suspended amid treetops, these timber cabins immerse guests in the swedish pinewoods

a tour inside the Trakt Forest Hotel in Sällehägnad

Completed by architect Gert Wingård, the Trakt Forest Hotel is a Swedish eco-retreat hosting five timber cabins in Sällehägnad’s scenic pine forest. Seemingly floating amid the treetops, each structure is elevated from the ground by eight pillars to frame immersive view of the surrounding woodland. ‘The forest suites are the shells that put nature in focus all the time. The forest invites you to the tranquility that makes you forget the stress of the city,’ write hotel founders Sandra and Mattias Sälleteg, who welcomed their first guests in July 2022. 

all images © Trakt Forest Hotel

scandinavian eco-design meets subtle luxury 

Combining Scandinavian design with luxury comfort, Gert Wingård (see more here) composed each Trakt Forest Hotel suite as a minimalist, suspended volume clad in locally sourced timber and accessed via a metal footpath. At the front of every cabin, a panoramic window opens up immersive views of the forest and nearby treetops. In addition, a sixth building takes shape as a large log house hosting the main reception and restaurant, Trakt Kitchen, serving farm-to-table meals. In the process, the architect resorted to an eco-conscious building approach, selecting only natural / salvaged materials and raising the structures on stilts to minimize the footprint on the surrounding landscape.

cladding the cabins in locally sourced timber

While personal design touches punctuate every suite, they all feature pine paneling, a main living room with a fireplace, a master bedroom, a bathroom, and skylights. The founders also named the suites after local trees. The first, Betula, which is latin for birch, sits on the right side of the hill, followed by Tilia, or linden. Sorbus, latin for rowan, is the suite with the highest elevation, almost reaching for the treetops. On the left side of the hill emerges Salix, latin for willow, followed by Ulmus, which translates to Elm in latin. 

Guests can also enjoy a service package that includes a bath in an outdoor hot tub, a bathrobe, a towel, a drink, a three-course dinner at the Trakt kitchen, one night in a forest suite, and breakfast. 

every cabin in the Trakt Forest Hotel is fronted by a panoramic window

a metal footpath leads up to the forest suites

every suite is supported by eight stilts