Luxury in Practice — The Details That Actually Make a Difference
We recently updated our Luxury page with a clearer explanation of what luxury means to us at Hugarró. The short version: it’s not about gold taps. It’s about a stay that is calm, effortless, and restorative.
But talk is easy. So let’s get specific.
Over years of travelling and staying in hotels — good ones, average ones, and a few that deserved better reviews than they got — a pattern emerges. The stays that linger in your memory aren’t defined by the grandeur of the lobby. They’re defined by a hundred small things that either worked or didn’t. Here’s our take on what “working” actually looks like.
🛏️ The bedroom — Where rest begins
When you get up in the middle of the night, you shouldn’t have to fumble for a light switch. A discreet red LED strip beneath the bed activates the moment your feet touch the floor — low light, the right colour temperature, just enough to find your way. The bathroom light follows the same logic: it comes on softly, not at full blast.
Sleep itself matters too. Beds should be genuinely comfortable — not just described that way. We offer a pillow menu and let guests indicate their mattress firmness preference at the time of booking. Not everyone sleeps the same way, and that’s fine.
Privacy goes without saying — or it should. Rooms are positioned and designed so that nobody outside can look in.
🚿 The bathroom — A room in its own right
The bathroom is soundproofed from the main room. If your travel companion keeps different hours, that’s their business.
Toilets have a bidet function. Once you’ve had one, going back feels like a step backwards.
Showers have somewhere to put your own things — your shampoo, your conditioner, whatever you’ve brought. A simple shelf. You’d think this was standard. It isn’t.
🧹 Cleanliness — The Baseline That Can’t Slip
The place is spotless. Full stop.
We’d also add: no strange smells in changing rooms or locker areas. Ever. That one’s non-negotiable and more commonly neglected than it should be.
⚠️ Safety — The airline mindset
Some geothermal destinations have pool pathways that are genuinely hazardous in winter — slippery surfaces, steep edges, poor lighting. That is not a design quirk; it’s a liability and, more importantly, a risk to people.
We take a simple principle from aviation: if you think safety costs money, wait until you price an accident. Every pathway, every pool edge, every walkway on the property is designed and maintained with this in mind.
Pathways are kept ice-free at all times. Roads with above-average inclines are cleared of snow and ice — always. Motion-activated lighting along all routes is effective but unobtrusive. You’re guided without being spotlit.
🥾 The outdoors — Ready when you are
“I’m thinking of going for a hike. Where should I go?”
Here’s a printed map with suggested routes. Scan this QR code and load them directly into your hiking app of choice. Want a packed lunch? Give us 20 minutes. Need a rain poncho just in case? We have a few — borrow one.
When you get back, there’s a drying room where your wet gear can dry properly overnight. Complimentary slippers are waiting.
🌊 The pools — All year round
Food and drink can be ordered at all the pools. You shouldn’t have to get out just because you’re thirsty.
In winter — which in Iceland means wind, snow, and occasionally full horizontal rain — glass barriers mean you can sit in a geothermal pool and enjoy the landscape without being battered by it. We keep complimentary beanies on hand, because your head isn’t in the water. And waterproof phone pouches too, because the views are worth photographing and we want you to share them.
Private pools can be arranged on request.
🚗 The Car
“My car is filthy.”
We have a cleaning station at the entrance to the car park. Prefer someone else handles it? We can arrange that too.
🪧 Getting around the property
Signage is discrete but effective. You won’t feel like you’re navigating a theme park, but you also won’t get lost.
👥 The people — staff and guests
Our staff smiles — genuinely, not as a performance requirement. More importantly, they have the authority to resolve issues on the spot. No “I’ll need to check with management.” They just fix it.
They also speak your language in a way you can actually understand. Clear communication is part of the service.
On the guest side: we don’t allow loud, disruptive children. We know this is a commercial decision as much as a design one, and we’re comfortable with it. Hugarró is a place for people who came to rest.
♿ Accessibility — No caveats
Accessibility at Hugarró is not a box-ticking exercise. Every inch of the property is designed with full ADA compliance in mind (including some pools), and our staff are trained — properly trained — on how to support guests with disabilities in a way that is helpful without being patronising.
This connects to something we believe firmly: our staff are our most important asset. Guests feel that, or they don’t. There’s no faking it.
What Would You Add?
This list came from real experience — hotels that got it right and ones that quietly got it wrong. We’re building Hugarró around the former, and we genuinely want to know: what’s missing from this list?
What’s the detail that made a stay memorable for you — or the small thing that quietly ruined it? Let us know in the comments below.