ION Adventure Hotel

Rooms

Available in varying categories, the 44 welcoming rooms have minimalist Nordic decor, soothing neutral hues, contemporary furnishings, light wooden floors, gray walls, and paintings or photographs by modern Icelandic artists. Amenities include beds with fair-trade organic linens, desks with lamps, flat-screen TVs, tea and coffee-making facilities, and complimentary Wi-Fi. Bathrooms have showers and Sóley Organics toiletries.

While all rooms overlook the Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Plant or across the lava fields toward Þingvellir National Park, the Deluxe rooms offer superior views from floor-to-ceiling windows in addition to large murals of Icelandic horses.

Location

Located on the Golden Circle route, you’ll be a 30-minute drive from the UNESCO-protected Þingvellir National Park and about an hour from the Geysir Hot Spring Area. The town of Selfoss is 40 minutes away and offers cafés, shops, restaurants, and an outdoor swimming pool with hot tubs. You’ll also be just under an hour’s drive from Reykjavík.

Food and drink

Seasonal dishes such as farm-fresh lamb and fish feature on the menu at Silfra, the hotel’s restaurant named for the tectonic rift in Þingvellir. A buffet breakfast is available every morning. For beers, spirits, wines, light snacks, and panoramic views of the surrounds, the glass-walled Northern Lights bar is an ideal spot.

Families

Children are welcome at ION Adventure Hotel and extra beds can be added to the Deluxe rooms. The handyman’s friendly dog, Tara, works a daily 8am to 4pm schedule with her owner and may offer to accompany you on a hike around the hotel.

Facilities and activities

In addition to a geothermal outdoor pool, there’s a small spa with a sauna and relaxation room. Massages and facials with Icelandic herbs are available, although advance bookings of at least one to two weeks are recommended. If you’re hoping to see the northern lights, staff will arrange a nightly wake-up call for when they are visible. 

Environmental and social responsibility

The hotel, which seems to merge in with the surrounding moss-covered landscape, was constructed in the place of an abandoned building in order to reduce its footprint. It has been built from local Icelandic and recycled materials such as reclaimed wood, lava and Icelandic wool. It exceeds local environmentally safe building standards and is Earth Check certified. Inside, the furniture and furnishings are all either fair trade or recycled materials, for example: sinks made from recycled tyres, and lava and driftwood lights. All of the food served is organic, and hot water and energy is provided by the surrounding geothermal hot springs. In addition, the ION Adventure Hotel has installed electric car charging points in the car park.