New Climate-positive Travel in Skellefteå

The world’s tallest hotel made almost exclusively from wood, has now opened for guests at the birthplace of cross-country skiing – Skellefteå.

Perfect for couples and families, a five-day Wood Hotel Experience, based around the new hotel, has launched this week by adventure specialists, Off the Map Travel, blurring the boundaries between luxury and nature in a one-of-a-kind experience.

The new Wood Hotel stands 75m, 20 storeys’, tall in Skellefteå, northern Sweden, and is made almost exclusively from spruce and pine sourced from the neighbouring forests.

Each of the hotel’s 205 contemporary rooms are filled with the rich heady smell of the trees they are built from with the aroma from the wood adding to the warmth and comfort of the guests’ experience.

“This is an opportunity for anyone looking for culture and escapism all wrapped into one, says Alex Minnis, Chief Operations Officer of Off the Map Travel.

“The Wood Hotel is an incredible building that rises out of Skellefteå, dominating the skyline, yet remaining part of the town’s natural beauty due to the materials it is made from. Every detail within the hotel has been carefully considered to offer the optimum in relaxation for guests.

“Being made out of wood contributes to the whole building being climate-positive as the structure absorbs more CO2 than it uses.

“This is the first season the hotel has been open to guests from around the world so it’s a chance for people to experience something totally new this winter.”

Available from December until March, the adventure begins with an overnight stay in Stockholm before flying to Skellefteå in northern Sweden where they will be collected by electric car and driven to the Wood Hotel.

Voted one of TIME’s best places to visit in the world, Skellefteå is a destination with a difference.

Over the course of the experience guests will create their own gin at Skellefteå’s award-winning distillery using locally foraged ingredients; go snowshoeing to take in the sights of this beautiful part of Swedish Lapland and spend time relaxing in the Wood Hotel’s rooftop ‘Vana’ spa with panoramic views over Skellefteå and its green forests.

In winter, the new itinerary is ideally located for guests to experience the Northern Lights with well-marked trails leaving directly from the hotel, perfect for a self-guided evening walk.

The hotel has three restaurants, including an Italian café, an Asian restaurant and Sami-inspired food that is locally sourced.

Minnis added: “There are a lot of health benefits to staying in a structure made almost entirely from wood, including reduced blood pressure, reduced stress levels and improved sleep.

“We hope that guests will leave feeling like they’ve had a restorative break in this up-and-coming part of Swedish Lapland.”

The five-day, four-night Wood Hotel Experience itinerary costs from £2045 per person ($2460), on a bed and breakfast basis, not including flights, travel insurance, additional excursions or meals.

As with any itinerary from Off the Map Travel, the itinerary can be tailor-made to fit the requirements of the guest. Just speak to an Adventure Artist to personalise your trip further.

For more information visit www.offthemap.travel, call 0800 566 8901 or email [email protected]