Hotels on multi-day tours - part two
- Gunnsi and Tyffi
- May 17
- 3 min read
The hotels on our multi-day tours are included in the price, and we strive to select the best ones available. This blog is part one of three of what we book for our guests on our travels all around the country. What we look for is proximity to attractions, cleanliness, and, above all, great food. Proximity to attractions means that when the tour is, for example, around the country, we try to minimize driving when we select the hotels. The cleanliness and service with friendly and professional staff are also necessary and are one of the things we look for. The main thing we look for, though, is an exceptional gourmet dinner, and if we can't get that at a booked hotel, we go for dinner in a nearby restaurant.
Because our tours are mainly private, we only book the hotels when we have a booking from our guests. We don't do like the big companies when they book dozens of rooms a year in advance in the hope of selling out their tours. This can, of course, be bad for us when we get a booking with very short notice. It is, therefore, best for both us and our guests to book a long time ahead.
Here below are some of the hotels we try to book when traveling in the east towards the north. The next blog from me will be about hotels in the West.
When coming from the east, Fjalladýrð (which translates to "Mountain Glory") is a good place to stay when visiting many attractions in the area or at a relaxed pace. The restaurant offers, among other things, Fjallagrasasúpa (which translates to "mountain grass soup"), which they call "moss soup." It is probably one of the most healthy things to have. My mother used to cook this for me and my siblings when we had a cold. The hotel is farther away from the ocean than any other hotel in Iceland and is by the doorstep of the Highlands.
When staying by Lake Mývatn, we first try the small family-owned Vogafjós county hotel. The rooms are a few minutes' walk from the reception and the restaurant. The exceptional food they offer is from the area. Lamb, Arctic char freshly caught from the lake, and beef. While having dinner, you have a wonderful view over the area and the cows in the barn through a window.
Other options we have in the area are Hótel Laxá, Berjaya, and Fosshótel Mývatn. All are very good and have great restaurants but are rather big and not as intimate.
Leaving the Mývatn Lake area, the next hotel would be Hotel KEA in Akureyri town. It is an old hotel but quite well maintained. They have a great restaurant, but there are also other great restaurants within a short walking distance we can choose from.
When our tour goes around the Troll Peninsula, we have two options in Siglufjörður town. Hotel Sigló and Hotel Siglunes. The Sigló Hótel is very stylish and new with a hot tub and is on the water. The food is very good, and it has a beautiful living room and a bar. Siglunes Hotel offers a great fusion of Icelandic and Moroccan dishes in their restaurant, and they have very comfortable rooms. Drive a bit further to Lónkot, which is a great option for families that can share a bathroom. The food there is exceptional.
In Skagafjörður our favorite option is Country Hotel Hofsstaðir. The rooms face north, where you can enjoy seeing the midnight sun set and come back up again. In my opinion the restaurant offers, among other things, the best horse steak in the country.
The West is next!
Comments