After my trip to Iceland last year, I knew that when I eventually made it back to the island it would be to explore further afield than just the capital, Reykjavík. I also knew it would be for longer than five days, because although I crammed a lot in to those five days in December, it wasn’t enough time to see and do everything I wanted.
What I didn’t know was that my return visit to Iceland would be just 111 days after my previous trip. But hey, I guess when you love a place so much despite it’s rotten egg smell, and the plane tickets are super cheap, sometimes it’s hard to stay away (even when you know there are other places to explore, things to see and items to tick off your bucket list). So, I booked my flights to Reykjavík and set about planning my second trip to Iceland.
I was originally going to travel solo around the island for seven days, but after chatting to my Icelandic friend Björn (who I’d met in December), we decided to drive together to the Westfjords region on a mini adventure. The Westfjords were an area he was keen to explore more, and though I knew nothing about the region, after browsing some pictures on Instagram, agreed we should head that way. It looked like a magcal place, with breathtaking scenery and beautiful lunar-like landscapes. So I set about searching for somewhere for us to stay.
As the area is so remote (and it was Easter bank holiday weekend when we travelled), hotel choices were pretty limited and there were next to no Airbnbs. And the few places that were available weren’t cheap. Then one Saturday evening, five days before I was due to fly out, I came across Hotel Ljósaland on Booking.com…
Where is Hotel Ljósaland?
Exactly half way between the towns of Reykhólar and Búðardalur, in the heart of the Dalabyggð area of the Westfjords region of Iceland, is Hotel Ljósaland. This hotel is definitely the most northern place I’ve ever stayed, and quite possibly the most remote place too, with both Reykhólar and Búðardalur being about a 30-minute drive in either direction.
The hotel is straight off the main – and only – road, though I’m hesitant to call it a “main road”, given we passed just three cars the whole time we were driving on it on the first day of our road trip. Despite being on the main road, the good news is that the area is so remote that you’re 99.99% guaranteed to have the quietest night’s sleep of your life.
Also, if you’re driving north from Reykjavík like we did, you definitely won’t miss it.
Inside Hotel Ljósaland.
The main building of Hotel Ljósaland is big and spacious, with lots of wood panelling, stone and exposed brick work. It’s divided into a few separate areas, but these areas don’t have doors, so I can only imagine it’s hard to keep the place warm in the colder months (may have to visit again to verify this).
The biggest of these areas is the dining room, which has about 10 tables, all laid up ready and waiting for hungry guests. As it’s the only hotel and restaurant in the area, I’m sure it can get quite busy during peak season, but when we arrived mid afternoon it was empty. Not that I minded, as it gave me a chance to snap some pics. I loved all the quirky little details here and there, which reminded me a tad of my local, The Stags Head Inn, when I lived up in Yorkshire briefly.
Aside from the dining room, there was a cosy little snug area with some armchairs and an open fire, a bar with plenty of spirits, a games room with a pool table and plenty of reading material (more on that below), as well as a sort of porch-cum-conservatory, which had a big, well-worn leather sofa looking out across the valley. This was the perfect place to relax after a long day exploring the Westfjords.
Rooms at Hotel Ljósaland.
There are just four rooms at Hotel Ljósaland, sleeping a total of eight guests. The rooms are in a cabin separated from the main hotel building, and each pair of rooms shares a big communal living space. This space offered a little kitchenette (can you call it a kitchenette if it doesn’t have a sink?) with a fridge, toaster, microwave and a coffee machine. Disposable plates, cups and cutlery were all provided too, which was handy. And a few condiments, presumably left by past guests, were also tucked away in the drawer.
Next to the kitchenette was a dining table and chairs, and next to that was a pair of big brown sofas and a low coffee table. The coffee table was my favourite feature of the room; it was made out of a reclaimed door (very similar to the dining table at an Airbnb in the Dominican Republic that I stayed in last year), and covered with pamphlets and leaflets of attractions in the Westfjords area and beyond.
Much like the communal space, our bedroom was neutrally decorated and basically furnished: two single beds, a desk and chair, some bedside tables made out reclaimed wood (again, just like the Airbnb in Santo Domingo) and a shelf with a little portable TV.
The twin beds were high (so high that I couldn’t put my feet on the floor when I sat on the bed), and very comfy. The mattress was one of those orthopedic ones, covered it little bumps. “To massage your back,” said Bjorn as I pulled back the thick, feather-filled duvet to reveal this weird mattress. I tell you, though it might have looked like dimply orange peel, those two nights were the best sleep I’d had in over a year.
One thing I would say, the wall between our room and our cabin neighbours’ room was quite thin. This wasn’t an issue at night time, as I think the neighbours were fast asleep by the time we got back to the room, showered up and climbed into bed. However, in the morning, when we were trying to have a bit of a lie-in, we could hear everything they were doing in their bathroom. Not the best thing to wake up to, but it did give us a giggle.
Speaking of the bathroom, it wouldn’t be an AlwaysCarryOn.com hotel review without a shot of the khazi. So here it is, the wee en suite to our room:
It wasn’t the cleanest of bathrooms (there was a few patches of mold in places, but meh, who cares about that), but it was functional. And the shower was one of the best showers I’ve had in a long time – it was super powerful, and the water made my hair really soft.
Leisure facilities at Hotel Ljósaland.
Well, there wasn’t much in the way of leisure facilities at the hotel, as I think most of the “leisure” is outside exploring the wilderness. That said, there was a games room in the main hotel building, with a big widescreen TV, a pool table, some board games, a laptop set up and playing Spotify, and
If you’re looking for something more though, there’s a public swimming pool in nearby(ish) Reykhólar, which we visited on day 1 of our road trip.
Food and drink at Hotel Ljósaland.
We only ate in the hotel on our first night, but what we ordered was alright. Nothing to special, but it filled a hole as we were both super hungry after a full on day of driving and exploring.
We shared a bowl of onion rings to start. These came out piping hot (presumably straight from the deep fat fryer) but were really tasty. And then Björn had a burger and chips, and I had a sandwich and chips. The chips were sweet potato fries, not normal chips – though I didn’t mind this, as I actually really like sweet potato fries.
What I did mind though was the jalapenos, or rather lack thereof, in the sandwich. Anyone who knows me knows I like my food spicy (really spicy), so if there’s anything with chilies or jalapenos on the menu, I’ll order it. But this sandwich’s level of spice was disappointing – it had just one jalapeno cut into little bits and sprinkled throughout the sandwich. If we hadn’t been the only customers in the restaurant, I might have asked for more jalapenos to be added, but I did feel bad that it was so quiet there (especially as I’d already asked for some mustard and they didn’t have any in the kitchen, so had to run over to their house to get some from their own personal fridge).
Breakfast is available at the hotel, and when we arrived we were asked if we’d like to add it on to the room price, at 15€ per person per day. But when doing some research before I reserved the room on Booking.com, I noticed quite a few negative comments about the breakfast offering, so we decided to steer clear and bought some bread and spread with us for toast.
Tips for staying at Hotel Ljósaland.
Here are a few things to bear in mind if you’re going to stay at Hotel Ljósaland:
- The hotel is the only one in a 75 mile radius, so the owner said it is usually always full. We were lucky getting our room because of a cancellation, apparently.
- Because of this, the price is a bit on the steep side when compared to similar hotels elsewhere in Europe. But then Iceland on the whole is pretty expensive compared to other countries, so that wasn’t a surprise.
- As mentioned above, breakfast isn’t included in the room price but is available at 15€ per person. However, according to Booking.com reviews the breakfast just means you have access to the cereal, tea, coffee and milk that’s in the fridge in your cabin communal area. In my opinion that’s not worth the 15€ (especially as the Corn Flakes looked stale and the milk had curdled, it had been open that long).
- Though towels are provided in the rooms, there is no shower gel or shampoo. There was also no toilet roll or soap in our room when we “checked in”, which was found out the hard way. Eeek.
- The wifi is free, available everywhere and excellent. The signal was so good that at the end of our second day road tripping, we streamed Justice League on Björn’s Mac book, and it only buffered once for about 15 seconds.
- Be warned, when we visited in March the road to the hotel was being resurfaced, so was extremely rough and bumpy. Stones were flying everywhere and the underside of the car was scraping on rocks (this could have been what caused us some car trouble on the second day of our road trip). 4x4s will be fine on the road, but smaller cars should definitely slow down on this stretch of road.
Hotel Ljósaland: the verdict.
If you’re planning a trip to explore the Westfjords area of Iceland, and want somewhere affordable and comfortable to stay, then you can’t really go wrong with Hotel Ljósaland, in my opinion. It’s conveniently situated for visits to Hólmavík, Reykhólar, Búðardalur and Djupavík, and is easy to find off the main road. The rooms at the hotel, though basic, were a decent size and clean. And they had a private en suite bathroom.
I know that a hotel this small and secluded won’t be to everyone’s taste – but really, if you’re looking 5 star luxury, then maybe the Westfjords isn’t an area you should be heading to anyway? Because, with some towns we drove through having a total of just seven houses, you’re going to struggle to find a Hilton, Sheraton or Embassy Suites.
*****
Disclaimer: We stayed at the Hotel Ljósaland, Westfjords from Thursday 29 March 2018 to Saturday 31 2018 in a standard twin room on a room-only basis. The hotel was booked through Booking.com and cost 155,000 ISK/£108 for two people for 2 nights. The stay was paid for by myself and this review has been written by me.
oooh it’s so traditional and quite cosy looking. Love the views too. Also… totally with you on the water making your hair soft. I washed my hair purposely at the last minute before I came home just because it made so nice and wanted it to last as long as possible… such a girly thing to do but I don’t care. ha.
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Haha! I did the exact same when leaving Bjorn’s to go to the airport – I purposely set the alarm 10 mins earlier so I’d have time for a shower 😀 x
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What a lovely sounding place to go and stay! I am loving all the original decor, the wood and the features, I would love spending lots of time nosing around this hotel.
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Looks like you found a great place to stay and you had a great time. I think I would have to try that Heart Attack Burger!
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t sounds epic doesn’t it! x
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Could you live there? It seems such a mystery to me. I wonderful doctor who is passionate about treating women’s’ breast cancer went a few years ago and loved visiting. \she raved about the food and the people. Glad to see you had a similar experience. 🙂
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Such a cool place! I have always wanted to visit the fjords and will check this place out if I go 🙂
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You should definitely visit the Westfjords if you get a chance – it’s so remote and rural, perfect for travel photography! x
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What a quaint little hotel! I’m not sure if I would ever visit Iceland, and that smell? Oh gosh, but I would be spending time in that bar!
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Haha! The bar was empty, so you wouldn’t have to wait long to be served I’m sure! 😉 x
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I am fascinated with the idea of going to Iceland. But I don’t want to stay in fancy hotels. I prefer little B&Bs or places like this one. I have bookmarked it on Booking.com for my Iceland trip.
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Perfect! Don’t forget to use my referral link to get yourself £15 off your booking 😉 x
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Iceland is definitely on my bucket list! It seems like a pretty decent place to stay, except for having no toilet paper… I would not mind since we normally go for more affordable hotels when we travel. We spend most of our time outdoors exploring anyway 😊 Awesome review!
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Thanks Cris – and welcome to my blog! I hope you make it to Iceland soon, it’s a magical country ❤ x
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The simplest places always seem the coziest! I love the idea of staying in a place that’s so quiet and peaceful!
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I totally agree Brianna! x
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I think it’s a lovely place to stay at especially since it’s not as big as other hotels. It’s peaceful except for the walls allowing you to hear the people from the other rooms, lol. But it’s totally fine with me, the whole place makes up for it.
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I’m a pretty deep sleeper, so I wasn’t woken by any noises in the night 🙂 x
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Sounds like a good recommendation if visiting these out of city areas. Luckily you had quiet neighbours with those thin walls! Nothing worse than not being able to get a good night’s rest, especially if you have a jam packaed day the next day. Wish tickets ot Iceland from Australia were cheap! LOL! They are NEVER cheap!
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Oh no, really? How much are they? I guess they would be the same sort of price as UK flights to Oz…! x
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That’s such a small hotel if it’s just 4 rooms, sounds like a really nice trip though especially as you went back so soon after first going x
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Yeah, I really love Iceland Rhian 🙂 You should definitely make the trip there if you can! x
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Even if the setting seems quite in the wild, Hotel Ljósaland looks very modern and ready to welcome its visitors. I am sure that Ljosaland is a good place to experience the fjords and the country. I can recognize the beautiful and minimalist Ikea style – the interior desin and the furniture looks great. Nordic people have a culture of doing things simple, nice, and beautiful.
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Oh yes, it was a great base for our little road trip around the fjords 🙂 x
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I love the minimalist design and that it’s away from everything! I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland but its just the cost that puts me off, definitely need to save up!
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Thanks for your comment Elizabeth – Iceland is a pretty pricey country, but there are ways to cut the costs (Airbnbs, supermarket ready meals instead of eating out, buying alcohol at the airport and not in bars) I’ll do a post on it soon! x
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Wow what a location! Perfect for those who want to escape to nature I guess!
I don’t think I could spend very long here though – I need more hustle and bustle! Great post and images!
Snita
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If you prefer the cities, then I’d recommend staying in Reykjavik if you ever come to Iceland – it’s probably a bit too quiet for you in the Westfjords LOL x
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It looks like a great place to stay, and at this time of year I think the outdoors would definitely make the best playground so the lack of leisure facilities would work nicely 😉 Those onion rings look amazing too!
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I love discovering hotels like this. Such a unique place with the decor.
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The decor is really cute isn’t it x
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That’s a cool review. The hotel is so amazing, I love the position and the room. Your article is fairly detailed and I’ll pin it for future references.
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Yes, I think detailed reviews are more helpful for other travellers 🙂 x
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This is a great review of the hotel. It looks like a lovely cosy and quiet place to stay, just perfect for anyone who likes somewhere in the middle of nowhere. The views are lovely!
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You hit the nail on the head Elizabeth – it’s the perfect place if you’re looking for a peaceful spot in the middle of nowhere x
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I find this hotel quite cozy and charming, despite its simplicity in terms of interiors. When it comes to hotels, as long as I can get a good night’s sleep and enjoy a good bath, and have reliable wifi connection, then I’m good. 🙂
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You sound a bit like me Czjai, just need somewhere comfortable to rest my head x
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What a great place to stay in Iceland. I never really thought about going to Iceland before, it looks beautiful though. May need to add it to my want to do list.
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You definitely should! x
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What a fab hotel! I love that it has it’s own quirky features and it looks like it has everything you could need!
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What a fab place! Love the look of the scenery. And that sandwich and fries looks so tasty x
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I so want to visit Iceland. This looks a great place to stay – even if the bathroom does look a little ropey. Great review. Kaz
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Haha yeah the bathroom wasn’t the best – but it was functional, and that’s the main thing (don’t spend much time in the bathroom, if I can help it haha!) x
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We’ve always wanted to visit Reykjavík but never imagined visiting outside. What a stunning place and we are planning our trip now!!
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Well well, this one looks nice. Scandinavia is super expensive, so I mostly stay in these kinds of budget, simplistic places.
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Yeah, I found Norway very expensive too – although this time around in Iceland, I didn’t spend so much money (I guess cos I was with a local guy) x
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What a cute hotel! I’m a fan of the exposed brick work and the fireplace as well! I wouldn’t mind curling up there on a rainy afternoon. The rooms like so Scandinavian as well 🙂
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A few others have commented about the hotel being a Scandinavian style – I guess I’ll just have to head to a country in Scandinavia soon so I can compare! x
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Looks like a very cozy place! I am the same as you! I need spice in my life! I need everything super spicy. Cant wait to read your other posts on Iceland! I will be there in a few months 🙂
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Ahhh fantastic! Well if you need any pointers on where to go or what to do when you’re there, just give me a shout 🙂 x
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This sounds like the adventure of a lifetime and extremely remote! I’m not sure I would be brave enough to venture so far off the beaten path–but you are making me consider it. My husband talks all the time about wanting to go to Iceland.
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What’s stopping you Lindsay? It’s a fantastic country – probably my favourite out of all 32 I’ve visited in fact 😛 x
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From your beautiful photos, it looks like Iceland is a good place to visit if you don’t like crowds.
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Most definitely – there are only 330,000 people on the island, and two-thirds of them in live Reykjavik! x
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What a quaint hotel, like the wood accents. The food looks good too.
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Yeah, the rustic wood decor is great isn’t it! x
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I really like the style of this hotel! And the food definitely looks delish!! What a fun adventure!
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The style is s typical for the area 🙂 x
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I think I like the simplicity of this hotel looks right up my ally. I would love to stay there sometime. Thanks for the review!
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Isn’t it just awesome when you meet people on travels and become good friends to travel with. I am loving this hotel and though remote sounds perfect except for hearing everything in the next room
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Yeah, I love meeting new people on my travels 🙂 they always have exciting stories to share x
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I’m so envious- we want to go to Iceland but just haven’t had the time/money quite yet! It looks a gorgeous place to stay
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I hope you make it to Iceland one day soon! x
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I am not really picky when it comes to hotel accommodations. I need a comfy bed, a working shower, a small desk to write on. Internet connectivity would be nice to have too. Just as long as I have a place to sleep without any bugs, an in-house restaurant where I can get my meals, then that is fine with me.
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No toilet roll and no soap when checked in ? Wow, that’s a huge oversight of the hotel management! Those are basics.
As a coffee addict, I always look for places that have included free breakfast with coffee in the morning. Coffee is a must to me.
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I don’t tend to have breakfast in the morning, and am happy to just drink water or juice – though if I’m hungover than coffee is a better beverage 😉 yeah, it’s a shame there was no soap or toilet paper – I had to go and ask for some, but the manager was very apologetic! x
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I think Iceland is calling me! It’s been over ten years since I’ve visited Reykjavik and am dying to do a road trip there. Hotel Ljósaland seems like the perfect place to stop overnight. Even though it seems a little basic, however it’s cosy, comfortable, quiet (having only 8 rooms in a cabin) with views of the beautiful landscape. Shame the walls are a bit thin between the rooms … at least you weren’t disturbed during the night! Oh wow I love burgers – I think the heart attack burger would fill me up!
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was eyeing up that Heart Attack Burger, I won’t lie LOL! Yes, the hotel was very basic, but it was perfect for our needs 🙂 x
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Iceland has made quite a reputation among travelers lately. However, I still have a long way to go before visiting this country. My list is still brimming with Asian countries with just a bit of Turkey and Czech Republic (how do you spell that, haha) at the deep. But I’m sure, with all the raves about this beautiful country, someday it will be in my list. They have great beer out there and it’s all that matter. Haha
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Haha I like your style Noel! I’m actually off to Turkey in a couple of weeks, I cannot wait for some sun, sea and sand (or and a beer too ha) x
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This looks like the kind of places we love to stay – small and fully attached to locals. It has been an while since we visited Iceland. Next time we are planning to explore more remote side, and this will help. Thanks!
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You’re totally welcome! When was the last time you visited Iceland? If you want some recommendations, please don’t hesitate to ask 🙂 x
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I think Hotel Ljósaland is a good place to stay when you want to visit nearby places. The placeEis cosy and clean enough to get a comfortable rest.
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The home is so basic yet very comfortable looking. It is also clean. I love your food photos! So yummy!
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Hehe as a foodie, it doesn’t surprise me you like the food pics 😛 x
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This looks like a cool place to stay even if it isn’t a traditional hotel. It is fun to stay at small places like this because you typically get more personalized service. Plus it works for an overnight stop.
Thin walls can give you a giggle at times. I lived in the apartment and we used to hear the neighbors occasionally. They loved blasting music when my kids were in bed and we heard a few adult things to, if you know what I mean. hahah
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Hahaha I know exactly what you mean Christy – though fortunately we had none of that 😉 x
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Hotel Ljosaland seems like a quaint lil’ place to grab dinner and hit the sack, I mean that is usually what we are after when we pull in somewhere after a long days travel or adventure. The food looks good in a homey way. I’d enjoy the little warming nook to just relax get warm and watch at the view.
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You’re so right, at the end of a long day’s travelling, all we need is a place to rest our heads (and maybe a couple of pints to send us to sleep hehe!) x
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I really do adore Iceland and I would love to go back. I’m so jealous that you guys explored so much more of the country as we were pretty much just limited to Reykjavik as we didn’t have a car.
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You’ll just have to go back again Leigh, and hire a car next time 😛 driving over there is super easy x
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Oh how fun…it looks like you had a blast. This is definitely a place worth visiting.
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Have you ever been to Iceland Holly? x
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That town is so beautiful. I like it even more because it doesn’t look like a huge touristy place and I rather go to a place like that.
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It’s not touristy at all – in fact, I’d be surprised if tourists ever visited LOL! x
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Iceland must be a beautiful country, but it looks like it’s scarcely populated, and it looks cold.
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It is scarcely populated, just 330,o00 people in the whole country! x
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The place seems rustic and homey get to unwind. Love the color of the incredible sky you captured and with the delicious food to perfectly paired.
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The sky was so beautiful that night – I can’t understand why Bjorn doesn’t like sunsets LOL! x
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I love the simple style of this hotel. I love that slate like fireplace!
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The fireplace is gorgeous isn’t it? Proper interior goals there 🙂 x
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I’m considering a trip to Iceland next year so at the moment I’m collecting information where to go and what to do that’s why your review came very handy. I really like the furniture in this place. Thank you for sharing
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You’re very welcome Dee! If you need any more info or pointers, please do let me know! x
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There was no toilet roll in the bathroom??! I’m sorry Becca, but that’s a basic necessity for any traveller! I like the rustic style of the hotel, it looks very Scandinavian in feel. Honestly, as a flashpacker, I probably wouldn’t stay here if I had a choice. Not sure about those thin walls! Lucky you only heard the other people in the bathroom 😀
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I know, not having toilet roll was a bit of a faux pas on the hotel’s part – but they were apologetic. Have you been to India lol?! Or even some of the places in Egypt or the Gambia? You have to take wet wipes and tissues with you everywhere (something I had to get into the habit of and still do now, luckily :P). I think if you’re going to visit this area, you’d be hard pushed to find a more “upmarket” hotel – as I said, one of the towns we drove through had just 7 houses in it! x
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Looks like an amazing place to stay! I want to visit! I love the modern minimalist look of the place.
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Yeah me too – it’s really quaint isn’t it! x
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this place looks simple but with a special charm when it comes to decor, which makes it unique. It looks like the perfect place to escape from the city buzz
xx
lau
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I am desperate to visit Iceland and Hotel Ljósaland looks like the perfect place to stay, Homely and comfortable
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You should definitely take a trip to Iceland when you can! x
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This seems like a really nice hotel! I love the decor and theme of the place!
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It’s cute isn’t it 🙂 x
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This hotel looks great! Interesting to see it’s the only hotel within 75 miles! I loved Iceland for things like this!
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Yeah, so it’s not like we were spoilt for choice with hotel options haha! x
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The price of accommodation in Iceland is currently the main reason I’ve been putting off visiting. Will have to consider this place if it is affordable!
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I think it all depends where you go and what kind of accommodation you’re after. This place in the Westfjords was affordable and perfect for our needs 🙂 x
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What a quirky, sweet, tiny place! I would love to visit this area of Iceland (although eek to the thin bathroom walls!!)
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Your review was thorough with great detail about your stay. I enjoyed your pictures of the wood pieces of furniture – I loved the craftsmanship.
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The furniture is really cool isn’t it! x
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What a gorgeous hotel you stayed in! I love anything that has a unique feel to it – and this one definitely has that! I’d most definitely stay here if I was visiting Iceland 🙂
Louise x
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You sound like me Louise, I love unusual and quirky accommodation x
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It looks lovely and so simplistic. That country is high up on my bucket list so I will keep this place in mind xxx
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It’s a super basic hotel, but has everything you could possibly need for a short stay there 🙂 x
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This seems like a great place to stay when visiting Iceland. I’ve never tried out an orthopaedic mattress before either, but I would love to see what it is like!
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I’m planning a visit to Iceland at the end of the year, so love reading about other people’s experiences. I actually prefer accommodation that’s a little ‘rough around the edges’ – when you stay somewhere fancy it can feel a bit sanitised, and even detract from the whole experience. The landscape around it looks amazing too. x
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I totally agree Jacqui – I prefer accommodation that has a sort of homely feel, which is why Hotel Ljosaland was perfect for us 🙂 x
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I loved reading about your trip in December and this is fab too, what an adventure. I would love to visit. J agree that a bit of mould here and there doesn’t matter
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Iceland is high up on my bucket list! This hotel seems like a perfect option for my hubs and I when we finally get ourselves over there!
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Have you plans to visit any time soon Lindsay? x
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It certainly seems like a reasonable place to stay at in that location. The photos look lovely.
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It was just what we needed for the trip 🙂 x
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Ive always wanted to go to Iceland. You have some great photos from your trip!
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Thank you! x
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Iceland looks so scenic and peaceful! i’d love to go one day. I’ve heard much about what a great destination it is.
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Yes, and I’m pretty confident that everything you’ve heard is 100% true 😛 x
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I appreciate the hotel review, we may never know if Hotel Ljosaland might come in handy someday. I really love all these sights from this place, I don’t think I would mind where I’m staying at if it comes to visiting Iceland.
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That’s so lovely to hear Esme – I hope you make it Iceland one day 🙂 x
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I’m actually planning to do a trip there this year so it’s perfect that I ran across your review. I quite like the neutral room colors and I feel like when you’re on road trips, simple hotels like this one are more than perfect since you’ll really only be there to sleep anyways so thank for the awesome recommendation!
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I totally agree Jas! As long as it’s functional, there’s no point spending money on a room when you’re out for most of the day 😛 x
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Smart to check the reviews first. We do that too. I love reviewing hotels, it’s fun to share the pros and cons of places with other readers!
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I think it’s important to check the reviews before booking! Sometimes appearances can be deceptive! x
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Pleased you had a good time but looks a little rustic compared to where i like to stay and the rotten egg smell thought just turns my tummy lol
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I know the hotel is a little “rough and ready”, but it was prefect for our needs 🙂 x
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We are living in Germany and I would love to go to Iceland! So bad! Now I have found a place to stay! thanks for sharing!
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Let me know if you ever make the trip over – I’d be happy to give you some pointers and advice x
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I need to go to Iceland. I keep saying it but I forget. Maybe Ill put a note on the fridge. This was a lovely post and that hotel seemed super nice. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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I hope you make it there soon! x
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That photo of the hotel facade in the middle of the mountains! Must be an amazing place to stay! As long as it has good WI-FI and decent power plugs wouldn’t mind much about the rest of the installations for a short trip.
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Yeah, I’m totally with you on this! x
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What a fantastic find. The woodwork and fireplace are amazing!
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Yeah, the decor is very cute 🙂 x
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I’m just dying to go there! Stellar review!
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Thank you!!
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The bathroom looked a little……..yeah it wouldn’t be for everyone. But a very quiet nights sleep sounds good to me.
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Yeah, it doesn’t look 5 star – but it was functional, and that’s the main thing! x
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Hey great job on the review. Lovely pictures and Iceland is such a lovely place. I’m like you in not being able to go around to visit all the sights in the amount of time I had.
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Yeah, I always wish I had longer when I visit somewhere new ☺ x
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The Westfjords region in Iceland seems like an excellent place to explore and your review was a great read. You whetted my appetite and I have to add this place to my bucket list. When would it be the best time of the year to explore it?
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its seems fabulous, i would go there once. Thanks for sharing with us.
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This is a nice hotel and having a lot of entertainment and play tools, you have given the very good review and it is explaining a lot about the hotel.
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We love the way you write your blogs! The tips at the end were perfect. We must say the hotel ( wrt to the pics) has a rustic charm
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The hotel sounds like it covers all the basics and is affordable which is great. It’s nice that they have a games room to keep you busy in the evenings.
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Love the “heart attack” on the menu. Hahaa! But who would have thought this was a hotel? The facade looks like your ordinary bar. But you’re definitely right about one thing: as long as its functional and sufficiently clean, it’s good enough for us.
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I love the sound of this hotel. Would love to chill here for a weekend.
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This looks like a good hotel. Im going to Iceland in December
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Looks like a nice hotel, although the mold in the bathroom would be an issue for me as I’m very keen on hotels being impeccably clean. Food looks alright and that beer just reminds me I need to have one right now 🙂 I’ve always been curious about Iceland, haven’t visited it yet but I’m surely going to so thanks for the review!
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I knew before I wrote the review that this little hotel wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea because of the bathroom – but I think for this kind of trip, as you don’t spend too much time in the hotel (let alone the bathroom), you shouldn’t let the mold bother you 🙂 x
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This place looks absolutely stunning! My dream is actually to go to Iceland, and I’ve always wondered what kind of places people stay at… this is immensely helpful 🙂
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Iceland is the dream destination for many – myself included! It’s my favourite country (well that I’ve visited so far anyway 😉 )
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This hotel looks absolutely perfect to me! The location is spectacular as well as general charm. I wish I could spend my time there now!
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I totally love Hotel Ljosaland, it looks clean with all the facility, looks a little too quite though…that won’t be the case if we head there with our kids. Great review x
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I’m not your standard package holiday kind of girl so this is perfect for me. The hotel looks like I had envisaged and the lack of leisure facilities is a plus as it makes you get out and explore the beautiful surroundings
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You’re 100% right Lynne – this hotel is perfect for anyone that wants to get out into the wilderness x
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My favorite part of your reviews are the bathrooms! Lol! It’s important information to have! Once, I was in Germany and my hotel room shared a bathroom. I was NOT prepared for that. This looks like a beautiful area. Was it scary at night? Since you are So far from anything?
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Hahaha! Bathrooms are an important part of a hotel 😉 It wasn’t really scary at night – purely because there was literally no one around! Plus I had Bjorn to keep my safe 😉 x
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