Hotel Rangá
Hella, Iceland
★ Verified by our editors · September 2026
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The verdict
A log-built lodge on the South Iceland plain near Hella, with the Hekla volcano behind and the sea in front, run by its owner, Friðrik Pálsson. At night it becomes one of the best places in Iceland to watch the northern lights: there is an observatory with telescopes, and staff wake you if the aurora appears. The suites are each dressed for a continent. One MICHELIN Key.
Aurora hunters, with the south coast's waterfalls and glaciers within a day's drive.
You want contemporary design: this is a timber lodge with a warm, old-fashioned manner.
Ask for the northern-lights wake-up call on arrival, and book the observatory for a clear night.
The rooms
Fifty-one wood-panelled rooms, some under the eaves, Deluxe rooms with murals by local artists, and Junior and Master Suites themed after the continents.
The setting
On the plain near Hella in South Iceland, a little over an hour east of Reykjavík, with Hekla to the north.
The food
A restaurant with Icelandic lamb and fish, and a bar with a long list of whiskies.
Getting there
About an hour and a half by car from Keflavík airport, on the Ring Road.
Good to know
There are outdoor hot tubs, and the house works with local guides for glacier walks, ice caves and super-jeep tours.
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