Hotel Kriunes - A city hotel by the lake — Hotel in Kopavogur

I had high hopes for this place given the price (40,000 ISK — almost €300 for one night), the good reviews, and the advertised charm of a lakefront location and “junior suite.” Unfortunately, almost every part of the stay was disappointing, uncomfortable, and poorly handled.||||First, the landing:||The parking area and entrance hall immediately set the tone. Dangling cables, what looked like raccoon (or at least too-big-for-a-cat) food containers scattered on the ground, peeled-off hotel stickers, dusty bookshelves, and creepy, outdated decor.||||It felt more like the set of an awkward 1980s Twin Peaks episode — but without any of the intrigue or charm. Just gloom.||||Second, the room itself:||Old and tired furniture, which looked like it could have come from Gefins (Iceland’s Facebook giveaway page), plastic roses in a bucket as decor, stained carpets, and a persistent musty smell.||||The fireplace, which was supposedly a feature, could not be lit and instead created terrible drafts and loud wind tunnel noises all night.||||The minibar food was stale, and the exterior door lock (leading to an unenclosed outdoor area directly connected to the lake surroundings) felt weak and insecure — the kind of lock that wouldn’t stop Leland Palmer, or worse, BOB, from paying you a midnight visit. It didn’t exactly make for a peaceful night.||||Lighting was poor, and worse still, the lights above the bathtub flickered and dimmed whenever I walked nearby — suggesting a possible electrical fault, which was unsettling.||||The curtains also didn’t help. Far from blacking out the room, they left huge gaps on the sides, letting in bright beams of light — worthy of a Star Wars lightsaber duel (wrong movie, but that’s exactly how it felt at 4AM).||||The property and surroundings:||Rustic is one thing, but this was neglect disguised as rustic charm. Heaps of building materials, random storage sheds with old bikes and whatnots surrounded the property.||||The neighbourhood itself was under heavy construction, adding to the sense of abandonment.||||The hotel is located about 20 minutes’ drive from Reykjavik, so unless you have a car, it is very inconvenient. Buses are unreliable and taxis are expensive. Even with a car, dining options were limited unless you drove again to the nearest restaurant. Access was also unpleasant — the road leading there was bumpy and winding.||||Breakfast — an overpriced mistake:||Breakfast was not included (despite the high room price!) and cost 3,600 ISK (~€25) per person.||||At check-in, the young french receptionist charged me for it and told me I needed to show up early to “announce myself.”-as if the payment wasn’t enough to guarantee me a portion of their food. Unfortunately, she forgot to note my booking, so in the morning the staff couldn’t even find my reservation.||||The buffet was extremely disappointing. The only vegan option was sad, leftover fruit from the day before. Gluten-free bread and vegan cheese only appeared after I asked for a refund — they were not advertised or offered voluntarily.||||Not only was breakfast expensive, but it was also poorly handled and lacked basic variety or fresh options.||||Service and atmosphere:||The overall atmosphere was uncomfortable, and the management’s approach felt greedy and dismissive.||||Guests are apparently treated as if they are untrustworthy unless leaving credit cards “just in case.” Meanwhile, the “junior suite” looked and felt more like a budget guesthouse with gloomy decor and broken features.||||The biggest issue was being asked for sensitive documents (including tax returns) to process a minor breakfast refund, despite already providing my kennitala. This was intrusive, unprofessional, and deeply stressful.||||Personal note:||As a stressed and disabled mom, I had been looking forward to a quiet night to myself — to relax, soak in the bath, and have a peaceful escape. Instead, I was made to feel like a criminal.||||I am also an experienced traveler of 20 years, and in all my travels I have always been able to solve issues diplomatically. However, I have never encountered staff as toxic, manipulative, and money-driven as here.||||The combination of poor conditions, invasive demands, and a greedy, distrustful attitude completely ruined what should have been a simple and restorative experience.||||In summary:||For the price paid, this was a shockingly poor experience. Substandard room conditions, security concerns, bad food, poor service, and disrespectful handling of guest privacy made this stay uncomfortable and frustrating.||||If you want the Twin Peaks experience, just watch the show — it will be more charming, far less expensive, and no one will ask for your tax returns.||||I strongly recommend avoiding...

We booked with Hotel Kríunes instead of a hotel at Reykjavik as it was only a few minutes’ drive outside the city, and appeared to be an inexpensive and reasonably rated option. The pictures posted looked spectacular (caution: under lovely sunny conditions), and we thought it would be a lovely reprieve from the bright lights of the city.

Pros: Spacious accommodation for a standard double (larger than what you’d typically expect from similar in Reykjavik). Shower was excellent (rainfall and handheld shower provided), with great water pressure, and consistently held water temperature. Kettle and mini fridge in the room were good additions. Ability to step out of the room onto a patio is great for a view of the night sky when the weather cooperates. Breakfast buffet included continental and hot food (scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, crispy roasted potatoes) items, and were well prepared. Check-in and check-out were efficient with little fuss.

Cons: The only access road to the hotel is a meandering downhill slope just beyond what appeared to be residential/suburban outskirts of the city. If anticipating snow or poor weather, be mindful that this may be tricky to navigate if not properly equipped with the right vehicle type. Parking is yet another challenge. There are not many lots available (or not available to guests?) just by the entrance, and if you’re laden with luggage in icy conditions, it is quite a trek including a flight of stairs from the overflow parking lot. Although booked directly with the hotel, that was purportedly inclusive of all charges and taxes, there was a separate tax levied on check-in. It was a small charge, but this was the only hotel where we encountered this issue throughout our stay in Iceland. As this was an out-of-the-way location, we had decided to make a dinner reservation at the hotel, which turned out to be a big mistake. The hotel made no indication either by direct communication or via their website that this would be a time where the only dinner option available would be a “festive buffet”, as was cheerily declared by the lady who seated us that evening. There’s no menu, and no explanation of what’s served and the price, except that it was supposedly “excellent”. As it was, what we were provided for 8,000 kr per person (only revealed to us on checking out - as some nasty reverse of a Christmas surprise), were the leftovers from someone else’s Christmas party. Very merry bunch of locals - you just felt like you were gate-crashing their office party, navigating past them to get to the food. There were some local Icelandic dishes for starters which were interesting, and some were tasty, but it rapidly spiralled downhill thereafter. Oversmoked (honestly tasted like consuming the contents of an ashtray) cold cuts, overcooked and dry fish and turkey. Slices of roast pork with some decent crackling were the only saving grace. Dessert consisted of odd triangles that looked like kindling, and tasted like something inappropriate to mention in a review, ginger snaps, and the last dregs of what we assumed was a coconut pavlova. This really felt like a proper rip off, and a completely different dinner experience to the rest of our time in Iceland, which was superb. For 8,000 kr each, we could have eaten very well indeed and in comfort, instead of the disappointing and thoroughly awkward experience we were treated to. I have no idea how long they intend to run their festive buffet, or if indeed, we were simply unlucky on that evening, and the proprietors saw an opportunity for a cash grab. But I’d urge anyone adding a dinner reservation in December to check what’s being offered before you’re stuck between the unpalatable options of either having to drive out on the icy roads again, or paying for something you do not want.

On the fence: The overall decor of the hotel is quirky. There are taxidermies on display throughout. The aesthetic feels like a cross between a callback to yesteryear and something out of a B horror movie set (either love it...

This hotel was the best choice we made on our early November 2019 trip to Iceland.

Our room and general experience - Room 25 was absolutely beautiful. I loved the walk-in shower, the modern design and neutral colors, and all the super functional storage cabinets both in the room and in the bathroom. With a sliding glass door that could be locked from any position, we were happy to escape the geothermal heat by keeping our door cracked while sleeping. Additionally, an old but functional fan was already in our room, which was immensely helpful for circulating air. The room overlooks the lake, and offered an amazing view of the mountains and a walking area. Unfortunately the Northern Lights were not in view during our stay, but if they had been, the view from our room would have been perfect. The room was huge, especially when compared to other hotel rooms we researched near Reykjavik. The double bed was actually two twin beds pushed together. This wasn't ideal, but seems standard in Iceland. The TV easily connected to YouTube on our phones, and was very new and great quality. Everyone we saw and interacted with was helpful, friendly, and gave us a great sense of peace and security in our choice to stay there.

Breakfast - Their breakfast is the best deal in the area, at only 1800 ISK (off season/November rate) per person. Offered from 8-10AM, it's pretty much the only option available in the area surrounding the hotel until other nearby restaurants open around 10 or 11am. Luckily, the quality of the breakfast far surpasses the low price! We had jet lag and unfortunately were unable to take advantage of the breakfast on most days. With eggs, freshly made grain bread and butter, a type of bacon or ham, cheeses, oatmeal, and all the sauces and sides you can imagine. I would recommend some nice mellow background music to be played in the breakfast area, as it was nearly empty on our trip and a bit awkward to be so very quiet and dark. The lack of lighting allowed us to take wonderful photos of the lake and mountains though.

Construction - The hotel is expanding (yay!), which did not impact our trip except for one day when a man was outside our room around 11:00 AM pounding with a hammer or something. That happened to be a day where our schedules were still off and we were sleeping. If you need to sleep during the day, you may want to ask the hotel staff about construction plans.

Overall - Lovely quiet hotel with very helpful staff, beautiful views, a delicious breakfast, an on-site restaurant, ample parking, and reasonable rates. I'd love...