Kitzbühel is a ritzy ski resort with a medieval town center located between Salzburg and Innsbruck in the Austrian Alps.
It is best known for the annual Hahnenkamm downhill ski race, which takes place in late January and is regarded as one of the toughest downhill races in the world.
Source: Austrian National Tourist Office; CNN Travel; Kitzbühel Tourism
As part of a new 7-star hotel project in Kitzbühel, Peter Pichler Architecture has proposed a design for luxury "tree suites" that rise above the surrounding forest.
Source: Peter Pichler Architecture
Each suite will be accessible by a glass elevator, hidden in the wooden latticed structure on which the suites are elevated.
The suites will range in size from 60 to 80 square meters (645 to 860 square feet) and include a bedroom and bathroom. The larger suites will also feature a living room and sauna.
Together, the suites will share a lobby, restaurant, and spa. As the hotel's development is still in its early stages, pricing hasn't yet been announced.
Source: Peter Pichler Architecture
By day, the suites' latticed exterior will create a "playful effect of light and shadows." By night, they will glow in the forest.
The use of local wood in the design will create a "warm feeling," the firm said in a release.
Source: Peter Pichler Architecture
The suites' design is intended to help guests slow down and reconnect with nature.
"The connection between men and nature is a fundamental criterion in this project," Peter Pinchler Architecture said, adding that the suites "should activate and amplify human senses with the use of simple and local materials."
A growing number of hotels and hospitality companies are offering nature-immersive experiences, according to the Global Wellness Institute. The institute's 2019 global wellness report cites "prescribing nature" as a travel trend, fueled in large part by the the fact that more people are living in cities. "As experience in nature becomes another new luxury, hotels and spas are tapping into what makes their destination unique — and offering unique programming," they wrote.
Take Manshausen Island Resort in Norway, where a recent expansion earned it a place on Sleeper magazine's best new luxury hotels in the world list. Its seven sea-facing cabins each tout "a unique position and connection with nature."
Finnish Lapland native Riitta Raekallio-Wunderink recently spoke with Business Insider about her reasons for creating an "Arctic cocooning" hammock wellness experience in her family forest. "For us, it is all about sharing that personal nature experience with people, reminding them of a connection that they maybe didn't even know existed," she said.
Source: Peter Pichler Architecture
