Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon

Perfectly placed for a ramble around the south coast of Iceland, Fosshótel Glacier Lagoon is one of a new wave of hotels that combine contemporary architecture and design with views of the island’s extraordinary landscapes — and access to some even more extraordinary ones, including the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Skaftafell National Park. Rooms look out through vast windows, and showcase the warm side of Nordic modernism; the restaurant, meanwhile, is an upscale one with a sensible focus on local produce and Icelandic flavors. The nearby black-sand beach is a must-see, as are the Northern Lights, for which the front desk provides an overnight wake-up call.