There aren’t many luxurious resorts in Iceland, though over time that has modified as the typical Iceland customer has developed from the funds backpacker to households, honeymooners, and luxurious thrill seekers. There is one resort on the South Coast that gives Icelandic luxurious, superb eating, and a very good scenario for spying the Northern Lights in season. Find out extra with my full Hotel Ranga evaluation.
I used to be invited to remain at Hotel Ranga, one of many most interesting Iceland resorts on the South coast and definitely the most effective Northern Lights resorts in Iceland. Unfortunately, the Northern Lights by no means made an look throughout that journey, nevertheless it was nonetheless a incredible go to and Hotel Ranga made an important dwelling base for exploring South Iceland and all of the distinctive issues to do there.
Hotel Ranga: South Iceland Luxury Hotel
Note: My keep was hosted by Hotel Ranga. We had a good time and I’d fortunately keep there once more. All opinions are my very own. Feature picture courtesy of Hotel Ranga. This put up incorporates affiliate hyperlinks. If you click on a hyperlink and make a purchase order, I could obtain a small fee.
Hotel Ranga is situated proper off of the Ring Road, about one hour and quarter-hour from Reykjavik and two hours from Keflavik airport. Once you might be there, it’s only 20 minutes to Seljalandsfoss, one of the vital well-liked waterfalls in South Iceland. And, it is only one hour to the black sand seashores and sea stacks in Vík.
You ought to plan on staying not less than three nights, so you possibly can reap the benefits of a number of the space’s enjoyable actions like glacier mountaineering, snowmobiling or ATV driving, mountaineering, horseback driving, or taking a brilliant jeep tour into Thorsmark Valley. Of course, it is advisable to spend not less than someday simply taking within the waterfalls and superb surroundings (or in search of puffins in case you are there in the summertime.) If you might be there within the winter, hopefully that can even provide you with a very good likelihood of seeing the Aurora Borealis.
Check availability at Hotel Ranga in Iceland
North Lights Hotel in Iceland
The purpose that Hotel Ranga is such an ideal Northern Lights resort is that they’ve their very personal observatory on the property. On clear nights, they invite an area astronomer to come back in to teach guests on the night time skies. Being so removed from any mild air pollution from close by cities, the darkish night time skies make for superb star gazing.
The observatory is situated 150 meters from the primary constructing and the resort even gives heat snowsuits for heading out on chilly nights. The roof rolls again so visitors can use their two astronomical telescopes, each an 11-inch Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain and a TEC 160ED APO refractor on an Astro-Physics 900 mount. They even have an 18-inch reflector, the most important telescope in Iceland. From there you possibly can see Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars.
Plus, hopefully, you’ll get to see the Northern Lights in case you are there within the prime season of November by means of March. You may also take a Northern Lights sightseeing tour if you wish to “chase the lights” however I most popular hanging out within the comfy lounge and going to mattress figuring out that I’d get a wake-up name if the Aurora made an look.
There is a useful sign-up listing on the entrance desk and all it is advisable to do is examine off if you want a Northern Lights wake-up name. If you wish to examine the forecast for Northern Lights predictions, go to the Icelandic Met workplace web site. We thought we had been going to see the Lights after we had been there however then the clouds began rolling in round 11 pm, simply when it was predicted to start out the present.
It was disappointing however I used to be in a position to see the Northern Lights on a subsequent go to. Just learn my tips on visiting Iceland in winter if you’ll see the Northern Lights.
Eclectic, Lodge-like Accommodations at Hotel Ranga
While Hotel Ranga is an Iceland luxurious resort, it has a lodge-like really feel with log partitions and glossy hardwood hallways. It is ready up in a typical Icelandic resort design, with one or two-story wings extending from the central reception space. The hallways are lengthy and slender, resulting in 51 normal and deluxe rooms and themed suites. We stayed in a Deluxe room, with a king mattress and a pull-out couch.
The room itself was fairly easy. The luxurious comes into play extra with the restaurant and a number of the facilities. The mattress was comfy and I really like the person duvets for preserving heat — I feel I want to do this at dwelling! Our room had a door to the skin so you would make a fast exit in the event you acquired the decision that the Northern Lights had been on show.
The rest room was surprisingly massive and I really like that they’re utilizing the geothermal warmth of Iceland to have facilities like towel warming racks. There was a big indoor Jacuzzi bathtub, which additionally functioned because the bathe, however and not using a door or curtain so in the event you weren’t cautious the lavatory may get fairly moist. After busy days out within the chilly, I loved a heat bathe and getting cozy within the offered gown and slippers to calm down for some time earlier than dinner.
If you need a splurge, every of the suites has a theme with personally curated results from numerous international locations. It is certainly eclectic and shocking to stroll into an African-themed room in Iceland, however these little quirks hold the resort attention-grabbing.
Fine Dining at Hotel Ranga
Your day at Hotel Ranga begins with a breakfast buffet in the primary eating room. We had been pleased to refill earlier than our busy days exploring exterior. It was a typical European/American buffet with scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, potatoes, and make-your-own waffles. There was additionally fruit, meats, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, pastries, toast, and cereal.
While breakfast was pretty normal resort fare, dinner was actually a superb eating expertise. In addition to the primary eating room, Hotel Ranga has a small bar, lounge, and two assembly rooms upstairs. Since we had been there as visitors and a part of a gaggle of journey brokers, writers and photographers, we loved some particular dinners within the personal eating rooms upstairs.
The restaurant has a “Farmer’s Market” theme, specializing in native, contemporary substances. For proteins, this implies loads of fish and lamb, but in addition some extra adventurous choices like reindeer carpaccio. I’m at all times impressed by the array of contemporary greens and fruits accessible in Iceland, due to their ingenious use of geothermally-heated greenhouses.
The chef and workers are extraordinarily conscientious about meals allergic reactions and restrictions. They additionally supply a youngsters’s menu, so that you don’t want to fret an excessive amount of in the event you don’t have adventurous eaters. The Children’s menu provides normal fish and chips, hen, hamburgers, and pasta. Of course, in case you are adventurous, you possibly can in all probability request a pattern of fermented shark fin…they are saying the odor is worse than the style.
We additionally had a blast hanging out within the downstairs and upstairs lounge, and the well-stocked bar had an important choice of spirits, wines, and native beers — together with my new favourite Einstok. What do you consider these funky bar stools? (Those usually are not my legs!) I used to be excited to listen to that they’ve a plan so as to add an indoor fire, in addition to some cozy out of doors seating and warmth lamps by the out of doors scorching tubs.
Hotel Ranga Amenities
Iceland isn’t actually a spot that you simply go to simply to hang around on the resort, however after a busy day exploring, it’s good to have some creature comforts. Hotel Ranga’s three out of doors scorching tubs supply reduction for aching muscle tissue — though it is advisable to be a bit of courageous to make the sprint from the resort to the relative heat of the bathtub. Good factor for these robes!
If you favor to remain inside, there are a couple of gathering locations indoors as effectively. Each wing has a day room, considered one of which is outfitted with a full-size pool desk and quite a few board video games to borrow.
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