Take me there: Hotel Ion, Iceland

Reykjavík has no shortage of hip hotels, but beyond the city stylish accommodation is thin on the ground. So the recent opening of the Hotel Ion (ioniceland.is) is great news. It has contemporary rooms and a northern lights bar with floor-to-ceiling windows, but the real star of the show is the location. Situated on the edge of Thingvellir National Park, it's the perfect base for exploring Iceland's hot springs and glaciers, or just soaking up the views from the outdoor hot tub. A three-night package with Discover the World (discover-the-world.co.uk) costs from £781pp, including flights, a Superjeep midnight sun safari, lava-caving and a lobster dinner.

It's a good time to… enjoy the great outdoors

Let's ignore the fact that as I write this the rain is bouncing off the pavements, washing away the snow from last week's blizzards, and salute the optimism (or should that be bloody-mindedness?) of the brave souls at tourist boards across the nation who have come up with the idea of promoting Britain's great outdoors in a series of spring festivals.

First up is Cornwall's Outsid'er Festival (5-7 April, st-agnes.com/outsider), a brand-new event in the pretty seaside village of St Agnes. Ignore the strange use of apostrophe, put away your pac-a-mac and join the locals in a weekend of beach campfires, foraging, raft racing, wild singing and fancy-dress surfing.

The Dumfries and Galloway Spring Festival (wildseasons.co.uk) celebrates the season with wildlife walks, treasure hunts on horseback, garden tours and stargazing.

And in the Peak District the annual Walking and Outdoors Festival returns (26 April-12 May, visitpeakdistrict.com/events) with a programme of guided hikes, including a four-day trek along the Derwent Valley Heritage Way, plus bushcraft, navigation, rock climbing and caving workshops.

Now repeat after me: "I do believe in spring, I do believe in spring."

Give me a break: the week's best deals

Home Boutique B&B Trevose Harbour House is a cosy new coastal retreat in the heart of St Ives with just five bedrooms and a luxury top-floor suite with harbour views. Organic breakfasts, a cute little snug and a suntrap terrace complete the picture. B&B starts at £135 a night but there will be a discount of 30% off all bookings until 18 April, excluding Easter (trevosehouse.co.uk)

Away Art in Amsterdam The biggest event in the art world this year is the reopening of the Rijksmuseum on 14 April after a decade-long renovation. Join the celebrations with a stay at the Grand Hotel Amrath, which is offering a one-night package including entrance to the museum, a canal boat tour, bicycle hire and a glass of champagne from €170pp (amrathamsterdam.com)