Hotel Rangá

Hotel Rangá is the stay that organises itself around Iceland's sky. A long, low log-built lodge on the banks of the salmon-rich East Rangá river, alone in open farmland an hour and a half east of Reykjavík, it has no light pollution worth the name—which is why it has become the country's best-known aurora hotel, complete with wake-up calls when the lights appear, outdoor hot tubs for watching them, and a purpose-built observatory whose telescopes are opened by resident stargazing hosts on clear nights.

Rooms run from snug timber standards facing the river or the volcano Hekla to a suite collection themed by continent with cheerful excess. The mood throughout is warm, personal and unpretentious—wood, taxidermy and long views—rather than design-hotel cool.

The restaurant is a genuine destination on the south coast, serving Icelandic ingredients—langoustine, lamb, wild fish—with polish and a strong wine list, its windows on the river. The location works hard: Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Eyjafjallajökull and the black beaches at Vík are all within day-trip range. For the south coast's sights by day and the aurora hunt by night, Rangá remains the standard.