Stay report: 101 hotel, reykjavik, iceland
Aug 8, 2011, 12:11 pm
#1
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Stay report: 101 hotel, reykjavik, iceland
TRIP REPORT REYKJAVIK, ICELAND
Summer 2011
101 HOTEL, Reykjavik Iceland Hverfisgata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
Room: 415
View Direction: Side street
The outside of the 101 hotel is different shades of grey, nothing dramatic nor interesting, I can only assume to blend with the rest of the Icelandic architecture. We entered the Main door to a lavish minimalist art filled foyer and turned immediately right to be greeted with a gorgeous front desk with a smiling and gracious attendant. (Check out my trip report to Hong Kong - amazing service too)
The 101 hotel is a boutique hotel in downtown Reykjavik and in walking distance of most attractions, restaurants, bars and shopping. Normally I would book a hotel that I am affiliated with, and the only option in Iceland was the Hilton Hotel Reykjavik which unfortunately was booked and thankfully it was as I would have never have experienced such an amazing hotel as the 101 Hotel and incredible staff. Also the Hilton was on the outskirts of town and you would need a rental car or take a cab everywhere.
inside entrance way 101 Hotel
Front dest area
Entrance hallway art
I researched all the hotel in Reykjavik and I kept coming back to this hotel and so I check out the reviews online as well as the Hotel website which is impressive. They had great deal only on the hotel website and therefore booked it. They have 3 day deals which is quite low compared to other travel websites.
The hotel is only 5 storied high and we took the elevator to the 4th floor and entered our clean crisp lines and decor of our room. I love the W hotels but now the 101 Hotel is in my 5 top hotels worldwide, it is truly a decorators dream and has appeared in many design magazines. The hotel is named after the zip code of Reykjavik - 101.
If you are going to be sharing a room with someone make sure it's either a lover, husband/wife, best friend or someone you are extremely close too! They do not have 2 queen beds in any of their rooms, only single queen and king size beds and the shower area is stunning big, deep, with a rain shower, handheld washer and it is open with clear glass and a thick towel on the floor of the entrance to the shower to keep out the water.
So best to be with someone you know well. The toilet is in a frosted glass cubical for privacy. The room I booked was a double king size with a separate area for the bathroom and bathroom basin. So you could shower in some privacy if you need it, My companion and I had plenty of space on the King bed and had enough personal space in the room. There is no closet just a hanging rack which I personally don't mind.
King size bed Room: 415
Room:415
shower area
Duty free champagne
There are great amenities in the room like plush slippers and bathrobes in the bathroom area and lots of toilettries, fully stock bar, snack bar, iPod speakers, large umbrella (it rained a lot) and bigger items such as t'shirts, european electrical adapter, books, music etc.
101 Hotel lounge area
Fireplace lounge area
lounge
101 Hotel Restaurant
art leading to the basement
In the Basement of the hotel you'll find wonderful washrooms and also the gym and spa area - jucuzzi, showers and steam room(which you have to ask the front desk to turn on) The gym is equipped with treadmills, bikes, lots of free weights and a comfy cushioned stretch area.
spa in the basement - Jacuzzi
steam room and showers
on our return to the hotel my companion took a nap and I decided to head down to the lounge area to relax and catch up on some reading, well reading on the iPad that is, even though the lounge is stocked like a library. The lounge has such a great feel to it and the staff serving the lounge and restaurant are emasculate, pleasant and treat you with kindness, courteous and always smiling and efficient service. Fit for a king or Queen!
The 101 hotel Lounge is very popular with the gorgeous Icelanders and especially the hip and trendy crowd. We decided to eat in the lounge area 2 night out of our stay mainly due to exhaustion after two tourist excursion days. The food is great and typically priced for a hotel.
Glass of Malbec for 1200ISK ABOUT US$11 normal for NYC
Companion asked for an egg in his burger, for some reason they kept putting it on top lol I had the tandoori chicken salad
ok so I had a glass of wine every afternoon to wind down from the my busy day. haha They had a great happy hour from 5-7 and instead of drinking to save you save to drink, or something like that without stating the obvious...drink much? ha
On work trips I stay at the Sheraton, or the Hilton and on occasions the W hotel, but these fashionable boutique hotels give something little extra. The 101 Hotel treats you like dignitary from a far away realm.
Check out my full Trip report to Iceland:
Part 1: DL 52 JFK-KEF
Part 2: Hotel 101, Reykjavik Iceland
Part 3: Hop on Hop off Tour Reykjavik
Part 4: Golden circle route - Ţingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss Waterfall
Part 5: Blue Lagoon (geothermal spa)
Part 6: DL 51 KEF-JFK
Summer 2011
101 HOTEL, Reykjavik Iceland Hverfisgata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
Room: 415
View Direction: Side street
The outside of the 101 hotel is different shades of grey, nothing dramatic nor interesting, I can only assume to blend with the rest of the Icelandic architecture. We entered the Main door to a lavish minimalist art filled foyer and turned immediately right to be greeted with a gorgeous front desk with a smiling and gracious attendant. (Check out my trip report to Hong Kong - amazing service too)
The 101 hotel is a boutique hotel in downtown Reykjavik and in walking distance of most attractions, restaurants, bars and shopping. Normally I would book a hotel that I am affiliated with, and the only option in Iceland was the Hilton Hotel Reykjavik which unfortunately was booked and thankfully it was as I would have never have experienced such an amazing hotel as the 101 Hotel and incredible staff. Also the Hilton was on the outskirts of town and you would need a rental car or take a cab everywhere.
inside entrance way 101 Hotel
Front dest area
Entrance hallway art
I researched all the hotel in Reykjavik and I kept coming back to this hotel and so I check out the reviews online as well as the Hotel website which is impressive. They had great deal only on the hotel website and therefore booked it. They have 3 day deals which is quite low compared to other travel websites.
The hotel is only 5 storied high and we took the elevator to the 4th floor and entered our clean crisp lines and decor of our room. I love the W hotels but now the 101 Hotel is in my 5 top hotels worldwide, it is truly a decorators dream and has appeared in many design magazines. The hotel is named after the zip code of Reykjavik - 101.
If you are going to be sharing a room with someone make sure it's either a lover, husband/wife, best friend or someone you are extremely close too! They do not have 2 queen beds in any of their rooms, only single queen and king size beds and the shower area is stunning big, deep, with a rain shower, handheld washer and it is open with clear glass and a thick towel on the floor of the entrance to the shower to keep out the water.
So best to be with someone you know well. The toilet is in a frosted glass cubical for privacy. The room I booked was a double king size with a separate area for the bathroom and bathroom basin. So you could shower in some privacy if you need it, My companion and I had plenty of space on the King bed and had enough personal space in the room. There is no closet just a hanging rack which I personally don't mind.
King size bed Room: 415
Room:415
shower area
Duty free champagne
There are great amenities in the room like plush slippers and bathrobes in the bathroom area and lots of toilettries, fully stock bar, snack bar, iPod speakers, large umbrella (it rained a lot) and bigger items such as t'shirts, european electrical adapter, books, music etc.
101 Hotel lounge area
Fireplace lounge area
lounge
101 Hotel Restaurant
art leading to the basement
In the Basement of the hotel you'll find wonderful washrooms and also the gym and spa area - jucuzzi, showers and steam room(which you have to ask the front desk to turn on) The gym is equipped with treadmills, bikes, lots of free weights and a comfy cushioned stretch area.
spa in the basement - Jacuzzi
steam room and showers
on our return to the hotel my companion took a nap and I decided to head down to the lounge area to relax and catch up on some reading, well reading on the iPad that is, even though the lounge is stocked like a library. The lounge has such a great feel to it and the staff serving the lounge and restaurant are emasculate, pleasant and treat you with kindness, courteous and always smiling and efficient service. Fit for a king or Queen!
The 101 hotel Lounge is very popular with the gorgeous Icelanders and especially the hip and trendy crowd. We decided to eat in the lounge area 2 night out of our stay mainly due to exhaustion after two tourist excursion days. The food is great and typically priced for a hotel.
Glass of Malbec for 1200ISK ABOUT US$11 normal for NYC
Companion asked for an egg in his burger, for some reason they kept putting it on top lol I had the tandoori chicken salad
ok so I had a glass of wine every afternoon to wind down from the my busy day. haha They had a great happy hour from 5-7 and instead of drinking to save you save to drink, or something like that without stating the obvious...drink much? ha
On work trips I stay at the Sheraton, or the Hilton and on occasions the W hotel, but these fashionable boutique hotels give something little extra. The 101 Hotel treats you like dignitary from a far away realm.
Check out my full Trip report to Iceland:
Part 1: DL 52 JFK-KEF
Part 2: Hotel 101, Reykjavik Iceland
Part 3: Hop on Hop off Tour Reykjavik
Part 4: Golden circle route - Ţingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss Waterfall
Part 5: Blue Lagoon (geothermal spa)
Part 6: DL 51 KEF-JFK
Nov 12, 2011, 3:49 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: New York city, NY
Programs: DL DM 1MM, DL reserve, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 407
BTW on landing at KEF stop into the Arrivals Duty Free Store and pick up a bottle or two of champagne as liquor is expensive in Iceland. The Hotel also does 2 for one drinks cocktail hour every night. (That's if you drink, that is...)
Nov 14, 2011, 8:20 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Proud resident of flyover country.....
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Posts: 3,892
Thanks for posting your report. Iceland is on my list of places to visit and from what I can tell Reykjavik is not your typical luxury hotel market. I am fascinated by the landscape and architecture there. I would love to travel the ring road, from what I understand that is an adventure that takes some time and accommodations are a bit sparse. Perhaps a few day trips from Reykjavik are in order.
Dec 2, 2011, 10:26 am
#6
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: yyj
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Posts: 755
Great little hotel. Here right now enjoying happy hour in the lobby bar. It's Friday night and the town is buzzing. It's going to be a fun night.
Dec 2, 2011, 10:53 am
#7
Original Poster
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Dec 5, 2011, 10:08 am
#9
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Feb 4, 2013, 8:25 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Posts: 755
101 hotel, reykjavik iceland
Just leaving Reykjavik and I have to report a complete downturn of the service at 101. Chatting with staff and locals the hotel is in financial trouble. New GM with very little hospitality and f&b experience. It feels like there is a dark cloud over the property. Too bad because my first experience was so spectacular.
Feb 5, 2013, 4:17 am
#11
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 857
We were totally underwhelmed by this hotel, finding the service indifferent and the room bare bones, trying to masquerade as "design." Our room was called a suite, which was a room with a sofa added to an L section facing a blank wall. Every single space was littered with more random items for sale than an average lobby gift shop. As a result, there were no drawers or surfaces available for our clothing and just a small metal rack for hanging, forcing us to live out of suitcases. I often feel that this self conscious chic can be an excuse not to spend money and space on pesky things like doors and closets. I don't understand who all of these people are who want to bathe, wash and use the loo in full view.
The location of the hotel is excellent, however, and we found the bed particularly cozy and comfortable. It is subject to the usual bar noise on weekends, which is true of most hotels in the city. Reykjavik is not a hot bed of luxury hotels and we are happy we tried this, but would not repeat.
The location of the hotel is excellent, however, and we found the bed particularly cozy and comfortable. It is subject to the usual bar noise on weekends, which is true of most hotels in the city. Reykjavik is not a hot bed of luxury hotels and we are happy we tried this, but would not repeat.
Feb 6, 2013, 12:00 am
#12
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,844
So given this latest update, can anyone else chime in about whether this is actually a luxury hotel? We'll give it a bit of time and then belatedly decide whether it is better here or moved to the appropriate geographic forum (which I guess is Europe).
RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels
RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels
Feb 6, 2013, 8:01 am
#13
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Posts: 2,931
So given this latest update, can anyone else chime in about whether this is actually a luxury hotel? We'll give it a bit of time and then belatedly decide whether it is better here or moved to the appropriate geographic forum (which I guess is Europe).
RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels
RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels
I do not think this hotel belongs in the Luxury Hotels forum. I would move it to the Scandinavian/Nordic forum. Having said that, the hotel is a true designer hotel with no money spared. But it's a four star hotel.