Lofty, leafy accommodations have been popular for a while, but they’ve generally carried an element of “roughing it.” Now, a new generation of hotels and resorts are taking tree houses to luxurious new heights. Lavish villas, honeymoon suites, suspended dining pods, and spa treatment pavilions are being built among the branches everywhere from Tanzania to Texas.
In no particular order, here are our picks for the 15 best tree house hotels around the world to get your greenery fix up close.
1. The Green O
A luxury tree house—or “tree haus"—is one of four types of wilderness lodging at the Green O.
Courtesy of the Green O
- Location: Greenough, Montana
- Book now
The adults-only Green O comprises 12 stylish stand-alone accommodations with four sleek, contemporary designs on the forested grounds of the Resort at Paws Up in northwest Montana. Elevated 23 feet into the canopy, the “tree haus” suites are three-story, glass-encased, Tetris-stacked structures with a cylindrical spiral staircase at the center. In addition to multiple viewing platforms and a cozy fireplace, there’s also a hot tub at ground level. All come with floor-to-ceiling windows, Wild West-chic furniture in leather and wrought iron, and more than 1,000 square feet of indoor living space. There are also on-site hiking trails, which begin steps from your door, horseback rides along the Blackfoot River, and hot-air balloon rides over the majestic Swan Mountains.
>> Read AFAR’s full review of the Green O
2. Playa Viva
The view of the Pacific Ocean from the Playa Viva tree houses.
Courtesy of Playa Viva
- Location: Zihuatanejo, Mexico
- Book now
Of the 19 accommodations at Playa Viva, a 200-acre coastal resort just south of Zihuatanejo, seven beachfront tree houses hover six feet above the sand and offer ocean views from almost every part of the room, including the mosquito net–covered beds. Built in 2021, these bamboo structures are designed to resemble the manta rays that swim just offshore. With only a couple of walls on either side of the bedrooms as opposed to four, they’re not for people who are overly concerned with privacy. The bamboo structures designed by holistic architecture practice Nomadic Resorts are also ill-advised for people who need TV or air-conditioning—though relief from the heat comes often via sea breezes.
>> Read AFAR’s full review of Playa Viva
3. One&Only Mandarina
Stay in a treetop with a private plunge pool at One&Only Mandarina in Riviera Nayarit.
Courtesy of One&Only Mandarina
- Location: Rivera Nayarit, Mexico
- Book now
The 40 lofty tree houses at this luxury beach resort on Mexico’s Pacific-side Nayarit coast were built using native Cumaru wood. Guests can take in the leafy jungle canopy while lounging on their private outdoor decks, swimming in their infinity pool, or soaking in their open-air bathroom’s tub. During construction, One&Only consulted a botanist to help preserve as much of the existing foliage as possible, while an archaeologist advised on protecting the rock carvings by local Cora and Huichol cultures that are found throughout the property.
4. Treehotel
The “7th Room” is only one of Treehotel’s seven tree house lodgings, including a bird’s nest and mirror cube.
Courtesy of Johan Jansson/Treehotel
- Location: Harads, Sweden
- Book now
Arguably one of the most distinctive hotels in Sweden, if not Europe, Treehotel has eight one-of-a-kind cabins in Lapland. There’s one shaped like a UFO, another that looks like a massive bird’s nest, and one where the outer walls are made of mirrors, so it reflects and blends into its surroundings.
The Treehotel’s 7th Room is by far the most lavish aerie at this design-forward hotel, which opened in 2016 in the town of Harads. Built around pine trunks some 33 feet above the ground, the suite sleeps five people. The two bedrooms, living area with sofa bed, bathroom, and shower are all adorned with Scandinavian wood, warm textiles, and organic materials. Large windows throughout and skylights in the bedroom are designed for viewing the Northern Lights, as well as the panorama of the surrounding forest and the Lule River. The mesh floor of the patio allows for nighttime stargazing (or sleeping) and daytime admiration of the treetops below.
Prefer to float over water instead of in the trees? The team behind Treehotel also opened the Arctic Bath Hotel and Spa just a five-minute drive away in 2020. This property includes six floating “cabins” that are connected to a spa by above-water walkways.
5. Secret Bay
At Secret Bay, you get this gorgeous view and a perfect night’s sleep with its personalized bedding services.
Courtesy of Secret Bay
- Location: Portsmouth, Dominica
- Book now
Secret Bay, an intimate Caribbean hideaway, calls its tree house villas “bowers of bliss,” because they have privacy galore. Stretching over nearly 2,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, each Ylang-Ylang Villa—so-called because their exterior shape is inspired by that flower—encompasses a bedroom (which can be air-conditioned) and bathroom, two decks, a kitchen, a barbecue, a dining area, and a private plunge pool. Standing on a single “stem,” each is an architectural feat and a dreamy setting for a romantic retreat.
6. Acre
Wake up with the sunrise and have a massage on your own tree house terrace at Acre.
Courtesy of Acre
- Location: San José del Cabo, Mexico
- Book now
Acre, the 25-acre spot that began as a restaurant highlighting Baja’s bounty and a bar with killer craft cocktails has evolved into a hotel with the addition of 13 tree houses. Stays at the adults-only property include a breakfast, morning yoga in the property’s mango orchard, and access to the pool and surrounding grounds (where there are bocce and pickleball courts, too).
7. Arctic TreeHouse Hotel
The view of the surrounding winter wonderland from an Arctic TreeHouse Suite.
Courtesy of Arctic TreeHouse Hotel
- Location: Rovaniemi, Finland
- Book now
Located in Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland and the gateway to the Arctic Circle, the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel has three different styles of suites that all have panoramic windows offering uninterrupted views of the surrounding forest and Arctic skies. We’re fans of the cozy Arctic TreeHouse Suites with an additional “nest bed” tucked away up a small ladder that is ideal for families traveling with kids. Each of the shingle-clad chalets are topped with green roofs and stand on stilts made from Finnish wood. The hotel is open year-round, but winter is undeniably its most popular season since it’s just a short walk from SantaPark, a Christmas theme park that originally opened in 1998.
8. Treehouse Utopia
Treehouse Utopia overlooks the lazy Sabinal River.
Courtesy of Treehouse Utopia
- Location: Utopia, Texas
- Book now
A must-stay on any Texas Hill Country road trip, Treehouse Utopia consists of four luxury tree houses built in ancient bald cypress trees overlooking the Sabinal River. Each tree house can accommodate up to two guests and includes an en suite bathroom and air-conditioning. We’re partial to Chapelle, which is decorated with French antiques and stained glass and features a 25-foot steeple.
9. Post Ranch Inn
Find five-star luxury deep in the forest at Post Ranch Inn.
Photo by Kodiak Greenwood
- Location: Big Sur, California
- Book now
This luxurious hotel high on the cliffs of Big Sur might be most famous for its Pacific Ocean views, but Post Ranch Inn also has a collection of tree house suites that shouldn’t be overlooked. Perched on stilts nine feet off the ground, each of these rooms features a wood-burning fireplace and a large skylight positioned above the king-sized bed angled perfectly for stargazing.
10. Canyon Ranch Woodside
Let the outdoors in at Canyon Ranch Woodside.
Courtesy of Canyon Ranch
- Location: Woodside, California
- Book now
Less than an hour’s drive south of San Francisco but a world away from the hustle and bustle of city life, this wellness retreat has 24 tree houses lofted 35 to 50 feet above the ground. In addition to private decks, floor-to-ceiling windows allow guests to immerse themselves in nature when they’re not hiking the 16 acres of redwood forest surrounding the property.
11. andBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge
At andBeyond, settings are natural but the experience is high-tech: You’ll even have an interactive kitchen.
Courtesy of andBeyond
- Location: Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania
- Book now
This andBeyond tree house hotel emphasizes the mahogany forest where it is located in Lake Manyara National Park. The original nine suites of the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge are all built on stilts with large decks suspended above the forest floor crafted from local timber and makuti palm fronds. A family suite takes that model and supersizes it, creating a second bedroom for the kids.
12. Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
The Spa Botanico at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico.
Courtesy of Ritz-Carlton
- Location: Dorado, Puerto Rico
- Loyalty program: Marriott Bonvoy
- Book now
Though you can’t stay overnight in a tree house at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, you can book a massage in one. Built on five acres of pineapple gardens and verdant natural landscaping, the hotel’s Spa Botanico features two open-air tree house pavilions that let guests hear the rustling leaves and enjoy the scent of bay rum leaves and lemongrass while enjoying their treatments.
13. Hoshinoya Bali
Overlook the Pakerisan River from a teahouse tree house at Hoshinoya Bali.
Courtesy of Hoshino Resorts
- Location: Bali, Indonesia
- Book now
Accommodations at the all-villa Hoshinoya Bali are set around the resort’s pool, but guests can dine high up in the jungle in the property’s lofted Cafe Gazebo. Comprising three private teahouses, the cafe is available for picnic-style breakfasts as well as 10-course dinners. The structures, which are made largely of metal and cantilevered out over the jungle, are situated along a river gorge near Ubud, meaning there’s green forest extending as far as the eye can see.
14. Soneva Kiri
Enjoy elevated dining at Soneva Kiri.
Courtesy of Soneva Kiri
- Location: Ko Kut, Thailand
- Book now
Soneva Kiri Resort’s Treepod Dining experience elevates fine dining in more ways than one. Four diners share a bamboo pod that is gently hoisted high into the branches of a century-old massang tree in Koh Kood’s ancient rain forest, giving them views of the sea. Once aloft, they dine on the resort’s signature gourmet fare (watermelon salad and galangal-baked fish in banana leaves), all delivered by a waiter who flies in on a zip line.
15. One&Only Reethi Rah
One&Only Reethi Rah brings private dining to new heights.
Courtesy of One&Only
- Location: Reethi Rah, Maldives
- Book now
Like most luxury resorts in the Maldives, One&Only Reethi Rah has overwater villas where guests can spend the night. But it has also built a private dining room in a timber tree house where patrons can enjoy a romantic dinner with a seven-course menu designed specifically for their tastes.
Additional reporting by Katherine LaGrave, Lyndsey Matthews, Paul Rubio, and Kathryn Romeyn.
This article originally appeared online in 2017; it was updated on September 11, 2023, to include current information.
