Booked Center Hotel Plaza but ...

We booked Hotel Muli for a trip next summer, and the rate we’re paying is around your price range. The location and reviews work for us, but we haven’t stayed there yet, so no personal experience. We booked direct on their site, and I believe breakfast was included.

We liked Hotel From. Good location. Shops and restaurants all around. Bonus grocery store down the street.

Walkable to the Hallgrimskirkja church.

Walkable to the bus stop #6, if you take a bus tour excursion somewhere.

Walkable to city bus stop, one street over if you want to use local bus. Includes breakfast. No spa facilities.

BP, I'm assuming you booked it through booking.com, since you didn't realize the full price until they added on taxes and fees. That's one more reason why I do not book with booking.com. I want to know what the total price is UPFRONT. European hotels are required by law to give you the total price with taxes. Booking.com is not.

I would suggest that you go back to the hotel and look to see what it costs if you book direct. As far as I know, all of the Center Hotels give you some kind of a discount if you book direct, plus other perks.

You already know that we have stayed at all of these:) The problem is going to be what you want for price is not going to include a spa, etc. So you will have to decide what is most important for you.

That said, my husband was there last week and we had reservations at Hotel Fron for 2 nights at the end of his trip. That was great, and we had stayed there before so he knew what to expect etc. However, his group arrived 2 days early, unexpectedly, so I had to see what I could find for him for 2 nights before this other reservation. This is what I came up with and he loved it.

Refurinn Reykjavik Guesthouse. This is a 6 minute walk (west) of Center Hotel Plaza in a nice quiet area. There is no elevator and it is shared bathrooms, but the rooms are very nice. There is a kitchen that is fully stocked and has a lot of food such as pasta, condiments etc that other guests have left behind and you are free to help yourself. My husband said there was plenty. The staff were super helpful as well, and they have a complimentary washer and dryer. We paid $343 total for 2 nights, but remember I booked it just an hour or so before he checked in. I did check random dates for September on booking.com and it shows $163/ night or $651 for 4 nights, before taxes. So this is in your budget. FWIW, my husband never had to wait for a bathroom and said they were always spotless. When he went to do laundry, the housekeeping lady was washing bedding and pulled everything out so that he could use the machines. He did not ask, she just offered. So you get a sense of the kindness there.

Hi Mardee

Yes, I booked through booking but it was just about the exact same price if I booked direct. I will get a welcome drink if I book direct but that is the only addition.

Now I understand what you mean when you said something about taxes and fees added on during an earlier conversation.

I get free cancellation if I later choose to book direct with another hotel.

mikliz97

It seems like you have stayed everywhere in Reykjavik.

You once mentioned the Hotel Fron to me and it gets good ratings. Price is in budget.

I am seriously considering it and i will look into the guest house also.

There are so many possibilities that I have to narrow it down, There are a lot of very good hotels (from reviews) that are within budget.

But you have also mentioned other Center hotels to me as well. After I decide on another one, I will come back to forum and ask for opinions. I feel that I should make another decision this week. And then I can keep shopping around.

Thank you Derek for info on Hotel Fron. I am liking what I hear about it.

and Barbara G. Will check out your recommends

Bostonphil--Well with over 75 nights in the country so far, yes we have stayed in quite a few places;) With Hotel Fron, there is the main building but also one behind, and that one is quieter as it is not right next to the bars. That is where we stayed and we never heard a peep. Same with my husband last week. BTW, the guesthouse that I mentioned is a 6 minute walk to bus stop #1. The closest bus stop for Hotel Fron is #14 or #14, both of which are a 4 minute walk. Both of these bus stops are downhill from the hotel, so returning you will have a bit of uphill walk, but not far. The area around the guesthouse is flat.

I booked Hotel Fron. With taxes and fees, it came to just under $1.400.00 which is more in budget.

I booked through booking.com but will also try booking direct and see if I will save any money.

I also plan to keep shopping around which also means continuing to check Hotel Fron.

I am not going for a year but I wanted to get something reserved.

And of course I did cancel Center Plaza. I am saving about $200 by booking Hotel Fron.

mikliz97

In case you come back to this thread, have you stayed at Erik, The Red's Guest House? It gets good reviews and the kitchen is also always stocked.

Are the kitchen's in Guest Houses always stocked?

bostonphil--No we have not stayed there, just walked past it numerous times. It is not typical for kitchens to be stocked in guesthouses. Normally it is just a kitchen with appliances/dishes available for your use.

Mikliz97

Thank you.

For now, I think the Fron is just fine. If I book direct, it looks like I might save $100 over going through booking.

But I will continue to keep shopping.

It looks like the Fly Bus will take me from the airport right to a stop close to the hotel. It is too early to book air yet.

bostonphil--I see a typo in my post above about the bus stops. For From it is bus stop 6 or 14. Those are what Flybus will use. You don't need to book Flybus until you arrive. You just buy a ticket, no reservation per se.

Are the kitchen's in Guest Houses always stocked?

I stayed at 2 guesthouses when I was in Iceland, and the kitchens are usually stocked with utensils, plates, etc. and things like that, but typically you will bring in your own food and store it there, and then cook your own meals and do whatever it is you want to do with your food. Both of the guest houses I stayed at had an included breakfast in the price, but not all do. I would imagine the term "well-stocked" refers to cooking utensils, common dinnerware, and so on.

Also keep in mind that some guest houses have shared bathrooms, so that's something to check when you are booking there. It may not matter to you (it didn't to me), but still, it's something to be aware of.

Sounds like you already switched hotels, so that's good. I just stayed - only one night - at Center Hotels Plaza earlier this month and wasn't super impressed, although the location was excellent. The layout of the hotel is a bit confusing (2 buildings I think), and although I booked 2 rooms together, they located us (we were with another couple) on opposite ends of the hotel. Which was fine - but one room was on the "3rd floor" which really ended up being the ground floor, after going down several hallways and a set of stairs. I'm not one to make a fuss, but I went right back up and told them they needed to move the room, which they did, but with some attitude. I also booked through booking,com, which I usually do not do, but I was unable to get the hotel website to work even after multiple attempts. I paid $377 for one night and that included breakfast. Side note: we did walk by Hotel Fron and I thought, oh that's cute, we should have stayed there!

Mardee

I have stayed at places that had shared bathrooms. Some are ok and some not ok. I would prefer a private bathroom given the choice byt you can often get a much better price with a shared bathroom.

mikliz97

I am getting very excited about this trip but it is still a year away.

Love that it looks like it will be very easy to get from the airport to the hotel. That is a big plus in my book.

TheOrdinaryRebecca

Thank you for the information.

I gather that Hotel Fron is also in a very good location

bostonphil--Mardee is right, most "fully stocked" kitchens are for pots/pans etc. The guesthouse my husband was at though had tons of food. He did not need to go out to eat as there was so much available , but he did since he was with a bunch of shipmates. He did love having the French press in his room.

mikliz97

thanks again ....

Must check out the Guest House that your husband stayed at.

Bostonphil—I mentioned that breakfast at the Ftin was nothing spectacular, but my husband was telling me about tonight and his words were “it blows “ meaning it was terrible. He left and went out for breakfast

mikliz97

Thanks for the update but what is Ftin?

bostonphil--Sorry about the typo. It is Hotel Fron.

so the Hotel Fron has a bad breakfast????

oh well, I will do the best that i can because going out for breakfast is not in my budget. But I am not going until next year and I can keep shopping around

but your husband might have different tastes than myself. I may be more 3 star than your husband.

bostonphil--Oh no, my husband is quite simple when it comes to things like this. When he says it's bad, that says something to me. I do remember when we all stayed there that breakfast was rather pathetic and the room is very tiny so you may well have to wait for a table. I don't remember if breakfast is included in the rate or not. I just know when I booked his room way back in January, whatever I booked included breakfast.