Iceland - Recap & Hotel Reviews

I can't finish up our Iceland trip without telling you about our hotels.

Hótel Örk in Hveragerði

We spent one night here and it's a great base for exploring both the Southern Coast and the Golden Circle.  It's in a spa town about an hour outside of Reykjavik right on Route 1.  

Our room was a standard with a fridge, bathtub, and free in-room wifi.  The room was large and clean. (I love having my very own duvet.)  There's a restaurant and bar onsite, but because we were there during the off season, the restaurant was closed for some renovation work.  Luckily, there were several bars and restaurants just across the street.  The gentleman on night duty was nice enough to open up the bar for a nightcap for us.  He also offered to wake us up if the Northern Lights made an appearance. 

During the peak season, I would imagine this hotel is packed.  There is an outdoor pool and water slide, a 9-hole golf course, hot tubs and a sauna.  The buffet breakfast was just what we needed for our busy days of exploration.  It was a standard Continental breakfast with cold cuts, cheese, fruits, pastries and more.  At a rate of about £85 per night during the off season, it's very good value. 

Hotel Klettur in Reykjavik

This was another really great hotel with massive, comfortable rooms.  The rooms didn't have a tub or in-room wifi, but this one had a little more modern look.  It's located at the Eastern end of the strand in Reykjavik, just a few blocks inland.  Easily within walking distance.  There is some construction going on next door but it didn't really disturb us.  Both hotels had plenty of parking which was handy with the rental car. 

There isn't a restaurant on site, but there was a bar with a great 2 for 1 Happy Hour.  (This was extended if the Northern Lights tours were canceled.)  Speaking of tours, you could book just about any of them with the help of the reception staff.   Again, we had a continental buffet breakfast.  It was a bit crowded, so I recommend going early, but there was plenty to choose from.   Rooms during off season are less than £100 per night. 

We would recommend both hotels, great location and really great value for money.  

If you remember, this is how we planned our Long Weekend Getaway from London to Iceland.

We flew out Wednesday night arriving late and stayed at a airport hotel.

We awoke early the next morning, picked up the rental car and headed out to explore the South Coast.

 This was our longest day and we stayed on Route 1 at Hotel Ork.

Next day, we slept in a little later and had plenty of time to tour the Golden Circle and visit a spa.

That night we stayed in Reykjavik at Hotel Klettur and had dinner out on the town.

Saturday we toured the city in the morning, went to Blue Lagoon in the afternoon,

and did a Northern Lights Tour that evening.

We checked out of the hotel early Sunday morning, dropped off the car and caught an early flight.

We were home by 2pm on Sunday.

This was one of my top three trips so far!

If you ever get the chance to go to Iceland... GO!

Here's a recap of all of the posts from our stay.

Four days and 10 posts, so much to see and do.

Instagram Iceland

The Magic of the Northern Lights

Iceland - Such a Drama Queen!

The Glacier Lagoon

The Golden Circle

Strokkur Geyser

Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Spa 

Reykjavik, Iceland

Blue Lagoon

  Today is my final post from #JonesInIceland.  Perfect timing, too.
Stay tuned for #JonesInDunkirk and #JonesInBruge this month!

 After two months of no travel we're finally hitting the road again!

 Where are you off to this month?

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  *Our accommodation at Hotel Ork and Hotel Klettur was complimentary for the purposes of review.
 All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  

Blue Lagoon Iceland

Well, you can't go to Iceland without visiting the famous Blue Lagoon.

Which is just what we did after touring Reykjavik in the morning.

This was one time when we didn't use the car.

I wanted Matt to have a chance to relax and not worry about driving,

so we booked a transfer with BusTravel Iceland.  They picked us up and dropped us off at the hotel. 

The price was about £13 each which does not include admission to the Blue Lagoon.

They offer loads of other Icelandic Tours, too.

The Blue Lagoon has to be one of the most unusual places I've ever visited.

It's located in an otherworldly lava field next to a power plant.

The lagoon is fed from the runoff of the geothermal plant and renews every two days.

Once the lava-heated water has done its job of generating energy,

it energizes the thousands of visitors to the spa.

 We opted for the Comfort Experience (about £50 each) so after picking up our wristband, towels and robes

it was time for me to navigate the Ladies Changing Room.

Now this is the part that I stressed about the most.  

As I mentioned before, when going to a spa in Iceland you are asked to bathe in the nude

(usually in a gender-segregated communal shower) before entering. 

I realize that for most people this isn't a big deal, but as an American,

I've been trained since high school gym class to avoid being "nekkid" in public at all costs.

Maneuvers include erecting an elaborate pup-tent of towels and the classic removal of the bra through the sleeves.

Let me tell you, there were naked women everywhere in that dressing room.

I wish I had that confidence, but I just can't do it.

So I figured out an elaborate system to avoid the public nakedness.

Sure Matt had to wait an extra 30 minutes for me to exit the dressing rooms,

but whatever.  Old habits die hard.  If you would like to know my system

just send me an email.  I've got you "covered."  (See what I did there?)

 

Eventually, we went outside, hung up our robes and got into the water as quickly as possible.

February in Iceland, it was obviously freezing outside.

 B

But oh, that water, so warm!  It's a milky color and full of minerals

Good for the skin, but not so great on the hair.

I covered mine with conditioner as advised and didn't get it wet.

The water isn't that deep so you end up duck-walking around.

I kept imagining if you took the water away and just had hundreds of people

duck walking around this lava field.  Can't you just picture it?  No?  Just me?  

Another thing I was worried about was camera logistics.  I left my camera in my locker until we were about to leave then I went and grabbed it for some photos.  I wouldn't leave anything valuable hanging up outside.

My robe got nicked which was pretty aggravating.

Can you spot Matt?

The bottom of the pools is covered in a silt-like substance, kind of slimy on your toes.

The lava rocks around the edges have gone all white from the minerals in the water.

We expected it to be slimy, too, but it wasn't at all.  The minerals have hardened into a white shell. 

It's a really big space, so after grabbing a beer at the little bar, we duck-walked from one hot spot to the next.

The water varies from about 98 to 102 degrees, the hottest spots are just wonderful.

There are  boxes where you can grab some of the mineral mud to smear on your skin.

I put a little bit on my face, but it started itching so I quickly washed it off.

It did feel like we were on a different planet.

The blue sky, black rocks, white silt and the wispy steam.

This is the little bar where you can grab beer, wine or a smoothie.

There was a staff member walking around that took a photo with an ipad and emailed it to us.

He kept dipping his freezing fingers into the hot water to thaw them out,

The staff was really great.  The facilities are terrific and the water is so wonderfully warm.

The experience was completely different from our time at the Laugarvatn Fontana.

If I lived in Iceland, I'm not sure I would go there regularly to relax,

but it was a once in a lifetime experience that I wouldn't have missed for anything.

What did you think the Blue Lagoon Iceland?

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  *Our transfer was provided by BusTravel  and we were the guests of Blue Lagoon Iceland for the purposes of review.
 All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. 

Reykjavik, Iceland

I'm mid way through week two of the new job.

The good... really like my coworkers and what I'm doing.

The place has a great feel to it.  I think it's a place where I can really settle in.

The bad... three hour commute each day is obviously a struggle.

And not having the time I once had to devote to this blog.

I'm hating that I haven't responded to all of your great comments from the past week.

But, I'll get to it.   I just have to find my rhythm. 

I think it's time to wrap up our trip to Iceland,

so today I'm sharing photos from the city of Reykjavik.

For a variety of reasons, when we drove into the city I felt like I

could be driving into any US big city.  Other than the language, it looked and felt so familiar.

 We didn't have much time to explore so we focused on the waterfront and old town along with a few other wonderful sites.   We used the car so we could see as much as possible.

Of course, we had to stop for a famous Icelandic hotdog.

The colors that morning were just glorious, all whites, greys and blues.

I'm not sure what the building is but these are some of the best murals I've ever seen.

I must have taken a hundred pictures of the Sun Voyager, but I've narrowed it down to two.

We also ventured to the Western tip of Reykjavik and the area of "Grótta.”

I feel like a broken record but the views in  Iceland are just stunning!

Our last stop was the Hallgrímskirkja Church.

Our little morning tour gave us just a taste of this stunning city.

But I didn't mind because by this time I realized that we
will be returning to Iceland to see more.

What are your favorite spots in Reykjavik?

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Iceland's Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths

After an awe inspiring morning exploring The Golden Circle while bundled up against the frigid cold,
what could be better than stripping off all of those layers and lowering your cold limbs into a warm, steamy bath?

Doing just that in the open air with these magical views of Iceland.

Throw in a glass of wine delivered poolside and I'm in heaven! 

This is exactly how we ended our day on The Golden Circle at the

Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths.

Located on Lake Laugarvatn, only about 50 minutes from Rekyjavik,

Laugarvatn Fontana is one of three natural springs located in this hot zone.

Dating from the 1920's, it was the site of historical spa facility.

These new facilities were built in 2011 and use all of this natural geothermal activity

to provide visitors with a relaxing, healing spa experience.

Our visit started with a great lunch of grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.

They have a lovely little cafe offering healthy salads and soups,

as well as scrumptious cakes and coffee.

Then it was time to select our experience. Basic admission is 2.800 ISK, or about £15.

A big towel and a fluffy, white robe are an additional £10.

We each went to our changing areas to put on our swimsuits.

The changing facilities are roomy and nice.  We were each given a key for our own private lockers.

Sinks, mirrors, blowdryers and toilets, everything you need.

When you visit a spa in Iceland, you'll be asked to shower in the nude before putting on your swimsuit.

Most facilities don't have private showers, so leave your modesty at home.

That was a bit of a challenge for this prudish American, but luckily, I happened to have the place to myself.

Quickly, it was time to head outside which is where that big, fluffy robe came in handy.

It was freezing cold outside, but as soon as our feet hit the warm, mineral bath

we didn't feel the cold again.  There are several pools at varying temperatures.

We went straight for Viska, the hottest one, built up on a higher level with great views.

When the heat of Viska made us a little light-headed, we moved over to another pool,

which was big and deep enough to do a few laps.

It felt so good to just move around in the warm water after so much driving.

There are three natural steam rooms that are built directly over the hot springs.

When you step in you can hear the water bubbling away below the slatted wood flooring.

They also have a sauna with a big window and views of the lake.

I can't even tell you how relaxing this was.  We could just feel the stress leaving our bodies.

And those views!  Our time at this spa was one of the highlights of our trip.

We had a chance to just relax and breathe, to warm our bones after a long, cold winter.

It was quite romantic, too and a chance to reconnect.  Everything a weekend getaway should include.

Most of the baths are treated, but they have one that is just natural spring water.

The water is so warm and soft.  We lowered ourselves so that only our heads were out of the water.  It was heavenly.

With the natural lava rocks surrounding the pool and the steam rising off the water,

Matt kept joking about expecting to see the Japanese Snow Monkeys.

After plenty of time enjoying the views and the warm water, we reluctantly changed back into our streetclothes.

Warmed from the inside, we didn't need nearly as many layers as before.

But, we had one more more experience to enjoy before we left.

The energy from the geothermal spas is used for many things, including baking.

Our guide grabbed a shovel and took us over to an area on the banks of the lake.

As she started digging, boiling water started filling in the small pit she dug.

Each day they bake a batch of bread by burying it in this dirt overnight.

Someone else from the neighborhood had buried their own batch nearby.

Oh my goodness, it was dee-lish!  Slathered with some creamy butter.  Yum!

The Rye Bread Experience is daily at 2:30pm and is about £8.

It was the perfect way to end our time at the Spa.

We had an fabulous time at the Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths.

This is a great addition to your tour of The Golden Circle.

Here's a tip: The tour buses show up just in time for the Rye Bread Experience.

We got there about lunch time and had the place almost to ourselves until then.

As we were getting out of the water, the tour group was just getting in.

It's open daily from 11am to 9pm.

 Even if you don't want to get wet, the Laugarvatn Fontana Cafe is a great place to stop for lunch.

It's also a stop on several excursions and tours of The Golden Circle.

Wouldn't this be perfect to visit in the evening as the sun was going down?

Have you luxuriated in a geothermal hot spot?  What did you think?

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 *We were guests of Laugarvatn Fontana for the purposes of review.
 All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.