It is not very often that I stay in guesthouses or hotels in Iceland, as most times I am in the country I stay in rooms rented out from private homes. When my partner decided to visit me for a few days last week, we decided to book into a guesthouse together for a few days, as I cannot have guests stay where I am living.

Loki 101 Guesthouse is located on a quiet street in Central Reykjavík which runs parallel to Skólavörðustígur, a trendy and arty street packed with galleries and wool shops. The guesthouse takes its name from the street it is located on, Lokastígur.

The guesthouse is located at the top end of the street near to the famous Reykjavík landmark Hallgrímskirkja. This location is a bit of a double-edged sword: whilst being extremely central yet located away from the sometimes-noisy Laugavegur, the proximity to the church means your ears will ring with the chime of the church bells every fifteen minutes from about nine o’clock in the morning. Not a problem if you get up early.

Our double room was very clean yet basic, but as Loki is a low-budget guesthouse this is nothing to fuss about. Fitted out with modern IKEA furniture, the room provided two very comfortable single beds and free wi-fi access, which is always a plus. The bathrooms are communal; we stayed on the second floor and had a toilet-cum-shower-room at the end of the corridor. Whilst clean and modern, some fixtures were missing, but this turned out to be only a minor irritation.

Breakfast is served from 7am, and consists of a “continental” selection, that is to say help-yourself cornflakes, muesli, toast with jam and/or cheese, fruit, orange juice, tea and coffee. The kitchen and dining area was small yet homely, and provided a good opportunity to have a chat with some of the other guests staying in the house. The host had a very relaxed attitude towards the breakfast, letting us know we could get up at 11am for all she cared, as we were on holiday. Very nice.

We felt very well received by the host, whose name I neglect to remember. She greeted us warmly on the first day and was both light-hearted and funny. She was even friendly when we had a slight problem with the payment, but we managed to work it out in the end. She demonstrated perfectly the laid-back “þetta reddast” attitude that Icelanders seem to have. Cool as a cucumber.

Loki 101 Guesthouse is perfect for travellers on a budget looking for basic yet modern accommodation in the heart of Reykjavík. Our three-night stay for a double room came to 39,265 krónur (£207.17, €247 at the time of payment), which is very competitive with other guesthouses and hotels in the area. All in all, a great little guesthouse that won’t hurt the wallet with excellent and friendly service.

Rating: 4.5/5

Loki 101 Guesthouse
Lokastígur 24A, 101 Reykjavík
loki101.is

Labels: Reviews