What is it like staying at the iconic ION Adventure Hotel in Iceland?

ION Adventure Hotel at Nesjavellir in Iceland is a truly unforgettable experience. Whether you are seeking a quiet, soulful soak beneath the Northern Lights, a challenging trek across an ancient glacier, or a day of fly-fishing in plentiful icy rivers, this hotel is for you. The ION Adventure Hotel is truly one of the most unique-looking hotels in Iceland let alone the world. From the moment you see it from the outside you’re sure to understand — especially with the gorgeous landscapes of Iceland surrounding it.

From the moment you walk into ION Adventure Hotel, you’re greeted by the kindest people offering delicious glasses of Prosecco to enjoy on your way to your room. We only stayed for one night because we were in Iceland this time for a 23 hour layover from The United Kingdom on our way to Seattle, Washington. That being said, we wanted to stay at the hotel to really take advantage of everything it offered.

What are the rooms like at ION Adventure Hotel?

We stayed in one of the most desired rooms — the Deluxe room. ION Adventure Hotel has 24 Deluxe rooms, each carefully decorated in inimitable Icelandic style with floor-to-ceiling windows so that guests can fully appreciate the magnificent view possible of the unique Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Plant or across the lava fields towards Thingvellir National Park. We luckily got views of the lava fields and not the view of the Power Plant, which, honestly I would have been bummed by with the pricepoint these rooms are at — about $500 a night. With that in mind now you can understand why we wanted to spend as much time as possible at the hotel. Each Deluxe room has beds that can be customized as twin or double as requested. The beds are hypoallergenic and supremely comfortable. It was so hard getting up the next morning because the beds sucked you into them with how comfy they are. Free WiFi is included both inside the rooms and in public areas which was nice for us to do a little work on our laptops or scroll TikTok on our phones instead of using our international phone plan.

Every room has fair-trade organic linens and a large bathroom with a powerful environmentally friendly shower and the following soaps and lotions from Sóley Organics. I will never get over the products in Iceland because they are SO good! My hair and skin always felt so good in Iceland after being in the hot springs and using all their shower products. Every room has slippers and robes for guests to use in the room or wear to the spa and hot spring.

What is the spa at the hotel like?

The natural spa with sauna and outdoor hot pool is a must while staying at the hotel. Honestly, it’s the first place Andrew and I went. We quite literally threw our bags down, changed into our bathing suits, put on the comfy robes provided in every room, and went to explore the spa. Once in the spa area, each guest will be able to store their shoes, etc. in their respective dressing room and then shower before entering the natural hot spring pool. This is custom in Iceland to shower before getting into the hot springs to ensure you’re not bringing anything on your skin into the hot springs that could hurt it. We ran from the dressing room and hopped in the pool to soak and it was fabulous!

Is there a bar on property?

The Northern Lights Bar is THE place to relax, enjoy the views, and enjoy a delicious cocktail. Unfortunately, while we were there we didn’t get a chance to enjoy a drink at the bar but we did get to hang out and relax a bit. The views from Northern Lights Bar are absolutely breathtaking. The bar is right above where the pool is and if you’re lucky you might even be able to see the northern lights while sipping on a cocktail late at night from here.

What was the restaurant like at ION Adventure Hotel?

Dinner at Silfra Restaurant, the restaurant located on the property, was incredible. The food quite literally melted in my mouth because it was so delicious but I will say it was a SPLURGE! This trip was to celebrate my 30th so we were already planning on having an expensive dinner and this one was about $200 USD for two appetizers, two entrees, one glass of wine, and one dessert. Andrew had the steak and it was so good and cooked perfectly. I had the fish of the day and the way it was prepared and the sauce they used… oh my gosh... I couldn’t stop eating it! The flavors were so unique and perfect. Finally, we ended with this pretty cherry cheesecake we took back to the room and it was good but not like $28 good if you know what I mean versus everything else I would have paid for again and again at that price. Breakfast at ION Adventure Hotel is not included and we read a couple of reviews saying it was just okay and not worth it so we ended up passing.

Explore incredible trails near the hotel

Iceland is known for having trails right off the road which is something Andrew and I loved to partake in. These little pull out spots lead to some of the most beautiful spots so you can definitely say it’s worth the time to pull over and walk a bit for a stunning view. This spot specifically was about 15 minutes from ION Adventure Hotel towards the city of Reykjavik.

Explore the Golden Circle nearby

ION Adventure Hotel’s location by the Golden Circle route makes it the perfect base from which to explore Iceland’s rich heritage, hardy flora and fauna, and myriad opportunities for extreme adventure. Close to Thingvellir National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), ION provides easy access to all the essential attractions of “the land of fire and ice”. Be sure to check out my entire post on the Golden Circle here.

Overall, I would absolutely stay at ION Adventure Hotel again with this specific room view — it was gorgeous and everyone who worked at the hotel was so lovely. We also stayed in the ION City Hotel and you can read all about our experience here.

XOXO

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