Hideaways: Summer Slowlife
Barking Up the Right Tree: Treehotel, Sweden
What’s a stressed city dweller to do when everything becomes too much to handle? You could always go climb a tree. In Harads, a small locality in northern Sweden situated around sixty kilometers south of the Arctic Circle, you’ll find no fewer than seven tree houses for a unique arboreal getaway. The Treehotel was founded by former nurse Britta Jonsson-Lindvall and her husband Kent, who were looking for a way to live and work in their home region. Each tree house is a work of art designed by a different architect. The Bird’s Nest looks like a gigantic nest of twigs and branches that can accommodate a family of four, the UFO floats among the trees like a flying saucer, the Mirrorcube is – as the name suggests – a cube covered in mirrors. Other accommodations include the Cabin, the Dragonfly and the Blue Cone. The hotel’s seventh luxury tree house is called the 7th Room and is perched about ten meters above the ground. The seventy-five-square-meter room sleeps up to five guests, and in the summer the brave of heart can spend the night on the net terrace stretched across the middle. The 7th Room and the Dragonfly even have a bathroom and a shower. Because a little (eco-friendly) luxury never hurts.
Rosy Outlook, Orient Express, Italy
If there’s one thing we know a lot about, it’s the good things in life. With this in mind, we’re pleased to announce the imminent return of the Orient Express to Italy. Starting in 2023, six trains will travel across fourteen Italian regions under the name Orient Express La Dolce Vita. Milan-based design studio Dimorestudio was chosen to craft the interiors of the twelve deluxe cabins, eighteen suites, one honor suite and restaurant carriage, with a design that pays tribute to 1960s Rome and its La Dolce Vita lifestyle. And speaking of Rome: the Orient Express Minerva Hotel is scheduled to open in the Eternal City in 2024. Not in just any building, of course, but in the seventeenth-century Palazzo Fonseca. The hotel with ninety-three rooms and twenty-four suites will be the brand’s first, with further openings planned in London, Paris, Milan and Florence.
Maximally Minimal: Naustet, Norway
“Secluded” and “exclusive” is probably the best way to describe this luxurious accommodation. Naustet, which translates to “boathouse”, is located on the island of Stokkøya in the province of Trøndelag on the west coast of central Norway. The first thing to do when you arrive is to go fishing, because Naustet has its own boat plus fishing equipment. And besides, apart from the spectacular design, food is the main theme here. The house features two kitchens: a gourmet indoor kitchen, where you can be your own chef or have one arranged to cook for you, and a spectacular outdoor kitchen for barbecues. Scallops can be fished from the crystal-clear waters, and after all that exertion, you can relax in the sauna or hot tub overlooking the sea. More less is not possible.
Hot Tip: Ginzan Hot Spring Fujiya Inn, Japan
You may ask yourself why you should spend your next holiday in a tiny village six hours north of Tokyo. We’ll attempt an answer. Ginzan Onsen, which literally means “Silver Mountain Hot Spring”, is a secluded hot spring town nestled in the mountains. Here you’ll find the Ginzan Hot Spring Fujiya Inn, a three-hundred-and-fifty-year-old bathhouse and ryokan. The traditional Japanese inn was completely restored in 2006 by famous Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and today stands as proof of the timeless beauty of minimalist design. Guests can wander from one onsen to the next throughout the day, with each private hot tub featuring a different design. Plan your trip now and go in the winter. That way you can enjoy the hot water as the snowflakes gently land on your face.
