Short stay: Antarctica Suite, Hotel Rangá, Hella, Iceland

You could be forgiven for wondering how a hotel that is largely made from wood, in a country that is relatively devoid of trees, has come about. It’s thanks to the incredible vision of owner Friðrik Pálsson and wood sourced from Canada’s pine forests that the four star Hotel Rangá enjoys its homely log cabin façade and extensive wooden interiors. Read on to learn why this Nordic boutique hotel and member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World is also one of South Iceland‘s finest luxury hotels…

The welcome

Our initial greeting is from resident polar bear, Hrammur (which means ‘paw’ in Icelandic); he was salvaged from a bankrupt shopping mall and stands in a new part of the Hotel Rangá lobby that had to be specially-designed to accommodate his 13-foot stature.  As we turn to the reception desk, it’s a gentleman named Egill who warmly greets us and advises us that there’s a welcome drink waiting for us at the bar once we had settled in.

The room

We stayed in Room 60, a Master Suite. There are seven suites at the property that depict each of the seven continents. With penguin artwork above the super king bed, there are no prizes for guessing that we were in the Antarctica Suite.

The cool and quirky Antarctica Suite has it all – from a white-tiled floor that resembles an ice floe to a ceiling with the mural of a wandering albatross with a 12-foot wingspan.

In the case of the other suites, furniture and decorations have been sourced from the respective continents. That’s a little more challenging in the case of Antarctica, of course, so pieces have been sourced from the world over, be it sofas from Italy or carved penguins from Canada.

Futuristic black and white décor, alternating black and white lamps and light fixtures, and floor-to-ceiling windows with black-out blinds complete the look.

And if all that wasn’t enough, two life-sized Adélie penguins guard either side of a large two-person Jacuzzi bath.

There are plenty of in-room amenities, too, such as a Nespresso coffee machine and complimentary Kristall water.

There’s even a glass chess board – made by the Samvek glass manufacturer in Hella just 10 minutes away – with polar-themed pieces.

The suite…