Hafnarstræti Hostel

The bathrooms caused a lot of frustration. Toilets and showers share the same rooms, so when several showers are in use there’s nowhere to use the toilet. Other bathrooms were locked, which left fewer options for either. If you have a small bladder or are incontinent, that could be really stressful. The kitchen also had an unpleasant smell the whole time. I first thought food was rotting or something had been left in the sink, but I suspect it came from the sulphuric tap water. People use that same water for tea, cooking, and washing dishes. There didn’t seem to be any soundproofing in the sleeping pods. They look fancy, but opening and closing them is loud, and you can still hear people snoring or making other noises. In the morning, even if you haven’t checked out, you can’t sleep in. Guests leave their pods noisily, or cleaning staff shout outside them without realizing people are still trying to rest. Towels also aren’t included, you have to rent them. To me, the hostel felt like it had no soul. I didn’t see any permanent staff. I’m used to hostels or campgrounds with some self-service but an employee around in the morning and afternoon or early evening. Here, everything seemed to happen digitally or remotely, with occasional “fix persons” coming by to clean or make the beds and pods. It felt as if the owners were hiding behind camera surveillance and an email account. Despite the good looks and what seemed like good intentions, Hafnarstraeti hostel didn’t seem familiar with hospitality in Europe generally, or Iceland in particular. I got the impression the owners saw it as a cash cow to make money from tourists. I’ve stayed in several hostels in Iceland and abroad, so I have other places to compare it with. I’d book somewhere else if you can, even if it costs a little more. It may be worth it. Otherwise, you might regret staying here. I can imagine choosing it for a night if you’re really desperate and don’t mind whether you get enough sleep. For me, once was enough. I do hope they’re willing to learn and improve. Judging by other reviews, I wasn’t the only one who had this experience.