When people book their holidays, they tend to look at chain hotels such as the Premier Inn. Whilst they might suit Lenny Henry perfectly after a long day of being Lenny Henry, there are more creative forms of accommodation which could create the perfect setting for any traveller. The treehouse, although traditionally something associated with childhood or Cartoon Network’s Codename: Kid’s Next Door (remember that?), is a form of accommodation which can provide travellers with an alternative experience to travel than a hotel.
The £17 per night caravan
Treehouse hotels can be found just about anywhere in the world, although the existence of a tree or preferably a forest is quite a significant prerequisite to the treehouse hotels being possible. You won’t find one in a desert. Most treehouse hotels, for perhaps obvious reasons, can only accommodate one group of guests at a time, unlike a more traditional hotel which can offer hundreds of rooms. The levels of luxury also vary depending on how much you pay. A prime example being a £17 per night 1960’s touring caravan essentially on tree stilts, with the interior “truthfully described as ‘shabby” by the owner on travel accommodation and experience website, Airbnb. There is also no mains electricity and certainly no internet, but with no street lights within 5 miles, plentiful stars and occasional views for lucky visitors of the Northern Lights make it an enticing visit for anyone wanting to be closer to nature. Located in Rhynie in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the caravan was actually used in the film Two Years At Sea, where it was lofted into the trees for a special effects sequence when the caravan magically levitated into the air whilst a character was napping inside. This is obviously at the low end of any traveller’s budget, but at the other end are some mind-blowing alternatives.
In Sweden, Treehotel is a company which offers a variety of different luxury treehouses for guests to stay in. The most basic option is ‘The Cabin’, which offers air conditioning, Wi-Fi, housekeeping, heating, a fridge, a shower and even a flushing toilet unlike the compost heap which the £17 per night option in Scotland boasts. Treehotel also offers to organise trips for guests to make the most of the region. Whilst The Cabin looks and sounds incredible, it is a mouth-watering £418 per night for what is essentially a glorified Premier Inn room in a tree. For those wondering, Premier Inn do not operate in Sweden.
There are alternative middle-range treehouse hotels available around the world, with some of them looking simply incredible, offering visitors unforgettable experiences to share with friends or loved ones. There are thousands of treehouse hotel options across the world to be searched through on Airbnb, but if you feel that you’re quite literally barking up the wrong tree with this particular style of accommodation, Airbnb is a website which is sure to offer something, from treehouses with Jacuzzis to castles with swimming pools, or just a simple room with a bed somewhere.
Failing that, there’s always the Premier Inn. But not in Sweden.
