360 Hotel has opened its doors among the farmlands of South Iceland, offering a different idea of luxury rooted in Icelandic heritage, warm hospitality and the freedom to slow down.
Created and owned by two Icelandic families, the 31-room hotel combines individually designed rooms and suites with geothermal wellness, seasonal cuisine and wide views across the surrounding countryside.
The South Iceland experience begins at the hotel itself. The extraordinary Icelandic light and uninterrupted views across the countryside are part of everyday life here, and an afternoon by the fire can be just as much a part of experiencing Iceland as a day spent exploring the landscape.
Each guestroom features a poster inspired by Rafskinna, an electrically operated “magic book” created by Gunnar Bachmann, the grandfather of one of the owners, for a Reykjavík shop window in 1932. It was a working advertisement as well as a novel piece of technology, with automatically turning pages illustrated by Icelandic artists. The display became a beloved local holiday tradition, offering a glimpse into everyday life and the way Icelanders experienced Christmas in the 1930s. Today, that piece of Icelandic history and the owners’ family story lives on in every room.
The sense of home and the freedom to slow down is central to the hotel’s philosophy.
“360 Hotel is, first and foremost, a family-owned hotel,” says owner Hrefna Bachmann.
“We never wanted to create a hotel that felt intimidating or overly formal. We wanted to create the kind of place we would want to come home to. Guests can spend the day exploring South Iceland and return somewhere calm and intimate, to sit beside the fire, enjoy a long dinner, read a book or simply watch the landscape and sky change outside. 360 Hotel is designed to provide the luxury of not having to rush to the next thing.”
Like so much of 360 Hotel, its design begins with family. Interior designer Guðbjörg Anna Árnadóttir, the sister of one of the owners, has been drawing and designing since she was a child. For 360 Hotel, she brought together her own ideas with the personalities, memories and travels of the two families, taking inspiration from the character, materials and traditions of Iceland.
Timber panelling takes its inspiration from older Icelandic buildings and settlements, while turf, fireplaces, natural materials, colour and tactile textures bring a sense of warmth and shelter. The result is a contemporary interpretation of Icelandic design that feels comfortable, personal and connected to the landscape.
There is no standard room at 360 Hotel. Each of the 31 rooms and suites has its own character, with individual colours, furniture, textiles and details, inviting guests to return and discover something different each time.
Accommodation ranges from Terrace Rooms from 27 square metres, where private terraces extend the living space into the surrounding landscape, to the 100-square-metre 360 Suite, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom retreat with panoramic views. Families can feel at home in three Junior Queen rooms with two queen beds from 47 square metres, and three sets of connecting rooms. Premium Norwegian beds and mattresses from Jensen, heated floors, and nightly turndown service complete the experience.
The interiors bring together handmade pieces found on the owners’ travels with contemporary Icelandic design, creating rooms that feel personal and lived in. Some feature Moroccan wool rugs made by women artisans near the Atlas Mountains, using patterns designed especially for the hotel by Árnadóttir. At Hnaus Restaurant, handmade pottery comes through an Icelandic foundation that teaches pottery skills to women in Sierra Leone and helps them sell their work.
This sense of connection continues into the way guests experience the rooms. There are no televisions in the guestrooms. Instead, guests are encouraged to talk, read, listen to music or simply look outside. Guests who want to watch a film can visit the hotel’s cinema Otherwise, they can simply sit and watch the landscape change outside.
There is something wonderfully simple about ending a day in South Iceland with a soak in warm geothermal water. At 360 Hotel, the 350-square-metre wellness sanctuary has two geothermal hot pools, fed by water from a nearby farm, with views across the surrounding countryside. Guests can also use two saunas, including an infrared sauna, cold plunge facilities, treatment rooms and quiet spaces for relaxation.
After a day exploring glaciers, waterfalls, volcanic landscapes and black sand beaches, guests can come back, warm up, cool down and take their time. There is also a gym and yoga studio for those who want to keep active, but there is no need to do anything at all.
