5 Beautiful Hotels In The World’s Happiest Places

For true immersion into the Nordic love of nature, Eleven Deplar Farm, set deep in the Fljót Valley of northern Iceland’s Troll Peninsula, is an otherworldly playground off the beaten track. The hotel itself is a beautifully reimagined 15th-century sheep farm, creating an enveloping retreat where you can relax and unwind after a day of adventure – the rugged, ethereal landscape serves up whale watching, fat biking, surfing, sea-kayaking and hiking among its must-try pursuits. The lodge is a phenomenal base, with just 13 bedrooms, hygge-inspired design and floor-to-ceiling windows bringing the spectacular surrounds in. Plus, the facilities include a 5,000-square-foot spa, vast geothermally heated indoor/outdoor pool, Isopod flotation tanks and an outdoor Viking sauna – where, if you time it right, you could be lucky enough to watch the Northern Lights put on a show.

While Nordic countries take the highest rankings, there are other destinations that make the top 10. Given that a connection with and an appreciation of nature are common features of happy places, Costa Rica’s biodiversity and incredible landscape saw it rise from 13th to sixth place this year. In the tropical forest of the Talamanca mountains, Hacienda AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection, celebrates the captivating beauty of its surroundings with plenty of outdoor pursuits (from horse riding to hikes and river bathing in the Calientillo River) to beguile guests in the stunning unspoilt terrain. The ‘casita’ villas offer sprawling indoor-outdoor accommodation, opening out onto astonishing views. And the holistic spa, The Well, Hacienda AltaGracia, promises to enhance guests’ unbridled joy. It’s a world-class wellbeing escape, where treatments are inspired by ancient local rituals and one of the hotel’s three pools resides in the scenic Casa de Agua.

Located in a tranquil part of Stockholm that is wonderful for getting a sense of peaceful, laid-back Scandi living, Ett Hem (which literally translates as ‘at home’) is an intimate boutique hotel, born out of three townhouses dating back to 1910. Owner Jeanette Mix worked with interior designer Ilse Crawford to create the cozy, characterful and design-led ambience, with added luxe, contemporary details imbued throughout. The 25 rooms and suites are filled with art and vintage pieces, while stacked bookshelves and plush, sculptural seating invite guests to ease and relax into the living spaces. Outside, a secret courtyard garden awaits, where guests can while away the hours in lush surroundings.

As well as being the capital of one of the happiest countries, Copenhagen is also the world’s happiest city, according to the Happy City Index – not to mention its brilliant culinary offering and rich arts and culture scene, which make it an ever-popular city-break destination. An intriguing prospect for an urban hotel in a city steeped in history, Manon Les Suites is a tropical oasis in the heart of Copenhagen. The suites are sleek and stylish, centered around a statement turquoise junglefish pool within a verdant, plant-filled atrium, plus there’s a rooftop terrace offering expansive skyline vistas.

Finland has topped the list of contented countries for the past eight years, with equality and inclusion, connection to nature, wellbeing, safety and a feeling of collective responsibility among the reasons for its societal happiness. In the capital of Helsinki, Waldorf Astoria Helsinki might be an urban hotel – in one of the city’s most prestigious locations, close to the Presidential Palace and Senate Square – but the importance and influence of nature is still very much apparent, as is the warm Nordic welcome amid the grandeur. Set within beautifully preserved historic buildings, the rooms and suites are elegantly adorned, while the signature Lilja restaurant serves refined dishes utilizing Finnish ingredients, and soothing forest sounds are the blissful backdrop to the Maria Spa, which offers traditional Nordic therapies (a Finnish sauna is, of course, a highlight). Just as joyful is a wander around the local downtown streets of Kruununhaka, close to the harbor.

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