UMI Hotel
Brutalist-meets-warm-Nordic. The exterior is all concrete and geometry; the interior is softened with natural wood, organic toiletries, and handpicked art. Under-the-radar and quiet, with strong family-run hospitality DNA even after its 2023 acquisition.
Sign up for the Northern Lights wake-up call at check-in — staff will knock when conditions are favorable, no alarm clock needed.
Why It Matters
Michelin Key 2025 recipient. A family-built hotel (opened 2017) on an abandoned farm site, with a restaurant genuinely worth traveling for, in one of the best-positioned locations on Iceland's south coast for waterfalls, glaciers, and Northern Lights watching.
UMI is a 28-room boutique hotel on Iceland's south coast, about 150 km from Reykjavík and just 2 km off the Ring Road. The raw-concrete exterior sits low against the landscape — Eyjafjallajökull volcano to the north, the black-sand coast to the south — looking like it grew out of the lava plain. Inside, the story shifts: warm autumnal tones, dark wood furniture, and amber lighting designed by Sandra Dís Sigurðardóttir give it a cozy, considered feel. The restaurant punches well above its weight, blending Nordic, Icelandic, and Japanese influences with serious local sourcing — it holds a 2025 Michelin Key.
Where You'll Stay
3 room types available
Standard Room — Mountain View
The entry-level room at 20 m² — compact but well-designed. Views look north toward Eyjafjallajökull. DUX beds (all beds run 210 cm long, sized to fit tall guests), walk-in shower or bathtub, bathrobe, and Sóley Cosmetics organic toiletries. Includes a writing desk, satellite TV, safe, and coffee/tea setup. Complimentary breakfast is included with every booking.
King (180 cm) or Twin (2 × 90 cm) · 20 sqm
Standard Room — Ocean View
Same 20 m² layout as the mountain-view standard but oriented toward the southern coastline. Worth noting that the black-sand beach itself isn't always directly visible from the room — it's across the fields — so don't overpay expecting to see waves from bed. All other amenities match the mountain-view standard.
King (180 cm) or Twin (2 × 90 cm) · 20 sqm
Superior Room
The only upgrade tier at UMI, at 25 m² — still not large, but the extra 5 m² makes a real difference and creates space for a sofa. Comes with a Marshall Bluetooth speaker and a wider selection of Sóley Cosmetics toiletries. Superior rooms can also fit a rollaway bed, making them workable for a family of four. All standard room amenities are included.
King (180 cm) or Twin (2 × 90 cm) · 25 sqmThe Property
Eat & Drink
3 venues on property
Restaurant
Spa & Wellness
Treatment Menu
On Property
How you'll actually spend your days.
The hotel's private black-sand beach is accessible on foot across the surrounding fields. The beach and surrounding lava fields make for good walks — you often have the whole stretch to yourself.
Fat bikes available for guests to ride through the surrounding fields and toward the beach. The flat terrain between the hotel and the coast is well-suited for a casual ride.
Bookable through the hotel's TourDesk. Fly over the now-dormant crater that shut down European airspace in 2010, with sweeping views of the south coast and surrounding glaciers.
Sign up at check-in and staff will knock on your door when aurora conditions are favorable. The hotel sits well away from light pollution, making it one of the better bases on the south coast for Northern Lights viewing.
UMI is a TourDesk partner, giving guests a 24-hour concierge-style desk to book tours around South Iceland — glacier hikes, ice caves, whale watching, helicopter flights over Eyjafjallajökull crater, and more. The desk can arrange activities at short notice.
Amenities & Practical Info
The details that matter for planning.
Available free of charge in all rooms.
The hotel does not have a pool. Noted by multiple guests as a mild downside. Nearest public pool would require a drive.
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