Umi Hotel

Built by a family who began work in the autumn of 2015, Umi Hotel opened in August 2017 on Iceland's south coast, near Hvolsvöllur. It was acquired by Alfa Framtak in December 2023, which has kept the hotel's original design intent in place. The property sits about 150 km from Reykjavík and 2 km from the Ring Road. Twenty-eight rooms look out toward the subglacial volcano Eyjafjallajökull or south toward the coastline and the Westman Islands, each with an en-suite bathroom and a large window. The interior and lighting were designed by the daughter of the hotel's original owners, using colours and textures drawn from the Icelandic autumn. A restaurant serves guests with a view of the ocean and islands, and a lounge bar looks toward the volcano. Breakfast is included. Downstairs, a wellness area holds a public sauna, a private sauna for hire by the hour, a massage room and a yoga room open around the clock. You can hear the aurora forecast discussed at reception, where staff offer a wake-up call if the northern lights appear over the hotel. It is a compact stay, built as a base for the waterfalls, black beaches and glaciers of the south coast.