Dad did well when he built you the treehouse of your dreams as a kid. He did so well that you still have treehouse goals, but your standards have evolved. Whether it’s in Rwanda, Ubud, or New Zealand, these are the treehouse hotels that are worth traveling for.

The World’s Best Treehouse Hotels

There is something about sleeping suspended in a canopy of ancient trees that throws back to your childhood. But treehouses have evolved from childhood goals into luxury hotels that make you one with nature. These treehouses are architectural statements, and include room service, of course.

Post Ranch Inn

The Location: Big Sur, California, USA

Perched nine feet above the forest floor of a redwood grove, 1,200 feet above the Pacific Ocean, the Tree Houses at Post Ranch Inn are some of the originals. Each triangular structure is a masterpiece of organic architecture, designed to disappear into its surroundings. The Post Ranch Inn Tree Houses are clad in reclaimed wood and come with their own wood-burning stove. There is no alarm clock and no television. What you get instead is a private deck, with views of the redwoods and Pacific Ocean. For meals, you’ll venture to earth to the Sierra Mar restaurant, one of the top culinary spots in Northern California.

Bisate Lodge by Wilderness

Location: Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Bisate Lodge is not a hotel you happen upon — it is a hotel you make a pilgrimage to. Bisate is the treehouse nested inside the natural amphitheater of an eroded volcanic cone in northwestern Rwanda. The lodge’s six conical thatched forest houses rise from the hillside like giant bird nests. Maybe it’s more a nest than a treehouse, but either way, there are unobstructed views of the Bisoke and Karisimbi volcanoes through vast picture windows.

The architecture is rooted in Rwandan cultural tradition. The swooping thatched domes draw directly from the King’s Palace at Butare. The interiors are supremely comfortable, layered with local materials, handmade furnishings, and fireplaces that earn their keep at altitude. The primary reason guests come is to trek into Volcanoes National Park, home to roughly half the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population. But even if you didn’t want to trek, Bisate is a destination itself. The wellness sanctuary has its own indoor saltwater pool, meditation pods, and ice bath. It’s an unexpected, but entirely welcome bonus in this remote corner of Africa.

Cannúa Lodge

The Location: Marinilla, Antioquia, Colombia

Forty-five minutes from Medellín’s international airport, the mountain roads narrow and steepen until the city falls away entirely. At this point, the Colombian cloud forest takes over as Cannúa appears on the hillside.

Cannúa is built using sustainably harvested bamboo and compressed earth bricks, made on site from the soil of the estate itself. But this is not any treehouse. Instead, it’s a Two Michelin Key property, perched on eleven hectares of protected forest above the Valley of San Nicolás, Cannúa is a compound of ten rooms and eight freestanding cabañas, overlooking the lush panorama. A hiking trail established by pre-Hispanic indigenous people runs through the property.

The kitchen is equally serious, producing a modern Colombian menu from ingredients grown in the lodge’s own permaculture garden. The chocolate and coffee tastings — sourced from the Antioquia region surrounding you — are a highlight of the stay.

Alila Ubud

The Location: Payangan, Bali, Indonesia

Fifteen minutes north of Ubud, the roads narrow into green tunnels of rice paddies and the valley opens below you. Then you see it; Alila Ubud is perched on the ridge with a hillside village of stilted structures rising above the Ayung River. It’s almost like an extension of the jungle itself.

Designed by architect Kerry Hill, the resort’s treehouse-like rooms and villas stand on stilts above the ravine. Each treehouse offers panoramic views of the river valley. The large windows make the forest feel like a living part of the room. The Terrace Tree Villas take this furthest, perched at the top of the canopy. Mornings bring sunrise views over banyan and coconut trees. On property, the infinity pool, set at the lip of the ravine, blends its emerald water into the green below. It makes swimming feel like floating above the valley.

The Plantation Restaurant serves locally sourced Balinese and international dishes under a soaring thatched roof. Alila’s Spa offers treatments that seem to absorb the healing stillness of the surrounding forest.

Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses

The Location: Kaikōura, South Island, New Zealand

The South Island of New Zealand has no shortage of spectacular places to sleep. You can come to New Zealand for the hotels alone. However, Hapuku Lodge belongs to it’s own category. Set between the snow-capped Kaikōura Seaward Mountain Range to the west, and the surf-swept Pacific coastline to the east, it’s the best of all words.

Hapuku is on a working deer farm and olive grove that makes the whole enterprise feel like the most civilized corner of the wilderness. The five Tree Houses are the stars of the property, perched ten metres above the ground in a native kānuka grove. Inside, there are fireplaces, deep soaking tubs, and windows that bring the mountains and ocean directly into your room.

The property was designed by a family of Kiwi architects who built it with the land rather than against it. The property is solar-powered and committed to native reforestation, so a treehouse totally makes sense.

Dinner is a three-course celebration of the surrounding region. Expect vegetables from the lodge’s own garden, crayfish pulled from the property’s own tank, and venison from the deer that roam the paddocks below your treehouse window. On a clear morning, you may spot them from your deck, without needing to go anywhere at all.

Keemala

The Location: Kamala, Phuket, Thailand

It’s hard to describe the experience of arriving into a rainforest hillside above Kamala Bay, following winding jungle paths. Keemala is a suspended treehouse that glows like a lantern in the trees at night, and reminds you why you love to travel.

The resort’s seven Tree Pool Houses are inspired by the We-ha, or Sky Clan. These elevated dwellings were said to foster creativity and a heightened connection with the universe. When you stand on the upper terrace of your split-level treehouse with the Andaman Sea peeking through the canopy, you pretty much get it.

Each treehouse villa spans 169 square metres across two floors. There’s a master bedroom with a cocoon-shaped bed and a private pool, lounge, and dining area. You know — your typical treehouse. The whole experience is surrounded by the constant, extravagant green of the rainforest. The spa — perched beside a waterfall deep in the jungle — is among the best in Phuket.

The resort’s culinary program is equally ambitious, serving a wellness-forward menu at Mala Restaurant that draws from Thai tradition and organic produce. Sunset cocktails at Mala Bar are a daily ritual, with the Andaman Sea turning gold below.

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FAQs

Q: Does the Post Ranch Inn have treehouses?

A: Yes, the Post Ranch Inn has treehouse accommodations on property.

Q: Where is Keemala located?

A: Keemala hotel is located in Phuket, and is one of the most distinct treehouse hotels in the world.

Q: Are there treehouse hotels in New Zealand?

A: Yes, there are treehouse hotels in New Zealand, including Hapuku Lodge & Treehouses.