This newly refurbished hotel lies close to the city centre in a quiet wooded area by the sea. Close by is Oskjuhlid Hill, atop of which stands the Perlan, a landmark building with a viewing deck on the fourth floor that offers panoramic views of the city. Also near is Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach, home to the longest outdoor hot tub in Iceland. Entrance is free and you’ll also find steam baths, BBQ pits, showers and the chance to take a dip in the Arctic Sea. A free shuttle bus runs guests into Reykjavik from the hotel, and reception will gladly hand you a free pass for the local buses. The international airport is a 50km drive away.
Eat
Rest assured you’ll eat fresh at the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Natura. Herbs and salads are grown in the kitchen garden, meat and fish are sourced from the best local farmers and fishermen, and bread is baked daily on site, including the dough that makes its way into the restaurant’s wood-fired pizza oven. The restaurant, Satt, has a communal central table where you can mingle with other guests and the locals that come to dine here. There’s also outside seating on the patio for when the sun is shining.
Sleep
The hotel offers 220 rooms across a range of different themes, designs and sizes. Standard Natura Rooms are tastefully decorated in modern colours and feature descriptions and artwork inspired by Iceland’s natural elements, such as water, moss, lava and ice. Each Poet Room is dedicated to one of Iceland’s most beloved poets. Extracts from their poetry are hung on the walls for you to ponder. Art Rooms are similar, featuring works by prominent Icelandic artists and extracts from their biographies. Then there are the Flora Rooms, larger than the others and decorated with artwork by the renowned Icelandic artist Eggert Pétursson. Finally come the suites: the Pink Suite, the Blue Suite and the Gimli Suite, the last of which was inspired by the maverick genius and chess champion Bobby Fischer.
Do
The level of thought gone into curating this hotel’s facilities and activities is truly impressive. You can attend bed-time stories in your pyjamas read by English and Icelandic actors. Take a wander around the chess exhibition, which celebrates Bobby Fischer’s historic win at the 1972 World Chess Championships, held here in Reykjavik. Flit around the on-site bird museum. Catch the best of Icelandic cinema in the hotel’s auditorium. Pop into any number of rotating art exhibitions. Pose for a photo with one of Aðalheidur S. Eyjolfsdottir’s lifelike sculptures spread throughout the hotel. Or pop in for a treatment at the Soley Natura Spa – this is the only hotel in Reykjavik that has an indoor swimming pool. You can also take advantage of bike rental, complimentary tickets to use on the local bus network, a car hire service, airport transfers and the hotel’s own tourist information desk.
