The Scandi Way
Read on for our recommendations of Scandi-inspired places to stay. You’ll find a chic functionality, simple yet stylish décor and an emphasis on cosy.
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Torfhús Retreat
ICELAND
Beautifully bleak and utterly remote, this is the place to come and hole up with loved ones in cosy turf-topped cottages made from stone, grass and wood, with Nordic-inspired interiors heightening the sense of contentment. Outside, it’s a different matter. Torfhús is situated in the wild cinematic scenery that surrounds the Golden Circle and here outdoor pursuits in the elemental landscapes are part of its allure.
Go classic Iceland and watch geysers spurt and waterfalls plummet or ride an Icelandic horse across windswept valleys. Sight see by superjeep or climb up into the glaciers of the highlands. Come home for an Icelandic-inspired dinner, followed by a soak in your geothermal outdoor basalt tub, perhaps accompanied by the delicate dance of the Northern Lights overhead.
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Arctic Bath
SWEDEN
Arctic Bath could be this decade’s most logic-defying hotel. Made of wood and steel, and resembling a huge bird’s nest, Arctic Bath either floats on Sweden’s River Tule, or sits on ice depending on the season. The whimsically designed central orb is a temple to wellbeing, with a circular natural ice bath at its core, surrounded by a sauna, a hot bath and treatment rooms.
Along the riverbank are a flotilla of ‘drift-alone bedrooms’ with Scandi-chic interiors, huge windows and cosy log burners. Extracting yourself from this scene of serenity could be difficult but you’ll be thankful you did when you’re fishing on the ice, moose whispering in the woodland, sharing a meal with the Sámi people, or photographing the dreamlike wonder of the Aurora Borealis.
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Niekhu Mountain Villa
SWEDEN
In an area known as Europe’s last wilderness, Niekhu Mountain Villa is located on the border between Sweden and Norway, 200 kms from the Arctic Circle. Niekhu, which means ‘dream’ in Sami, is a stylish 14-bedroom heli-lodge made of timber with a monochromatic colour palette, which offers intrepid adventures into the heart of Swedish Lapland. With helicopters on standby, you can fly off with knowledgeable guides to over 60 skiable mountain peaks. Simply pick the peak you’d like to ski down, and providing there are no reindeers in sight, you’ll be dropped onto pristine runs and picked up again at the bottom.
In summer, try hiking, cycling, fishing and climbing on the stunning mountain landscapes of Lapland. After a day in the outdoors, chic Niekhu provides a warm welcome with an ample wine cellar and a cuisine made up of local ingredients such as Arctic char, langoustine and reindeer.
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Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands
FAROE ISLANDS
A cluster of 18 islands situated between Norway and Iceland in the North Atlantic is to be a recipient of its first international hotel. The Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands is due to open later in 2020 in the town of Torshavn. The first thing you’ll notice about this Hilton is its striking shape. Curved steel gives it a sleek modernist look, while a turf-topped grass roof gives a nod to Faroe Island heritage.
This stunning hotel is well located, being walking distance of the harbour, the North Atlantic Art museum and Nordic House, which pays homage to all things Nordic and Faroese. Inside, the hotel has a luxurious Nordic vibe, and the simplicity of the décor will be in wide juxtaposition to the wild nature of the Faroe Islands, just waiting to be explored.
