The French treehouse that offers the perfect digital detox — plus three other bucolic offline retreats

For centuries, the Loire Valley has been the chosen destination of French elites seeking tranquility and bliss. The kings and aristocrats of the Ancient Regime frequented the area, turning it into a playground of grandeur and opulence which is also blessed with bucolic charm. This is the place where regal chateaus meets rustic natural beauty. Where Hygge, the quality of coziness and comfort, merges with Waldeinsamkeit, the feeling of sublime and spiritual solitude in the woods.

It is in that tradition that Loire Valley Lodges, a treehouse hotel nestled in the valley’s enchanting forest, has been born. For those seeking a break from all the hustle and bustle of city life and some recuperation from the New Year energy slump, it is a perfect place for a peaceful, homely winter getaway.

The hotel comprises 18 modern Nordic-style treehouses, engulfed by 300 hectares of private woodland. From Paris, it is a one to two hour train to the city of Tours and a 30 minute drive; alternately, it’s a three hour drive from the French capital. It is also a stone’s throw away from some of France’s most astonishing attractions, such as the Château de Chenonceau, a UNESCO World Heritage site which guests at the lodge can even reach by bike.

The first sights upon arriving at this hidden gem are the towering oak and chestnut trees that surround visitors at all times, like a green impenetrable wall that block out all the noise of the outside world.

After driving through long paths of this arboreal shelter, a pastoral barn awaits in the middle of the forest. This cosy abode serves as the hotel's lobby and reception, as well as its concept store, where guests can purchase a wide selection of artworks and wellness products that invoke the property’s lush natural setting.

Next to the building is a 40°C jacuzzi for the Winter and a 65 feet long in-ground pool where guests can relax in a steamy Nordic bath before jumping into the freezing pool water, just like the way it’s done in Scandinavia. From there, it’s a leisurely walk to the hotel’s herb and vegetable gardens, which supply the ingredients used at the on-site fine dining restaurant Ardent. The hotel also has a wooden hut-like structure called the Zome, which serves as a meditation and disconnection space where guests can receive sound therapy, and a separate lodge for bee-watching.

Each lodge shares a different interior design, but all are conceived in a way that maximises their exposure to nature and sunlight. My treehouse, which had a feel of a spaceship, was chic and minimalist.

The most special part of this place, however, is how genuinely unplugged it is. The hotel observes the ethos of ‘slow-living’. There are no TVs or WiFi in the lodges. Access to data is limited. To communicate with the staff, I was offered a walkie-talkie instead. During my stay, I was given the opportunity to fully unwind and be at peace with myself, often in the jacuzzi or sauna attached to the balcony in the presence of chirping birds. It is an experience I haven't had as a Londoner in a very long time.

Mornings when the first rays of the winter sun shine through the floor-to-ceiling front window evoke a moment of sublime peace. The overwhelming stillness of the lodge encourages you to peer through the glass and appreciate the sights of the forest outside, like the quietly dripping dew on the needlelike fir leaves. It is hard pressed to find places that promise this level of silence and seclusion these days.

Enhancing that bliss is the sumptuous breakfast that the hotel prepares, delivered in a picnic basket attached to a rope that guests have to pull up from their treehouse deck. The food offerings include a delicious range of croissants with homemade honey and jams, yogurts, cheese, gravlax and ham, and fresh juices to start the day.

During the day as I wandered around the woods, I surrendered myself to a therapeutic calmness as I breathed in the fresh, purifying air. Sometimes, guests can even do a forest bath with the hotel’s founder Anne Caroline Frey, a former arts dealer who opened the lodges in 2020.

On my own walk, I spotted fantastical sculptures and art installations such as contemporary artist Philippe Pasqua’s Vanity with Butterflies and visual artist Aurele Ricard’s Giant Lost Dog dotted across the entire property, many of them from Anne Caroline’s personal collection. For those craving an even more intimate pampering, the hotel offers a soothing hour-long massage, right in the privacy of your own treehouse.

Even in the evening, the magic continues. Anne Caroline described the place as the ideal location to snuggle up with a book, enjoy some precious downtime with loved ones, sink into the warmth of the jacuzzi under the starry night and meditate. After a mind-nurturing stay here, it is near impossible to disagree.

Travel to Loire Valley Lodges by Eurostar (London-Paris) followed by a 1h TGV train from Paris Montparnasse to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps. From £371 per night including breakfast. loirevalleylodges.com

Feeling inspired? Here’s where else to get offline

57 Nord, Scotland

Located in the Scottish Highlands, a 15 minute drive from the Isle of Skye, this isolated bolthole sits in a culinary hotspot: Michelin restaurants abound, and you’re spoilt for whiskey distilleries. The escape itself is equally decadent, comprising two residences (Hill House and Sky House) that have been lovingly designed with Scandi-influenced furniture, a firepit and plenty of soft textiles. Run a bath and soak in the view of the mountains, lake and sky from the tub. Ahh.

Rates start from £1,650. 57nord.co.uk

42 Acres, Somerset

This wellbeing retreat has everything needed to escape from modern life. 42 Acres is a restored farm that has been transformed into a nature reserve and wellbeing centre. Here, frazzled visitors can reconnect with the natural world (either with walks, or with their classes on hedgerow foraging, mushroom workshops and garden grazing). You can also choose from a number of different venues, from the adorable Tiny Boat (which is, like you’d expect, a tiny boat with a bed inside) to the Monk’s Hatch, a converted coachhouse that boasts two bedrooms.

Retreats start from £175 per night. 42acres.com

Unplugged

The perfect place to switch off entirely. Unplugged’s entire premise is that of a digital detox: they have more than thirty tech-free cabins in locations across the UK, most of them an hour’s drive from major cities like London, Manchester and Liverpool. All technology has to be put into a lockbox upon arrival. As Unplugged has calculated that the perfect time to reap the benefits of a detox is 72 hours, they encourage three-day stays. Everything is built with sustainability in mind. Don’t worry, though, there’s still access to the important things: great coffee and luxurious bedding courtesy of Piglet in Bed.

Three nights start from £420. unplugged.rest/all-escape-dates