters in size, making it a great accommodation for two people. The inside of the treehouse is mostly made of (mirror) glass, including the roof. Because you look out through the windows from the inside, you completely blend into nature while still enjoying privacy thanks to the mirrored glass. The Mirrorcube was built in 2010.
The Bird's Nest
As the name suggests, this treehouse looks like a large bird’s nest. The exterior is made entirely of branches, making it blend seamlessly into the surroundings. You enter this treehouse via a ladder that then disappears into the treehouse itself. Despite the many branches on the outside, the treehouse is still light inside and large enough for 4 people. The Bird’s Nest was built in 2010.
The Dragonfly
This is the second largest treehouse, with an area of 52 m2. This treehouse can also be used for conferences (without overnight stay) for up to six people. The treehouse has gigantic windows, even in the bathroom. You also enter this treehouse via a slope, making it very accessible for disabled guests. The treehouse is designed for an overnight stay by four people and was built in 2013.
The 7th Room
With this last treehouse, Kent and Britta have truly outdone themselves. This is the largest and highest of all the treehouses. The suite is designed with the idea of having different ‘experience levels’. With panoramic views, bedrooms with glass ceilings, a terrace made of nets, and a pine tree in the middle of the suite, a unique experience is created. The room is 100 m2 and there are five beds. The 7th Room was built in 2016.
Our experiences at the Treehotel
Check-in
Around 5 o’clock we arrived at the reception of the Treehotel. Here we were received very friendly. In addition to the usual check-in procedure as we all know it, extra attention was paid to the explanation around our treehouse. Together with the employee who checked us in, we walked through a folder with images, a map and short explanations. He started his explanation by asking if he could bring our suitcases to our treehouse. Why he offered this quite convincingly became clear to us a little later. The seven treehouses are about 700 meters walking from the reception. So really in the middle of the forest.
He further indicated that there is no running water in the treehouses. They make use of a special toilet and a tap filled with drinking water instead of a tap. The treehouses themselves do not have a shower or bath. You can shower in the sanitary building not far from the treehouses. All this to keep the experience as close to nature as possible, and to disturb nature as little as possible with the disposal of waste.
Arrival at our treehouse
After this clear explanation, we set off for our treehouse. Since it was already after five in the afternoon, it was already completely dark. This meant a route through the forest in the dark with only a few dim lights on the route to guide us. This immediately gave both of us the feeling that we were walking right in the middle of nature, and made the experience complete.
Once we arrived at the area where the treehouses are located, we were amazed by each one’s uniqueness. We spent the night in The Blue Cone.
Inside of our treehouse
The inside of this treehouse was truly beautiful, designed in the style of a real treehouse. We had a large bed on the ground floor in front of a large window with a stunning view. The view consisted of nothing but trees, the river, and mountains in the distance. Additionally, our treehouse had a sort of loft with two more beds and a round window offering a view of the other side of the forest. We also had a refrigerator, coffee maker, kettle, and stocked minibar. In the bathroom, we found the special Cinderella toilet and a sink.
In this region of Sweden and Lapland, the Northern Lights are often very visible. The combination of the bed in front of the large window should allow you to see the Northern Lights beautifully from bed. Yes, I say should be able to see because when we were there, it was unfortunately cloudy. We both slept very well in the spacious and soft bed. And were awakened in the morning by the rising sun through the window. What more could you want in the middle of the forest!
Despite all seven treehouses being close together in the middle of the forest, you really get the feeling of being alone in your own treehouse. The windows of the treehouses are positioned in such a way that you cannot see any other treehouses. It was truly a unique experience to be able to stay here.
How it could be even better
The treehouse was really beautiful and the view even better than we expected. But of course we are also critical of what we experience and we would like to tell you honestly about our experiences. We noticed two (small) things in the treehouse.
First of all, the employee who checked us in had told us that there would be a tablet and mobile phone in the treehouse. A tablet with information about the hotel, and information about activities and the area. The telephone is used to call the reception with questions or in case of an emergency. When we entered our treehouse, however, we noticed that both devices were empty. This can of course happen, so we quickly plugged the charger that came with it into the socket. However, it was probably broken, because neither the tablet nor the phone would charge. We were therefore unable to make use of this. Fortunately, this was not necessary either.
The second thing that quickly caught our attention was the rug. On the floor between the large window and the bed was a carpet. However, this carpet was a very bad combination with the smooth wooden floor, which caused both of us to almost slip a few times.
The Treehotel's restaurant
In the authentic building where the reception is located, you will also find a small restaurant. With only seven treehouses, the number of guests per night is of course limited, so the restaurant does not have to be large. The restaurant is still completely in an old style, which makes it very atmospheric.
Diner
During check-in, around 5 o’clock, we were asked if we wanted to make use of the dinner. After a resounding YES from both of us, we were back at the main building around 6:30 PM. After walking through the dark forest for about 700 meters twice, where Nadia fell twice due to the slippery conditions, we were both hungry. We were told that a fixed three-course menu was served. We decided to add a good bottle of red wine and let the chefs surprise us. In the end, we got a local and very high-quality luxury dinner:
– Aperitif: local cheese, reindeer sausage, moose sausage and local bread
– Appetizer: Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
– Main course: Arctic Shark with chanterelles and potatoes
– Dessert: brownie with fresh raspberries and raspberry sorbet.
Breakfast
After waking up to the rising sun in our treehouse, we walked 700 meters back through the forest to the main building. For the first time while it was light, so we could now see that the forest was really beautiful green. Breakfast was served as a kind of mini buffet on our table. This breakfast was truly lacking nothing, so we got; different types of bread, different types of spreads, fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, bacon, and waffles. Furthermore, we both got a smoothie, a glass of orange juice, and coffee / tea.
Other facilities of the Treehotel
In addition to the seven treehouses and the main building where the reception and restaurant are located, the Treehotel has more facilities. For example, they also have a guesthouse located next to the main building. If you don’t want to sleep in a treehouse but still want to stay in this region, this is also an option. Furthermore, there is a separate toilet building near the treehouses because the treehouses themselves do not have showers.
There are also several saunas and a jacuzzi located in the middle of the forest. Additionally, the hotel offers several excursions. We did not take advantage of these, as we only stayed for one night and wanted to enjoy the view from our treehouse.
All in all, it was truly an amazing experience to stay in the middle of nature. Sleeping in a luxury treehouse was high on our bucket list, and we must say that the Treehotel truly exceeded our expectations. A must when you are in Swedish Lapland!
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