Where nature and luxury collide

Iceland is the country where business meets nature, often in the most spectacular way imaginable.

The country’s dramatic landscape is an event organiser’s dream, with the potential to create unique experiences around almost every corner. And being between the US and Europe, it has great connections via Icelandair, being just as easy to reach from New York as it is from London, Paris and Frankfurt.

The luxury market in Iceland is still quite new – and received a huge boost with the opening of the Reykjavik EDITION in 2021, a five-star luxury city centre hotel with stunning views over the harbour to the mountains beyond.

I stayed at the EDITION on my trip to Iceland, and from the moment you step into the breathtaking lobby, based around a central glass firepit, you’re engulfed in the warm embrace of Nordic luxury design. The cosy rugs, faux-fur blankets and leather seats make for an unforgettable first impression, which the rest of the hotel experience more than lives up to.

The stylish, modern hotel has 253 ultra-comfortable rooms, 26 suites, a rooftop bar, spa, and more than 502 sqm of meeting and events spaces, including a ballroom that can accommodate up to 300 people.

The signature dishes at the hotel’s TIDES restaurant showcase simple yet refined cooking techniques and quality ingredients, such as seafood from Iceland’s pristine waters and locally-farmed lamb. I loved the drama of the bar’s signature smoke-filled Reykjavik cocktail, emerging from under a cloche like a sci-fi popstar.

The hotel’s unbeatable location sees it nestled directly opposite the Harpa conference centre and concert hall, home to more than 6,600 sqm of multifunctional conference space catering for up to 3,500 delegates.

Harpa’s striking basalt-inspired facade houses spaces equipped with the latest technology and first-class acoustics. The main hall, Eldborg, has space for 1,600, while, Silfurberg, a large conference hall on the second floor, has theatre-style seating for up to 840.

M&IT editor Paul Harvey

The lobby of the Reykjavik EDITION

TIDES restaurant

Iceland map

Reykjavik itself is a charming, walkable capital city – the Rainbow Road leading up to the towering Hallgrímskirkja cathedral is particularly striking – and you’ll be surprised by the myriad options on offer.

Atop a hill on the edge of the city sits Perlan, a world-class ‘exploratorium’ that provides a fast-track to Iceland’s wonders - northern lights, glaciers, volcanoes and ocean-life all come alive before your eyes, as well as a real 100m ice cave. The stunning revolving (yes, revolving) top floor restaurant space offers 360° views over Reykjavik and is available to hire for events.

To get the most out of hosting an event in Iceland, however, you’ll want to head out of the city to explore nature at its rawest. It’s this rugged appeal that has seen visitor numbers soar over the last decade or so from the tens of thousands to the current level of 2 million per year.

“It’s a totally different landscape”, says Hildur Björg Baeringsdottir, director of research and lead generation at Iceland Convention Bureau. “The big boom was in 2010, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruptions that caused the ash cloud and the flight disturbances. And we managed to turn that into something positive, because people started thinking about Iceland as a destination to travel to.

“Icelanders are very experienced in dealing with crisis situations because Mother Nature governs our existence, so we do whatever she says.”

For this reason you’ll almost certainly want to partner with a local destination management company, who will be able to unlock the Iceland’s treasures for your delegates. From mountains, volcanoes and lakes to glaciers, lagoons and caves, nowhere is off limits for planners.

“It’s pretty much the sky's the limit,” says Ulfhildur E. Porlaksdottir of G-Events DMC. “We get outside in nature and we like to think outside the box. We recently had a Northern Lights party that started at two in the morning. We had a DJ and they were dancing in the woods and drinking hot cocoa and they were actually really lucky, they got a Northern Lights show. The nature is our canvas. We love to do stuff that hasn't maybe been done.

“When people say ‘no, you can't do that’ - that is our inspiration. A client wanted to have a fancy dinner 300 metres inside a lava cave, so we did it. One client wanted to party inside an ice cave, so after the normal tour we had a buffet and a DJ and drinks inside the ice cave. The only thing stopping us is the budget. We are really ambitious to fulfil if people have requests.”

Blue Lagoon Iceland is perhaps the most famous of Iceland’s geothermal spas, and its location close to Keflavik Airport makes it a popular stop off on arriving or prior to departure. The volcanic landscape, organic architecture and focus on wellbeing make the Blue Lagoon an inspiring location for events from conferences and receptions to banquets, board meetings, and group dining. Treat your delegates to an In-Water Storytelling session, or simply let them enjoy the highly Instagrammable waters, swim-up bars and facepacks.

Icelandair flies to more than 50 destinations worldwide, including daily flights to 28 US and Europe hotspots. Its 2024 schedule is its most extensive to date and it is set to bolster its fleet with the addition of three new aircraft.

The carrier offers a corporate travel service for planners that sees expert consultants oversee your travel itinerary, saving time and money. The bespoke service sees Icelandair consultants create an itinerary, manage all necessary information when making a booking, and keep tabs on the progression of your journey.

Hallgrimskirkja cathedral towers over Reykjavik

World-class ‘exploratorium’ Perlan

Blue Lagoon Iceland

M&IT editor Paul Harvey in an ice cave

“There are things that you can do in Iceland that you can’t do anywhere else.”

Quinten Veerman, director of sales & marketing at the Reykjavik EDITION

(Photo credit: Davide Cantelli) unsplash

The Reykjavik EDITION THE ROOF (Photo Credit: Nikolas Koenig)

The Reykjavik EDITION Premier rooms, ocean view King, (Photo Credit: Nikolas Koenig)

Interview with Quinten Veerman, director of sales & marketing at the Reykjavik EDITION.

“It's a fantastic property in a fantastic location. We're still pretty new, so we're still trying to get the word out that we're here in Iceland. The official opening was at the end of 2021. The luxury scene in Iceland is pretty new. The local partners and DMCs welcomed our arrival with open arms, saying ‘Finally, this is what we were missing’.

“We’re extremely happy with our partnership with Harpa, the convention centre just in front of the hotel. The hotel was built to complement the convention centre and to accommodate groups at a higher level than all the four stars and three stars in the city. We're very close. The partnership is there to amplify both products; it helps sell Iceland. Also, Harpa is the biggest convention centre in the Nordics, it gives Iceland that one-of-a-kind destination in the middle between the US and Europe.

“We've seen a lot of emerging markets coming up, like Brazil, South Africa, Mexico. They are attracted by Iceland because of the fact that it's completely different. We see some very specific markets as well, like the car industry. They use Iceland as a marketing scene, you see a lot of rooms coming from those markets.

“We see a lot of incentive trips from the UK. Mostly incentives, some meeting and events planners that want to do something a little bit out of the ordinary. They want to come to Iceland, simply because of the fact that it's a bucket list destination, perfect for rewarding your sales teams.

“We’re trying to position the destination itself as a place to meet. I think a lot of meeting planners are not aware that Iceland is so close. It's only two and a half hours from the UK. The perception is it's cold, it's dark, whereas it’s completely not true.

“I’ve had groups that did dinners on glaciers on top of mountains. 60 people, you set up in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the Icelandic scenery. There are things that you can do in Iceland that you can’t do anywhere else. That is exactly what attracts events planners. If your client comes in and says, “I want something completely off the grid, I want something totally different, what can we do instead of going to the usual destinations?” you can say, “Okay, what about Iceland?”.

“It is one of a kind, you can't find anything that compares to Iceland. It's a great location. It's easy to get to, it's super safe. All the infrastructure is made for it. The DMCs are very professional. They know what they're doing. They have experience in groups, we have had groups coming into Iceland for years. That's what attracts events planners these days, really offering something different to the customer.”

UPDATES

A new expanded passenger terminal is currently under construction at Akureyri Airport in the north of Iceland, due to be completed this year.

Part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, the brand new 163-room Iceland Parliament Hotel, is located next to Iceland's parliament buildings and features almost 800 sqm of meeting space.

Hotel Reykjavik Saga by Íslandshótel is a four-star spa hotel with 130 rooms reflecting a modern Icelandic style.

The newest member of the Center Hotels Group, the four-star Grandi offers 195 rooms and two meeting spaces with a combined size of 80 sqm.

(Photo credit: Luke Stackpoole) unsplash