Kvosin Hotel is located in the heart of Reykjavík, across from the Parliament and immediately next to the only wine bar in the city, Vinbarinn, which is a huge plus, since most restaurants do not serve great wine by the glass. The ambiance, like the hotel, is modern, hip and funky, so having them side-by-side is perfect.
I’d recommend having dinner at one of Reykjavik’s fabulous restaurants (See our Top 15 Picks and individual reviews in our Iceland restaurants section), then take in a café or bar, and end up at your hotel for a final glass of wine. Despite having a wine bar downstairs, it’s incredibly quiet.
There are also clubs nearby for late night owls and during the day, museums, shopping, Harpa (for concerts and conventions) and Parliament is a stone’s throw away. What’s nice about Kvosin is that it feels like a “home away from home” but urban style and it’s smack in the middle of everything you’d want to see and do in the city center.
You can choose from a variety of rooms at Kvosin, and they range in price depending on how much space you want. First and foremost, Kvosin is blending the best of what you’d get in a studio/apartment style room with a boutique feel. The result? A modern hotel in an old building with spacious, light and airy rooms. I loved my room! Let’s just say it was feng shui done right…from the lighting and fine touches to the coffee machine, shower and bathroom.
The spirit of the house is a great mix of old and new. They offer Normal Rooms, Bigger Rooms, Biggest Rooms and Larger Than Life Rooms. Below is an example of an average sized room and across from it would house an area for sitting and to make coffee. Take a meander through the photos below to get an idea of what you can choose from, the final photos being shot in largest room/suite.
In the Bigger Room, there’s obviously more privacy and frankly, the rooms are just larger, so they’re able to divide the sections of the room up differently, making it a better and more comfortable choice if you’re traveling with a partner and perhaps a child. Two sizes supersede that: the Larger Than Life Room being their suite on the top floor.
The normal rooms are about 280 square feet and will run you around $230, with the next range being 390 square feet at $360, the Biggest Room is around $485 and the Largest one is $950, which is like a mini apartment at 645 square feet.
Here’s the deck and the view from the deck on my floor.
Below is Hotel Manager Birgir Gudmundsson who gave me an extensive tour of the rooms and property after my two night stay. One thing I noted about Birgir is how much he cares about the fine details and style. They are looking for ways to improve already despite the fact that they just opened for business in June – I was one of their first customers. How exciting is that? I love participating at the beginning of something that was once an idea and then see it flourish and grow.
Three really great details worth mentioning.
1. Breakfast: As part of your stay depending on which sized room you choose, breakfast is provided and served at a cute little cafe called Bergsson Mathús, which is literally around the corner. You can access it from within the hotel by going through the back courtyard, where they apparently plan to put up tables for drinks during the warmer months. Here, you have the option of healthy breakfast plates to choose from, including a variety of teas and coffees. The ambiance of the cafe is lovely and in the afternoons, they serve healthy sampler plates. They also have one of those old fashioned toasters with old fashioned Icelandic butter and plenty of jams.
2. Keys: There are no keys – just a code. What’s nice about this is that you don’t have to deal with reception if you don’t want to although they always have someone on call downstairs. Having a code to get into the building reinforces that “home away from home” feel to the place which I really loved. It was refreshing and the staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating.
3. Phones: While they currently do not have phones in the rooms, bear in mind that they just opened in June. What Birgir and his team have in mind is possibly testing out rental phones for guests. What’s cool is that the phones would be free for guests, calls to the lobby and reception of course would be free and then if you wanted to buy a card to use for local calls to other destinations, you could. A sweet option and great idea!
I truly hope Kvosin Hotel (aka Kvosin Downtown Hotel) thrives. I had a fabulous first time experience and give it a two thumbs up. Thanks to the staff at Kvosin for making my stay so enjoyable and entertaining. And, don’t forget that fabulous wine bar right next door Vinbarinn — ask for Gunnar, the manager and owner and tell him Renee from California sent you. Then, order a bottle of fabulous Bordeaux and make a toast! My only wish is that I could be there to toast with you — I loved Reykjavik!!!
Address & Details:
Kirkjutorg 4
101 Reykjavík
T: +354 571 4460
desk@kvosinhotel. is
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.
