Park Inn Island Hotel, Reykjavik

...staying and my boyfriend said Park Inn Iceland – we were soon corrected that we should pronounce Iceland as ‘Istland’ – this was a bit further away than other people’s hotels, so we were one of the last to be dropped off.

When we arrived at the hotel the front of it didn’t look too impressive as it looked as though it was rather 80s-like. However, inside the hotel was a very different matter. Everything was very clean and well presented, ...
.../> As guests at the Park Inn we had free access to the swimming pools in Reykjavik. Initially we thought that this would be inconvenient as the swimming pools weren’t located directly onsite, but we found one literally a road away. In the week we were in Iceland we didn’t have a chance to use this swimming pool as we were busy off on excursions, but apparently (according to our guide book) it’s heated by the natural springs in the city and lots ... more

In September 2006 my boyfriend took me on a surprise holiday. We got up at 3am and headed off to the airport and I still had no idea where we were heading. With this in mind I’d packed clothes for every occasion. My boyfriend had told me I’d probably need a jumper, but didn’t go into much more detail. So when I got to the airport he handed me a package and when I unwrapped it I saw a guidebook to Iceland in my hands! I was sooo excited! I had an amazing time in Iceland and I thought I’d review the hotel we stayed in as I’ve read a few reviews online since and they seem rather unduly negative to me.

~~First Impressions~~

When we arrived in Iceland we caught a bus Reykjavik and they delivered us right to the door of our hotel. They asked where we were staying and my boyfriend said Park Inn Iceland – we were soon corrected that we should pronounce Iceland as ‘Istland’ – this was a bit further away than other people’s hotels, so we were one of the last to be dropped off.

When we arrived at the hotel the front of it didn’t look too impressive as it looked as though it was rather 80s-like. However, inside the hotel was a very different matter. Everything was very clean and well presented, although the rose quartz on the walls of the stairwell was an irremovable testament to its 80s past.

~~The Room~~

The room we stayed in was a few levels up and was pretty spacious. We had asked for a double room and were provided with a double bed, but oddly two single duvets. At first we thought this was rather annoying, but upon actually going to bed we realised how comfortable they were. The duvets and pillows were filled with down (obviously for when its particularly cold) and they felt wonderful. All the bedding was white – and tearing yourself away from its warmth in the morning before heading out into the cold was a rather hard task!

Our room was en suite with a shower. Interestingly all the water in Iceland comes from hot springs, so to some people the warm water used for the shower may smell a little sulphery. However I didn’t smell anything odd in our bathroom. In fact it was a wonderful experience to know you are showering in natural spring water. Another bonus to this was that when you filled up the kettle (provided in the room) from the taps for the sink in the bathroom this was also spring water! I always feel a bit odd filling up kettles from bathroom taps in hotels, but here it was a pleasure!

Talking of kettles, I’m a bit of a tea fanatic, so when I found that we weren’t provided with English Breakfast tea in our rooms I was a bit disappointed. The alternative was Earl Grey… but not wanting to miss out on my tea I thought I’d try it anyway. Surprisingly I really liked it and now whenever I smell or taste Earl Grey it reminds me of Iceland and the fresh spring water I made it with.

During the time we stayed in the room our curtains were changed. I know that sounds really trivial, but it made a lot of difference. When we arrived we had rather 80s flowery curtains up, but they changed these to dark blue and the whole room looked so much more modern. Overall the room was kept nice and clean in the time we were there and the staff treated us politely and kindly.

~~The Hotel’s Facilities~~

As guests at the Park Inn we had free access to the swimming pools in Reykjavik. Initially we thought that this would be inconvenient as the swimming pools weren’t located directly onsite, but we found one literally a road away. In the week we were in Iceland we didn’t have a chance to use this swimming pool as we were busy off on excursions, but apparently (according to our guide book) it’s heated by the natural springs in the city and lots of business men and women visit it early in the morning before work.

The hotel is also right next to what is apparently one of Iceland’s largest nightclubs, but from the outside I have to say it didn’t look very good. This might be ideal for some people, but it wasn’t our scene, so we decided not to go there. We were concerned that we might be able to hear the music from the nightclub in the hotel, but we couldn’t hear a thing.

Breakfast was included in the price of our room at the hotel and we made the most of the buffet set-up each morning. As you may know, Iceland is a very expensive country, and seeing as they have to import most of their food – so is the food. As poor students we decided to eat as much as we could at breakfast each day and we were very happy with the selection we were offered. Everything from continental to full cooked breakfast was available. You were allowed to have a selection of whatever you wanted. I particularly liked the bread that they offered alongside normal bread. It was rather like a scone in the shape of a loaf – I’d never had anything like it before. There was also a massive selection of teas (including English Breakfast tea!) as well as fruit juices.

The floor of the hotel that our room was located on also had a free ice machine which was ideal for chilling our drinks in the evenings if we wanted to stay in, or indeed if we wanted a drink just before we went out!

The Park Inn offers wi-fi throughout the hotel, but this is not free. There is also a computer in reception that you can buy internet minutes for, but this seemed to be very expensive and the minutes seemed to have to be used up straight away. I would recommend not using this service and instead venturing into town, where many tourist shops offer free internet as a ploy to get you to go in their shops. We found free internet access while in gift shops, outdoor-wear shops, and even at the whale watching head quarters.

A picture of a typical room can be found at Park Inn Iceland’s website at… http://www.rezidorparkinn.com/cs/Satellite?cid=1112684570841&pagename=ParkInn%2FPage%2FparkinnHotelSEO&language=en&hotelCode=rekpd

~~Location~~

Now this is where the reviews I’ve read mark down the Park Inn. On their website they make it very clear that they are based in the business district of Reykjavik, but people have complained that it’s not near the centre. As students we tried to save money where possible and walked pretty much everywhere in Reykjavik, but the distance from the hotel to the town centre really wasn’t very far. In fact it was ideal for us as it took about twenty minutes, pretty much all of which you could do along the coast if you wanted. The coast offers views of the very beautiful “house” mountain (so called because most houses point towards it because it is so stunning) and the walk was really rather pleasant. Some of the hotel rooms at the Park Inn even have views of this mountain, but our window faced the wrong way. The distance from hotel to town might be a little far for those who aren’t so mobile, but I think its unfair to mark the hotel down on this aspect when they make it very clear in their advertising that that is where they are based.

~~Prices~~

Since my stay at the Park Inn Iceland was a surprise I have no idea how much we paid. According the Park Inn hotel website it’s about 11.000 ISK (c. £90) per night to stay in the same rooms this September coming up. However, I’m sure there are offers depending what time of year you book and how much in advance.

~~Overall~~

I really enjoyed my stay in Iceland and the Park Inn met all our needs. The only annoying thing we found was that when we needed to leave to get our flight home it was too early in the morning for the bus from the airport to come and pick us up from the hotel. We were advised by the receptionist to book a taxi to the main bus terminal, but feeling fit (and armed with wheeled suitcases) we decided to walk the 3 miles and take in the fresh Icelandic air rather than pay an extortionate taxi fare. If you are booking a flight back at an early hour it might be worth checking what time the buses visit this hotel, but I don’t think this is a fault that can be put down to the hotel, but rather more to the bus company. The hotel had loads of leaflets on excursions and tourist attractions and the staff were very helpful. I’d definitely recommend this hotel and I really wish I had my own down duvet!

Thanks for reading and check out my pictures! 

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