The Hill Hotel at Flúðir

The best moment of our night came after we’d already enjoyed the room and the perfect hot tub: a huge aurora appeared right above us. I’ve told everyone about this place since, and I’m so grateful for that evening. We’d originally booked The Hillguest house and came here to check in because it was the same item. At reception I noticed a sign with general information and the hot tub, so I asked about it since we’d had to skip some spa time that day. The very, very kind girl explained it was for hotel guests only. When I realized we couldn’t use it, she upgraded our room so we could. The room and bathroom were beautiful, and the hall was fantastic. We also stopped for drinks. My alcohol-free one was delicious and just right. I loved her and the whole hotel. Everything was perfect.

The restaurant meal was lovely, though £93 for three burger meals was more than we expected, even knowing food in Iceland would be costly. The hotel is beautiful and very photogenic, perhaps part of its appeal for influencers, but the stay itself felt lacklustre and The Hill was our least favourite stop. Our 15-year-old had a painfully uncomfortable pull-out bed, so we had to pile pillows on it to help her sleep. The outdoor hot tubs were great, but in winter we hadn’t brought flip-flops and had to walk there and back barefoot. The paths could use better lighting.

Dinner was delicious and there was a good range at the bar. Breakfast, at 22 euro, felt overpriced, and the scrambled eggs had gone hard from sitting in the pan too long. The hotel itself is lovely, with cute fairy lights up for Christmas, though the rooms are quite dim, mostly lit by table lamps. The reception and bar space seems small for the number of rooms. It wasn’t too busy when we were there, but I’d hate to see how crowded it gets in high season. The woman at reception, who seemed to be in charge, was unwelcoming, and the rest of the staff came across curt with hardly a smile, apart from the lovely South American man. I’d emailed a few days earlier with a question and was told reception would get back to me soon, but they never did.

The bathrooms still work, though I think they deserve a bit of refurbishment. We had a lovely New Year’s Eve here. The hotel is small, which gives it a homey feel without big crowds, and the staff were outstanding. Cosy, nicely decorated, and conveniently placed in the heart of the Golden Circle. It was perfect for us.