ION Adventure Hotel
Based in a location where ice meets fire, the stylish Ion Adventure Hotel offers eco-conscious luxury and an unrivalled opportunity to explore the best that Iceland has to offer. Just under an hour by car from Reykjavik, the hotel is close to the popular Golden Circle route, a 300km loop that takes in waterfalls, geysers and volcanoes.
The hotel started its life as an inn for workers at the Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Plant. The building lay abandoned for many years until it was acquired in 2011 and — with the assistance of Santa Monica-based design studio Minarc — renovated into the stylish and minimalist hotel you see before you today.
Opening officially in 2013, the hotel defines a rare breed of Iceland hotel, offering upscale, design-centric accommodations in a rural setting, where well-heeled travellers can find ample opportunity to explore all that the wilds of Iceland have to offer.
With access to nearby hot springs, glaciers, and the mystical glow of the Northern Lights, guests can enjoy the intersection of fire and ice within an environmentally friendly space.
The hotel has its own Spa, called the Lava Spa, located underneath the 'Northern Lights' bar, which offers extraordinary views overlooking the surrounding lava fields. Changing rooms lead outside to a magnificent, 10-metre heated pool. The hotel has an on-site restaurant serving modern Nordic cuisine using fresh ingredients from around the region.
The 45 rooms are available in two categories, standard and deluxe, which all continue the minimalist theme found throughout the rest of the hotel. In-room amenities include a coffee machine and cosy hi-quality dressing gowns. Photographic murals of Icelandic horses add interest in the deluxe rooms against the otherwise sparse décor.
Noteworthy
The ION won the 2014 World Boutique Hotel Award for Europe’s best sustainable boutique hotel.
Facilities
- 24-hour front desk
- Air conditioning
- Airport shuttle
- Bicycle Hire
- Breakfast
- Coffee machine
- Essentials
- Fitness centre
- Parking (free)
- Heating
- Restaurant
- Spa facilities
- Swimming pool
- Wi-Fi (free)
More photos
Tap any image to see it in fullscreen
Location
The hotel is located on the edge of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Thingvellir National Park. This national park is the ultimate escape for the outdoor adventurer. It is the visible site of the mid-Atlantic Ridge where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and is one of the few spots in the world where you can go snorkelling or scuba diving in clear, glacial water.
The hotel is also quite close to the popular ‘Golden Circle’ route, a 300km loop around the island which takes in beautiful waterfalls, geysers and volcanoes. In winter, the hotel is a popular spot from which to view the Northern Lights or just enjoy the serene snowy landscape.
About 1 hour south of the ION Adventure hotel is Iceland's famous Blue Lagoon. They now offer some truly unique accommodation that is also worthy of a night or two.
How to get there
ION Adventure hotel is located about 40mins by car from Reykjavík. Driving is really your only option if you are visiting this hotel and regardless you will need a car to get around and explore the surrounding region and the rest of Iceland.
If you are flying into Iceland, the Keflavík International Airport is located about 1 hour and 20 mins from the hotel. The Keflavík International Airport is the main airport servicing Iceland and has daily connections to most of Europe and some cities on the east coast of the United States
Address: Nesjavellir, 801 Nesjavellir, Iceland
View larger map