The Retreat at the Blue Lagoon—a low-slung, 62-suite escape that lurks half-hidden in the rugged landscape just outside Reykjavik—has only been open for three months, and it’s already one of the buzziest luxury spots in Europe. Perched on the edge of the geothermally heated pool for which it’s named, it features floor-to-ceiling windows with spectacular views across the lava rock, plus a spa that offers in-lagoon massages. Guests get one especially attractive perk: after-hours access to the spectacular natural site, whose waters are packed with crowds during peak times.
But within the retreat lies one ultra-exclusive space that few visitors will ever know exists. Spread across two levels and 2,100 square feet, the Blue Lagoon suite is almost triple the size of any other. It has a private balcony overlooking the lava landscape, a kitchen and dining room, and a king-size bedroom with walk-in closet. Best of all, it has its own private spa, complete with a steam bath, sauna, fireplace, and a private bathing area within the lagoon.
The catch? The lavish suite costs $10,500 per night, with a two-night minimum—and it’s not listed on the hotel’s website. No photographs, no description, nothing at all.
The Secret World of Unlisted Hotel Suites
The Blue Lagoon suite is like a cross between an unlisted phone number and a house seat at a theater: You can’t find it unless you already know it’s there, and booking is by invitation only. At high-end hotels around the world, these unlisted rooms are a subtle staple, with raisons d’etre as varied as the rooms themselves.
According to Mar Masson, the hotel’s director of marketing, the Blue Lagoon suite is intended as the ultimate hideaway. For those who want to slip in unnoticed, a private entrance and nearby helipad allow discreet, private connections from Keflavik International Airport.
“No one ever need to know you’re there,” he says. “It’s not visible to other guests, and there is nothing that indicates it is there.”
Mint Conditions
Privacy isn’t the only reason to keep a room unlisted, whether on a hotel’s own site or on partners such as Booking.com. Sometimes it’s about protecting your most valuable asset.
“Let’s say you have a top suite that costs $2,000,” says hospitality vet Stephen Brandman, who runs management firm Journal Hotels. “You don’t want 10 people coming together and each throwing in $200 so they can have a big party. Think about it. A load of high school prom students rent a penthouse, and all of a sudden you’ve got a big problem.”
New York University hospitality professor Bjorn Hanson agrees. “Rooms that have something fragile about them—the art, a Steinway grand piano—where there’s too much risk of wear and tear will be held back,” he says. “They won’t be available to the public but assigned to VIPs.”
Often these types of rooms are referred to as “owner’s suites.” At the soon-to-open Hotel Bennett in Charleston, S.C., for example, Michael Bennett’s one-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot suite is only available by special request. Even then, guests are only confirmed after personal signoff from the developer himself.