The Hilton Reykjavik Nordica is located just outside of Reykjavik’s city centre. To get to the hotel from Keflavik International Airport (KEF), you can either drive (if you have a rental car), hire a taxi (don’t recommend it) or take one of the shuttle buses by Grayline or Flybus. Both companies are located outside of customs and are open 24 hours a day. You can either pre-book a ride or schedule one upon your arrival into KEF. Both companies offer direct rides to your hotel or to the main bus terminal in the city. The drive is approximately 45 minutes from Keflavik Airport.
The Hilton Reykjavik Nordica is located approximately one mile east of the city centre. It’s an easy walk but will take you approximately 20 minutes to get from the hotel to any of the major attractions in the city. Because it’s not in the most convenient location, the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica used to provide free city bus passes for guests but that practice was discontinued on October 1, 2016. Taxis are incredibly expensive in Reykjavik so I don’t recommend them and the public bus system is not the most convenient. If you have a rental car, outdoor, self-parking is free on-site
The Hilton Reykjavik Nordica is your typical Hilton so if you have stayed at a Hilton before, this experience will be no different. The hotel itself is not very big and the rooms are not that spacious but that’s pretty consistent with most European hotels. On this trip, I booked a Queen Hilton Room and upon arrival, I was upgraded to a Queen Hilton Room on the Executive Floor as a HHonors Gold member. The hotel is 9 stories high and the Executive Floors are located on the 8th and 9th floors. The hotel looks a little dated on the outside but inside, is new, modern and warm.
Hilton Reykjavik Nordica Rooms
On the morning of my arrival, I actually got to the hotel at approximately 6:00 AM. My room wasn’t ready yet but the Front Desk Duty Manager was kind enough to let me check-in and stay in another room until my room was available. That allowed me to have breakfast in the Executive Lounge, shower and take a nap before exploring the city. My Queen Hilton Room was not available so I got put up in a Twin Hilton Room for the time being.
Like I said earlier, the rooms are all on the small side and will not offer much space to spread out. The Queen Hilton Room on the Executive Floor provides a queen bed, work desk and sitting area. The LCD TV located in the center of the room can swivel to face the sitting area or the bed. The large wall of windows provide plenty of natural lighting into the room and views of the city. Decor-wise, the rooms matched what you would expect from the exterior. The rooms were clean and comfortable but a little drab and dated. The Queen Hilton Plus Rooms are the same size as the Queen Hilton Rooms but will have views of the mountains and sea.
Room amenities include an in-room safe, refrigerator, kettle, MP3/radio, bathrobes and slippers.
The enclosed bathroom is also small and has a single sink, toilet and shower/tub combo. As with all other Hiltons, Peter Thomas Roth bath and body products are provided for your use.
Hilton Reykjavik Nordica Hotel Amenities
Hotel amenities include a fitness room, spa and Executive Room for HHonors Gold and Diamond members. The Executive Room is located on the 8th floor and is open from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily. Breakfast is served in the mornings from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM and an evening reception is provided every night from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
For breakfast, there was a simple selection of hot and cold breakfast items from pastries and fruits to scrambled eggs and sausages. For the evening reception, there was a sampling of hot finger foods such as eggrolls, sandwiches and desserts and a tiny selection of complimentary beers, wines and spirits. HHonors Gold and Diamond members are also entitled to a daily, complimentary breakfast buffet in the restaurant downstairs. I would recommend this for breakfast.
The fitness center is located in the hotel spa and is open to hotel guests and outside guests. Because it’s open to the general public, it’s a slightly nicer gym with nicer equipment but will also be a little more crowded in the evening and weekend hours. Annoyingly, the gym has very limited hours because it’s located in the spa. Don’t expect to get a workout in 8:00 PM on a Sunday.
There is a tour desk located inside the gift shop with an adviser that can book all of your tours from the Blue Lagoon to the Northern Lights. And if you are pre-booked for the Northern Lights tour, all of the tour companies will call the hotel tour desk the day of to advise them if the tour will be going that night. Check here around 5:00 PM if you have a Northern Lights tour with any of the major tour companies.
There’s a small business area located outside the gift shop with a couple of desktop computers and a printer if you need it.
Vox, the on-site restaurant, was actually pretty good. Both breakfast and lunch had a buffet option with a good selection of hot and cold dishes. A la carte dining can also be ordered for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Overall, the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica was not a bad place to stay in Reykjavik. The rooms were on the small side but they were clean, comfortable and furnished with the essentials. The fitness center was better than an average but suffered from limited hours and the hotel location wasn’t the most ideal as it was a little out of the city centre. If you will have a car then it shouldn’t be a problem because parking at the hotel is complimentary but if you won’t have a car, then I would recommend staying closer to the city centre.
Have you stayed at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica yet? If so, please share your thought in the comments section below.
Other reviews in this series include:
