I found peace at this otherworldly luxury hotel in Iceland

There are also submerged treatment options, with in-water massages and ‘float therapy’ providing the opportunity to to soak up all the expertise of ‘bodyworkers’ without having to leave the lagoon.

If that all sounds far too relaxing, you can call on any member of the infinitely-attentive – yet in no way intrusive – team of hosts to book you on one of the many external excursions, ranging from helicopter tours of the Reykjanes Peninsula to guided photography tours, volcano tours, snowmobiling, snorkelling among the subaquatic hot springs at Kleifarvatn lake and ATV adventures.

We opted for the latter one morning, and quickly found ourselves motoring across lava fields, black sand beaches and insanely lunar-like mountainscapes before stopping-off to warm our freezing hands in one of those puffs of volcanic steam; the unmistakably eggy sulfur smell being the only thing to bring you back to reality during an otherwise entirely otherworldly experience.

Whether you spend your days white-knuckling your way around the island’s outdoor activity scene or soaking the day away in the lagoon, your worked-up appetite is in no danger of being left wanting.

With a cosy, universally dressing gown-clad breakfast served in the sunken lobby seating pre-sunrise (fear not the lie-in was safe – sunrise isn’t until 11am in December) and afternoon tea served daily in the same spot, other mealtimes offer up the impressive choice between the spa restaurant (serving an exceptional burger), Lava restaurant (relaxed dining with stunning views out onto the shores of the Blue Lagoon) or the jewel in the crown: Moss restaurant.

Having been awarded a Michelin star earlier this summer, Moss, led by Head Chef Aggi Sverrisson, sees 5 and 7-course set menus take you on a diverse tour of the heritage of Icelandic cuisine.

Switching effortlessly between food from the mountains to the farmlands, via rivers and oceans, dishes are almost Oscar-worthy in their visual theatrics, with dry ice tumbling over salt-fresh prawns and perfectly-seared beef served atop a smoking lump of authentic volcanic rock.

After heading back through that vast-yet-cosy lobby to our room on the final night, we received our first much-anticipated ‘wake-up call’ while packing. The Northern Lights had finally appeared.