Hot-spring hotels in Iceland

Hot-spring hotels in Iceland

Iceland has geothermal water almost everywhere, but only a handful of hotels have on-site hot springs or thermal baths that are genuinely worth the trip. This is the shortlist we recommend when a guest wants to soak in the property rather than drive to a public pool. Prices below are shoulder-season doubles; peak February and July run 20 to 40 percent higher.

Three we recommend

The Retreat at Blue Lagoon

The only hotel with private access to the Blue Lagoon proper. In-suite volcanic-stone baths in every room, a private lagoon reserved for guests, and 24-hour spa access. The price is the price; the product is unique in Iceland.

Price band: $1,600 to $2,400 per night (ISK 220,000 to 330,000)

Deplar Farm (Troll Peninsula)

An Eleven Experience lodge in the Fljót valley, north Iceland, with a geothermal pool that runs the length of the sitting room and out into the snow. Fully inclusive at north of $3,000 per night, and worth it once in a lifetime if the budget allows.

Price band: $3,000 to $4,500 per night (ISK 415,000 to 620,000)

Hotel Húsafell

The most accessible pick, 90 minutes north of Reykjavík. A large outdoor geothermal pool with mountain views, plus the private Canyon Baths at Krauma nearby. Best value in the category by a distance.

Price band: $340 to $480 per night (ISK 47,000 to 66,000)

Practical tips

  • Hotel hot springs are almost always chlorinated to lower rates than the public pools; if you prefer untreated geothermal water, look at Vök Baths (east) or Krauma (west) rather than an in-hotel pool.
  • The Retreat and Silica sell out first for aurora season (mid-September to mid-March); book at least four months out.
  • Deplar Farm operates a helicopter transfer from Reykjavík at a supplement; the ground drive is five and a half hours in summer.