Hotel Holt in central Reykjavik is a rare find. Holt’s walls are adorned with original Icelandic art, representing the largest privately owned art collection in Iceland. The hotel, which touts a historical library, lounge, sitting room and bar, all of which are elegantly comfortable, also has the renowned Gallery Restaurant, which has to die-for cuisine and an award-winning chef.
I stayed here during my stint in Iceland and fell in love with the place as well as the people who run and manage it. A home away from home as they say! I had time to take in some of the art, but the collection is so big, that I didn’t have time to devour all of it. Here are a few sneak peaks to get you intrigued and be sure to check out our Hotel Holt review as well as our piece on its foodie arm, Gallery Restaurant on the hotel main floor.
The collection was started by the founder Þorvaldur Guðmundsson and his wife Ingibjörg, the parents of the current hotel owner. They were lovers and supporters of the Icelandic arts, especially Jóhannes S. Kjarval (the scetches in the bar and several painting all around).
As noted above, this is the largest privately owned art collection in Iceland and the only place you will find a permanent display of the same works in Iceland. Only about 35% of the whole collection is on display in the hotel so you can only imagine how big it is.
There is a trust with all three decendants of the couple so nobody can sell any of the paintings and there is a story about one of the grandchildren of Picasso wanting to exchange one of his paintings for Kjarval´s Dyrfjall painting which is in the restaurant (the black and white one on the left of the hallway to the kitchen). Another story is the big one in the library of the old woman with the birds flying overhead. That is the painters mother (Eiríkur Smith) and Þorvaldur had to use all his convincing power to buy the painting off him since he didn´t want to sell his mother. Þorvaldur promised to have it available to him always and Eiríkur is still alive and regularly comes to visit his mom.
There are also sculptures scattered around the hotel. Three of them, plastered on walls near the breakfast buffet, were sculpted to celebrate the last of the manuscripts being handed over to Iceland from Denmark. The were done in 1973 and one represents a man preparing leather for writing, the next one is an author writing on the skin and the third is of a small family sitting on a bed and reading them. Below is a smattering of other paintings discovered throughout the hotel.
Also see our hotel write-up/review here. I LOVE this hotel! Note: I was sponsored by the hotel however all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
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.
