Situated in the small village of Harads, the hotel is a collection of design-forward treehouses and guesthouses that cross Scandi-style organic modernism with a faint sense of nostalgia. Communal areas are designed to feel like you’re visiting grandma’s cottage (cue walls adorned with Elvis Presley posters, Swedish antiques, and hand-painted details) while the treehouses take on a sleeker but still cozy aesthetic. From the moment you arrive, the hotel’s dedication to its guests is clear—evident in a map dotted with pins marking visitors’ origins and a guestbook brimming with handwritten notes in various languages.

I arrived at Treehotel after a long drive up E4 through a snowstorm, and a warm welcome of ginger tea and a toasty room was very much appreciated. It was after sunset (which occurs at around 1:30 here during the deep winter), so clear views of the property would have to wait until the morning. I spent this first evening having a hearty meal of traditional Swedish meatballs drizzled with lingonberries paired with a creamy potato mash in the hotel’s communal dining area surrounded by the quiet hum of other guests’ conversations around me. A sweet treat of berry sorbet over whipped butter ice cream topped with brown sugar-crusted biscuits was the perfect ending to the meal. 

Afterward, I headed to the lodge’s sitting room- an intimate space with a cylindrical glass fireplace as its centerpiece- to sip on some more tea and let the amber glow of the fire lull me to the brink of sleep. Upon returning to my room I was enveloped by the most comfortable hotel bed I’ve ever slept in. The Nordic-style dual duvets were perfectly airy and plush, and the mattress was the ideal balance of soft yet supportive. I am still dreaming of this sleeping sitch.

The next day was spent exploring the various treehouses throughout the property. Each of Treehotel’s treehouses was thoughtfully designed by a different leading Scandinavian architect, such as Thomas Sandell, Sami Rintala, and Mårten & Gustav Cyrén, with the goal of creating design-forward spaces that were as impressive as the vistas surrounding them. Suspended amongst the pines, the rooms range from a mirrored cube that reflects the forest canopy to a glass sphere entirely covered in birdhouses for optimal avian viewing, with each unique treehouse displaying a heightened level of design mastery within the environmental context of its surroundings.

The walks between treehouses, while brutally frigid (thankful to myself for opting to bring my ankle-length parka) were so impressive that I hardly minded the subzero temps. High trees towered above me, their branches frosted with glistening snow, and in certain spots, the landscape opened up to reveal expansive views of forested, rolling hills. Birds chirped and glided from tree to tree, and as the sun set, the sky was painted with fiery hues of yellow, orange, and deep purple. I didn’t expect the mid-day sunsets here to be as spectacular as they were, but I began to eagerly anticipate them each afternoon.

Breakfasts here are buffet-style with options ranging from a yogurt parfait bar to the some of the best croissants I’ve ever had—chocolate-filled with cinammon sugar sprinkles, reminiscent of those found on kanelbullar. A favorite touch was the lemon ginger shots you could find neatly lined up in glasses each morning awaiting the arrival of sleepy-eyed guests.

Dinners were equally memorable, with dishes like savory smoked reindeer served alongside mashed confit, lingonberries, and sugared carrots topped with caramelized licorice, or a tender filet of Arctic shark bathed in beurre blanc. Ingredients are locally sourced whenever possible, and the dedication to regional flavors extends to the drink menu, where Swedish blueberry wine is a standout staple.

A favorite night here was spent thawing out from the cold in the hotel’s sauna. It’s located in a round, two-story structure towards the back of the property and is available for private bookings of 2-hour sessions to hotel guests. The first floor is a cozy seating area, complete with an electric furnace and an interior entirely made of Siberian larch planks. The sauna itself is found on the second floor, and I spent my time here cycling back and forth from the heat of the sauna to cold showers. 

After my sauna session, I stepped outside to find the first completely clear skies of my stay. A nearly full moon hung overhead, its light filtering through the tree branches and casting a speckled pattern on the snow, making every illuminated patch glisten. The cloudless night, of course, called for an impromptu northern lights hunt. Driving along a back road that framed the property, I was lucky enough to catch fleeting wisps of green flickering across the sky.