Reykjavik EDITION

We stayed at The Reykjavik EDITION for several nights and overall had a good experience, largely thanks to the hotel’s outstanding location. It is perfectly situated right on the harbour, just minutes from the main shopping streets and a huge choice of bars and restaurants. Whale watching tours depart only around a 5-minute walk away, and both bus stop #4 and #5 are extremely close, making access to day trips and excursions very easy. From a location perspective, it’s hard to beat. Check-in was a little disappointing. We arrived around noon, fully aware that official check-in is at 3pm, so had no expectation of our room being ready. Reception took our phone number and said they would call when it became available. However, around two hours later, having received no call and after seeing many guests check in and go straight to their rooms, we approached reception ourselves. We were then told that our room had “just become available”, which felt a little disingenuous and unnecessarily frustrating. Our room had views over the harbour, which were very nice once the light broke in the morning, and the room itself was well proportioned, very clean and comfortable, with a good layout and high-quality finishes. However, the lighting throughout the hotel is extremely subdued, which creates a rather dingy atmosphere, particularly in the rooms. In the middle of winter, when it’s dark until after 9am, this made mornings feel especially gloomy, and on more than one occasion we had to resort to using phone torches to see properly. While low lighting works reasonably well in corridors and lift areas, in the rooms it quickly becomes frustrating. Breakfast in Tides restaurant was good, again with views over the harbour. The omelettes cooked to order in the open kitchen were excellent, and there was a solid selection of hot and cold items as expected. Service in this area was also very good once seated. However, despite the hotel never seeming particularly busy, there were consistently queues — at reception and for breakfast, dinner and drinks in Tides. One contributing factor appeared to be the breakfast process itself: even with breakfast prepaid and included in the room rate, you are required each morning to have a receipt printed, sign it with your room details, and only then be shown to a table. This felt unnecessarily cumbersome and time-consuming, and unlike any system we’ve encountered elsewhere for prepaid services. It also seemed to significantly slow guest flow, with staff having to repeatedly explain the process, resulting in avoidable queues. One of the more puzzling aspects of the stay was the daily “Destination Credit” system. This is a concept I’ve not encountered elsewhere, and it felt poorly thought through. The daily credit (ISK 7,000) does not accumulate, meaning unused credit is lost each day. For anyone staying multiple nights, this removes any possibility of saving it towards a meal or spa visit, which seems counterintuitive. Additionally, the credit can only be used in Tides restaurant, the connected coffee shop, or the spa. This resulted in the odd situation where the small bar area within Tides restaurant was consistently full, while the lobby bar was completely empty. With a single bartender trying to serve the entire restaurant, make cocktails, and deal with walk-up bar orders, service became glacially slow — often 10–20 minutes just to get a drink. This really didn’t align with expectations for a hotel positioning itself as 5-star. At well over £400 / $550 per night, the Destination Credit is marketed as “providing exclusive amenities and offerings that enrich our guests’ stay”, but in practice it did not enhance the experience and arguably detracted from it. While the actual value of the credit is relatively small compared to the room rate, the way it is structured feels unnecessarily restrictive. If the food, beverage, and spa offerings are strong, guests will naturally choose to use them — without needing a slightly awkward incentive scheme. Overall, the EDITION has a fantastic location and offers comfortable, well-appointed rooms, but some operational aspects and guest experience design choices currently hold it back from being truly excellent. With a few relatively small adjustments, it could very easily live up to its premium positioning.

We recently stayed at The Reykjavik EDITION, and overall the experience was excellent. The hotel itself is beautifully designed, the rooms are comfortable, and the atmosphere is exactly what you would expect from a high-end property. The staff were professional and courteous throughout our stay, and in many respects the service lived up to the brand’s reputation. However, what should have been a seamless business trip was unfortunately soured by an issue that, in our view, could and should have been handled differently. As a company, we were in Iceland for an important meeting with a local Icelandic firm. Given the nature of our work and the fact that this will involve many future trips to Iceland, we had requested an extended check-out to allow us to conclude the meeting properly without disruption. Unfortunately, we were informed at the last minute that an extended check-out would not be possible. This left us in a very difficult position and ultimately forced us to cut the meeting short. For a hotel that clearly caters to international business travellers, this was disappointing — particularly as the limitation appeared to be buried in the small print rather than communicated transparently upfront. While apologies were offered, sometimes the issue needs to be owned more meaningfully. In business, the impact of a situation matters more than the words used to address it. The inability to accommodate — or at least provide a workable alternative — has influenced our decision regarding future stays. We will be returning to Iceland frequently for business, but unfortunately this experience means we will now need to consider alternative venues for future trips. A great hotel experience is not just about design and comfort — it’s about flexibility, accountability, and understanding the real-world needs of your guests. On this occasion, that standard was not quite met.

Sophisticated and well-decorated, yet warm and cozy at the same time. The rooms aren’t huge, but they offer plenty of space for two people and luggage. The floor-to-ceiling windows are fantastic and provide beautiful views of the city. Parking is easy, with both self-parking and valet options available. The location: not right in the busy city center, but only a pleasant 5–7 minute walk away. Service is all around outstanding! And Wow, what a complete and delicious buffet breakfast. Overall, a great stay. Would definitely recommend!

Great location, beautiful hotel, peaceful and well appointed. We stayed for a long weekend to celebrate our son’s 18th birthday and loved it. The spa was wonderful in the evenings after the cold days!

The staff was so super friendly. Probably the best tap water I have ever had. Bar staff was wonderful and the valet service was outstanding. A special mention for Angel from Cuba who was our valet and who was simply wonderful.