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Frank Bruni Namechecks The Hotel Borg in Iceland
The New York Time’s resto critic Frank Bruni recently took some time away from critiquing NYC restaurants to spend 36 hours in Reykjavik, Iceland. Though he spent much of his time partaking in the local tradition of runtur (pub crawl) — and making more than a couple swipes at some drunken locals — his choice of bedpost, the Hotel Borg, was smart, if not particularly surprising.
Bruni says the 1930 Art Deco Hotel Borg sits on the Reykjavik’s “prettiest square” and is the “grande dame of accommodations.” We’d have to agree: This past fall, HotelChatter’s Tim Leffel described the hotel as “in most respects the best in the city.”
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Iceland Hotel Guide: Sweet Suites at The Hotel Borg
HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is braving the erratic weather of Iceland and reporting on the local hotel scene this week. Most hotels are listed in euros or kroners, but prices have been converted into dollars, which are actually worth something there right now.
There are no frightening alien cyborgs at Reykjavik's Hotel Borg, which is in most respects the best in the city. When most hotels say they "combine old-time elegance with modern style" it means they couldn't afford a full renovation.
In this case, they really did marry the old with the new seamlessly. The 2006 renovations turned the entire 1930s building into a stylized Art Deco palace, but using updated leather furniture, new electronics, and modern plumbing.
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Iceland Hotel Guide :: A Killer View from The Blue Lagoon
Where: 240 Grindavík, Iceland
HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is braving the erratic weather of Iceland and reporting on the local hotel scene this week. Most hotels are listed in euros or kroners, but prices ave been converted into dollars, which are actually worth something there right now.
We'll admit that this is one of the strangest "killer view" pics we've run, but there are not all that many places in the world where you can gaze out your window and see mossy lava rock fields stretching to the horizon.
The famous Blue Lagoon near Iceland's international airport is a unique place where you soak in milky geothermal sea water and slather silica mud on to exfoliate. It's also good for treating all kinds of skin ailments, so there's a clinic here where people stay for ongoing treatments. Attached to the clinic is the Blue Lagoon Hotel where anyone can stay.
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Iceland Hotel Guide: Given the Cold Shoulder at Hotel 101
HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is braving the erratic weather of Iceland and reporting on the local hotel scene this week. Most hotels are listed in euros or kroners, but prices here have been converted into dollars, which are actually worth something there right now.
Hotel 101 in Reykjavik, Iceland has a reputation of being reminiscent of a velvet rope Studio 54 in the early 1980s. Staffers are condescending, fashion obsessed, aloof, and just plain rude. Even though nightly rates are the highest in the country, the service at this hotel is still quite frosty.
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Iceland Hotel Guide: Glymur Resort Has Killer Views and Themed Chalets
HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is braving the erratic weather of Iceland and reporting on the local hotel scene this week. Most hotels are listed in euros or kroners, but prices have been converted into dollars, which are actually worth something there right now.
The owner of Glymur Resort freely admits she "knew nothing about running a hotel" when she bought a building that was formerly home to six failing businesses and turned it into an inn seven years ago. The "hidden people" -- fairies said to populate the hills around here -- must have blessed her, though, as this is now regarded as one of the best hotels in Iceland.
When you've got a view like this, it's easy to be happy with your stay. The hotel is perched over Whale Fjord, a dramatic area carved out by glaciers, but less than an hour from Reykjavik. Meals mix in lots of fresh ingredients and a number of local dishes, with an emphasis on seafood and lamb. The restaurant and lounge both overlook the water, as do the two community hot tubs that are filled with running geothermal water. There are hiking paths behind the resort up into the hills and the staff can arrange kayaking, fishing, or whale watching.
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Iceland Hotel Guide: Hotel Reykjavik Centrum
HotelChatter contributing editor Tim Leffel is braving the erratic weather of Iceland and reporting on the local hotel scene this week. Most hotels are listed in euros or kroners, but prices here have been converted into dollars, which are actually worth something there right now.
The "centrum" in this hotel's name is the main selling point. Located a few steps from hot restaurant The Fish Market, Hotel Centrum is also just a few blocks away from other fine dining shrines like Orange, The Lobsterhouse, and The Seafood Cellar. It is two blocks from Tjörnin Lake and the National Gallery.
Otherwise it's your basic business hotel, with intermittent WiFi you have to pay for, predictable furnishings, and a minibar with prices fit for an expense account. The style is pseudo-Scandinavian, with showers meant for skinny people and what one guest described as "the smallest toilets I've ever sat upon." Floor space is also tight in the standard rooms, so you may want to book a "double double" or a junior suite if there are two of you.
Tags: Iceland Hotel Reviews / Boutique Hotels / → All Tags
Iceland's 101 Hotel Has Nice Rooms but Frosty Service
In a country like Iceland where some parts of the year are simply drearily dark and cold, the interior of your hotel takes on a new importance. Which is why the entrance of capital city Reykjavik's first boutique hotel was a significant moment. The 101 Hotel also includes the 101 Bar and Restaurant, and the same owners are responsible for the nearby 101 Gallery. PR peeps try to explain that the 101 somehow captures the whole essence of Iceland:
The 38-room hotel adds extra appeal to the pure landscape of the land - the spouting geysers, active volcanoes, tumbling waterfalls, towering mountains, vast lava plains and stunning lakes ... 101 Hotel complements this natural Nordic coolness with the warmth of its heated oak floors, lounge fireplace and little spa Jacuzzi.
And while the designer aspect of being a boutique hotel has clearly been taken care of well, the service aspect might be a little lacking, if some of the guest reviews are to be believed: adjectives like "perfunctory" and even "horrendous" crop up when describing how hotel staff handled problems. For sheer building and room admiration purposes, however, it's a good stay. And at least the flacks never claimed to offer really great service.
[Photo: Curehead]
Related Stories:
· 101 Hotel reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Amazing Race 6: Check Out the 101 [HotelChatter]
· In Iceland All Your Worries Melt Away [Scotsman]
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