The brides team visits some of the world’s most beautiful love nests, because who doesn’t love a treehouse?
THE TREEHOTEL
Harads, Sweden
The best thing about travel? I can let you become a child again. That’s what happened as we arrived Harad’s The Treehotel by night, guided along an atmospherically lit, winding pathway, where the outlines of silver birch trees were just visible against a moonlit sky. The Treehotel, part-hotel, part-art-project, needs to be seen to be believed: it consists of five treehouses (The Gabin, Mirrorcube, Bird’s Nest, UFO and Blue Cone), which are private but close enough to let you feel like you’re in an exclusive community. We stayed in The Mirrorcube, a suspended wooden structure covered in mirrored glass, which allows it to ‘vanish’ into thin air. The interior is equally playful yet stylish — the supporting tree comes up through the floor, allowing the scent of pine to fill the air. But this hotel is note a case of style over substance; owners Kent and Britta treat their guests like family. Breakfast is a true Swedish smorgasbord of fruit juices, pancakes and muesli, alongside pickles and salted herring, while supper is reindeer stew with lingonberry jus and creme fraiche.
NEED TO KNOW Don’t expect cocktail bars and butler service; this is northern Scandinavia at its outdoorsy best.
GET ME THERE Escape-to-Scandinavia (escape-to-scandinavia. com) offers three nights in The Mirrorcube from £1,306 per person, B&B. Includes return flights to Lulea via Stockholm and transfers.
TREEHOUSE POINT
Washington, USA
Not far from the Canadian border, and only a 35-minute drive from hipster capital Seattle, is a rustic selection of treehouses built by photographer and architect Pete Nelson. Although the two-storey Trillium, with its sleek and stylish wall of windows, has starred in a string of architecture blogs, don’t expect five-star luxury. This refreshingly affordable lodge is all about getting back to nature. It’s far from roughing it though; your treehouse comes with board games, books and an iPod dock. In keeping with the hippyish, eco-friendly vibe, the food is mostly veggie, and breakfast is still a good old-fashioned American feast of cinnamon rolls, granola and minty fruit salad. Days are best spent hiking upstream with a freshly prepared, delicious picnic hamper (courtesy of Janet the chef), but try to make it back to the main lodge, with its baby grand piano and cosy fireplace, by 4pm for tea and homemade cookies. NEED TO KNOW Although children over 13 are welcome, the emphasis is on peaceful solitude rather than family activities. Any Facebook or Twitter addicts should also note that wi-fi is only available in the main lodge. Summer weekends book up far in advance, so if you’re planning an East Coast road trip, swing by for a midweek stay. GET ME THERE The Trillium Treehouse (treehousepoint.com) costs from £150 per night, B&B, while British Airways (ba.com) return flights to Washington start at £649.
CHEWTON GLEN
Hampshire, UK
Travelling up the grand driveway to Chewton Glen, a boutique hotel and spa, is impressive enough, but it’s nothing compared with the trip to the Treehouse Loft Suite. After being whisked off down a wooded, winding track in a private golf buggy, we entered our suite via a floating gangplank and were greeted by a fire, sofas draped with cashmere blankets and the smell of baked cakes. But it’s far from rustic; the rooms are all cool and contemporary, with cream curves and edgy artwork. The star is undoubtedly the views: floor-to-ceiling windows flood the suite with a warm glow. And while it’s tempting not to stray when you have total privacy and an outdoor hot-tub, the food is the one thing we’ll budge for. We dined on organic beetroot-cured salmon and a fennel and pomegranate salad, followed by Thai spiced lobster curry with Jasmine rice, washed down with chilli chocolate martinis. NEED TO KNOW This is a great family-friendly option; babysitting can be arranged and there’s a cupboard full of board games. GET ME THERE Canopy and Stars (canopyandstars.co.uk) offers stays in The Treehouse Loft Suite from £700 per night.
HAPUKU LODGE
Kaikoura. New Zeala
When you subject yourself to the 26-hour flight to New Zealand, you’re doing it with one vision in mind: a honeymoon immersed in nature. And we can’t think of a better place to make the most of the spectacular scenery than a Treehouse Villa at Hapuku Lodge in Kaikoura. The town lies between the crashing sea (whale watching is a major draw) and dramatic mountains, while Hapuku overlooks a manuka grove and deer farm. Built by a family of architects who split their days between California and Kaikoura, this lodge is proof that stylish luxury can also be eco-friendly. The five treehouses are 10m off the ground, and built of native wood and copper shingles to blend in with the natural surroundings. Interiors are anything but shabby-chic, however: stylish ’50s-style furniture meets contemporary, neutral hues on the walls, while underfloor heating and a roaring fire up the comfort level to ‘sumptuous’. The restaurant has a relaxed vibe, with simple wooden furniture, timber floors, and a double-sided fireplace. NEED TO KNOW New Zealand’s summer falls between December and April. GET ME THERE A Treehouse Villa (hapukulodge.com) costs from £630 per night, B&B, while Singapore Airways (singaporeair.com) return flights to Auckland start at £1,150.
UXUA CASA HOTEL
Bahia, Brazil
If you’re wondering where Brazils beautiful people go for the Latin equivalent of a seaside break, it’s right here at the Uxua Casa Hotel, hidden away in the fishing village of Trancoso on Brazils idyllic Bahian coast. Created by Dutch fashion designer Wilbert Das, none of the 10 private casas would look out of place in an interiors magazine, but it’s the Casa da Arvore treehouse which is a must-book for nature (and luxury) lovers. Its eco credentials are just as impeccable as the hotel’s style kudos: the showerhead is carved from a eucalyptus trunk, sofas are upholstered in upcycled canvas sacking and the Uxua’s kitchen utensils are made from recycled coconut shells carved by Bahian cowboys. The vibe is eco-chic and laid-back; chef Bernardo Silva serves up healthy Brazilian cuisine — platters of lobster and king prawns or moqueca, a traditional Bahian fish stew — in the hotel lounge or beside the pool. The lake-like swimming pool is also worth a special mention — it’s made from green aventurine quartz stones, thought to have healing qualities.
NEED TO KNOW Uxua is pronounced ‘ooh-shoo-ah’. And while the hotel is achingly hip, this is Brazil, so the dress code is still shorts and flip-flops.
GET ME THERE The Casa da Arvore treehouse (uxua.com) costs from £412 per night, B&B, while British Airways (ba.com) return flights to Rio de Janeiro start at £500.
HOTEL ISO SYOTE
Iso Syote, Finland
A Bond-esque lair with views of pine forests and log cabins, the Eagles View suite (pictured) is the perfect winter destination for any honeymooners out there craving snow. Iso Syote is a popular ski lodge for families and couples, and the hotel is more casual than luxe — the manager wears salopettes and meals are buffet-style in the sleek restaurant. Hugging a 100-year-old Kelo pine tree, the two-tier suite has incredible panoramic views of the fell below. Perching nest-like in the upper mezzanine is a show-stopper circular bed and a huge Jacuzzi, while downstairs there is a luxurious lounge area with bathroom and sauna (well, you are in Finland). The decor is chic and typically Scandinavian — natural stone walls, a wood-burning stove that gives out a wonderful smoky aroma and a really comfy sofa on which to rest those aching muscles. And yes, they will ache; there’s so much to coax you outside. The seven-night romantic honeymoon package includes one activity a day, from husky sledging through the pristine Syote National Park to adrenaline-boosting snow mobiling. There’s also a Northern Lights safari and cross-country skiing. Reward yourselves for all that exertion with a hot bowl of soup in the slope-side Romekievari cafe or sample a sublime reindeer steak in the hotel’s main restaurant, before making a beeline for the sofa-with-a-view back at your wintry love nest.
NEED TO KNOW The best time to visit is December to April, avoiding Easter when it gets very busy with families. Don’t expect much apres-ski — this is a quiet resort.
GET ME THERE The Mighty Fine Company (mightyfine company.com) offers seven nights from £2,080 per person. Includes return flights to Oulu, transfers, accommodation in a Kelo log cabin plus one night in the Eagle’s View Luxury Suite. Most meals and daily activities are included.
Dordogne, France
If you’ve had a fairytale wedding, ше’ие found you a fairytale honeymoon treehouse to match. This is the most romantic of the three awe-inspiring treehouses built loulngly by Remi at the magical Chateaux dans les Arbres, designed as an eco-friendly echo of the traditional French chateaux. This turreted treehouse-for-tiuo has a truly sumptuous double bed, boho-luxe decor {we loved the quirky antiques and candy-coloured stained glass window above our bed) and huge private decking with an outdoor hot tub. The lower Dordogne is one of the most picturesque regions of France, and from your vantage point among the bubbles you’ve got panoramic mews of the rolling hills, and chestnut and oak woodland. Breakfast (yoghurt, warm croissants and organic juice) is delivered at 9am in a wicker basket, which you hoist up ma a pulley to level canopy. This hotel is fun, but not at the expense of luxury and style — all three treehouses are equipped with a mini bar and coffee machine, and cold platters of French cheeses and meats (£36) are a great option for dinner at sunset on the decking. NEED то KNOW There’s also a self-catering treehouse, perfect for those with kids in tow. GET ME THERE Canopy and Stars (canopyand stars.co.uk) offers stays inThe Monbazlllac Treehouse from £198 per night, B&B. EasyJet (easyjet.com) flights to Bordeaux start at £40.
CALISTOGA RANCH
Napa Valley, California
Lady Gaga is one of a long list of celebs (Mick Jagger, Jessica Biel, Bono and Will Smith) who have visited the unforgettable Calistoga Ranch, in a 157-acre estate in a dramatic canyon in the Upper Napa Valley. You’re just 75 miles from San Francisco Airport, but you’re in a whole new world. Calistoga Ranch is the place to come if you want some serious R&R — there’s everything from hot yoga classes to horseback riding, hang-gliding and mountain biking on offer, but at the end of an energetic day you can retire to your flash, tree-hugging pad with fireplace, cedar decking and outdoor rain showers (pictured below). When you can freely borrow from the hotel’s fleet of Mercedes-Benzs for an afternoon drive through wine country (at no extra charge) you know you’re experiencing another level of hospitality. If you’d rather explore on foot, choose your vintage from the private wine cave and get the friendly staff (we love American service) to prepare you a picnic hamper, then head for the hills. After-hours, indulge in an outdoor lakeside treatment at the Bathhouse Spa (we opted for a divine Lavender Honey Facial, then belatedly spied a Cabernet Wine Bath on the menu — yum) before heading off to the Lakehouse restaurant for the $95, four-course menu of hamachi and orange-cured salmon, and bacon-wrapped veal loin with a plum sauce.
NEED TO KNOW This is California, so staff will bend over backwards tor you; pets are welcome, childminding services can be arranged and feel free to ask for off-menu services such as cookery lessons.
GET ME THERE Lodges (calistogaranch. com) cost from £345 per night while Virgin Atlantic (virgin-atlantic.com) return flights to San Francisco start at £675.