10 Best Treetop Hotels in the World

Tree House At Tongabezi, Zambia

The Tree House at Tongabezi is perched on the main trunk of a giant African ebony tree and is completely open-fronted so as not to spoil your views of the Zambezi River, which runs directly past your tree house. Don't worry—you'll still have all the creature comforts of a hotel (including an air-conditioner built into the bed's canopy) spread out over three levels: There's a bedroom, a lounge area, and a bathroom (where you can enjoy a candlelit bath in the claw-foot tub while watching the monkeys in the trees).

Sanya Nanshan Treehouse Resort And Beach Club, China

Four tree houses are available for rent at this resort, but we vote for the one named Big Beach in the Sky. It's a two-level playhouse in a tamarind tree that sleeps six. Keep non-clubhouse members out easily, as this retreat is only accessible by suspension bridge. All of the tree houses at Sanya Nanshan are shaped like bird's nests, so you'll blend right in with the trees. And you'll feel like you're on top of paradise, as these rentals are surrounded by a virgin beach and a 5,000-acre Buddhist and ecological theme park.

Treehotel, Sweden

Treehotel currently offers six unique rooms (more are planned), each of which is at least 13 feet off the ground in a forest of tall pines. Our favorite is The Mirrorcube, the ultimate secret fort in the woods: The walls of the cube-shaped room are covered with reflective glass, so guests can see out but others can't see in. (Treehotel has thought of everything, including using an infrared film, invisible to humans but visible to birds, on the mirrored walls so no birds smash into them.) The Mirrorcube has its own bathroom, lounge, and rooftop terrace. Treehotel is eco-friendly and uses green hydroelectric power, environmentally friendly combustion or freezing toilets, and water-efficient sinks. Plus, the rooms are built on live trees; no trees were destroyed or damaged during construction.

Chalkley Tree House At Lion Sands Game Reserve, South Africa

This tree house is for the bold (and for dry-weather days), as it's basically just an open platform in the middle of the African bush. Built around a 500-year-old Leadwood tree, it was originally constructed as a photographer's platform. Now it's been kitted out with a bed, mosquito net, and toilet for guests' comfort. Guests are dropped off at sunset to find cocktails and a picnic dinner, and then left alone to enjoy the night sky and sounds of the bush at night. Don't worry—you'll be in radio contact with a ranger for your entire stay.

Cedar Creek Treehouse, Washington

Set 50 feet above the ground in a 200-year-old western red cedar, Washington's Cedar Creek Treehouse is not for the acrophobic. The views of Mt. Rainier are unbeatable, though—the tree house has skylights and an observatory 100 feet up—and even 50 feet off the ground, you have amenities like electric lights, propane heat, and a gas stove.

Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel, Brazil

The world's largest treetop hotel has more than five miles of wooden catwalks connecting its accommodations—which is good, because you wouldn't want to climb down 70 feet then back up into the Amazon canopy every time you want to hit one of the four treetop bars. For a spectacular stay, book the Tarzan House, which is built on top of a living mahogany tree 72 feet above the ground. If you ever want to leave your room, there's a swimming pool at treetop level, two heliports at rainforest-canopy level, and a treetop amphitheater.

Tree House At Tranquil, India

The luxury tree house nicknamed "Tranquilitree" at Tranquil is so big that it needs the support of three trees to keep it secure at 35 feet above the ground. The 517-square-foot hideaway has a bedroom, bathroom, verandah, TV (but why would you watch it when you have unbelievable views in real life?), and minifridge. This tree house provides easy access even for those who are less mobile, as you can reach it from an inclined walkway with railings.

Out 'n' About Treehouse Treesort, Oregon

In case you're inspired by your stay at the Treesort, you can take tree-house-building classes at the resort's Treehouse Institute of Takilma. The Treesort has luxury options (like The Suite, which has a kitchenette, a deluxe full bath with an antique claw-foot tub, and heat) and more rustic rooms (like the Peacock Perch, which has a chamber pot). You can also stay at various heights: The brave should go for the Majestree, which is 47 feet up in a Douglas fir—and is closed during wind storms.

Tree House At Castle Cottage B&B, England

Built into a chestnut tree, Castle Cottage's Tree House looks like something out of a fantasy. It's nestled at the edge of an ancient woodland within the grounds of a Strawberry Hill gothic mansion—the perfect setting for a tree house. Inside, you have all the amenities of a five-star hotel: a shower room with a glass roof, a balcony with swing seats, handmade soaps, and even a hair dryer.

Lupe Sina Treesort, Samoa

If all of the five-bubble reviews on TripAdvisor don't convince you to stay at Lupe Sina, the pictures of it should. Samson's Suite, the largest of the resort's tree houses, is a full-sized apartment (with two bedrooms, a kitchenette, a living area, two balconies with Pacific Ocean views, and a bathroom) built into the branches of an ancient banyan tree. Our favorite features? The shower (with hot running water) that is inside of the tree, and the full-sized breakfast that is delivered right to your tree in the morning.

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