Höfn Guesthouse

The bed and linens were comfortable, and the room was large for a guesthouse, with luggage racks. There was only one working outlet, though, and the WiFi was medium speed. The window in room #2 wouldn’t shut all the way, so cold air came in. The kitchen was dirty when we arrived and stayed that way during our visit. There were dirty dishes in the sink, food left in pots and things sitting on the counters. A large group took over the kitchen and dining area, cooking from 10pm until after 1am, even though the email confirmation said quiet time started at 10pm. They played games, laughed loudly, and were very inconsiderate. In the morning, they’d left the kitchen unusable, with pans of noodles on the stove and a mess everywhere. I assume they also took my zipped bag of cold food out of the refrigerator and left it on the counter overnight. My milk, cheese, lunch meats, and yoghurts had all been left out. In Iceland, a lot of places called guesthouses feel like hostels with private rooms. You can get similar guests and behavior, and many have no staff or reception keeping an eye on things. Facilities may only get cleaned once a day after checkout, so disruptive guests can do what they want. That was my experience on this one night, and it made the stay miserable. I couldn’t use the kitchen, and I imagine other guests couldn’t either.

It felt like a hostel, and there were problems everywhere. The toilet had no flush lever, the bathroom window was broken so I couldn’t open it, and cardboard had been taped over another window. Someone burned shrimp in the shared kitchen, leaving the bathroom reeking of it. I was in room number 6. One curtain was broken and lying on the floor, and the cover for the power outlet was under the beds, leaving the outlet exposed in the wall. Guests kept slamming doors until 3 am. The radiators barely worked, so the room kept going between hot and cold, and my blanket already had a hole in it when I arrived.

The owner was really kind and let us use the kitchen and stay in the common area for a couple of hours after checkout. Our room was warm, the bed was very comfortable, and the toilets and kitchens were extremely clean. Towels and body soap/shampoo were provided, too. The living room has a nice view over the town and surrounding mountains, though a flagpole blocks part of it.

The kitchen had everything we needed, and the room was clean. The shared facilities were perfectly fine for our stay, and having Netto supermarket nearby made it easy to pick up essentials. Just be aware that kitchen noise carries. If other guests stay up late, you may hear them. It worked well for our one-night stopover.