The Retreat at Blue Lagoon Iceland — Grindavík, Iceland
Iceland’s otherworldly volcanic landscape has always needed a truly first-rate luxury resort from which to roam, and the arrival of the Retreat at Blue Lagoon hits all the marks.
Located on a private inlet of the titular lagoon, the 62-room property is actually an extension of an earlier complex, but Basalt Architects and Design Group Italia have created a natural transition that blends a concrete superstructure the colour of dark grey lava, with terrazzo, sand, water features and moss. The 62 suites, in particular, feature a quietly rugged mood of walnut and lava surfaces that are dressed with pieces by Antonio Citterio and Patricia Urquiola – though the marquee attraction has to be the view of Iceland’s wildly rocky beauty seen through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
In-house restaurant, Moss, delivers a menu sourced from all over the island, whether hand-caught scallops and lamb or reindeer and pearl barley. Lamb is served with white onion and mustard, and langoustine with wild garlic and butter. Equally indulgent is the spa, a subterranean pleasure dome of interlocking chambers cut into the volcanic rock that offers treatments based on the silica, algae and minerals of geothermal seawater.
ADDRESS
Nordurljosavegur 11
240 Grindavík
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Alaïa’s secret new London café and bookstore is inspired by the art of hosting
Housed on the third floor of Alaïa’s London flagship, the intimate space – inspired by Azzedine Alaïa’s famed hospitality – includes a Violet Cakes bakery and a bookstore by Claire de Rouen
By Jack Moss Published
-
Is it really possible to stage a Shakespeare play inside the game Grand Theft Auto?
Grand Theft Hamlet, a documentary debut written and directed by Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane, is about two out-of-work actors attempting to mount a full production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, inside the violent world of Grand Theft Auto, shot entirely in game
By Billie Walker Published
-
Arlo NoMad hotel makes the American diner officially cool again
The NoMad Diner NYC’s interiors and menu offer an elevated take on an American classic
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Iceland Parliament Hotel in Reykjavik offers a unique sense of place
Iceland Parliament Hotel, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, combines local and international appeal
By Simon Mills Published
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico
By Chadner Navarro Published
-
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Tattersalls Hotel — Armidale, Australia
By Dimity Noble Last updated
-
KLoé Hotel — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
By Jennifer Choo Last updated
-
Casa Hoyos — San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Littlenap — Hangzhou, China
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Casa Santa Teresa — Corsica, France
By Daven Wu Last updated