The Retreat at Blue Lagoon

Room Type: Moss Junior Suite

Hotel Amenities: Unlimited access to the world-class spa and private lagoon, daily breakfast and afternoon tea included, complementary yoga, Blue Lagoon Skin Care toiletries

Average Cost per Night: $1,300 (incl. fees, for 1 night)

Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

My Rating: 10/10

Pawel and I splurged on a one-night stay at this hotel way back in 2018 (when we both still had plenty of disposable income!) and it made such an impression that I had to include it here, even though it pre-dates our official travel sabbatical.

The design, location, and thoughtful touches at The Retreat easily made it one of the most memorable places I've ever stayed. The price is definitely not wallet-friendly, but it's more palatable if you factor in the Blue Lagoon and spa access, complementary breakfast and afternoon tea, and free daily yoga.

The Blue Lagoon is Iceland's most popular tourist attraction, with over 1 million visitors per year, making the public section of the lagoon quite crowded. A ticket package currently costs anywhere from $57 for basic entry to $399 for spa access. But a stay at The Retreat comes with unlimited access to a private section of the Blue Lagoon and full use of the facilities at The Retreat Spa, where you can experience the Spa's "Blue Lagoon Ritual"—a cycle of lathering, masking, and rinsing the skin with silica, algae, and minerals—as many times as you please. Which, in our case, was many, many times. Our skin and hair has never felt better.

Speaking of skin and hair, the complementary Blue Lagoon Skin Care toiletries also make up a lot of the added value of a stay at The Retreat. The room provides bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, face wash, and face masks which would cost hundreds of dollars retail. Don't leave these behind when you leave!

The room and hotel itself is beautiful designed to blend in with the environment. Scandinavian minimalism abounds, and yet there is an immediate sense of warmth and coziness. The view from our Moss Room immersed us in a landscape of moss-covered volcanic rock contrasted against stunning blue geothermal waters.

I would recommend booking a stay here for your first night in Iceland. There's truly no better way to banish the jet lag than a luxurious day of alternating between the spa and the lagoon, and falling into a cozy bed looking out across the stunning Icelandic landscape. The cost may make this stay a once-in-a-lifetime splurge, but the hotel will make you dream of returning.

(We did return, ultimately, in late 2019, but opted to stay at the slightly more budget-friendly Silica Hotel at the Blue Lagoon. It's an excellent choice as well, and at half the cost you'll still get many—if not all—of the perks of its pricier neighbor.)