London Watford Junction . 2013 . Nov 23, 24, 30 & Dec 1, 2
This post is part of our Iceland Northern Lights Exploration + London Sightseeing Trip Report and Itinerary. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.
We did not chose to stay at the Fosshotel Lind when we were in Iceland. It was simply the hotel that was provided for our 8D7N Northern Lights Exploration package tour by Guomundur Jonasson (GJ) Travel. We did extend our stay in Iceland beyond the package tour by coming in a day earlier and leaving 2 days later than the rest of our group members. For the sake of convenience and to spare ourselves the trouble of finding another hotel, we chose to extend our stay at the Fosshotel Lind, which turned out to be a wise choice.
Good Location
Reykjavik, with a population of 120,000 does not have a city train system. However, its city is easy to navigate by foot or by public bus. Fosshotel Lind occupies a good location in the city of Reykjavik, with the bus terminus only around a 5-minute walk away from the hotel. The shopping street of Laugavegur is one street away from Fosshotel Lind and although it is not the cheapest place to go shopping in Reykjavik; it does have many unique local fashion designers and craft shops.
From Laugavegur, we could walk to the Old Harbour, home to the whale watching cruises and excursions. At the Old Harbour, enjoy views of the majestic Mount Esja across the bay. The Harpa Conference and Concert Centre is also within walking distance from the Old Harbor. There are plenty of famous cafes and restaurants in the Old Harbour and Laugavegur where we regularly have our meals and that includes the Café Haiti, Icelandic Fish and Chips and Sjavargrillid (Seafood Grill).
A few minutes from the Fosshotel Lind is a supermarket which provided for our daily needs. A 10-min walk away is the architecturally splendid Hallgrímskirkja church. Resplendent in both day and night, the church is worth going at different times of the day. Therefore, if you do not mind doing a bit of walking, staying at the Fosshotel Lind actually gives you good access to some key attractions in Reykjavik.
Clean Modern Room with Free Wifi
We have actually checked into the Fosshotel Lind twice – before and after our 8D7N Northern Lights Exploration package tour by Guomundur Jonasson (GJ) Travel. Both times we were given different rooms with a slightly different configuration, but the size of the room on both occasions was a little small. It was a little difficult for two persons to navigate around the room or to re-pack our luggage. Nevertheless, we were grateful for the cleanliness of the room and for its modern setting. Moreover, we also get free wifi in our room, which is a fabulous plus point!
One aspect that the hotel could improve on is their shower areas. Due to the design of the shower screens and the lack of a raised barrier on the flooring to demarcate the shower area, water from the shower tends to seep out and wet other parts of the bathroom.
Thing to Note: Since most of the water in Iceland comes from hot springs, they do tend to smell strongly of sulphur when the water is running. This is a fact that is true of most other hotels in Reykjavik and is not unique to Fosshotel Lind.
The Common Areas
Fosshotel Lind is only four floors high and is service by a lift that could get packed at times. You might want to consider using the staircase to get to the lobby and reception area.
You could also grab some tour brochures on your way down to the lobby.
The lift - which would get quite packed especially when the tour group guests check in or out.
The reception and lobby area.
Good Spread of Breakfast
While the spread for breakfast at the Fosshotel Lind was good, we would have preferred more hot items. Make sure to try the coffee and hot chocolates, and the chocolate chip cookies – they are fantastic, and I must have that every day of my stay.
For those of us on the early morning flights, we were also offered a packed breakfast set to carry away with us. If you are taking the Flybus back to Reykjavik airport, the hotel can make arrangements with them to pick you up at the hotel, provided that they were informed at least one day in advance.
Excellent Staff and Service
Service was always excellent at this hotel during our stay. During our stay, we have asked for extra towels to bring to the Blue Lagoon, and the staff were always happy to oblige. They were also forthcoming in giving us recommendations on local attractions and restaurants and the directions for getting there.
There is a little counter near the reception with useful information, maps and brochures on the day excursions and Northern Lights excursions available, and the staffs was always available to discuss the possibility of viewing the Northern Lights. Also look out for the little cards advertising restaurants, shops and attractions in downtown Reykjavik. They are most useful and convenient to carry around and have all the necessary information to lead you to the destination. Some of them also come with a discount when you present it to the merchant.
Final Verdict
We booked the Fosshotel Lind at a rate of about SGD$130 per night, quite a reasonable rate given the high standard of living in Reykavik. Furthermore, the room rate includes breakfast and free access to Wifi. We will definitely stay in the Fosshotel Lind again if we decide to come back to Iceland for more Northern Lights!
Fosshotel Lind
Raudararstigur 18,
105 Reykjavík
Phone (+354) 562 3350,
Fax (+354) 562 3351
This post is part of our Iceland Northern Lights Exploration + London Sightseeing Trip Report and Itinerary. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.
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