Geoff McCabe

Treehouse Hotel Project

Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page

Treehouse Hotel

In the heart of the eco village, we plan to build a treehouse hotel and retreat center.

The basic idea is to put the treehouses on metal towers, upon which can grow vines, and surrounded by trees, to make sure they are safe in case of wind and treefalls.

On the second level of each, the treehouses will be connected together by hanging bridges, with the private area of each above.

Treehouse Tower Design

A rough sketch of an exotic treehouse design – by Geoff McCabe

The current plan is that rather than an actual “hotel”, the treehouses would be small rental houses, to keep the business simple.

Participation by our Community

As a lot owner, you can participate in this by building your own treehouse and linking it with the others. This will generate a good revenue stream for any lot owner who wants to participate.

At the core of this will be six treehouse towers forming a hexagon, and shadecloth between them, creating a large shady area for relaxation. In addition, we’ll have a covered deck area for yoga, and a community kitchen. Retreat leaders from around the world will be able to book and lead retreats here, generating further income for participants in the eco village.

We hope that each treehouse will be able to produce from $1000 to $2000 per month in income for the owners, which should be enough to live in Costa Rica. The cost to build one we hope to bring in around $50,000 each, plus whatever decorations and furniture you want for the inside.

Building a treehouse on your lot isn’t required of course, but many people ask me how they would make money living in Costa Rica, and this is one very easy way to generate a regular income, in addition to whatever other skills you bring to the area. You wouldn’t be required to use my design, and you’re welcome to bring your own creativity to the project.

Other interesting house ideas that would appeal to renters here would include geodesic domes or an underground “hobbit house” (also known as “Earth Ships”).

Treehouse Hotel

Treehouse hotel tower now built at at Anamaya Resort

First Prototype Completed at Anamaya!

We built the first of these at Anamaya and it’s truly epic. Five stories high, it ended up being made with a sleeping loft in it so it sleeps four. We spent a lot of money on it… everything high end so the cost ended up being $70,000! $20,000 over budget!!! That’s pretty normal for Costa Rica, but I was even shocked by how much it cost. Part of the issue was that we built it in the middle of an operating hotel, so we could only work certain hours and had to pay the workers a lot even when they weren’t working. If we did it again, it could be faster and easier, so could be $60K. And if it wasn’t so high end, then $50K could be possible.

Since it’s technically not a treehouse, but a tower, we’re growing vines on it to help it blend in with the natural setting and hopefully make it appear more to float above the canopy. A tower is much safer than an actual treehouse because trees die, blow over, or just fall over, and are also struck by lighting. A tower can get hit too, but it’s easier to do a lighting rod like a normal house would have. On a tower there’s also no problems with bugs, snakes and monkeys (or at least not so far.)

To see more photos of this structure, which is called The Garuda’s Nest, including interior shots, click here: Treehouse Hotel Room