Contemporary hotel with industrial design next to Iceland’s original geyser
Hotel Geysir / Haukadalur / Iceland
Iceland is surreal. There is no better word to describe this amazing little country. Not only when referring to the location, far away from anything else in the north Atlantic, but the country is surreal with glaciers, mountains, lava fields, fiords, geysers and of course, the ever present volcanoes. This combined makes for a surreal looking landscape, a landscape like no other, making you feel like you have arrived on another planet. One of these natural wonders is the reason why this hotel exits. I am thinking of the geysers. The geysers in Haukadalur is the reason why people started to come here and why a hotel was built on this site. And therefore, I guess it is suitable that the name of the hotel is Geysir Hotel.
This 77-key hotel is a family affair, run by the Greipsson family (current family member in charge is the daughter in law of Sigurdur Greipsson, Sigridur Vilhjalmsdottir) who have had business here for decades. This contemporary, sleek-looking hotel was completed in Summer of 2019. The architecture is made to make the hotel blend into the surroundings by trying to almost camouflage it, hiding it among the rolling hills of the Haukadalur valley. The exterior is all wood, glass and metal which is what makes the design feel contemporary..
The interior is open and spacious. Everywhere you turn there are massive windows brining the outside into the building, making nature feel ever present. Just like the exterior, the inside has a sleek look, almost minimalist, but if the main feature of the exterior is wood, the main one on the inside is concrete. The roughness of the concrete has been soften by plush furniture, locally produced woolen blankets with colorful patterns.
Our room was large and airy with huge floor-to-ceiling windows putting the surrounding mountains on display. The strict looking design has a industrial look and feel but is balanced with carpets, a soft-looking headboard and some heavy drapes.
Welcome to Hotel Geysir!
Wood, metal and glass are the main features of the exterior of Hotel Geysir.
The spacious and still cozy lobby.
Looking up at one of the majestic chandeliers in the lobby.
Our room was, just like the rest of the hotel, both spacious and cozy, combining industrial elements with plush headboard and heavy drapes.
A sneak view of the surrounding mountains.
Coffee machine from Swedish brand Sjöstrand in our room.
The bar and restaurant is partly located in the original building that was here before the hotel was built. Parts of the original walls have been preserved and are now a partition between the restaurant and bar.
The cozy bar area.
The main attraction, the geysers located right next to the hotel.
Me doing a little hike in the cold, cold Icelandic Spring.
A must when in Iceland is to visit one (or several) of the thermal baths dotted around the country. This one is the first public bath in Iceland, Gamla Laugin or Secret Lagoon, located a short drive from the Geysir Hotel. M together with our friends Jack and Tanja soaking in the hot water as the snow started to fall.
Had to stop the car when we drove by these cuties.
RG inside info
This place is perfect if you…
…are looking for a straight forward, contemporary hotel with sleek industrial design, comfy bed and great food close to the natural wonder of the OG geyser.
My favorite thing about this place…
…was actually not something related to the hotel as such but more related to a time of day. When the evening falls and the tour buses finally left the visitor’s centre parking lot, there was a calm that made the world slow down. A calm that filled the area and especially the hotel. A feeling that you had the hotel and the surroundings all to yourself.
What not to miss when staying here…
…is to get up super early, before any buses have arrived and walk up the hill and watch the erupting geyser all alone. It is a mighty experience. And even mightier when it is just you there to take it all in.
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