“When I go to a standard hotel, it's the inside that counts 100%. It's the services, the room, the food and everything. But at Treehotel, the outside is as important as the inside. Because it's an experience. And I often talk to different architects about the ‘outside room’, how important it is. This walk from the guest house up to the room, that's an experience and you have to make sure that our guests feel safe, that they feel they're on the right track, that they feel a wow factor.”
We’re in great company with Jonas & Hannah Olsson, the husband & wife duo behind Treehotel, the landscape hotel where nature and imagination run wild. Where they invite guests to stay in unique and memorable treerooms with contemporary Scandinavian and sustainable design in the unspoiled nature of Swedish Lapland.
While Jonas & Hannah were first guests of Treehotel themselves, they became good friends with the founders Kent & Britta Lindvall, falling in love with the sense of place, the curiosity and creativity it provoked, and the potential for all that it could become.
In this episode, The Olsson’s invite us on an adventure in nature of the Norrland forest, offer a relaxing break in their one-of-a-kind treerooms, and share a tasteful spread at their locally and sustainably sourced restaurant, making magical memories along the way.
Top Takeaways
[2:00] Jonas and Hannah were heads down in their real estate business and never dreamed of owning their own hotel, they left that to their family, owners of Icehotel and a few others in the city of Umeå.
[5:10] Advice for being partners in business and in life. What it is like raising a family of 6 kids when you have the flexibility of working 24/7 but the ability to choose what you spend your time on.
[7:20] Treehotel originally came to be in 2010, brought to life by Kent and Britta Lindvall…along with a campfire circle of creative architects on a fishing trip and a napkin sketch with a simple pen stroke that would become their logo.
[15:00] The most memorable day back in 2019 for the Olsson’s included a family vacation, a birthday, a proposal and a signed contract sealing their next adventure together.
[20:35] There are so many ways to tailor your Treehotel experience to enjoy the most authentic Swedish Lapland from season to season.
[24:00] With each tree room designed by a different architect, creativity and sustainability is around every corner as far as the eye can see in the secluded setting that hosts Treehotel.
[33:45] Dine In Good Company “soil to table” style, where the Olsson’s share the highest quality food of the current season and the creative simplicity of local produce from their northern pantry right outside their door.
[43:00] A facelift for a deeper nature-focused first impression and more is in store for the future of Treehotel.
[47:15] Jonas and Hannah take pride in their Swedish roots, from enjoying “Fika” breaks featuring sweet treats throughout the day to searching for Northern Lights in the dark sky that lasts all winter long.
Notable Mentions
Storforsen River & Other Treehotel Activities
