Hotel Ranga

Landing in Iceland can feel like landing in another world, and staying at the Hotel Ranga, which sits smack in the middle of its epic raw beauty, you can’t help but feel you're practically part of the landscape. Waterfalls, volcanoes, black-sand beaches—they’re not just on the itinerary, they’re your backyard.

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The restaurant view is killer, and the local fare—Arctic char, reindeer—is honest, warming, and reliably Icelandic and completely delicious. A real highlight. Dining felt like a proper taste-of-the-wild kind of deal.

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But then there’s the suite. The Arctic Suite clobbers you with black-and-white everything and life-size penguins. If you’re supposed to feel chill, instead you feel slightly on edge—like you're living inside anInstagram filter stitched together by Scandinavian hipsters. Overall decor felt dated, stuck in a novelty time warp rather than the pristine wilderness glamour you imagine: somehow it kinda just about works, but at the same time it really doesn’t.

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Service at the Hotel Ranga presented the charming friendly attitude you’d expect without being overbearing; giving off warm-fire-by-the-glacier vibes, and always on hand to lend their recommendations or give you a call at midnight to make sure you don’t miss the Northern Lights.

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The Hotel Ranga doesn’t have a gym – which is something we use just about everywhere we visit so this was a negative for us. The environment around us kept us busy though, as we hopped between waterfall chasing and relaxing in geothermal hot tubs.

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If you’re after stunning scenery, great food and quirkyIcelandic charm, the Hotel Ranga is for you. But if you’re after sleek design or stylish interiors, you might feel like you traded designer for earmuffs. The charm lies in the place; not necessarily just the residence.

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