Reykjavik Luxury Escape

Reykjavik’s luxury accommodation

One of Europe’s most original and free-spirited cities, Reykjavik boasts a wide range of upmarket hotels, whether you’re looking for Nordic chic, Art Deco or a room with an eye-popping view. To give you a flavour of the city’s best properties, we’ve featured three of our favourites below.

Exploring Reykjavik’s attractions

Virtually all of the city’s star attractions are within a short walk of your hotel: pretty Tjornin lake, the scene-setting National Museum and National Gallery, towering Hallgrimskirkja cathedral and the striking Harpa Concert Hall (which offers daily behind-the-scenes guided tours). Stroll along Laugavegur street to experience Reykjavik’s entrepreneurial spirit, browsing local enterprises ranging from artisanal sea salt producers and creative chocolatiers to fashion designers and knitters producing digitally-printed sweaters. If you’d prefer not to walk, or want to venture further afield, we can arrange for a private driver-guide to escort you in comfort. Excursions to the Golden Circle and South Coast are included, but our Travel Specialists can also arrange for you to visit the Retreat Spa at the Blue Lagoon for a spot of geothermal pampering.

The Golden Circle and South Coast

Some of Iceland’s most incredible natural wonders are only a short drive from Reykjavik. We’ve included two bespoke day trips for you. Accompanied by a dedicated guide, travel at your own pace, marvelling at the twin-tiered cascade of Gullfoss, the explosive Strokkur geyser and Thingvellir National Park, where natural drama, Icelandic history and tectonic plates collide. A day exploring the South Coast, meanwhile, takes you through a mesmerising landscape of waterfalls, volcanoes, glaciers and black-sand beaches.

Fine dining in Reykjavik

Forget tales of fermented shark… Reykjavik is having a culinary moment. Eating local is a fact of life: exquisite fish and seafood, tender free-range lamb, farm-to-table veggies, delicious dairy products. Add to this Reykjavik’s talented New Nordic chefs and your taste buds are in for a treat. Fiskmarkaðurinn – the Fish Market – serves some of the best dishes in the city, with an Asian twist: red lanterns hang over platters of Arctic char sashimi, langoustine maki rolls, mountain lamb with shiitake mushrooms and coconut-creamy lobster soup. Fiskfelagid (Fish Company) is another must for seafood-lovers must – chef Lárus Gunnar Jónasson prepares mouth-watering dishes using Icelandic cod, salmon and giant scallops. Grillmarkaðurinn – the Grill Market – is also committed to local eating, with lamb, beef, trout, quail, skyr and honey on the menu, and much of it ingeniously cooked using fire and smoke. Old Iceland Restaurant is equally focused on dishing up local fish, meat, herbs and spices, not to mention traditional kleinur (much-loved doughnuts) slathered with rhubarb curd, while Apotek is strong on small plates – nibble on everything from sea trout waffles to lamb tartar.