Fosshotel Westfjords is a new 3 star hotel, that just opened in June 2013, in the small fishing village of Patreksfjordur in the Westfjords of Iceland. I stayed there during my stay in the Westjords and while they’re still ironing out some kinks from being a newly opened hotel, they have landed a prime spot on the main drag with a view of the stunning Fjord beyond.
The Westfjords are known for its unique and breathtaking scenery everywhere you look. This location is the gateway to some of the greatest attraction in Iceland like Latrabjarg, the largest bird cliff in Europe, Raudisandur beach, Dynjandi waterfall and many other spectacular places in the surrounding area. See our separate write-ups on the West Fjords area for more, which include a number of stunning photos of valleys, cliffs, falls, birds and more.
Breakfast is included as part of your stay in the restaurant just next to the lobby area, Fjall og Fjara, which fuses modern with a hip and elegant design. Note that there are no five star hotels in this little town, so this is your top choice for “stays” if passing through.
Fosshotel has 10 hotels located all around the country, often close to the country´s most treasured nature spots. They fall under a comfort tourist class category mostly rated 3 stars, some of them are open all year round while others are open in the summer time only.
Fosshótel was founded on the 13th of March 1996 by a group of Icelandic travel agencies and companies within the local travel industry. The operation started with Fosshótel Lind in Reykjavík, adding Fosshótel City downtown and later Fosshótel Hallormsstaður in East Iceland. By the year 2000, Fosshótel had grown to be Iceland’s second-largest hotel chain with a total of 11 hotels. In 2005 Fosshótel opened Iceland’s first cultural theme hotel based on Norse mythology, Icelandic literature and classical music. In the year 2011 Fosshótel celebrated its 15th birthday and to day operates 10 hotels, 2 in Reykjavík and 8 hotels in the countryside. As for the name? Fosshótel means waterfall-hotel, which represent power and energy and sparkling freshness.
Note at the time I was there, they still didn’t have phones in the rooms, but say they are adding them soon. Also, you have to pay for wifi, even in the lobby but parking is free.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
