Set in the ancient Wychwood forest in the Cotswolds (about 30 minutes from Oxford), TreeDwellers takes modern accommodation to new heights with seven eccentric “treehouses” that seamlessly blend both luxury and nature.
Described as an “anti-resort” by owner Tim Rees (or T. Rees if you hadn’t noticed), TreeDwellers is part boutique hotel, part self-catering cottage, and wholly unique.
“Our aspiration is to deliver more than a place to sleep at night,” Rees told Travel Industry Today during a recent visit. “And we wanted to do something that is meaningful and nudges the dial a little. Anybody can put up four walls and a bed.”
Indeed, none of the units are confined by only four walls. In fact, some look like pods from ‘War of the Worlds,’ set amongst, but not in, the trees.
“We wanted to make something awesome, otherwise what’s the point?” says Rees.
At the same time, the units do not want for luxury, with Rees acknowledging, “People don’t want to sleep on the tarpaulin in the woods.”
To that end, guests can expect super king size beds, freestanding bathtubs, woodburning fires, underfloor heating, Sonos sound system, fast wifi and in-treehouse tablet to explore the local area, plus complimentary hamper and concierge service.
Units, set three metres above ground and accommodating up to five people in elongated (mostly metallic) yurts that average 356 sq. m., include spacious ensuite bedrooms, small kitchen, and a forest-facing deck.
Among the key features at TreeDwellers is a nine-metre, twin-coned Forest Megaphone – a wooden structure that has been carefully hand-crafted to amplify the sounds of the forest, providing a unique auditory experience that promises to “turn up the volume of nature’s symphony.”
The property also includes a yoga platform and pagoda for both personal wellness and special woodland weddings.
Upon arrival, guests are welcomed with a hamper filled with local treats, including cheese, tea and coffee, oat milk, and sommelier-selected wine. Additionally, an on-site shop is stocked with daily essentials, locally sourced beer, wine, and treats.
Conceptually, Rees says TreeDwellers fits into a niche he calls “the new field of glamping,” taking guests not back to nature, but “forward to nature.”
Beyond luxurious touches, the sancturaries are “ecocentricly planned and organically designed” to inspire creativity and wellness through the use of space, materials, colours, and smells (the units smell good!).
It’s a place, continues Rees, meant to gently and subtly take away people’s stress in a “non-prescriptive way.
“We want people to feel better than when they arrived,” he says, as well as catering to the new experiential-led traveller.
After all, he adds, “We all want something that stands out. Time is precious.”
Prices range from £220 (winter) to £340 (summer) per night per unit based on a two-night minimum and occupancy is naturally more robust on weekends. TreeDwellers works with travel advisors; email hannah@treedwellers.co.uk.
Beyond its current site on the 690-hectare Cornbury Estate near Finbury (closest town and railway station is Charlbury, about an hour from London), Rees is planning on building four more treehouse resorts in the UK, before looking overseas.
For more information, visit https://treedwellers.co.uk/ .
If this article was shared with you by a friend or colleague, you may enjoy receiving your own copy of Travel Industry Today with the latest travel news and reviews each weekday morning. It’s absolutely free – just CLICK HERE.