Reykjavík Grapevine - maj 2019, Qupperneq 46

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Best of Reykjavík 2019
46

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ION Adventure Hotel
Distance from Reykjavík: 44km
The most decadent hotel on
this list is also the closest to
Reykjavík. ION Adventure Hotel
is a tucked away bolt hole near
the Þingvellir National Park. A
thoroughbred design hotel, the
highly Instagrammable pool
is nested beneath the struts of
the main building and the bar
is like a glass box hovering over
the landscape. Order a cocktail,
kick your feet up, and be warned:
you’ll want to take the robes and
bedding home with you.
IcelandAir Hotel Flúðir
Distance from Reykjavík: 103km
The sleepy town of Flúðir has
a surprising amount going on.
As well as the popular “Secret”
Lagoon, where you can bathe in
an outdoor geothermal pool with
plumes of steam pouring from
the hot river below, there’s an
Ethiopian restaurant, and this
pleasant hotel. The rooms have
hot pots out back — if you’re
lucky, you can spot the aurora in
peace after the tourist gaggle has
gone to bed.

Hotel Húsafell
Distance from Reykjavík: 131km
There’s a lot to love about this
tucked away countryside get-
away. For a start, the on site
eatery is a treat that wouldn’t be
out of place in Reykjavík, with
excellent cocktails and a very de-
cent tasting menu served by an
open fire. Guests have access to
a swimming pool—we had the
place to ourselves before taking
a drive around the Hallmund-
arhraun lava field.

Umi Hotel
Distance from Reykjavík: 149km
A relative newcomer, Umi Hotel
is a top stop in South Iceland. In
a peaceful tract of farmland just
off Route One, it stands between
Eyjafjallajökull and the southern
coast. We were welcomed with a
glass of bubbly and some choco-
lates, and had a tasty dinner in
the airy restaurant before falling
into a king-sized bed. There’s no
hot pot, so stop off at Hverag-
erði’s Wes Anderson-esque pool
on the way.

Hótel Búðir
Distance from Reykjavík: 177km
This charming hotel is a fa-
mously luxurious and atmo-
spheric spot for a romantic get-
away. There’s a great restaurant
on site, an open fire, a bar with
views out over the coastline, and
you can see the dizzy peak of the
Snæfellsjökull glacier from many
of the rooms. It’s right on the
tip of the peninsula, so it isn’t a
short drive, but if you have the
time for a drive around the gla-
cier on the way home, it’s abso-
lutely worth it.

Fosshotel Glacier
Lagoon
Distance from Reykjavík: 349km
If you’ve plenty of time on your
hands for a serious road trip
across the whole south coast,
this luxurious new Fosshotel is
the place for you. With a classy
design vibe throughout, the
rooms have a cabin feel, with
one large panoramic window,
and a small porthole looking
out to the horizon. There’s a bar,
various lounges, an airy restau-
rant serving local lamb and fish,
and saunas to relax in. It’s a long
drive, but it’ll put you near the
famously beautiful and always-
worth-a-visit Jökulsárlón.
“If you’re lucky, you can spot the aurora in
peace after the tourists have gone to bed.”
TRAVEL GUIDE
Great Escapes
Our favourite hotels for a
quick and cosy getaway
Words: John Rogers
Photos: Timothée Lambrecq & Art Bicnick
For all of the wild frontiers and glorious nature Iceland has
to offer, not every trip has to involve a waterfall freezing your
face off. Sometimes, you just want to rock up to a nice hotel,
check into a cosy room, take a dip in a hot pot, sip a cocktail, eat
something nice, and sleep in a comfortable bed. Don’t worry,
luxury-seeking princesses, we’re totally with you. Here are six of
our favourite countryside hotels to put your feet up for a while.