IT'S a high-rise des res that would have suited the King of the Jungle down to the ground.

After a busy day swinging through the wilds of Wiltshire, Tarzan could have dropped into a Center Parcs tree top abode for a well-earned break.

And once ensconced, the ape man would have soon lost interest in the enticing bright lights of civilisation beyond.

He’d have been too preoccupied playing pool in the games den, letting off steam in the sauna, or sampling the bubbling hot tub with Jane.

Back in the real world, the brains at Center Parcs HQ had a hunch the great British public would share a similar reluctance to depart the rustic luxury homes on stilts nestled within Longleat’s leafy canopy.

They were spot on and these secluded treehouse retreats have proved to be another of their marketing masterstrokes.

We shouldn’t be surprised.

These, after all, are the people who succeeded long ago in understanding a common British holiday dilemma: we may like the idea of the great outdoors but the reality can be a camping experience more akin to bog-snorkelling with drenched, demoralised families slowly sinking into a muddy quagmire.

Center Parcs came to the UK’s emotional rescue with a sensible, painless alternative.

They wrung out the soggy tarpaulin, gave camping a luxurious eco-makeover and threw in the perfect activity schedule for kids – a child-exhausting itinerary of biking, sailing, water flumes and zip wires.

They also offered one of the few British holidays the weather couldn’t ruin, courtesy of the aquatic bubble at each Parc’s tranquil heart – the ‘Subtropical Swimming Paradise’.

But the best bit was pure genius.

While the hyper kids went bonkers, parents lamenting the loss of the spontaneous, carefree holidays of their child-free years could also enjoy the beautiful surroundings, sophisticated pampering and plethora of quality on-site restaurants.

Centre Parcs uncorked their magic potion between 1987 and 2001 when villages opened in Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, Elveden Forest in Suffolk, Longleat and Whinfell Forest in Cumbria. A fifth will open in Bedfordshire in late 2013.

Last year they collectively welcomed 1.6m guests and reported 96 per cent occupancy – with 96 per cent indicating an intention to return.

And now those magic vapours have further pervaded Sherwood Forest and Longleat with the arrival of the luxury treehouses.

Once again, the concept crucially captures the imagination of both youngsters and adults.

Children, accustomed to garden dens amateurishly constructed by hapless dads, will be spellbound by the towering living quarters linked by a wooden bridge to a games room.

Meanwhile, their parents can wallow in nostalgic childhood flashbacks of The Magic Faraway Tree, Robin Hood, Just William or the marooned Swiss Family Robinson.

The treehouses can accommodate eight too, providing a perfect chilled-out entertainment venue for friends reunited as well as couples with their broods.

Three treehouses were built this year within a quiet corner of Longleat’s 400 acres.

Each features four en-suite bedrooms with private balconies, an open-plan designer kitchen and a lavishly-appointed dining and living area with more gadgetry than the flight deck of the Starship Enterprise. There’s even a huge, raised daybed enabling occupants to gaze at giant 100-year-old redwood trees outside.

Central to the layout is a spiral staircase winding up to the master bedroom around a turned tree trunk.

It’s an impressive focal point in a home which cleverly dovetails a contemporary Grand Designs feel with artisan detail within its smoked oak timber walls.

Outside the living area, the private hot tub and an infrared sauna occupies a spacious terrace which feels almost suspended within the foliage. At the end of a timber walkway is the separate games den, housing a pool table and crammed with the latest audio, gaming and TV technology.

Despite its opulence, Center Parcs say it’s their most sustainable accommodation yet.

Heating is supplied via a ground source heat pump and solar panels adorn the roofs.

Down below, meandering through the woodland, are the trails and walkways that lead to hundreds of on-site activities.

The slides, rapids and whirlpools of the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, the Aqua Sana’s ‘World of Spa’ with its steam rooms, saunas and treatments and the impressive Jardin des Sports complex can all be found within jungle clearings.

The trouble is you first have to emerge from a particularly comfy sofa, extinguish the log fire, turn off the gigantic flat screen telly and snap out of the relaxed stupor the treehouse induces.

Life can be tough.

Just remember Tarzan’s pad is not simply accommodation.

It’s a star attraction in itself.

For more information or to book see centerparcs.co.uk or call 08448 267723