The Hilltop House

The Hilltop House sits above Hvalfjörður, a fjord in west Iceland about forty-five minutes from Reykjavík, part of the Hvammsvík Hot Springs estate. It's genuinely private, a hill of its own with views over the water and the mountains on every side, and close enough to the city for an easy visit but remote enough to feel like true wilderness. Thingvellir National Park is a short drive away, and the estate's own geothermal hot springs and its restaurant, Stormur Bistro & Bar, are a thirteen-minute walk down the hill.

The house began life during the Second World War, built by the British Navy as a communications headquarters. In 1942, Winston Churchill sailed into Hvalfjörður to meet Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr, and is said to have held secret meetings at the house, then codenamed Falcon Crest. It has since been completely renovated, the history of the building respected while it was brought up to modern standards, and now holds artwork by many of Iceland's leading contemporary artists alongside design furniture. Three bedrooms, one an ensuite master, a second with a queen bed, a third with bunk beds, all with views over the fjord, sleep six across two full bathrooms. The open kitchen, living and dining space leads onto two outdoor terraces, one glass-roofed, with a barbecue and a fireplace, right beside the house's own hidden geothermal hot spring, a striking spot to watch the northern lights in winter. No architect is credited for the renovation; this reads as an estate-led restoration project rather than a named architectural commission.