I was asked many questions after I wrote about my trip to Iceland. The most common questions were: Where did you stay? Can you recommend a hotel? Questions like the previous two are the reasons for this post. On a stunning journey like this one sometimes all you need to be happy are the following: sleep, being cozy, a bit of comfort, something nice to eat, and a reasonably comfortable bed. For these purposes, the quaint and quite simple hotels that we slept in during the trip were perfectly fine – and sometimes I even envied the hardboiled-seasoned campers who were cozy in their VW buses or tents; being that close to nature has a certain level of romance and makes the island so much more enjoyable.
The hotel in which we spent our third night in Lagarfljót (Lögurinn Lake) near Egilsstaðir then was comparatively luxurious which was a pleasant and very positive surprise: It is beautifully situated on a hill in the woods by the lake, has stunning views, excellent service, modern-trendy rooms and other amenities, and is definitely worth a recommendation for future trips to Iceland.
From the front, the Hotel Hallormsstaðir looks rather unimpressive, but once inside, the bright and open entrance area makes you curious to see more. After making your way past the entrance, you end up in the „living room“, which is how they introduced the cozy bar area with a dreamlike view that immediately sold us on the place.
Of course having a look at the room is not insignificant…
…but for me, the buffet was essential that evening and everything you could desire was on offer. There was a wonderful antipasti buffet for starters, nice hot dishes, and very naughty but delicious desserts, plus great bread and a few delicacies. As a lover of animals, I didn’t partake in those, but the buffet was excellent and I can really only give it a thumbs up!
I especially recommend this hotel because of its bright, light-flooded cultivation. While dining you feel as though you’re sitting in the middle of the woods, except with a bit more of a composed atmosphere ;) After dessert or before a digestif, you can stretch your legs a bit and make your way out onto the terrace to enjoy the view of the lake…
…and if that’s not enough exercise for you, you can take a walk down to the shore if you’re more of the athletic type. In Iceland, the sun remains shining for a long period of time at this time of year…
…but, my favorite alternative is to sit in the hot tub under the cozy evening light and wait for the sun to set just before midnight. To give you an idea: these images were taken shortly after dinner at approximately 9p.m.. The hotel also has a small spa with a sauna.
In addition to the 49 rooms in the main building, some rooms at the nearby boarding school also belong to the hotel. These rooms are available in summer when students are back at home for summer holiday. There are also four cottages around the corner which seem perfectly made for a small family.
