Recently back from a short 4 nt trip to Iceland with just the hubby. The vibe we were going for was "cozy" and we definitely hit that on the head.
ORD-KEF economy RT on IcelandAir 46kUR booked through Chase Travel
This flight was packed, with only about four open seats and by sheer luck, there was an open seat next to us. So poor man's business class?? Landed, scooped our rental car from Blue Car Rental ($514 for 5 days, full insurance, $0 ded, roadside assistance) and were at the Reykjavik EDITION around 9:30am. Wanted to try the EDITION because it's the only 5 star hotel in Reykjavik and the reviews are rather glowing. Had planned to use points here but switched to the Chase $100/$500 offer stacked maybe with 10kUR offer. It was an EDIT booking, so came with early/late checkin/out subject to availability, welcome amenity, breakfast x2 and $100 credit.
Pros:
- They had a room ready for us before 10am, upgraded to Harpa view. Glorious after an overnight economy flight with minimal sleep.
- Valet parking was convenient and rare, though expensive at $51/nt
- Lunch at Tides was delicious
- Breakfast at Tides was also well presented and tasty, with made to order eggs and coffee.
- Destination fee of about $40/nt, but credited back if spending at lunch/dinner at Tides
- Spa facilities like hot tub and steam room included in destination fee
- Rooftop bar would be perfect in the summer or a spot if aurora is visible in Reykjavik and drinks were good
Cons:
- Rooms are very very small for luxury hotel with bathroom tiling which looked like what was in a highschool locker room in the 90s
- Welcome amenity was a chocolate bar, wrapped, handed to you in the doorway, so rather low-brow for a luxury hotel
- We were instructed to go to the bar and request our welcome drinks. Also felt low-brow "hey, I'm here for my welcome drink." Just didn't quite come off as welcoming and then we had to sign for the full amount to be handled later at checkout
- Unable to grant much of a late checkout
- Upon checkout, spent significant time reviewing the bill and had to explain, re-explain and get out a calculator to prove the bill did not reflect the correct credits or reflect fees which were already prepaid. While the team was pleasant, this interaction in particular was decidely not the luxurious experience I expected from the EDITION. The small misses and the checkout experience soured the luxury feel of our stay.
I think I'm being picky about this property because my expectations were high and I really don't like to have to be hassled with incorrect charges. We would consider the EDITION again, but there are other properties in Reykjavik which provide a similar experience at half the cost (EDITION was nearly $600 pre-discounts), without the low brow cost haggling. I would stay here in the future on points and they actually have a room that sleeps four, so that helps a lot.
Checked out Kolaportid Flea Market (only open weekends), Dinner at Rok, which had a very cute, cozy atmosphere. Dinner was ok, but vibe and drinks were good. Coffee and beans at Reykjavik Roasters, sourdough loaf from Braud & Co, and some beautiful handmade pottery with volcanic ash completed our city shopping.
We had planned to keep our schedule very open because of weather, and that turned out to be a wise choice. We spent the next day exploring as we headed to our
Airbnb in the western region of Iceland.
By the time we got there it had started snowing and overnight we got 5+ inches of snow! The whole region was cloudy so little chance to see Aurora. Hubby couldn't sleep and I woke in the night and joined him in the living room. Checked an aurora app and it seemed to indicate chances were good. And ya'll, we got to see a crazy aurora just over our cute little snow capped cottage.
Next day we had to pivot plans due to the snow covered icy roads, so instead of exploring the Snaefellsness peninsula, we headed to Hvammsvik Hot Springs, which is located on a fjord surrounded by snow-capped mountains. This was a "maybe if we have time" idea for us and it was the best thing we did! The 8 hot spring pools were amazing. There was never more than 4 people in the same pool as you. Hubby did a polar dip in the fjord with an Irishman he met. We ended things off in the hot steam sauna and then ate at their cafe. The views at Hvammsvik Hot Springs were just absolutely breathtaking and couldn't have fit our cozy theme any better. Time Out magazine rated this as the #1 thing to do in the WORLD, and honestly, it didn't disappoint. We loved it.
The next day we went to Grabrok, a series of volcanic craters, and climbed 550 ft to the top of the rim and walked around. It was very icy, which made the climb down extra dicey. Definitely wear spikes or crampons if doing this in the winter, which includes October.
Spent our last night in Reykjavik, just due to weather concerns. Dinner at MessInn, which was outstanding. Their fish pan meals were just to die for; both the salmon and arctic char were excellent.
Stayed at the Iceland Parliament hotel and were upgraded to a very nice Junior Suite. Love their spa facilities here, included for those with Hilton Gold and Diamond status. Spa includes pool sized hot tub, steam room, sauna and cold mist rooms, as well as intimate relaxation areas. Just a perfect way to end the trip. Rate was around $294, but paid with two Hilton biz cards to use those credits. I didn't try to use GCs here bc I didn't want to complicate things too much.
We had a great little trip and the cozy vibe did not disappoint. Loved seeing Iceland in the winter months, but it really did limit the amount we were able to see. Anyway, we'll be back over and over again
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