 Named after the postcode for the
compact and elegant downtown district of Reykjavik, the 101 Hotel is suited
perfectly to Iceland’s stylish yet unpretentious capital city. The sleek,
38-room property welcomes guests at a front desk where gauzy drapes soften an
otherwise stark space. In the lounge across the hall, armchairs modeled after
18th-century designs and coffee tables fashioned from tree trunks rest alongside
contemporary black banquettes. This warm, modern aesthetic—and the hotel’s
central location—attracts a diverse clientele, and it is not unusual to see
young families, avant-garde artists, and businesspeople mixing in the café-style
bar and restaurant, where the menu covers everything from cheeseburgers and
sushi to tapas and Indian-influenced Icelandic fare.
 Designed and owned by Reykjavik resident Ingibjörg Pálmadóttir,
the 101 exhibits several pieces from the interior designer’s collection of
contemporary Icelandic art. The most dramatic display is an installation by
Pálmadóttir’s sister, Lilja, that rises several stories against the wall of an
adjoining building. The composition of gently bulging shapes (which represent
pregnancy) is visible from the glass-roofed bar and from rooms facing the
interior court.
To reach the 101’s rooms, guests enter a mirrored and dimly lit
elevator that opens to dark gray hallways. (Pálmadóttir claims that the
hallways’ color scheme encourages people to whisper.) Pushing a room’s black
door inward, however, reveals a contrastingly bright space, where the serene
simplicity of the 101’s design forgoes closet doors and even bathroom walls.
 The accommodations, like the hotel’s lounge and restaurant, do
not sacrifice luxury or practicality for style’s sake. Pálmadóttir, however,
would prefer that her guests not become too comfortable in their rooms: The
purpose of visiting Iceland, she says, is to sally forth into the island
nation’s nature and culture.
LOCATION
Atop a low hill in downtown Reykjavik, surrounded by the
capital’s theaters, shops, restaurants, and cafés. ACCOMMODATIONS
Each of the 38 rooms is an exercise in minimalist luxury.
Some have ocean views and balconies; larger rooms come with freestanding
bathtubs. FACILITIES
A billiard room and, in the basement, a gym and spa with a
steam bath and Jacuzzi. Owner Ingibjörg Pálmadóttir’s 101 Gallery, which
exhibits contemporary Icelandic art, is just down the street from the hotel.
 DINING
An eclectic menu in the stylish yet informal restaurant and
bar.
CONCIERGE RECOMMENDS
A day trip to the Blue Lagoon, where visitors lounge
in the surreal
aquamarine waters of a volcanic hot spring. RATES
Beginning at approximately $370 for standard rooms and rising to
about $930 for apartment suites.
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