Reykjavik EDITION

My room was $1500 USD per night plus fees. When I realized the cost, I tried to cancel immediately after booking but something went wrong. When I received a notice from the hotel a week before arrival welcoming me on my stay, I contacted the hotel immediately to indicate I thought I had cancelled and the problem was an honest mistake. I was told I would be charged a one-night cancellation fee ($1500 USD) -- that is the rule and that they were unwilling to waive the feel out of good will and my Bonvoy membership. So I was able to cancel my more reasonably priced room at another hotel (they were very gracious) and kept the EDITION reservation so it wasn't a dead loss. When I arrived at the hotel late afternoon, I was told as a part of the destination fee, I would get a free dinner at the hotel's restaurant. I went right over to the restaurant, and they said -- "sorry, fully booked for the entire evening." I asked if I could use for room service, and they said no. Finally, the manager allowed me to use room service, which I appreciated, but the food was bad. My room was ordinary with poor lighting and acoustics, and seemed to need an update. No view. I could hear the guests in the neighboring room. To the hotel's credit, they found another room for me (but first stating there wasn't anything available). Overall, the experience was unpleasant and not at all worth the shockingly high price (with even breakfast not included like many of the hotels in Reykjavik).

We stayed at the Element Hotel in Reykjavík for three days this month, and our experience was exceptional from start to finish. Our Harbor View room was modern, spotless, and thoughtfully designed and the harbor view instantly set the tone for a relaxing and memorable visit. After a long flight from the US, it was the perfect place to unwind. The hotel’s central location was another major advantage. We could easily walk to nearby attractions, restaurants, and shops, making it an ideal base for exploring Reykjavík. Even better, the bus stops for our tours were less than a five-minute walk away. One of the highlights of our stay was the outstanding Breakfast Buffet at the Tides Restaurant. The selection was impressive, fresh, and delicious. The restaurant staff, especially John and Egor, made each morning feel warm and welcoming with their attentive and friendly service. Thank you Egor for the goodie bag you provided us with for our tour. We certainly enjoyed it! We also want to recognize the Front Desk team, particularly Eleanor and Christine, who went above and beyond throughout our stay. Their professionalism, warmth, and willingness to help made us feel genuinely cared for. Whether answering questions, offering recommendations, or assisting with arrangements, they handled everything with genuine hospitality. Overall, the Element Hotel provided a wonderful experience, and we look forward to returning.

The music across the hotel including at breakfast is completely intolerable - it is like a night club

My wife and I and our adult daughter stayed in a Two Queen Bed room for one night before flying home the next morning. The location down by the harbor and next to the Harpa concert hall is excellent. Upon exiting our car, a staff member immediately came to help us with our bags. Check-in was easy and the front desk staff person was welcoming and friendly. Our bags were brought up to our room, and the front desk staff member even offered to escort us to our room. The hotel was very neat and clean and smelled good. My wife is a Bonvoy Platinum member, so we received a complimentary upgrade to a “scenic view” room instead of a courtyard view. The view was of the side of the Harpa concert hall and a partial view of the harbor. The mattresses were a bit soft but comfortable and the bed linens were of good quality. Wifi worked well, and there was abundant hot water with good water pressure in the walk-in shower. The cost of our original room would have been $1600 ($2200 for upgraded room), which seems outrageously expensive, even by Iceland standards. It was 2 days before the solar eclipse, so I assume prices were higher than normal. We were able to use a free night certificate plus some Bonvoy points to pay for the room. There is a $50 (approximate) destination fee, but then you are given a $50 credit to use in the Tides restaurant only. We had drinks at the bar and the credit covered most of our bill. We were also given a coupon for a free drink in the lobby bar, but that turned out to be good from 9-10 PM only and for a specific drink selected by the hotel. So we didn’t use that coupon. We were told at check-in that once in our room we could dial 0 for someone to come to our room with a “surprise.” This seemed odd but we eventually did dial 0. A staff member came to our room with an Ipad. There was a digital wheel on the Ipad to spin for a prize. We received a prize of free valet parking, which is normally $50 per day. So that was a nice surprise. I did have to mention the prize at check-out to get it applied to our bill as it had not been communicated to the front desk. Our room was pretty small and tight with 3 people, but not a big deal for one night. The queen beds, as another reviewer has mentioned, are not US queen beds but more like double beds. So it was an uncomfortable night of sleep for my wife and me. The room had a thermostat but it didn’t appear to do anything. I turned the thermostat to 19 degrees Celsius, but we never heard the AC turn on. In the morning, the room temperature was 21 degrees, which was unchanged from when we checked in. It was hot in the room during the night, so we did open the window, which helped some. I will end on a positive note and say that all of the staff were friendly, helpful, and professional. I will also note that when I went to book a room for our last night, there were no other hotel options with two “queen” or even two double beds. So, I felt fortunate to be able to use a free night certificate at The Edition for our last night.

Took forever to get our coffee and orange juice had to ask several times