Plans unveiled for the first luxury hotel at Iceland's Blue Lagoon
It's one of Iceland's most popular tourist destinations - a favourite of VIPs such as Beyonce and Jay Z, or various members of the Kardashian clan.
But the Blue Lagoon, set on the Reykjanes Peninsula in the island's south west, is also one the country's most crowded attractions. More than 700,000 visitors flocked to its mineral-rich waters in 2014 alone, and that number has only increased as Iceland's tourist boom has continued to grow.
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Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and currently the richest man in the world, sidestepped the overcrowding issue when, in 2015, he reserved the entire lagoon for a private midnight swim.
But for those whose resources don't stretch quite so far, good news is at hand with the announcement that the first luxury hotel is to be built on-site, with access to a private swimming area set apart from the main body of the lagoon. Construction is already underway with the hotel expected to open its door to guests in the autumn of 2017.
Named Moss Hotel, it will offer 62 luxuriously appointed rooms, furnished in tasteful Scandinavian style, with freestanding bathtubs and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the surrounding volcanic landscape.
Rooms on the ground floor will also have direct access to the geothermal waters via private terraces; upper floor rooms will have balconies.
The hotel will be part of a complex that will also include Lava Cove, a subterranean spa hewn into the volcanic rock which will offer a sauna, lava rock-heated steam room and a range mineral-based treatments.
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For a more exclusive experience, guests will be able to rent out a private, self-contained spa called Hidden Cove, which comes with a butler, on-call chef and private masseuse. Needless to say, it also has its own private section of lagoon.
Of the complex's food & drink offerings, Moss Restaurant will serve up traditional Icelandic dishes, with a seven-course tasting menu available at the Chef's Table; drinks and hors d'oeuvres can be had in The Lounge - an elegant bar on the top floor with views over the dramatic landscape from its terrace.
