Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Natura

An airport hotel with a difference

Word to the wise: During happy hour at the lobby bar, you can often find a local musician here performing Icelandic folk songs with a banjo.
Noteworthy for: Fancy mingling with the locals? The hotel operates a fantastic program that allows you to dine with a local Icelandic family for an evening, from gay couples to grandparents.

In a place as small as Reykjavik, one wouldn't necessarily opt for a hotel located 20 minutes walk from the city centre. But the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Natura has an awful lot going for it.
With its position next to Reykjavik's domestic airport (the international airport is a 45-minute drive south), it's possible to watch small planes landing from the window of your Icelandic nature-inspired room, but that's not the only in-house entertainment. All guests have complimentary use of the luxurious hot tub, heated pool, sauna and steam room at the Soley Spa - which also offers a range of beauty and relaxation treatments - and for those staying in on a Thursday night, there's theatrical bedtime stories (for all ages) in the library, pyjamas optional.

Free local bus tickets are available to guests who don't fancy heading into town on-foot (granted, there's not a lot to see en-route), and there's a bar, restaurant and movie theatre for those nights you'd rather spend in.