Tree Hotel, Harads
In the middle of a forest in the Swedish village of Harads - population: 600 - sits an unusual, design-dream of a hotel. Opened just over a year ago, the Tree Hotel has five distinct rooms, all of which were designed to respect the nature that surrounds them.
The most eye-catching design is the Mirrorcube - a 4x4x4-metre cube covered in mirrored glass - which means, when suspended amidst the trees, it's almost invisible. It reflects the nature around it (but don't worry, a special film visible only to birds has been laid over the glass to make sure they don't collide with the structure!). The design has actually garnered so much interest - including from "international celebrities", according to the hotel founder, Kent Lindvall - that they've now begun to sell versions to the rich and famous so that they too can suspend them in their grounds as guesthouses.
Other features of the hotel include the UFO room, which looks just like its namesake; the Bird's Nest room - a ‘mess' of twigs floating in the air, camouflaged by the trees; and the in-tree sauna, which fits 12 people in the tree's trunk. While there you can enjoy the surroundings with a dog sleigh ride, a kayak or just a good old-fashioned walk.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and the hotel doesn't just echo nature, it respects it - their ecological approach is genuinely sustainable. We bet Leo loves it!
Details Edeforsväg 2 A, 960 24 Harads, Sverige
Tel +46 928 10403
www.treehotel.se
Inside info
You're going all the way to Sweden so why not go the extra mile and book the Romantic Weekend package? For Dh5,000 you will get a two-night stay in the room of your choice, a bottle of premium bubbly on arrival as well as breakfast and three-course dinners throughout your entire stay. We'll be booking the Bird's Nest room.
Zirca, Clarke's Quay, Singapore
If you're in Singapore for a long weekend and like yourself a good rave, make a beeline for Zirca (making a detour only to pick up a few glow sticks en route). Situated in the entertainment hub called The Cannery, the 2,000-capacity, 20,000-square-foot club offers a cirque-du-soleil-style sensory experience, with lights, noise and entertainers performing ‘oh-no-they-didn't-just-do-that!' stunts.
Details +65 6305 6768
www.zirca.sg
The Grand, Granger Bay, South Africa
This beachside bar and restaurant in beautiful Cape Town is oh-so-trendy, and to find it you have to trek down an unmarked gravel road - you'll feel sooo in the know. Once you get to the shore you'll be greeted with a shabby-chic converted warehouse full of decadent chandeliers, red roses and lots of sketches and photographs. Pull up a pew outside - which you will have to have booked well in advance - and snack through the deliciously unpretentious menu (think flatbreads, seafood and salads), while looking out over the unparalleled exquisiteness of the South African scenery (as well as that of the clientele).
Details +27 (0)21 425 0551
www.thegrand.co.za
