The Retreat at Blue Lagoon
Daily price line
Upcoming nightly rates
Review
Character and identity
The Retreat sits embedded in the Illahraun lava field, a 755-year-old flow within the Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, 15 minutes from Keflavík airport. Basalt Architects designed the 60-suite property to dissolve into the moss and rock, with wall-sized windows framing the horizon from every room. The underground spa, with its private Retreat Lagoon, saunas, and cold plunge, is the gravitational centre, anchored by the six-step Ritual using Blue Lagoon's silica, algae, and mud masks. Dining runs from Michelin-starred Moss (chef Agnar Sverrisson's seasonal tasting menu) to the more casual Lava and the robe-friendly Spa Restaurant. Service is formal but warm, with staff learning names quickly.
Who's it for
Best for:
Couples and solo travellers who want to slow down, soak, and surrender to a single landscape. Spa devotees, design-literate guests drawn to Scandinavian restraint, and serious food lovers will all find their register here. It's also the smartest first or last night in Iceland given the airport proximity.
Should look elsewhere:
Families with young kids, anyone wanting nightlife or a buzzy bar scene, and travellers who plan to base themselves here for Reykjavík or Golden Circle touring. The remote setting genuinely limits what can be sourced off-property at short notice.
Bottom line
The defining experience is the private Retreat Lagoon and underground spa, reserved for suite guests, paired with cooking at Moss that reframes Icelandic ingredients seriously. Book it as bookend nights around an Iceland trip rather than a base, splurge on a lagoon-view suite with the soaking tub, and build in at least two nights so the six-step Ritual and an in-water massage both fit.