Pálmarshús

We had the spacious top-floor apartment, with our own kitchen and bathroom, and it worked really well. The beds were comfortable and roomy, the appliances all worked, and there were plenty of utensils. The hostel seems like it may once have been an office. There’s a lift, plus a shared lounge, another kitchen, and a conference room. The communal ground-floor toilets looked a little questionable, but they worked fine.

The outside gave me a bit of a Saw-movie impression at first, but the rooms were quite nice. We had a clean studio-style room with three beds and everything we needed. The staff were attentive and really friendly. The only snag was that the Wi-Fi didn’t work on our floor, though the guy did try to fix it. Upstairs there’s a big dining area and a games room, and there are washing and dryer machines. The outdoor showers could use some work and feel more welcoming, but I was happy with the actual room.

I only came across this place on my last night in Iceland, which was a shame. The beds were good, everything was clean, and the self-catering setup was handy. There’s a small supermarket across the road and a good restaurant in town. The place has a strong character, with quality paintings everywhere and a warehouse look that gives it a cool feel. The rooms face north toward the icecaps and auroræ, while the other side looks onto the waterfront. Some nights have cultural events, though there was nothing happening during my stay. The bar and terrace area looked great. If the town suffered when the fish factory closed, this could help bring it back as a cultural and accommodation hub. I’d suggest booking on their own website to avoid the bookingdotcom monopoly that pushes accommodation prices up in Iceland.

The shared kitchen and lounge are roomy, and it was nice to have clean spaces plus free coffee, tea, and cereal. My one gripe was that both showers are downstairs on the ground floor, where it was cold. At least the water was nice and hot.