
Even though it’s only a five-hour flight from New York, it feels like you’ve stepped into a whole new world when you step off the plane in Iceland. The land is both geologically young and active, which has created a spectacular natural environment. The Ion Hotel is close to Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is surrounded by mountains, lava fields, waterfalls and glaciers. The hotel was once an inn for workers at the nearby geothermal power plant. In 2011, it was completely renovated with the help of Santa Monica-based design firm Minarc. So that the inside does not compete with the otherworldliness of the natural surroundings on the outside, the hotel has been deliberately kept to a minimum, with careful attention to the use of innovative materials and sustainable practices. It’s a lesson we like to bring into our own four walls. If travel is your inspiration, don’t miss our luxury classes from Panama and Peru.
Luxury living Icelandic style
Efforts have been made to use recycled and reused materials throughout the hotel – driftwood, lava, recycled rubber. Additionally, Icelandic references are dotted throughout the hotel’s design – photos and prints of glacier waterfalls, an artificial fox, and even a brown trout adorn the walls. But nothing competes with this view of the lava fields.