Blue Luxury Apartments — Hotel in Reykjavik

We were traveling with our teenage son, so chose the Blue Luxury Apartments via TripMasters for our trip to Iceland, so we could each have some privacy. ||We received an email from TripMasters a week before that we needed to contact the company 2 days before to get check in instructions. Two days before we arrived was Easter Sunday, so I probably should have sent it sooner. But still, we did not get a reply on Monday, and in fact, did not get a reply at all while we needed it. We arrived 6 am local time Tuesday (2 AM from our perspective), and made our way to the building by around 8:30 am. (We held off from calling as long as we could because of the time.) The site does warn that there is no front desk, and this is accurate. We tried calling the phone number for Blue Luxury Apartments and no answer. So we were standing on the street, tired after a long journey with our luggage, and afraid that we would be in this state indefinitely. We did have a stroke of luck in that an employee was there (THANK YOU MARTA), and she contacted the company and helped us get in and get settled, even though the check in was at 3 PM. Granted, that is pretty standard, but given our arrival time, we should have had a better plan in place. Not sure what that plan would have been (given that most of these flights are going to be similarly timed), but keep that in mind if traveling from North America. ||Once we got into the apartment, the email instructions arrived. What we would have learned if we had gotten the email instructions timely is that there is a box with a combination and the (single set of) keys inside. ||As far as the actual apartment, the building itself is not very impressive, but think of it like the Tardis - it is much nicer on the inside. We had two bedrooms with a bathroom in between, and a living room with nearby kitchen space, including a microwave, a stove, a sink, a dishwasher, and adequate plates, cups, bowls, silverware, etc. There is a Bonus (that's the name) supermarket about a 10 minute walk away for reasonably (for Iceland) priced food and sundries. We had adequate privacy, and the neighbors were quiet enough (I hope that doesn't mean we were the loudest...) The windows are ample with decent views and with room darkening blinds. The beds were comfortable. The accommodations were pretty nice.||It is my custom to leave some information for traveling athletes. Bike paths are plentiful in the city, though it took a while for me to find them. My suggestion is to go to Tjörnin pond, which is about a 3-4 minute run from the apartment. It's about a mile around the perimeter, and there are a bunch of paved trails on the south end, but I was not very adventurous. ||There are many bus stops and commercial districts within 10-20 minute walking distance. We only took a taxi once, and only then because our time was short (we walked 30 minutes back). ||I probably would stay here again, though with better planning. Enjoy the beautiful...

A truly soulless apartment that felt like it had been designed for, and perhaps even by, a recently divorced traveling salesman. In a country know for its ‘hygge’ design this place was as sterile as a hospital ward. In a busy market of dedicated ‘super hosts’ this was as impersonal an experience as might be imagined. It seems that a bedside table, a few sidelights here and there, some non-generic pictures, a couple of welcoming teabags, and an emptied dishwasher, are no longer needed to meet the “luxury” benchmark. And as for parking, ice making, a washing machine or dryer, a radio, a made-up sofa bed (when we had flagged we needed to use it)… forget it. The good news though is that there is a clear set of laminated instructions to greet you in the entrance hall setting out all the things you should and should not do. At the foot of the ’house rules’ the owners note two things - that (i) they also own the Blue Car Hire company, and (ii) the place only recently opened and feedback is welcomed. So, in this spirit, I would note the following: firstly hiring Dacia Dusters is different to renting ‘luxury’ apartments. The former requires anonymous efficiency (and having rented our car from Blue I can only praise their ability in this regard - it was super slick and eminently affordable). The latter, however, requires intimacy and personality - the more so at the price point being charged (this was our most expensive stay). Before the ‘meh’ reviews mount I suggest Blue ask a designer to turn the apartment into something guests want to be in rather than a place they have paid to sleep in - today’s market demands it, especially for a modestly discerning audience that is attuned to the sophisticated aesthetic and warm welcome that Iceland affords. It doesn’t need much - we are talking soft furnishings combined with a keen eye, an ounce of thought, and a personal touch (welcome packs work wonders). But Blue needs someone who knows about room hire not car...

Our stay at the so-called "luxury apartment" was disappointing and did not match the photos or expectations. Instead of a modern, well-maintained space, we found ourselves in a rather old and worn studio with a different layout than advertised.

The entrance was uninviting, lacking cozy plants, good lighting, or a comfortable seating area for four people. The rug on the floor was dirty, with raised edges that posed a tripping hazard. The dining table was clean but completely empty, and one of the chairs had a large tear. The kitchen had not been thoroughly cleaned; we had to unpack the dishwasher ourselves. Inside the cupboards, we found dirty pans and cutlery, and the toaster was in a disgusting state. Walls and closets showed visible damage and looked quite battered. The fridge’s freezer compartment was fully iced over and unusable, though it appeared clean.

Compared to other apartments we've stayed in Iceland, this place did not provide coffee, which was quite disappointing given the price. All windows were dirty, resembling fogged-up windshields, making it difficult to see outside clearly. The bathroom had plenty of clean towels, but the shower area was subpar, broken faucet handle, loose tiles, heavy mold on the seams, and uneven flooring that could cause injury.

The floor heating, indicated by various panels in each room, was non-functional; we couldn’t adjust the temperature, and it didn’t work in several rooms, including the bathroom. The bed linens seemed clean, though there were some stains on two pillows. The apartment floor was not very clean, with dust clusters visible throughout. Bedside lights could not be used if you wanted to plug in a phone charger, and all sockets were covered in dust. Additionally, a blind in the kitchen was missing, with only the mounting brackets left behind.

Overall, I would describe our stay as a disappointment, more run-down...