Iceland: Accomodation

When booking places to stay we looked at two things: location and cost. Was it along our route, was it interesting, affordable, did it come with free breakfast or wifi? We mainly mixed between hostels with the Hostelling International company, and guesthouses. We tried to mix in nice places every now and then to ensure some extra restful nights, and for the most part liked everywhere we stayed. 

Here’s a list in order of our trip and whether we’d recommend them, and as a side note the Hostelling International hostels require a membership and you should really book early! 

1) Reykjavik Downtown Hostel

This hostel was fairly affordable, we stayed for two nights in order to rest up from our flight. One of the downsides was the lack of free parking, and had to park a few blocks away in a neighborhood. Another was the breakfast didn’t seem worth the extra cost, and the thin walls caused some noise issues. However, we loved the view from our room, and the hostel staff was very nice and helpful. The location is debatable depending on what part of Reykjavik you plan on staying in. We explored a lot of the harbor area, but also had a bit of a walk to get to the main street of shops (not too far). We’d both recommend staying at this hostel! 


2) Laugarvatn Hostel

The only thing this hostel has going for them is the location. It’s in the middle of a lot of attractions and a great pit stop for exploring. We only stayed here one night, but that was enough for us. The entire building was under construction, we drove past it twice not knowing it was open, and it was very empty for it’s size. There was no breakfast offered, which was weird because this hostel is in a remote location with few dining options around. The wifi was only usable downstairs in the common room and it seemed like we were charged for every little thing. The only thing we liked were the new bathrooms and beds, which were very comfortable. Again we got a private room, but honestly we wouldn’t recommend staying here until they’re at least finished with construction. It’s also possible the hostel is a little more lively during peak season…


3) Hotel Edda - Vik

This was our first nice hotel we stayed at. We thought it’d be fun and more peaceful to rent one of their cottages, but were kind of disappointed. Unfortunately the cottage was split in half, and we ended up sharing with a family with a baby. Thin walls didn’t help, and we didn’t get the relaxation we had hoped for. We also accidentally blew our power in the middle of the night charging our electronics! However, this hotel was amazing! I’m positive staying in the main part would be exquisite and we highly recommend them. The restaurant within the hotel was great accommodating my food allergies, there was free wifi, the hotel staff was amazing, and it looked really nice! We also should’ve stay for more than one night, Vik has A LOT of things to offer and we had a very rushed day. 


4) Glacier World:  

This might be my favorite place we stayed. We also spent an extra day here to re-cooperate from the long drive. Our room was great, spacious, and shared a bathroom with other people. However this older building looked recently renovated and may of had heated floors! There was also a kitchen on the lower level which came in handy when we wanted some popcorn. The breakfast was great, very large selection of fruits, yogurt, bread items and eggs. The staff was great, including a very cute sheep dog we nicknamed Doggison. 

Apart from our room, Glacier World also had a lot to offer for it’s guests. There were six geothermal hot tubs near the guesthouse, a gorgeous view of the glacier and horses surrounding the property, and an ATV tour which we would highly recommend! Our only problem with this place was trying to find the right building to check in to, but everything else was perfect!


5) Seydisfjordur Hostel

This town and hostel was super unique and nice. We wish we had arrived earlier to really experience everything the hostel had to offer, but by the time we checked in there wasn’t much to do. Our room was private, and in the old hospital building, it was quiet and comfy. The wifi signal was a little weak in our section, but not totally useless. The bathroom was shared and at the opposite end of the hall, but again it wasn’t that bad. The staff and hostel was very nice and we’d recommend staying here! There was an onsite large kitchen, but no breakfast offered. There was also a good information desk which showed everything the town has, like art walks, places to eat, hiking trails, etc. 


6) Vogafjos Guesthouse

This is probably the best room we had. It was fairly large, warm and comfortable, with a nice bathroom. The only downside to this entire area has a sulfur smell that is in the air and water. It’s perfectly safe to drink, we just started feeling nauseous after awhile. However, that has nothing to do with the hotel. The guesthouses are located away from the check in area, which is in the large restaurant complete with dairy cows. The staff was friendly and helpful, and the area had a lot to offer. Breakfast was free for guests, free wifi with a good signal, and no real noise issues. Also you’re allowed to go in and meet the cows! This was my second favorite place we stayed, so we would definitely recommend staying here!


7) Osar Hostel

So, this place was kind of a dud for us. We mainly picked this place because it was directly between our next and last stop. However, we didn’t realize we’d be driving about 20 miles off the main road on a dirt bumpy road in the middle of nowhere. This was also the only place we had some trouble communicating at check-in, and some issues with our room. The guesthouse is set up kind of oddly, and it’s more like a funhouse with multiple layers and stairs and so many bedrooms shoved in. I think if we hadn’t been so annoyed from our long drive, it wouldn’t have been as bad as we thought. There was a kitchen, but the only place to eat was on the opposite side of the peninsula about 15-20minutes away by dirt road. The area is probably the best part of this hostel. It was right next to a gorgeous beach, pretty farmlands, and it was interesting to be in a very remote part of Iceland. There were lambs, sheep, horses roaming free which made it a little more enjoyable. We didn’t see the seals around, but thats another big attraction for this area. I probably wouldn’t recommend this hostel unless you’re going this way and don’t mind how far away it is. 


8) Grundarfjordur Hostel

So this hostel was a bit of a relief after our last stop. At first we were worried when we pulled up to a tiny red house (pictured on the website), but found out the actual rooms was in a giant newly built dorm down by the harbor a few minutes away. The staff was super nice, helpful, and even recommended our future favorite restaurant directly next to our room. The rooms themselves were nice, private, and quiet. We had our own bed/bathroom, and the floor had a very large kitchen/lounge area. Our room didn’t have a great view, but the other side of the dorms did! We’d recommend staying here, it’s a great location for setting up camp and exploring the area! 


9) Northern Light Inn

This was a treat to finish off our trip with, after two weeks of traveling we need a great place to stay and relax. This Inn is located within 5 minutes of the Blue Lagoon, and is only about 20 minutes from the airport. The staff was great, and even arranged an early breakfast since we were checking out early for our flight. This place was also the biggest hotel we stayed in, it’s obviously a popular location being so close to the lagoon. The room was great, super large bed, super large TV, free wifi, breakfast, large walk in shower, and quiet. The view was unique in that it looked out over a rocky landscape near the power plant! There was even a waffle hour for guest to make their own waffles and hot chocolate. We’d definitely recommend staying here, although compared to our other hotels and hostels this one was more expensive! 

All in all we had a pretty great time everywhere we stayed. If the room wasn’t great it didn’t really matter because we would only be there for a night! If you’re trying to do Iceland on a budget I would recommend using Hostelling International as a starting point, we stayed in private rooms but you can stay in a dorm style room for around $20 a night! They have locations throughout Iceland and even have guides on traveling around. Just make sure to BOOK EARLY! We ended up staying in guesthouses because the hostels we wanted had already sold out months in advance!

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