The Best Europe Hotel Openings of 2023

Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll, Iceland

Located near a mountain range deep in the country’s remote Ásgarður Valley, the Blue Lagoon Highland Base Kerlingarfjöll (sister location to the geothermal spa in the Reykjanes Peninsula) offers access to Iceland’s wild interior in a luxurious setting. Guests are ferried via off-road vehicles across the snowy, roadless terrain to the property’s year-round 46-room hotel and six standalone cottages. Clad with wooden planks, angular rooflines echo the surrounding peaks, while a palette of wood, stone, and wool reflects the rugged landscape.

Architecture Firm: Basalt Architects, Reykjavík | Design Firms: Design Group Italia, New York and Milan, in collaboration with Blue Lagoon | Owner + Operator: Blue Lagoon Iceland