At just over 2,000 square feet, centered around a literal bar serving Champagne and moss-vodka infusions alongside more healthful, vitamin-powered Viking smoothies, the cozy-chic spa on the Reykjavik Edition hotel in Iceland epitomizes the growing “social wellness” trend.
Why not hop into the spa’s nightclub-vibes hammam with a bunch of besties relatively than all by your lonesome?
Although you may definitely practice some solo self-care here, if that’s what you’re after.
Positioned within the lower level of the 253-room, 26-suite property, directly across from Sunset, the hotel’s actual nightclub, the spa digs deep into its national heritage, with treatments just like the 60-minute Víkingur and 120-minute Endurnýjun.
The previous, ideal for workout junkies, combines a muscle-soothing salt-stone massage with essential oils and the signature healthy Viking smoothie.
The latter, named for the Icelandic word for “renewal,” was inspired by the local seascape and starts with a brisk body brushing followed by a body wrap with a alternative of detoxifying algae or nourishing marine mud, customized facial and scalp massage.
Spend greater than five minutes in Iceland, and it’s clear the natives are greater than a little bit happy with their water.
Whether it’s tap H2O so pure you may drink it unfiltered, or stunningly beautiful hot-spring destinations like Hvammsvík Nature Resort and Sky Lagoon, water figures prominently.
“Geothermal energy is important for the Icelandic wellness industry,” says Tatiana Hallgrímsdóttir, Edition’s director of culture and entertainment, who has organized greater than her fair proportion of hot springs day trips for guests.
Eva Dögg Rúnarsdóttir, who, together with Dagný Berglind Gísladóttir, founded RVK Ritual — a buzzy combination event space, online educational platform and wellness product range — couldn’t agree more.
“We’ve got all the pieces needed for a holistic wellness experience right here in Iceland,” she says. “Combining the pure water, the recent springs, the cold sea and the mountains, it’s a wellness experience to recollect.”
Although nowhere near the extent of the American market, the Icelandic skin-care scene is gaining traction, too.
Alongside the firmly established Blue Lagoon, launched in 1995, there’s the well-regarded Bioeffect, which bills itself as biotech skincare and grows its own key ingredient — sustainable barley — in a hydroponic, ecologically engineered greenhouse situated within the lava fields of the Reykjanes peninsula, roughly 30 miles from its Reykjavík company headquarters. One other notable Icelandic skin-care brand is Angan, steeped in wildcrafted plant ingredients.
On the fragrance front, the family-owned Fischersund sells its artsy, culty scents, derived from herbs and oils indigenous to Iceland, online, at select stores and at its always-packed boutique in downtown Reykjavík.
Incorporating a musical bent — due to Jónsi Fischersund, an completed “nose” and member of the post-rock band Sigur Rós — each fragrance is paired with a moody aural composition.
While skincare and smells are a terrific technique to experience Iceland’s bounty of native plant ingredients, there’s nothing like experiencing its thermal wonders.
Hvammsvík, situated on the North Atlantic in Mosfellsbær, 45 minutes outside of Reykjavík, features eight hot springs edged with black-sand beaches, a killer on-site restaurant and Architectural Digest-worthy, stand-alone guest accommodations.
One among the 4 private dwellings, the dramatic Hilltop House, was originally built by the British Navy as their communication headquarters in Iceland during World War II.
For more of a celebration vibe, but with an equally charming ocean view, head to Sky Lagoon, minutes outside Reykjavík. After downing a flute of Champagne on the grotto Lagoon Bar, be sure you partake within the Ritual, a seven-step process that toggles between icy plunge pool, fiery sauna, steam and gritty salt scrub.
To get probably the most out of your Iceland visit, just take your cues from the locals.
“There’s a lot power on this island,” says Rúnarsdóttir, who has been co-hosting elaborate RVK Ritual-branded “fire and ice” wellness events on the Edition spa, accompanied by a large gong for sound meditations. “The character is incredibly powerful, and so are the individuals who live here and the plants that grow here.”
