Mere paces from both Reykjavik's undisturbed Atlantic waterfront and the capital's buzzing shopping hotspot, Laugavegur, comes an Icelandic stopping point with a boutique vibe - the Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the building served as a department store owned by German consul Ditlev Thomsen - a third generation merchant and entrepreneur from Reykjavik. Brightly renovated with plush leather sofas and exposed brick feature walls, the luxury hotel is now a welcoming, modern place to stay in Iceland where 50 rooms include smart corner suites with private terraces.
Downstairs, the thoroughly Icelandic experience continues twofold. The hotel's bathhouse has retained a 19th-century stone wall in a nod to traditional bathing in hot springs and geothermal pools. Its restaurant, meanwhile, is the second outpost from two Icelandic chefs whose restaurant on Heimaey - the rocky island home to eight million Icelandic puffins - has earned something of a cult following. Expect flavoursome fusions using local ingredients.
