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Kent and Britta didn’t just build a hotel - they created a life together, a workplace, and something like a small international village in the treetops of northern Sweden. All in the same tiny home village where they grew up. With both feet firmly on the ground, they’ve bloomed where they were planted. And what started as a bold dream above the forest floor has become a living, growing reality.
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There was a vocational guidance counsellor, Kent Lindvall, and a nurse, Britta Jonsson-Lindvall. They’d known each other forever - been together since they were young - through joy and struggle. Two seemingly ordinary locals from Swedish Lapland who wanted to stay close to their roots and make a living in the place they called home.
But they weren’t so ordinary. They were unusually creative, full of ideas, and had an energy that didn’t quit. They were just themselves — honest, grounded, and unafraid to try things that others might only daydream about.
That might be part of what helped them succeed. Over time, they met the right people, found themselves in the right moments, and built the kind of trust needed to bring something truly new to life. Their success wasn’t quick or easy. It was years of work, long stretches without pay, and a belief in what they were doing - even when it wasn’t obvious to others.
It’s strange to think now, but in the harder years, it would’ve been hard to imagine Britta cooking wild game patties for Crown Princess Victoria in her apron, or Kent speaking on big international stages about “the big idea” — when he wasn’t up in the trees building a new dining terrace.
Still, that’s what happened.
And the short version of how?
“We live here, we love our village, we wanted to earn a living and we looked at what we could do with what we have here.”
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Photo: by Johan Jansson
Treehotel didn’t come from a single clear plan. It came together piece by piece - like a puzzle. What held it all together was determination, timing, ideas, connections, a love for the quirky and surprising - and Britta’s favourite phrase: “It always works out in the end. It does.”
At that point, Kent had built a company organising international fishing trips. Britta had worked on several development projects, both locally and abroad. One of those led them to an old retirement home in the village that had been shut down for years. They brought it back to life - lovingly restored it - and turned it into a guesthouse: Britta’s Pensionat.
The place was run with heart, but it didn’t bring in enough income. Something had to change. So Britta signed up for a design training programme, focused on how form and function could shape the tourism experience. That’s when the next idea started to take root …
One summer, a little-known, at that time, filmmaker named Jonas Selberg Augustsén — who had roots in the area - arrived at the guesthouse.
Over one summer, he and his crew were working on a film called Trädälskaren (The Tree Lover), which would later become his breakthrough.
They stayed at the guesthouse while filming - and while they built the treehouse that would become part of the story. After the shoot was done, Britta looked at the treehouse and thought: it’s too good to leave empty in the forest. Maybe it could be rented out?
She and Jonas added it to the guesthouse experience - and guests loved it. But it was far away, and the upkeep took time. That’s when a new question emerged: what if the concept of treerooms and good design could be combined - and built closer to the guesthouse?
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Photo: by Peter Lundstrom
Around the same time, Kent was on a fishing trip in Russia with a group of friends - three of whom happened to be top Swedish architects: Bertil Harström, Thomas Sandell and Mårten Cyrén. Kent told them about the treehouse idea. It caught their interest. Before the trip ended, they all agreed - as friends, not competitors (even though they were working for competing firms) - to each design one room.
That simple agreement turned out to be a turning point.
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Word spread. The international press started writing about the project. Design lovers and curious travellers from all over the world began showing up. Treehotel landed on bucket lists and in design magazines. It welcomed everyone - from famous guests and global creatives to regular people who just wanted to experience what it’s like to sleep among the trees. A childhood dream, made real - with a bit of comfort and design flair.
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Photo: by Johan Jansson
In 2022, Kent and Britta sold Treehotel to Jonas Olsson and Hannah Wennebro Olsson. Their vision is to keep Treehotel’s spirit alive while moving it forward - offering magical stays in a one-of-a-kind place, with warm, personal hosting at the heart of it all.
They’ve promised to keep developing the concept - and to always leave guests wondering what might come next.
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Don't wonder, come for the stillness. For the feeling of waking up eye-to-eye with a bird.
For rooms designed by some of Scandinavia’s best architects: each of them reflecting a different story, shape, and vision, but all sharing a deep respect for the forest.
Come if you're looking for connection: to nature, to others, to yourself. For nights by the fire, northern lights above your bed, and forest walks with someone who’s known these woods their whole life.
From the beginning, every choice has been guided by care: from local food and regional craftsmen to the light touch of the buildings on the land.
Because at Treehotel luxury isn’t about more. It’s about nature, connection and time to breathe.
