Rooms

The 48 Icelandic-chic rooms are bright and modern, with simple but elegant furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows and atmospheric artwork by world-renowned Húsafell resident Páll Guðmundsson.

We stayed in one of the Deluxe Rooms, and loved our huge stone-lined rainfall shower and separate bathtub. The bed, complete with Icelandic woollen blankets, was sumptuously soft and hard to leave, despite the promise of adventure outside. We also liked the look of the Superior Deluxes, which boast terraces where you can curl up for a private viewing of the midnight sun in summer or the Northern Lights in winter. Both Deluxes and Superior Deluxes have sofas that can be made up as extra beds if needed.

There's also a sole Suite, which has a separate living area, and smaller but well-equipped Standard Rooms (shower only). Views aren’t dependent on room type, so we’d suggest requesting one which overlooks the geothermal pools and ravine.

Features include:

• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

The restaurant's setting is spectacular. Walls of glass provide panoramic views of snow-capped mountains, ravines and distant waterfalls, and a contemporary copper firepit glows in the centre of the space.

The seasonal, Nordic-inspired lunch and dinner menus are short but delicious, with lots of local ingredients (Icelandic lamb, blue mussels, berries). We loved our baked carrot with white beans, grilled lemon and a nut vinaigrette, and the tonka brûlée with a pistachio sponge and passion-fruit sorbet was light yet full of flavour. A word of warning though:vegetarians may feel short-changed.

Breakfast is a spread of all the usual suspects (cheeses, cold cuts, croissants, cereals, fruit, yoghurt), as well as a few hot dishes - the perfect set-up for a day of exploring.

There's also a lounge-like bar with a wide choice of wines, beers, gins and cocktails. And if you fancy a change of scene, the Húsafell Bistro (next door to the hotel) offers simple dishes such as burgers and pizza.

Features include:

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Take a dip in the geothermal pools. They're open year-round, and there's something special about being immersed in wonderfully warm water while snow falls around you. Flotation gear can even be provided to help you bob around at leisure
  
• A number of hikes leave from the hotel - just ask at reception for maps. We particularly enjoyed the trail leading into the nearby ravine
  
• Head to the Langjökull glacier, the second largest ice field in the country. The 'Into the Glacier' experience takes you 40m below its surface, through a 550m-long tunnel which glows blue - we’ve never seen anything like it
  
• Visit the Hallmundarhraun lava field to explore Víðgelmir, one of the largest and best-preserved lava caves in the world
  
• Marvel at the spectacular Hraunfossar and Barnafoss waterfalls, a short drive away
  
• Staff can also arrange horse riding, helicopter rides, ice climbing, snowmobiling and canoeing, and Húsafell has its own golf course should you fancy a putt

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Glacier visits

Best Time to go

Our Top Tips

Location

Hotel Húsafell is located in the tiny village of Húsafell, in Iceland’s western region. It's a 1.5-hour drive from Reykjavik, and 2 hours from the international airport at Keflavik.

By Air:
Iceland's only international airport is Keflavik (170km away, to the south of Reykjavik). It has a wide range of flights from Europe and North America - click on the links below for a list of airlines. There's also a small airport in Reykjavik itself, served by domestic flights only.

From the Airport
The remote location means you'll need a car to get here and to explore - see our car-rental recommendations. We'd suggest hiring a 4x4 so you can venture onto the region's smaller gravel roads, and snow tires are essential in the winter months.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

More on getting to Iceland and getting around