Reykjavik, Iceland | Recommended Hotels

Best hotels in Reykjavik, Iceland | Budget accommodation (€)

Guesthouses and apartments are generally the best budget bet in Iceland – Traveller’s Point has a good list. Of the latter, the Bolholt Apartments (6 Bolholt) are spacious if cheaply furnished, with bargain off-season rates starting at 8,500 krona. For hotels, the Metropolitan (4a Ranargotu) is a little worn around the edges and Spartan, but it’s close to the action. The Arctic Comfort (19 Sidumuli) is inconveniently located 3km out of the centre, but the light wood furnishings and flat screen TVs are of better quality than in most budget options.

Best hotels in Reykjavik, Iceland | Mid-range hotels (€€)

The CenterHotel Thingholt (3 Thingholtsstraeti) is a stylish surprise, with volcanic stone walls, a striking black and white colourscheme and a sense of place lacking in other hotels. Another pleasant surprise is the Hotel Reykjavik (37 Raudararstigur), which looks bland and businessy from the outside, but has perky rooms – many of which have balconies. You’ll also get lots of odd bird pictures and genuinely friendly staff. The Leifur Eriksson (45 Skolavordustigur) is a decent alternative – the rooms have colour and life to them, although they’re straddling that dangerous border between cosy and pokey.

Best hotels in Reykjavik, Iceland | Luxury hotels (€€€ to €€€€€)

The Hilton Nordica (2 Sudurlandsbraut, €€€) has a sense of modernistic swagger about it, and is the most likeable of the city’s business-oriented hotels. Doubles usually start at the EUR100 mark, but off-season bargains for under EUR60 can sometimes be found. The quietly likeable Odinsve (1 Thorsgata, €€€) has a traditional Scandinavian look – bright with wooden floors – but adds enough flourishes such as leather chairs to stop things becoming boring. The Holt (37 Bergstadastraeti , €€€) is the one with a sumptuous elegance to it, however. Rooms aren’t huge, but personal service and an air of refinement compensate.

101 Hotel (10 Hverfisgata, €€€€€) and Hotel Borg (11 Posthusstraeti, €€€€€) are the best in town. 101 is the hip, design option with plenty of gadgetry, roll top baths, a startling black and white colour scheme and downstairs spa. Ask for one of the art deco rooms at the Borg – they’re beautifully done and you keep spotting the clever detailing at every turn. Most rooms have spa jet baths too. The Grand (38 Sigtún, €€€€) is Iceland’s biggest hotel, but it’s aimed at conferences, and the light wood overdose in the rooms renders them yawnsomely bland.

Reykjavik hotel prices

Price brackets are based, roughly, on the starting rates that can be found in low season.

€ = under €60 a night

€€ = under €100 a night

€€€ = under €150 a night

€€€€ = under €200 a night

€€€€€ = over €200 a night.

The Reykjavik hotels above have been personally inspected – and recommended as being amongst the best in their price bracket – by travel journalist David Whitley. To look for other hotels in Reykjavik, try a Reykjavik hotel search with our booking partner, Ebookers.com.

Disclaimer: These hotels were inspected in June 2011. Things may have changed since then.