WHERE TO STAY
A fitting tribute to Iceland’s remarkable landscapes is its beautiful hotels that make the most of the country’s heritage and setting.
Take Deplar Farm, a remote Eleven Experience hotel in the northern fjords that takes the best part of a day to reach from London (double rooms from £2,283pn; eleven experience.com). Nestled in the sweep of a large, glacier-surrounded valley, the small black building with a mossy roof is almost chameleon-like in its position. It has the feel of a cottage, with warm and cosy interiors, a B&B with communal dining room, and a luxury hotel. A sleek spa extends to the great outdoors, complete with viking sauna (a grassy knoll with a door, where long rituals involving chants and birch twigs take place) and a thermal pool from which, if you’re lucky, you may see the aurora borealis. Days are spent axe-throwing in the hills, pony-trekking, or heliskiing – you name it. On return, expect wellpresented new-Nordic cuisine, much of it foraged or sourced locally, created by chef Garoar Kari Garoarsson.
Another good spot for aurora-seeking guests is the ION Adventure Hotel, situated in the Unescolisted Thingvellir National Park (double rooms from £203pn; ioniceland.is). Just an hour’s drive from Reykjavik, the hotel was once an inn for workers of the nearby Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Plant. It was abandoned for a while, but has been transformed into a design-led retreat that offers multiple tours and activities, a geothermally heated pool and spa, wake-up calls for the northern lights, and a restaurant and bar serving freshly caught Arctic char and Icelandic Skyr brûlée.
Should you wish to explore the wellness benefits of Iceland in a unique setting, the famous Blue Lagoon is a solid choice (00354 420 8800; bluelagoon.com). For a rounded experience, consider staying at the Retreat Hotel (double rooms from £1,029pn) for five-star service and complimentary activities such as lagoon access and guided hikes. Alternatively, Silica Hotel (double rooms from £473pn) is a much cheaper option with its own smaller lagoon.
Then there is Reykjavik, essentially a fishing-village city with a cosmopolitan feel and a gamut of hotels to suit all budgets. Its downtown area can be walked in less than a day, meaning facilities such as spas, restaurants, bars and excursions are welcome additions. One of the city’s first-ever boutique hotels, 101 Hotel (double rooms from £234pn; design hotels.com) next to the Icelandic Opera House, is arguably still one of its best. Designed by owner Ingibjorg S Palmadottir, interiors aim to impress with black, white and slate-grey colour notes, antique furniture and work by local artists. With only 38 rooms (including six suites), the hotel feels intimate as well as stylish.
Slightly apart from the downtown action, but near Hlemmur Square, is Eyja Guldsmeden Hotel (double rooms from £103pn; hoteleyja.is). Run by couple Linda Johannsdottir and Ellert Finnbogason, this eco-friendly hotel offers design-savvy rooms and spaces with sustainably sourced furniture, a chic bar and a restaurant serving organic food.