For most people, the Red Kite Tree Tent isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when they think of classic European getaways. Whereas most tourist prefer to meander the cobblestone streets of Vatican City and gaze at the prehistoric monuments towering just north of Salisbury, David and Anjana Devoy’s Tree Tent Hotel rests quietly in the Welsh woods — suspended nearly 10 feet in the air against a secluded backdrop several miles from the nearest pub and civilization.
However, it’s not the British countryside in which the hotel resides but its structure that makes it so unique. The final product of architecture engineer Jason Thawley and team of diverse specialists, the aptly-named Tree Tent takes the form of a spherical treehouse, providing an above-ground shelter with modern luxuries for up to two adults within a cocoon-like frame. The structure is constructed from a hybrid aluminum and steam-bent wood, and lined with a cotton canvas exterior and wool thermal liners for the cooler months. It measures a mere three meters in diameter, but comes coupled with a fold-out double bed and a wood stove, while additionally offering solar electricity and ample storage beneath the wooden floor planks. Though an intutivie rigging system allows the orb to hang lofted in the air, a wooden bridge and raised platform provide easy access to the structure year round. Guests even have access to a wood-fired shower, toilet, and sink directly outside the structure, in addition to a wooden seating deck abutting the slow-moving brook below.
While the campsite itself may not be the most rugged, there’s more than 75 acres of private land located directly beneath the tent. Hotel goers can peruse the adjacent forest for Barn Owls and Swallows, mountain bike through the rolling countryside, plunge into natural pools, or simply stargaze beneath a canopy of distant constellations. The crux? Reservations for summer 2014 are extremely limited, so you’ll likely have to push your date until fall or winter.
Check out design studio Luminair’s main website for a closer look at the Tree Tent’s origins, or the main Sheepskin’s website for booking information and to browse the service’s assorted hotel offerings. After all, the Red Kite Tree Tent and accompanying Barn are one of many.
