The DNA: The Sand Hotel mirrors the low-key discreet Islandic character perfectly. The entrance is a small, barely marked doorway that leads into a courtyard. Just off the courtyard is the lobby that looks like an Icelandic living room, albeit one that belongs to design-loving couple, which indeed the owners of this hotel are. Bound books by Halldor Laxness are displayed as are photographs and paintings by contemporary Icelandic artists. The furniture is a mix of Icelandic curios and Restoration Hardware, the American store. Rooms mirror this ethos with their mix of functionality and design.

✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 78 rooms & suites (15-78m2) (161-840 sq ft) • hotel opened: 2017 • interior design: Gudbjörg Magnusdottir • bathroom amenities: Molton Brown • street parking (charged) • no pets allowed • 24-hour front desk • wheelchair accessible