DROP SPA IS THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN AT THE hilltop foreST

From Finance to Forest

A few years ago, two financial consultants came up with the idea of creating the perfect getaway in the Finnish forest. Today, Tiia Soppela and Craig McDonald’s vision has evolved into Hilltop Forest, a private forest retreat in Inkoo, less than an hour from Helsinki.

How do two financial consultants end up in a forest in Inkoo? Tiia and Craig had spent a fair amount of time on the road, living and working in different countries and enjoying different high-end travel concepts, including villas, resorts and five-star hotels, but felt that something was missing. On a flight back from Bali, Indonesia, the idea of Hilltop Forest started to grow, and they could not stop thinking and talking about how to create the perfect getaway.

“After a decade of consulting work abroad, we arrived back in Finland with the dream of creating a place and business of our own,” they explain.

Built around the forest

In Inkoo, Tiia and Craig found a 16-hectare plot of land, less than an hour from Helsinki, where they could create their own interpretation of a Finnish forest getaway: design-led, private and deeply connected to the surrounding nature.

Today, guests can choose between Hilltop House, a premium three-bedroom private villa open year-round and rented exclusively to one group at a time, and two minimalist Hideaway cabins tucked deeper into the forest during the warmer months.

Respecting the surrounding nature has been a guiding principle from the planning and construction phases through to daily operations. During construction, as much as possible of the existing forest was left untouched, with the buildings carefully positioned within the landscape. The minimalist Hideaway cabins are wooden constructions, just like the other buildings at Hilltop.

“We have our own water supply and greywater filtration system, and we handpick every detail and carefully select our suppliers, many of whom are small, family-owned or local businesses,” Craig explains.

Drop spa – the perfect match

 

At the heart of Hilltop House is its private Forest Spa, located among the trees with views directly into the surrounding forest. The Forest Spa features a traditional wood-burning sauna, an outdoor forest shower and a Drop Lähde outdoor hot tub.

“The choice of the outdoor spa was easy. Drop had the design that fitted perfectly with our minimalist, clean aesthetic and the surrounding forest,” says Tiia.

The dark grey Drop Lähde outdoor spa has a shape and high-quality finish that make it a natural fit for the Forest Spa. Tiia and Craig also praise Drop’s customer service and the support they received from the first contact through to final delivery.

“Because of the location and the terrain, we had to lift it in by crane, but the installation was straightforward and quick,” says Craig.

Design, ease of use and the opportunity for guests to truly relax are three of the biggest advantages Tiia and Craig attribute to the Drop spa. Most importantly, it is always warm and ready to use.

“That is still one of the things we love most about it. Guests can step outside for a soak first thing in the morning, after the sauna or late at night without having to plan or prepare anything. It makes the experience feel effortless,” says Craig.

The wood-burning sauna was originally expected to be the highlight of the Forest Spa, but guest feedback quickly showed that the Drop spa was equally capable of stealing the show.

“The hot tub in that setting really became the jewel in the crown. Being able to sit in warm water surrounded by the forest is such a simple thing, but it is often one of the moments guests remember most,” says Tiia.

A private Forest Spa experience

 

 

Hilltop Forest has evolved considerably since opening in 2022, and one of the biggest changes has been the way guests experience the Forest Spa. Today, the Forest Spa is exclusively part of Hilltop House. Guests rent the entire three-bedroom villa and Forest Spa for their stay, giving them complete privacy and the freedom to enjoy the sauna, outdoor forest shower and Drop spa whenever they wish.

“Drop outdoor spa was one of the things guests fell in love with immediately when we opened, and that hasn’t changed,” says Tiia. “What has changed is the way people experience it. Now you can wake up at Hilltop House, walk straight out into your own Forest Spa and have the sauna, forest shower and hot tub completely to yourselves for the whole stay.”

The experience changes with the seasons: long summer evenings surrounded by green forest, crisp autumn days, snowy winter soaks and quiet spring mornings among the trees.

High-quality standards in a casual setting

 

The idea behind Hilltop remains much the same as when Tiia and Craig first opened the doors: finding a balance between laid-back luxury and nature without making the experience feel overly formal. Hilltop House welcomes everything from romantic wellness stays and weekends with family and friends to small leadership and team retreats. The two seasonal Hideaway cabins offer an even more pared-back way to stay immersed in the forest.

What has also remained constant is the importance of carefully chosen products and partners that fit naturally into the Hilltop experience.

“Drop has been part of Hilltop from the very beginning, and the outdoor spa still feels completely at home here,” says Tiia. “It has become part of what people remember about staying at Hilltop: being surrounded by forest, stepping outside and sinking into warm water, whatever the season.”

First and last photo: @valentinovalkaj