Earlier this way, I’ve finally made my way to Iceland! Iceland was always near the top of the places I want to visit. Coming from the East Coast, I always thought about visiting Iceland as a stopover. We had the opportunity this year to do just that since I got a pair of tickets to see Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Dublin Ireland. I invited my brother as he is a fan and Iceland was also on his bucket list.
He has status at Marriott’s so we ended up booking a stay at the Reykavik EDITION. The hotel is conveniently located in downtown Reykjavik by Old Harbor port. Since we had 2 tours booked and a few other must-see attractions, we want to stay in a central location so we can make the most of our limited time in Iceland.
Views of the Room
The room is warm and cozy. My initial thoughts were: the beds seemed a little low and are there more lights around? (Once you get used to it, it’s a very comfortable setup)
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The shower space did take some getting used to, given the wind noise blowing/howling outside. It’s a fun fact to know that “90% of the hot water in the country is heated by geothermal source.”
As we also quickly found out, you can actually drink from tap. This is apparently safe (unless otherwise noted), as 95% of all water in Iceland comes from springs. The tap water is often touted as “one of the cleanest and most delicious drinking water in the world.” I was skeptical at first, but it was like any bottled water you’d buy elsewhere.
In fact, I was initially puzzled when I saw the cups in the room. I ended up googling whether tap water is safe to drink. It was a slight adjustment to get used to.
The view looking out the room is serene (even if the weather isn’t always). The hotel is located directly across from the Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center.
View from the room
Dashing off with Room Service on arrival
We had an arriving flight that landed in the late evening. Staff was welcoming at check-in. After check in (per the advice of staff), we rushed to our room so we can place an order before the kitchen stops taking order by 11:15pm. We were starving after the flight and wanted to eat and catch some sleep, so we ordered in record time. We didn’t have time to figure out the conversion rate (as it turned out, it wasn’t cheap).
The welcome gift in the room was a nice touch with a handwritten note, except… a hiccup. We don’t know who Mr. Sean is. I also generally don’t like exposed food/snacks just sitting in a room…
Welcome gift, but not for right guest
Other Areas of the Hotel
Across from the check-in reception desk is an nicely appointed lobby bar. We got our welcome drinks here.
On the same floor is the hotel’s Signature restaurant called TIDES. The food was cooked to precision each time. In fact, the first visit was so good that we dined there another time. I found out after the fact that it’s a Michelin recommended restaurant – I can see why.
In the morning you can also order from the TIDES cafe as well. What delicious breakfast as well.
There is a classy rooftop bar on the 7th floor and a gym for those who want to to work out.
What Else is Nearby?
I like that Reykjavik EDITION is centrally located. You can walk to old Harbor, where you can find more seafood restaurants and dining choices. There is an active Ferris wheel of walkable distance, though I didn’t see a whole lot of activities/riders when we passed by it.
You can also just walk to Hapa bus stop a short walk from the hotel (< 5 minutes walk). A lot of tour buses cannot pick up/drop off in front of the hotels, so they have the designated bus areas where visitors can wait for their tour buses (or “feeder” buses, if going on a larger tour). It’s a very efficient and convenient and they are easy to locate.
In Summary
The Reykjavik EDITION is a 5-star hotel and I can see why with its impeccable service and dining experience. They take care of little conveniences like having umbrellas you can borrow at the front desk. The dining options at the hotel are fantastic even if you’re simply tired and don’t feel like wandering out. The room is warm and cozy. It is convenient location wise. Is it economical? Probably not, though I might add that everything is Iceland is expensive. This isn’t surprising given that Iceland is near (if not at) the top of countries with the highest cost of living in the world.
Would I recommend or stay at this hotel again? Absolutely.
What other hotels have you stayed at in Reykjavik that you’d highly recommend to fellow readers?
