Atlantica - 01.01.2006, Qupperneq 64

BERLIN & MEa
SLEEPING
Hótel 101. The hippest boutique hotel in
Reykjavík, 101 is stylish and stylized in all
shades of black, white and stainless steel.
With 38 rooms and a very cozy hotel bar
with a fireplace and enough international de-
sign magazines to keep you busy for weeks.
Hverfisgata 10. 580-0101. www.101hotel.is
Hótel Frón. A modest 63-room Scandinavian
hotel, Frón is comfortable, low key, and sur-
prisingly quiet for being smack in the middle
of Reykjavík’s shopping street. Klapparstígur
35a. 511-4666. www.hotelfron.is
Room with a View. Stay for a night or two
weeks in your own pied-a-terre in downtown
Reykjavík. Not your typical apartment hotel,
these sleek apartments range from stylish to
vampish. Stainless steel, black leather and
Jacuzzis abound. Laugavegur 18. 552-7262.
www.roomwithaview.is
Hótel Ódinsvé. A 43-room hotel just off
downtown in a residential neighborhood,
Hótel Ódinsvé has a mellow, classy vibe and
is within walking distance of everything. A
good choice for foodies interested in eating
at the hotel restaurant, run by celebrity chef
Siggi Hall. Ódinstorg. 511-6200.
www.hotelodinsve.is
DRINKING
b5. The latest addition to Reykjavík’s crowded cafe scene is
b5, a swanky bistro located in the belly of 101. By day, the
elegant café, which used to be part of the headquarters of a
big Icelandic bank, is the perfect place to enjoy an espresso
while surfing the net. With large windows reaching out
onto downtown, even on the darkest, rainy day, b5 is bathed
in that precious commodity: light. When evening comes,
feel part of the moneyed elite while you sip on a cocktail,
sitting on the wall-length sofa that feels as cozy as a loveseat
for two. Bankastræti 5. 552-9600. www.b5.is
Oliver. While Cafe Oliver is not smoke-free, it’s one of the
few Reykjavík bars where revelers can actually breathe in
the air. During restaurant hours, smoking is only permitted
on the second floor. After 10pm, when the beautiful partiers
show up, smoking is allowed on the first floor, but because
Oliver is spacious, there are no cumulus clouds of smoke
suffocating you while you try to chat up that gorgeous
blonde. Laugavegur 20a. 552-2300. www.cafeoliver.is
Vitabar. The only neighborhood bar in 101, Vitabar is hid-
den in a quiet residential neighborhood just off the main
drag of Laugavegur. It has a friendly staff and excellent
blue cheese burgers served until 11pm. Bergthórugata 21.
551-7200.
Vínbarinn. Away from the fray, Vínbarinn is a favorite
downtown spot for people more interested in conversa-
tion than sitting on their neighbor’s lap. After shopping or
gallery hopping, install yourself by a big window in the late
afternoon and have a glass of wine. Kirkjutorgi 4. 552-4120.
SOAKING
You haven’t seen Reykjavík if you
haven’t been to the pools; there are
16 in the capital area alone. Bring
a towel, a suit (or not; you can rent
them at any pool before you take
a dip), and you are in business.
Laugardalslaug. The granddaddy
of Reykjavík’s pools. It has both in-
door and outdoor 50-meter pools,
hot pots, a steam room, sun lamps,
and a waterslide to boot. 553-4039.
Sundhöllin. If there is ice on the
deck at Laugardalslaug, you may
want to check out the only indoor
pool in Iceland. Also the city’s
oldest, dating back to the 1930s.
You can still get your Arctic Jacuzzi
fill if you take a dip in Sundhöllin’s
art-decoish hot tubs. 551-4059.
Vesturbæjarlaug. The pool for you
if you are looking for the neighbor-
hood experience in Reykjavík. In
addition to the 25-meter pool, there
is a bubbly hot pot, plain hot pots,
a steam room, and the only Finnish
sauna found in Reykjavík’s public
pools. You have to pay a little extra
to sweat it out like a Finn, but it is
worth it. 551-5004.
Sleep, drink, bathe, watch in Reykjavík. Sleep, drink, bathe, watch in Reykjavík. Sleep, drink, bathe, watch in Reykjavík
62 AT L A N T I CA
050-53 Atl 106 Suburbs+Ice.indd 62 16.12.2005 13:02:11