Luxury Hotel Opens in Geysir Area

A new 77-room luxury hotel, Hótel Geysir, opens today in Haukadalur valley, Southwest Iceland, Morgunblaðið reports. The rooms range in size from 29 to 90 m2 (312-967 sq ft). The 9,400-m2 (101,180-sq ft) hotel building includes two wings, one of which houses the guest rooms, while the other one houses a reception, kitchen and restaurant – built in part around older buildings. The restaurant seats up to 450 guests.

“This construction has been a long and enjoyable process,” hotel director Mábil Másdóttir remarks. Her mother, Sigríður Vilhjálmsdóttir, is the owner of the hotel, which employs dozens of people. This is a typical family business, for in addition to Mábil and Sigríður, Mábil’s brother Sigurður works there, as do Sigurður’s wife, Elín Svafa Thoroddsen, and Mábil’s daughter, Sigríður Alma.

Work on the hotel began four years ago. The new hotel building, designed by architect Brynhildur Sólveigardóttir, is directly below the geyser area, and efforts were made to make it fit well into the landscape. The wooden siding has earth tones.

The interior is inspired by Leifur Welding, who has worked on other comparable projects. The appearance of the walls, for example, is enhanced with Icelandic rocks and wood.

The rooms are bright and spacious. They include six suites, five of which measure 60 m2 (646 sq ft), with a bright living room, bedroom, bathroom and balcony with a view.

“The outlook is bright and bookings are picking up, although we haven’t advertised much so far,” Elín Svafa remarks. “Even though the travel industry is experiencing a slight decrease [in tourist numbers], I believe our timing with this hotel is ideal. When it comes to servicing tourists, as in any other business, you will always see fluctuations, and we’re well prepared for the future. There are few places that build on as long a history of receiving guests as we do. We trace the beginning back to the visit by Frederick VIII, king of Denmark, who visited Iceland in 1907, with a stop at Geysir.”

“Our main emphasis is on having guests stay not just one night, but two to four,” states hotel director Mábil. “That’s why the hotel rooms offer essential comfort, as expected by people who stay here, in an area surrounded by interesting tourist attractions.”