The best design hotels in Reykjavik
An expert guide to the best design hotels in Reykjavik, including the top places to stay for striking interiors, minimalist bedrooms, industrial-chic aesthetics, funky colour schemes, good restaurants and buzzing bars, in locations near downtown Reykjavik, the harbour, museums, galleries, Hlemmur Square, Laugavegur and Tjornin lake.
101 Hotel
Reykjavik, Iceland
9Telegraph expert rating
Designed by owner and professional designer Ingibjörg S. Pálmadóttir, this hotel is a riot of contemporary style that incorporates a cool palette of blacks, whites and slate-greys, antique and idiosyncratic furnishings, and a collection of artworks by local artists that’s regularly supplemented by temporary exhibitions in the hotel’s public areas. Rooms are conspicuously smart, featuring mellow colour-schemes complemented by stylish rugs on wooden floors and beds with Quagliotti linens. Suites have freestanding bathtubs and views overlooking the harbour (some have balconies). There's plenty on offer here, including a spa with a steam bath, plunge pool and whirlpool tub. Read expert review From £320per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Oddsson
Reykjavik, Iceland
8Telegraph expert rating
Oddsson is set inside a former supermarket warehouse built in the 1940s. The hotel/hostel hybrid has been tricked out by Reykjavík-based design studio Döðlur, which has matched a self-consciously industrial-chic aesthetic – exposed air ducts, distressed concrete columns, coloured strip lights – to a contrastingly gentle colour scheme (that wouldn’t be out of place in a Wes Anderson movie), a knowingly contemporary soundtrack and a selection of late 20th-century furnishings. Rooms are set along lengthy, ship-like corridors (enhanced by porthole windows) and house vibrant artworks and designer-savvy furnishings. There’s a small but stylish yoga studio, a fully equipped communal kitchen and an intimate whirlpool tub on the roof. Read expert review From £27per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Hlemmur Square Hotel and Hostel
Reykjavik, Iceland
9Telegraph expert rating
European hotelier Klaus Ortlieb is the design mind who’s transformed the interior of this five-storey 1930s block into an upmarket hostel (this is definitely not a party hostel) and boutique hotel with a mix of neutral furnishings, pops of colour and cool art around the property. From hot springs to cool bars, staff know their city and country well, and are on hand 24-hours with tips and information on Reykjavik and Iceland. The 17 hotel rooms are cool and contemporary, with a splash of colour and shaggy rugs breaking up the minimalist feel, and beds are ridiculously comfortable. Most rooms have private balconies, a real treat with those ocean and mountain views. Read expert review From £25per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre
Reykjavik, Iceland
8Telegraph expert rating
The hotel comprises six inter-connected houses that were originally built as one of Iceland’s best-known furniture factories, in operation from 1937-1963. In recent times it was used as one of city’s most popular music and cultural venues, Faktory, and the interior has been renovated with nods to local design, food and culture: there’s Icelandic Omnom chocolate for sale, water filtered by Icelandic lava, and a library specialising in Icelandic literature. The reception, which doubles as a concierge service, is excellent at giving tips on tours, making suggestions and reservations for concerts and restaurants, and can also lend you bikes to enjoy for free. Read expert review From £204per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Eyja Guldsmeden Hotel
Reykjavik, Iceland
8Telegraph expert rating
The hotel is owned and run by an Icelandic couple, Linda Jóhannsdóttir and Ellert Finnbogason, whose eye for interior design shines through every nook and cranny via carefully selected designer furnishings, and a passion for sustainability and environmental consideration – from the materials (natural sheepskin and cowhide) used throughout, to the organic food in the restaurant. The hotel reception is open around the clock and manned by friendly, efficient staff (owners included) who are happy to help with a range of services, from on-site bike rental and car hire, to booking tours or restaurants and recommending sights and nightlife. Rooms are stylish, think hardwood parquet floors and handsome four-poster beds. Read expert review From £124per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Skuggi Hotel
Reykjavik, Iceland
8Telegraph expert rating
The hotel is located in the middle of the city, next to one of the oldest streets (Hverfisgata) and within easy walking distance to the hordes of cafés, trendy boutiques and upscale restaurants of retail street Laugavegur. Inside, the hotel is as designer as they come, with a slick black-and-volcanic-grey aesthetic running through the lobby, into the restaurant and into the rooms, all punctuated with mellow splashes of white and cream. The 100 rooms are as tasteful and minimal as the rest of the hotel, with cool greys and blacks nicely offset with crisp white bedsheets, parquet floors and photographs of Icelandic nature by local snapper Ragnar Axelsson (whose book is also featured in all rooms). Read expert review From £123per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
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Apotek Hotel
Reykjavik, Iceland
8Telegraph expert rating
The hotel’s striking five-floor historic shell was built in 1917 and housed the city’s main pharmacy (Reykjavíkurapotek) from 1930 to 1999. Designed by former state architect Guðjón Samúelsson — who also designed the even more impressive National Theatre building and Hallgrímskirkja church — the refurbished interior features original (and protected) Art Nouveau characteristics (curved walls, marble stairs) matched to an elegantly modern designer aesthetic. Decorated in soothing, neutral tones, the rooms are dotted with modern but comfortable furnishings and enjoy contemporary touches like veneered parquet flooring. Read expert review From £201per night Check availability Rates provided by Booking.com
