Walk through the deep forest of Harads, a town of approximately 600 residents not far from Sweden's border with Finland, and you'll see it: a retro-looking UFO suspended in the trees and accessible via a retractable staircase. This is the UFO, one of five, stand-alone treehouse rooms that are part of the Treehotel.

Winner of Sweden's 2011 Grand Tourism Prize, a distinction previously held by the Ice Hotel, among others, the Treehotel is the latest in Swedish accommodation innovation. Our friends at Huffington Post Green wrote about the Treehotel's Mirrorcube and the Birds Nest, two outstanding examples of Treehotel's modern-design-meets-nature concept, but I am particularly smitten with the UFO because it lives up to the dual childhood fantasies of overnighting in a treehouse AND pretending to blast off into outer space. Imagine checking in to your spaceship with a stash of vintage comic books and sci-fi novellas that you will, no doubt, want to read under the covers with a flashlight. The UFO is spread out over two stories, with room for four, making it ideal for a family stay or a nerdtastic mancation.

Rates for all Treehotel rooms run from 3990 to 4550 Swedish kronor (approximately $600-$700) per night for two people and include breakfast. Guests check in and out at the neighboring Britta's Pensionat, which has a restaurant, bar, sauna, TV, and internet.

Photo © Treehotel

Filed under: Europe, Sweden, Hotels and Accommodations