Favorite accommodations in Iceland

In the time I was in Iceland, I tried out several different types of accommodations, in many different locations. The best, of course, was the time we spent in a private home. But for those looking to book a room, I’ll share my favorites among the places we stayed.

Sydri-Vik (690 Vopnafirdi; Tel: 473-1199; Fax: 473-1449), a member of Icelandic Farm Holidays, has beautiful and quaint red summer cottages, with extra large windows offering amazing views of the nature and the bay. The cottages are cozy and comfortable, with everything a traveler could need - bath, microwave, fridge, kitchen, TV, dining area, sofa and three bedrooms. A patio outside has chairs and a grill and the cottages are just steps from a river. From Egilsstadir, take road 1 for 85 km. Turn right on road 85. God 50 km. Turn right on rd. 917. It's 3 km on the right. If you decide to travel on rd. 917 from rd., be forewarned that there is a large single-laned mountain crossing that would be very difficult in wet or cold weather. The views on this route, however, are stunning.

Hotel Framtid in Djupivogur is a warm, welcoming place at a reasonable price. It offers beautiful harbor views – a perfect Icelandic hotel.

The Fosshotel Baron (Baronsstigur 2; Tel: 562-3204) is a short walk from the center of town and attractively perched on the harbor. Rooms are comfortable and quiet but the real attractions are the location, the easy FlyBus dropoff and pickup and the delicious breakfast buffet, the best I had in Iceland.

Blue Lagoon Clinic. Wow, this is perhaps my favorite hotel of all time. Where else can you stay in a room with a view of lava fields? A wonderful, luxurious way to experience the magic of the lava fields and the blue lagoon without the hordes of tourists. The pricetag is steep, but it includes entrance to the Blue Lagoon (for two days, if desired) and a wonderful breakfast with fresh-baked breads. Best of all, guests receive access to a private lagoon from 8-10 a.m. and 8-10 p.m. that is even better than the lagoon itself. This magnificent hideaway is well worth the money. There is a footpath directly from the clinic to the blue lagoon that takes 5-10 minutes to walk.

Sleeping bag accommodation

When I travel overseas, I enjoy finding unique hotel arrangements that make the lodging arrangement more convenient for the traveler and still profitable for the innkeeper. One of my favorites is the 24 hour stay in parts of Eastern Europe and Russia, where for the price of one night’s lodging, a guest is allowed to stay for 24 hours from the time they check in. I think the hotel industry in the United States could do a lot to break out of the standard mold and offer services that are more valuable to travelers.

I came across another good idea here in Iceland. It’s called sleeping bag accommodation. When you book a room, you ask for either a prepared bed or sleeping bag accommodation. A prepared bed is what you get in a standard hotel room. In sleeping bed accommodation, the room is the same as usual, but without bed-linens. The guest is expected to bring their own sleeping bag. As a result of not having to clean and replace the linens, the innkeeper charges the guest less.

Sleeping bag accommodations can come in two types – either a dorm room shared with other guests, or standard singles and doubles, identical to typical hotel stays but without linens.

We booked our first sleeping bag accommodation last night at the Hotel Framtid in Djupivogur. We had the option of a prepared room for 10,100 kroners, or a two-person sleeping bag accommodation for 6,800 kroners. Both had shared bath. For the 3,300kr savings (about $28), we were ready to ditch the sheets. We ended up with a cozy room with a nice heater and a view of the harbor. I’m a new fan of Icelandic sleeping bag accommodation.